Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of an Italian bishop who welcomed into his diocese priests accused of, and in some cases convicted of, sexual abuse, homicide and other crimes.
	The Vatican didn't say why Bishop Mario Olivieri resigned two years before the regular retirement age of 75. Usually, the Vatican announces early retirements by saying they were due to a "grave" reason that made the bishop unfit for office.
	In Olivieri's case, the Vatican didn't even provide that information yesterday.
	Italian newspapers have identified a handful of priests accused or convicted of crimes who were accepted by the tradition-minded Olivieri into his Albenga-Imperia dioceses.
	In a letter on the diocesan website today, Olivieri said he was pained to leave because he loved the dioceses "and above all its priests.

Pope removes bishop accused of accepting problem priests

PTI Automatic

Two Nigerian airlines are suspending service as a recession grips this oil-producing West African nation.
	Shouting matches and scuffles have become common at airports over hours-long delays or canceled flights. Some airlines blame shortages of aviation fuel.
	Aero Contractors and First Nation airlines stopped flying this week. Aero Contractors called it a "strategic realignment" to make the airline profitable.
	Labor unions besieged their offices over the "indefinite unpaid leave" forced on hundreds of workers.
	SBM Intelligence risk analysts said today an estimated 4.5 million people have lost jobs since 2014. Oil prices halved and the oil industry contracted by 17.5 per cent this year.
	Inflation is at 16.5 per cent, and the naira crashed this year from 199 to 305 to the dollar while trading on the parallel market at over 400.

2 Nigerian airlines halt service as recession grips country

The Brazilian man whose "miraculous" cure from a brain infection paved the way for Mother Teresa's canonisation this weekend said he is grateful for his life but doesn't feel particularly chosen by God.
	Rather, Marcilio Haddad Andrino told a Vatican press conference today he is just one example of God's ample mercy and love.
	"The merciful Lord looks at us all without distinction," Andrino said. "Maybe it was me this time but maybe tomorrow it will be someone else. The merciful mother looks after everyone. I don't feel special."
	Pope Francis in December decreed that Andrino's cure was a miracle after Vatican doctors and theologians determined that it was medically inexplicable, instantaneous, lasting and due to the intercession of Mother Teresa, who died in 1997. It was the final step needed to canonise the nun who cared for the poorest of the poor.
	Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said all 100,000 tickets had been distributed for Sunday's Mass but that the crowd would likely be far ...

Mother Teresa's 'miracle' doesn't feel special, just loved

Singapore is encouraging residents to use insect repellent, clear blockages in drains and wear long-sleeved clothing to protect themselves from mosquitoes as the number of Zika infections rose to 151 in this city state.
	Open-air food centers in affected districts had few lunchtime patrons Friday, many apparently fearful of contracting the mosquito-borne virus.
	"I understand the food court and all that business is affected but we shouldn't behave like that," said retiree David Lye, 67, one of the very few customers at the large Macpherson Market and Food Center.
	"We should be positive and do our part to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes," said Lye, who attends twice-a-week indoor tennis classes nearby. He said he has not been using any mosquito repellant.
	Singapore announced its first Zika infection in May, with the virus imported by a 48-year-old man who had traveled to Brazil. On Thursday, The Ministry of Health and National Environment Agency confirmed 31 more locally ...

Singapore on battle mode against Zika after infections rise

Nobel Peace Prize winner Wided Bouchamaoui urged people everywhere today not to "muddle up" terrorism with Islam.
	The Tunisian businesswoman, who co-founded the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet which won the 2015 peace prize, said Muslims who practice their faith calmly and respectfully are "victims of a semantic problem" when "terrorists" are described as "Islamic terrorists."
	"I think we should call a spade a spade," Bouchamaoui told the UN General Assembly's high-level forum on The Culture of Peace. "A terrorist is a killer, a murderer, a criminal and I would even say an imposter who is manipulating Islam."
	The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet was cited by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for making a "decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia" after the Jasmine Revolution of 2011.
	Bouchamaoui said Tunisia is still considered "the exception" to the Arab Spring because it has been able to avoid conflict and to promote dialogue and compromise. ..

Nobel laureate: Don't 'muddle up' terrorism with Islam

With crying babies in their arms, dozens of Egyptian mothers has rallied on a major Cairo road, blocking traffic to denounce severe shortages of subsidized baby formula, a protest underscoring how austerity measures aimed at healing the country's ailing economy are hitting ordinary Egyptians hard.
	Last month, the International Monetary Fund initially agreed to extend to Egypt a USD 12 billion loan over three years. Details have not been released but cuts in subsidies and new taxes are believed to be part of the government's reform program that was critical in securing the loan, which is still subject to approval by IMF's executive board.
	The deal is aimed at helping stabilize Egypt's falling currency, reduce the budget deficit and government debt, boost growth and create jobs. But subsidy cuts have a history of stoking unrest in Egypt.
	At yesterday's rally in eastern Cairo, some of the mothers broke into tears while displaying empty milk bottles to reporters as they stood for hours 

Egyptian moms protest shortages of subsidized baby formula

The United Nations will begin providing peacekeeping troops with 'no excuses' cards as part of a wider effort to combat sexual abuse in the organisation's international stabilisation operations, an official has said.
	Jane Holl Lute, special coordinator on improving the UN response to sexual exploitation and abuse, said yesterday the cards would make very clear the organisation's standards of behaviour during deployment.
	"The whole point of the 'no excuses' card is to look at every angle of our operation and say 'how can we strengthen ourselves against the possibility that these acts can occur?,'" Lute said. "We want everybody to be clear what's expected of them."
	Other measures being introduced include mandatory training for troops and commanders before they deploy and increased vetting to keep individuals with prior histories of sexual abuse from partaking in peacekeeping operations.
	Because the UN does not have its own army, but relies on member states to provide soldiers and ...

UN to issue 'no excuses' card in effort to curtail sex abuse

Florida has found the Zika virus in three groups of mosquitoes trapped in Miami Beach -- the first time this has happened in the continental US -- and authorities are blaming a particular flower for making mosquito control much more difficult.
	One of the traps that tested positive was at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, where bromeliads bloom. The plants trap standing water in their cylindrical centres, providing excellent breeding areas for mosquitoes amid their colourful flowers and pointy leaves.
	"Everyone should know by now that bromeliads are really problematic for us. These are probably the number one breeding area for mosquitoes," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
	He said Miami Beach is removing all bromeliads from its landscaping, and urged residents across the county to either pull them out or rinse them after every rain.
	And with Hurricane Hermine bringing much more rain to Florida, Gov Rick Scott yesterday ordered the county to immediately conduct aerial ...

Florida finds Zika in local mosquitoes, bromeliads blamed

Several companies that provide transportation and hospitality services at or near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport have agreed to settle back-pay lawsuits alleging that they ignored the nation's first USD 15 minimum wage law after it took effect, deals that will put more than USD 12 million in the pockets of their current and former workers.
	The cases are among about two dozen filed against businesses that include airport staffing firms, rental car agencies, hotels and parking lots in SeaTac, where the airport is located.
	Since the city passed the nation's first USD 15-an-hour minimum wage law in 2013, Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Washington, DC and other cities have followed.
	Many employers questioned the law's validity and declined to immediately follow it.
	The state Supreme Court upheld the measure a year ago in a 5-4 ruling, and attorneys for the workers began filing lawsuits seeking back pay for the roughly two years that the companies failed to pay USD 15 an ...

Settlements totaling USD12M-plus reached in minimum wage cases

A shooter killed a man he knew before turning the gun on himself today at an outlet mall, officials said.
	The shooter was alive after the shooting around noon at The Walk, but investigators didn't release additional details on his condition.
	The mayor said the shooter and victim knew each other, but their relationship wasn't immediately clear.
	"This is not related to any other issue with gangs or terrorism," Mayor Don Guardian said.
	"It was a domestic."
	The Tanger outlets are a popular shopping destination for tourists near the city's casinos and boardwalk.
	The shooting happened hours before the Zac Brown Band performs on the beach just blocks away and at the start of the final big holiday weekend of the summer at the financially struggling shore resort.
	Traffic on the Atlantic City Expressway was stopped while police investigated.
	Shoppers at a Bass Pro Shops store told the Press of Atlantic City that they were told to get into "lockdown mode" and move to the back.
	Eddie ...

Cops: Shooter kills man, turns gun on himself at outlet mall

A NASA spacecraft has found what appears to be an inactive volcano on the surface of the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
	Scientists say the volcano on the dwarf planet Ceres is about half as tall as Mount Everest.
	It likely last erupted several hundred million years ago.
	Many planets and their moons show evidence of past volcanic activity, but scientists didn't know whether this also happened on Ceres.
	The volcano discovery was published in the journal Science.
	Dawn completed its prime mission in June and has been given an extension to continue studying Ceres.
	To save fuel, the spacecraft on Friday will move to a higher altitude above Ceres to begin new observations.

Inactive volcano spotted on largest object in asteroid belt

Dr Joy Browne, the syndicated radio and television psychologist whose upbeat and approachable style made her a favorite for nearly four decades, has died.
	Browne died Saturday in Manhattan, according to her daughter, Patience Browne, who did not give a cause of death.
	Dr Browne was 71.
	Born in New Orleans and a graduate of Rice University and Northeastern University, Browne began her on-air career in Boston in 1978 with a radio show on WITS and was still in syndication at the time of her death.
	She was regarded as a pioneer for radio therapists and was known for such advice as not dating for a year after a relationship had ended.
	She eventually hosted a TV show and wrote several books, including "Getting Unstuck" and "Nobody's Perfect.

Dr Joy Browne, popular radio psychologist, dead at 71

Gabon's newly re-elected president sought to assert authority today as the presidential guard attacked the opposition candidate's party headquarters overnight, killing at least one person and injuring more than a dozen amid fiery protests that have seen hundreds detained and the internet blocked.
	The opposition quickly alleged election fraud after results announced yesterday showed that a family dynasty stretching back to the 1960s would remain in power in this oil-rich Central African country.
	President Ali Bongo Ondimba beat opposition candidate Jean Ping by a narrow margin in Saturday's vote, 49.8 per cent to 48.2 per cent, according to the electoral commission's provisional results.
	"I know who has won and who has lost," Bongo said today to local media.
	"Who has won? One million, eight hundred thousand Gabonese with whom we will progress together. Who has lost? A small group which had the objective of taking power to use Gabon instead of serving it."
	Ping's supporters have ...

Hundreds detained, 3 dead in Gabon election protests

CVS has agreed to pay Massachusetts USD 795,000 and will tighten its policies for dispensing opioids following an investigation into its drug prescription practices.
	Attorney General Maura Healey announced the settlement today.
	She says it resolves allegations that CVS failed to provide its pharmacists with a way to access the state's Prescription Monitoring Program, an online database that provides a patient's prescription history designed to curb the abuse of addictive medications.
	The Woonsocket, Rhode Island-based drug store giant will now require its Massachusetts pharmacists to check the database before filling prescriptions for commonly misused opioids.
	It has also agreed to pay USD 795,000, revise its prescription drug policies and retrain pharmacists.
	CVS didn't immediately respond to emails seeking comment. Healey says the company has about 350 pharmacies and 1,200 pharmacists in Massachusetts.

CVS to pay Massachusetts USD 795K,tighten policies for opioids

Pennsylvania utility regulators reconsidered - and then reinstated - a record-setting USD 11.4 million fine imposed on ride-hailing company Uber.
	Today's vote by the Public Utility Commission comes four months after the original vote to fine San Francisco-based Uber for operating in Pennsylvania for six months in 2014 without the required approval.
	Commissioners had criticised Uber for continuing to operate for a month, even after being issued a cease-and-desist order and for what were described as obstructive actions during the agency's investigation.
	Uber appealed the original fine, while Democratic Gov Tom Wolf and top state lawmakers had urged the commission to reduce it.
	The commission agreed in June to conduct a rehearing.
	A pair of administrative law judges last year recommended a USD 50 million fine.

Pennsylvania reinstates USD 11M fine against Uber after appeal

Syria's government secured a deal to restore its authority over another rebellious Damascus suburb on today while Syrian rebels captured new ground in a lightning advance on the central city of Hama and suspected government airstrikes killed 25 civilians in the surrounding province.
	The Syrian capital's western suburb of Moadamiyeh, which a UN report said was gassed with toxic sarin in 2013, has suffered a three-year government siege that left its estimated 28,000 residents with dwindling food and medical supplies.
	Today, Moadamiyeh's residents agreed to let President Bashar Assad's government restore its security presence and political institutions in the suburb, according to Hassan Ghadour, a resident and leading negotiator of the deal.
	Ghadour said 200 gunmen who did not wish to give up their arms would be allowed safe passage to rebel-held areas in Syria's northwestern Idlib and Aleppo provinces. The implementation to the agreement is expected to begin on Friday.
	A local ...

Syria strikes kill 25 as another Damascus suburb surrenders

A Romanian hacker who targeted the Bush family, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and others has been sentenced to more than four years in prison.
	44-year-old Marcel Lazar is known by the nickname Guccifer.
	He's best known for hacking the email account of a Bush family member and revealing private family photos and paintings connected to former presidents George H W Bush and George W Bush.
	Lazar also told reporters he hacked into Hillary Clinton's private email server, but prosecutors and FBI Director James Comey have said he was lying.
	Lazar was sentenced today in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. The 52-month sentence was in line with prosecutors' request.
	Lazar did not address the court at the hearing.

Hacker who targeted Bush family will get at least 2 years

A massive explosion erupted at a SpaceX launch pad today during a routine rocket test for a planned launch of a communications satellite.
	There were no injuries, but the rocket and the satellite onboard were destroyed, SpaceX said in a statement.
	The mishap dealt a severe blow to SpaceX, still scrambling to catch up with satellite deliveries following a launch accident last year.
	It's also a setback for NASA, which has been counting on the private company to keep the International Space Station stocked with supplies and, ultimately, astronauts.
	SpaceX was working to conduct a test firing of its unmanned Falcon rocket when the blast occurred shortly after 9.00 AM (local time) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
	The test was in advance of Saturday's planned launch of an Israeli-made communications satellite that was supposed to provide home internet for Africa and the Middle East.
	SpaceX said that in preparation for today's engine firing - a test carried out a few days before ...

Explosion rocks SpaceX launch pad in Florida during test

An Indian-American woman whose feticide conviction for a self-induced abortion was overturned in July walked out of prison today, a day after a judge resentenced her to less time than she had already served and ordered her immediate release.
	Purvi Patel, 35, was with relatives when she left the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis about 10.00 AM (local time), said Indiana Department of Correction spokesman Doug Garrison.
	Her attorney, Lawrence Marshall, said Patel is "very, very joyful that this day has come," but that she now needs privacy so that she can focus on rebuilding her life.
	"For right now, she needs to recover from what is obviously a traumatic several years," said Marshall, a Stanford University law professor.
	"She has to take her life and try to make something meaningful out of all the wreckage that got her here."
	Patel was convicted in 2015 of killing her premature infant by taking abortion-inducing drugs and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
	She appealed her ...

Woman leaves prison after feticide conviction overturned

A Turkish-owned jet leased by the private Wings of Lebanon company has landed in hot water after a flight it made to Israel.
	The head of Beirut's international airport, Fadi al-Hassan, said today that Turkey's Tailwind was asked to remove the Lebanese company's slogan from the Boeing 737-800 jet that it had leased until December.
	The plane was also banned from any future landing in Beirut.
	Lebanon and Israel have been in a formal state of war since Israel was created in 1948.
	Liza Dvir, spokeswoman of Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, said the Wings of Lebanon jet landed there on yesterday and departed the same day.
	Wings of Lebanon says the jet was sent to Turkey for maintenance. The purpose of the flight to Israel was unclear.

Lebanon-leased jet lands in hot water after Israel flight

German economist Reinhard Selten, a recipient of the 1994 Nobel Prize in economics, has died. He was 85.
	The University of Bonn, where he had taught since 1984, said in a statement today that Selten died on Aug 23 in Poznan, Poland.
	The university's rector, Michael Hoch, described Selten as "one of the most significant German scientists with the highest international reputation."
	Selten received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences together with Hungarian-American John C Harsanyi and American John F Nash Jr.
	They were jointly cited for their "pioneering analysis of equilibria in the theory of non-cooperative games."
	Game theory has been used to explain human behavior in diverse fields such as economics, politics and biology.
	Selten was born in 1930 in Breslau, now the Polish city of Wroclaw.

AP

AP

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