Christmas tree lighted at Vatican

Christmas tree lighted at Vatican

VATICAN CITY

The Christmas season kicked off Friday at the Vatican with the traditional lighting of the tree in St. Peter’s Square — and a reminder from the pope about what happened when the “lights” of God were turned off in past atheistic regimes.

Benedict XVI, 85, occasionally refers to his experiences as a devout young Catholic in Nazi Germany in pressing his case for Europe to recover its Christian heritage and reassert its faith in everyday life.

Diversity concerns over Cabinet picks

WASHINGTON

The top contenders for the “big three” jobs in President Barack Obama’s second-term Cabinet are all white men, rekindling concerns among Democratic women about diversity in his inner circle.

Now that Susan Rice has withdrawn under pressure from consideration as the next secretary of state, Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts is the front-runner for the nation’s top diplomatic post. Former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska is Obama’s favored candidate to run the Pentagon, and White House chief of staff Jack Lew is likely to be his next treasury secretary if he wants the job.

Violence ahead of vote in Egypt

CAIRO

Waving swords and clubs, Islamist supporters of Egypt’s draft constitution clashed with opponents in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria on Friday as tempers flared on the eve of the referendum on the disputed charter — the country’s worst political crisis since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak.

Both sides stepped up their campaigns after weeks of violence and harsh divisions that have turned today’s vote into a fight over Egypt’s post-revolutionary identity.

Heir to gold fortune

CARSON CITY, Nevada

A substitute teacher from California was found to be the only heir to a fortune of gold coins discovered by a cleaning crew in the home of a reclusive cousin who quietly stashed away a treasure of more than $7 million before he died this year.

A court hearing in Carson City is scheduled Tuesday, when a judge is expected to certify first cousin Arlene Magdanz as the lone heir to the treasure valued at $7.4 million found in the home of Walter Samaszko Jr., Carson City Clerk- Recorder Alan Glover told the Nevada Appeal.

Samaszko, 69, lived a quiet life in Nevada’s capital city since the late 1960s and apparently no one knew of his wealth. Records show he withdrew just $500 a month from his stock accounts to pay modest bills, said Glover, who was handling Samaszko’s affairs as public administrator.

Associated Press