Vatican shows off new catacombs frescoes
ROME – The Vatican on Tuesday unveiled newly restored frescoes in the Catacombs of Priscilla, known for housing the earliest known image of the Madonna with Child – and frescoes said by some to show women priests in the early Christian church.
Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, the Vatican’s culture minister, presided over the opening of the “Cubicle of Lazzaro,” a tiny burial chamber featuring 4th century images of biblical scenes, the Apostles Peter and Paul, and one of the early Romans buried there in bunk-bed-like stacks as was common in antiquity.
Norwegian official says calls monitored
OSLO, Norway – Norway’s military intelligence chief said Tuesday his country carries out surveillance on millions of phone calls in conflict areas around the world and shares that data with allies, including the United States.
Lt. Gen. Kjell Grandhagen made the statement at a hastily organized news conference called in response to a story in the tabloid Dagbladet, which reported that 33 million Norwegian phone calls had been monitored by the U.S. National Security Agency.
Grandhagen vigorously denied the story.
“We had to correct that picture because we know that this in fact is not about surveillance in Norway or against Norway, but it is about the Norwegian intelligence effort abroad,” he told The Associated Press.
He stressed that his agency’s actions were legal under Norwegian law.
Toronto mayor blasts City Council over vote
TORONTO – Toronto’s scandal-plagued mayor said he’s smoked crack “maybe once” and said the City Council has no business stripping him of his powers, implying in a television interview Tuesday that many councilors are guilty of similar behavior.
Rob Ford said he has “declared war” after the council acted in response to his admitted crack cocaine use and heavy drinking and a series of outbursts in recent days.
The council voted overwhelmingly Monday in favor of slashing Ford’s office budget by 60 percent and allowing mayoral staff to join the deputy mayor, Norm Kelly. Ford retains his title and ability to represent Canada’s largest city at official functions.
Kelly said he’ll make every effort to work with Ford but said the locks have been changed on part of the mayor’s office. The deputy mayor also cast doubt on Ford’s ability to stay sober.
Associated Press
