The Vatican's Apostolic Library, which is home to ancient manuscripts, rare books and reading rooms for scholars is opening its doors to the general public with a small new exhibition space aimed at pairing its artistic treasures with contemporary art.

The inaugural exhibit "Tutti" (All) takes its inspiration from Pope Francis' 2020 encyclical "Brothers All" which combines his appeals for environmental sustainability, greater human fraternity and a more just socio-economic order in the post-COVID world.

The capital of the United Arab Emirates has issued new rules governing divorce, inheritance and child custody for non-Muslims in Abu Dhabi, the country's state-run news agency reported.

The report Sunday by the WAM news agency said Abu Dhabi would create a new court to handle these cases, which will be held in both Arabic and English to be better understood by the emirate's vast foreign worker population.

Pope Francis has decried the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia and pressed for dialogue to prevail over the protracted war.

The pontiff in his traditional appearance to the public in St. Peter's Square said he was following the news with "worry" from the Horn of Africa, particularly from Ethiopia, "shaken by a conflict that has dragged on for more than a year and has caused numerous victims and a grave humanitarian crisis."

Four women have been found dead in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, a spokesman for Afghanistan's Taliban government said on Saturday, following reports that activists had been killed.

Pope Francis will travel to Greece and the eastern Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus on a five-day trip next month, the Vatican confirmed Friday.

The pope will visit Larnaca, Cyprus, from Dec. 2-4, before traveling to Greece, with stops in Athens and on the island of Lesbos, from Dec. 4-6. The Vatican released no further details of the trip.

China on Friday criticized a press freedom survey from the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents' Club that found nearly half its members were considering leaving the city.

The survey said the members were concerned about a decline in press freedoms under a sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing following massive antigovernmental protests in 2019.

A LGBT advocacy group in China that has spearheaded many of the country's legal cases pushing for greater rights is halting its work for the foreseeable future.

LGBT Rights Advocacy China announced it was ceasing all activities and shutting down its social media accounts in an announcement on social media Thursday.

One of the Arab world's most famous singers, Sabah Fakhri, who has entertained generations with traditional songs and preserved extinct forms of Arabic music, has died, Syria's government said Tuesday. He was 88.

It was not immediately clear what caused Fakhri's passing.

Organized by the Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon, in partnership with Metropolis Cinema and in cooperation with the European Union Member States, the European Film Festival returns for its 26th edition.

Taking place exceptionally online, this new edition features a thrilling selection of films from Europe, as well as short films by emerging Lebanese filmmakers.

Tourists are being offered a new glimpse at one of the largest ancient mosaics in the Middle East after renovations undertaken by the Palestinian Authority were unveiled this week.

The 930-square-meter (10,000-square foot) stone mosaic, with intricate geometric patterns, is part of what's known as Hisham's Palace. It was built during the reign of the Umayyads, the first hereditary Muslim dynasty, which ruled from Damascus. The palace was the winter resort of Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, who ruled from A.D. 724 to 743.