Today's other world stories in brief
Two priests accused over $8m theft
MIAMI - Two Catholic priests allegedly misappropriated more than $8 million from their church and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on real estate, travel, rare coins and girlfriends, police in Florida said yesterday.
The retired priests were accused of skimming cash from collection plates and bequests to the St Vincent Ferrer Catholic church in Delray Beach, Florida, over years, and channelling the money into secret "slush funds" they used to pay personal bills, police said.
Former St Vincent pastor John Skehan (79) was arrested on a charge of grand theft over $100,000 and was being held in the Palm Beach county jail on a $400,000 bond.
A warrant was issued for the arrest of Fr Francis Guinan (63) on the same charge. He was on a cruise in Australia but had contacted the police, it was reported. - (Reuters)
Man 'abandoned' after Islam article
PARIS - A French teacher hiding from Islamist death threats said yesterday he had been abandoned by the education ministry and had to arrange his own safe houses when police bodyguards moved him every two days.
Robert Redeker went underground after publishing a virulent attack on Islam on September 19th and he criticised education minister for saying he should have been prudent in the way he expressed himself. - (Reuters)
Same-sex couple can legally marry
BOSTON - A Rhode Island lesbian couple yesterday won approval from a judge to marry in Massachusetts, paving the way for the first legal wedding of a same-sex couple from outside the only US state where gay marriage is allowed. - (Reuters)
Man fined over anti-Nazi symbols
BERLIN - An anti-Nazi campaigner has been fined €3,600 for selling T-shirts and badges with a struck-out swastika, writes Derek Scally. A Stuttgart court ruled that Jürgen Kamm had broken the law by selling and displaying items bearing the swastika, one of several forbidden symbols, phrases and gestures from the Nazi era.