VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican on Thursday defended its transfer of a top official to Washington after he exposed alleged corruption in the awarding of Holy See contracts. The Vatican also warned that it could take legal action against a TV show that reported on the case. The Italian investigative news program, “The Untouchables,” showed letters from Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano to Pope Benedict XVI begging not to be transferred after exposing corruption costing the Vatican millions of euros... Read more

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican has defended its transfer of a top official to Washington after he exposed alleged corruption in the awarding of Holy See contracts. The Vatican also warned Thursday that it could take legal action against a TV show that reported on the case. The Italian news program showed letters from Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano to Pope Benedict XVI begging not to be transferred after exposing corruption costing the Vatican millions of euros (dollars). The Vatican... Read more

VIENNA (AP) — The Vienna archdiocese has apologized for the publication of a list of people who have formally left the Roman Catholic church. A statement says those affected have been asked “for forgiveness,” noting making the names public “is not allowed by state or church rules.” The statement was issued Thursday after a priest in a village north of Vienna listed local church-leavers in the diocese newspaper. The archdiocese says the priest has since “apologized in the form of... Read more

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt has banned the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and at least five other Americans from leaving the country, officials said Thursday, heightening tensions over an Egyptian investigation into groups that promote democracy and human rights. The State Department’s highest human rights official, Michael Posner, said the move raised concerns about Egypt’s transition to democracy after Hosni Mubarak’s ouster and could jeopardize badly needed American aid. The debate over the role of non-governmental organizations in... Read more

BERLIN (AP) — A German court has convicted a Roman Catholic priest of some 250 counts of sexually abusing children over a several-year period and sentenced him to six years in prison. German news agency dapd reported that the state court in Braunschweig on Thursday convicted the priest, who was found guilty of abusing three boys aged 9 to 15 between 2004 and 2011. The 46-year-old priest, who wasn’t identified, was arrested in July after one victim told his mother... Read more

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Tunisia’s foreign minister says its newly formed coalition government that includes Islamists, secularists and leftists is a good model for other Arab countries moving toward democracy because it gets disparate parties to work together for the first time. Rafik Ben Abdessalem said it’s important not to move from the one-party rule of the past to a democratic system where one party again controls the government. He told a panel on “Rethinking Islam in Politics” at the... Read more

LONDON (AP) — British lawmakers say Prime Minister David Cameron should complain to the United States over a Jay Leno routine which joked about the holiest site in the Sikh religion. In a motion published at Parliament on Thursday, two legislators said Leno had shown a complete misunderstanding of the Sikh faith. Leno made a joke on Jan. 19 on the “Tonight Show” in the U.S., when he showed a photo of an impressive gold building and claimed it was... Read more

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s stock market posted its strongest gains in about 10 months, with the benchmark index rallying 7 percent on Thursday as the peaceful passing of the one-year anniversary of the uprising that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak injected long-needed optimism into the market. The Egyptian Exchange’s temporarily halted trade after the broader EGX100 index hit a 5 percent circuit-breaker — a measure aimed at calming the market. With the resumption of trade roughly 30 minutes later, the... Read more

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Gay rights activists in Maine, the only New England state that doesn’t allow gay marriage or civil unions, said Thursday that they are forging ahead with plans to put the marriage question up to a second statewide vote. EqualityMaine, the Maine Civil Liberties Union and the Maine Women’s Lobby have collected more than 100,000 signatures — far more than needed to seek the referendum — made their announcement Thursday at the State House in Augusta. The... Read more

ATLANTA (AP) — He’s an ardent supporter of Israel. A megabillionaire casino mogul whose Las Vegas Sands Corp. is under federal investigation. And the self-proclaimed “richest Jew in the world.” Sheldon Adelson is also, far and away, the biggest patron of Newt Gingrich’s surging Republican presidential bid. Adelson and his wife, Miriam, have pumped $10 million into a political action committee backing Gingrich that is run by the former House speaker’s onetime aides. Campaign finance experts say the two $5... Read more