KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Members of Congo’s powerful Catholic clergy on Thursday called for the election commission to re-evaluate “serious errors” in national elections that gave victory to the incumbent president — or failing that, to resign. A group of 35 bishops said November’s vote was badly organized and called on the commission to correct errors in order to regain the population’s trust. International observers have said the election was marred by irregularities and that it is not clear who... Read more

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo’s powerful Catholic clergy is calling on the election commission to re-evaluate widely criticized recent national elections that gave victory to the incumbent president. A group of 35 bishops said Thursday that the November vote was badly organized and called on the commission to correct “serious errors,” or to resign. The Roman Catholic Church holds enormous sway in the overwhelmingly Christian nation. Incumbent Joseph Kabila was declared the winner by the Supreme Court and inaugurated in... Read more

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Bahrain says it will rebuild 12 Shiite mosques demolished by authorities during unrest against the Gulf nation’s Sunni-led monarchy. The work seeks to address allegations of abuses raised by an independent report on the uprising by the country’s Shiite majority for greater rights. As part of the widespread crackdowns, Bahraini authorities razed Shiite mosques they claimed were built illegally or had other violations. A government statement Thursday says work has begun on five mosques and construction... Read more

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium’s Catholic Church says that priests and clergy who abused children will be required to pay damages, even if victims make their claims after the country’s statute of limitations has expired. In an overall response on how to deal with the abuse scandals that have enveloped the church, it urged victims on Thursday to take their case to civil authorities first. But the church also said it is willing to impose penalties ranging from apologies to financial... Read more

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Lebanon’s foreign minister says Libya has agreed to cooperate with his country to determine the fate of a top Shiite cleric whose disappearance in 1978 has been blamed on former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Adnan Mansour raised the issue of Imam Moussa al-Sadr during a meeting Thursday with the head of Libya’s interim government, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil. Mansour said Libya agreed to allow a Lebanese judge to sit in on the Libyan committee investigating al-Sadr’s case. Al-Sadr... Read more

MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — A group of Amish men were sent to jail in western Kentucky Thursday for refusing to pay fines for breaking a state highway law that requires their horse-drawn buggies to be marked with orange reflective triangles. The men have a religious objection to the bright orange signs, which they say are flashy and conflict with their pledge to live low-key and religious lives. Ananias Byler, the first of 10 Amish men who appeared in Graves County... Read more

MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — A judge in western Kentucky has begun sending Amish men to jail for refusing to mark their horse-drawn buggies with reflective triangles for traffic safety. The men belong to a conservative Amish group that believes the bright signs are flashy and conflict with their pledge to live simple lives. Graves County District Judge Deborah Crooks jailed Ananias Byler for 10 days for refusing to pay the fines on Thursday morning. Two of his relatives were also... Read more

MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — A judge in western Kentucky jailed a group of Amish men Thursday for refusing to mark their horse-drawn buggies with reflective triangles for traffic safety. The men belong to a conservative Amish group that believes the orange signs are flashy and conflict with their pledge to live low-key and religious lives. Ananias Byler, the first of 10 Amish men due in Graves County District Court on Thursday, was sentenced to 10 days in jail for not... Read more

MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — A group of Amish men in Kentucky could be headed to jail for refusing to mark their horse-drawn buggies with reflective triangles for traffic safety. They are due in court on Thursday in Graves County to pay fines for riding on public roads without the orange signs required on slow-moving vehicles. The men belong to a conservative Amish group that believes the bright signs are flashy and conflict with their pledge to live simple lives. Jacob... Read more

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Dutch Queen Beatrix took on the fiery leader of her country’s anti-Muslim party on Thursday by dismissing as “nonsense” his criticism of her decision to wear a head scarf during a recent visit to a mosque. The queen made her unusually forthright comment to Dutch reporters covering her state visit this week to the United Arab Emirates and Oman, National broadcaster NOS reported. Her comments were not recorded, but Beatrix told reporters she wore the head scarf... Read more