Combined briefs

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ROME

New papal coins have major misspelling

A new series of special commemorative coins honoring Pope Francis has a misspelling — Jesus’ name. They call him Lesus. “Everybody makes mistakes,” the Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said Friday. “Even people who make coins.” The Vatican confirmed Friday that it had withdrawn 6,000 coins commemorating Francis’ first year in the papacy. The coins had been distributed to retailers when it was discovered that “Jesus” had been rendered as “Lesus” on a Latin phrase engraved around the edge of the coin. The sentence, by the Venerable Bede, a seventh-century theologian, contains Francis’ self-chosen motto, “miserando atque eligendo,” which loosely translates as “lowly but chosen.”

MEXICO

Government passes on Dalai Lama

Mexico’s Foreign Ministry says President Enrique Pena Nieto will not meet the Dalai Lama during the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader’s fourth trip to the country. The Foreign Ministry said its diplomatic and friendly relationship with China depends on recognizing the one-China policy. The Dalai Lama advocates autonomy for Tibet. The Dalai Lama said Friday that his trip is not political but rather to promote human values.

MISSOURI

Elephant’s sudden movement kills zookeeper

A longtime zookeeper in southwest Missouri was killed Friday morning when he was hit by an elephant, a spokeswoman for the city of Springfield said. John Bradford, 62, was fatally injured when an elephant made a sudden movement inside the area at the Dickerson Park Zoo where the elephants are housed, city spokeswoman Cora Scott said. No other zoo employees were injured. The elephant, a 41-year-old female named Patience, had been at the zoo since 1990, Springfield zoo officials said. Bradford worked at the zoo for 30 years and had been the zoo’s elephant manager for 25 years.

NEW YORK

Psychic convicted of scamming clients

A psychic accused of bamboozling clients out of tens of thousands of dollars was convicted on Friday after a trial that peered into the legalities of a business built on mysticism and uncertainty. Sylvia Mitchell, 39, ran a Greenwich Village parlor where customers were warned about “negative energy” and their problems were traced to past lives. Prosecutors argued that Mitchell was a fortune-telling fraudster who preyed on vulnerable people. Jurors evidently agreed, finding Mitchell guilty of grand larceny and scheming to defraud. Mitchell, 39, plans to appeal her conviction. Her sentencing is set for Oct. 29, with the top charge carrying up to 15 years in prison.

EGYPT

Islamists hold scattered protests

Supporters of Egypt’s ousted Islamist president held scattered protests across the country on Friday, calling off a planned rally at Cairo’s iconic Tahrir Square almost a week after bloody clashes left nearly 60 dead. On Friday, thousands of Mohammed Morsi supporters took to the streets in several cities, commemorating 100 days since Morsi’s ouster. Police used tear gas and the military fired in the air to disperse a few rallies in Cairo, Egypt’s second city Alexandria and in the southern city of Assiut. Seven people were injured in the Delta city of Damietta, and a protester died of natural causes in another Delta province, said Khaled el-Khateeb, a health ministry official.

ALABAMA

Woman’s front-yard remains must be removed

The Alabama Supreme Court on Friday rejected a man’s appeal to keep the grave of his late wife in the front yard of the home they shared for decades. The justices, in an 8-3 decision that didn’t include a written opinion, issued a brief order, agreeing with other courts in saying that Patsy Davis’ body must be removed from the front yard in Stevenson where it had been since 2009. James Davis, 74, said he buried his wife in front of their log home because it was her dying wish. Parker Edmiston, an attorney representing the city, said work to remove the grave from Davis’ yard could begin as early as next week. Davis said he does not have the money to pursue the case.

GUYANA

U.S. citizens aboard detained ship

Guyana’s government said Friday that Venezuela’s navy has detained a ship operated by a U.S. oil company in waters disputed by the neighboring South American countries. The ship, which has five U.S. citizens on board, was conducting a seismic survey under contract for Anadarko Petroleum Corp. on Thursday when it was stopped by a Venezuelan navy vessel. It was ordered to sail under escort to Margarita Island in Venezuela, the Guyanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Venezuela said it legitimately detained the vessel for operating without authorization in its waters.