French far-right party trying to reinvent
LILLE, France -- French far-right leader Marine Le Pen proposed renaming the National Front party co-founded by her father 46 years ago to National Rally, opening a new era after her resounding defeat in last year's presidential race.
Le Pen's proposal culminated her closing speech at the party's two-day congress in Lille, the capital of the National Front's northern heartland.
The name National Rally must be approved by party members in a mail vote and it's not clear whether they will accept the change.
In another decisive change, the party severed the final ties to firebrand founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, 89, by eliminating his title of honorary president-for-life. It was part of the makeover designed to revive the nationalist party's fortunes after the ousted founder's daughter failed to win the presidency last year. He was barred from attending the congress.
After her defeat, Le Pen had promised a "re-foundation" of the party. New faces appeared within the leadership and new bylaws were voted on. But the party's foundation, notably its anti-immigration agenda, remained intact.
Catalans rally for secession from Spain
MADRID -- Thousands of Catalans rallied in Barcelona on Sunday to demand that regional lawmakers form a government that will continue a push for their region's secession from the rest of Spain.
The march was organized by the leading pro-independence grassroots group, the Catalan National Assembly, under the slogan "Republic Now!"
The region's separatist leaders unsuccessfully declared independence from Spain in October in violation of the nation's constitution.
Pro-secession parties maintained a slim majority after a December election called by the Spanish government, but since then they have been locked in drawn-out negotiations on forming a government.
Meanwhile, a fugitive former member of Catalonia's regional government has moved to Scotland from Belgium, where she and other Catalan officials fled from a Spanish court investigation into a secession plot.
Clara Ponsati, Catalonia's former education chief, said Saturday that she had returned to teaching at the University of St. Andrews.
Lightning kills 16 worshippers in Rwanda
KIGALI, Rwanda -- At least 16 people were killed in Rwanda and 140 others injured when lightning struck a Seventh-day Adventist church in the country's south, said a provincial governor.
The churchgoers were injured and rushed to a nearby hospital, where two are in serious condition, said Rose Mureshyankwano. She said 17 of those injured are still in the hospital while the rest have been discharged.
A similar incident occurred Friday when lightning struck a group of 18 students, killing one. Last October, lightning killed 18 people in different parts of the country.
Lightning strikes are frequent across Rwanda, which has many hills and mountains, and the country's police record a number of human and livestock deaths each year.
Saudi king empowers graft prosecutors
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's king has established special anti-corruption units of prosecutors to pursue embezzlement cases in the kingdom after a recent crackdown.
King Salman's decision was announced Sunday in a report on the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
The report said the king's decision came from "his concern over combating corruption in all its forms aiming to protect the homeland and its resources, maintain public money and protect the integrity of the public employment."
The decision comes after Saudi Arabia arrested dozens of princes, business leaders and government officials in early November in a push led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
A Section on 03/12/2018