• Pope Extends Power to Forgive Abortion to All Roman Catholic Priests

  Pope Francis on Monday extended indefinitely to all Roman Catholic priests the power to forgive abortion, a right previously reserved for bishops or special confessors in most parts of the world.

  

• Indonesia to Pursue Blasphemy Case Against Capital's Christian Governor as Tension Simmers

  Indonesian police said on Wednesday they will investigate a blasphemy complaint by Muslim groups against the Christian governor of Jakarta, amid simmering religious and ethnic tension in the world's largest Muslim-majority country.

  

• Trump Arouses Syrian Rebel Concern, 'Cautious' Optimism in Damascus

  BEIRUT - Donald Trump's election as U.S. president on Wednesday aroused concern among Syrian rebels and a degree of optimism in Damascus, where his victory was seen as a better outcome than a Hillary Clinton win.

  

• Anxious World Leaders Seek Clarity on Trump Policies after US Election 2016

  LONDON - World leaders offered to work with Donald Trump when he takes over as U.S. president, but expressed anxiety over how he will handle problems from the Middle East to an assertive Russia and whether he will carry out a number of campaign threats.

  

• Trump Focused on Unity, No Clinton Prosecutor Talk: Campaign Manager

  President-elect Donald Trump's campaign manager on Wednesday did not rule out the appointment of a prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton's past practices while serving as President Barack Obama's secretary of state, a threat he made in an election debate.