BERLIN

Chancellor, at Kohl event, pledges eurozone stability

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday renewed her pledge to stabilize the eurozone, and her insistence that it will be a step-by-step process, as she honored one of the currency’s founders – long-serving predecessor Helmut Kohl.

Merkel’s comments, at an event marking the 30th anniversary of Kohl’s rise to power, came hours after Germany’s president ratified the eurozone’s permanent $645 billion rescue fund. That clears the way for it to start work next month.

Kohl was a driving force behind the euro and remains an iconic figure in Merkel’s conservative party. Bailing out eurozone strugglers hasn’t been popular in Germany and has caused particular unease in parts of Merkel’s center-right governing coalition.

VATICAN CITY

Paper, criticizing Harvard, says Jesus ‘wife’ papyrus fake

The Vatican newspaper has added to the doubts surrounding Harvard University’s claim that a 4th century Coptic papyrus fragment showed that some early Christians believed that Jesus was married, declaring it a “fake.”

The newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, published an article Thursday by leading Coptic scholar Alberto Camplani and an accompanying editorial by the newspaper’s editor, Giovanni Maria Vian, an expert in early Christianity. They both cited concerns expressed by other scholars about the fragment’s authenticity and the fact that it was purchased on the market without a known archaeological provenance.

“At any rate, a fake,” Vian entitled his editorial, which criticized Harvard for creating a “clamorous” media frenzy over the fragment by handing the scoop to two U.S. newspapers only to see “specialists immediately question it.”

UNITED NATIONS

Montreal radio station duo pranks secretary-general

Former victims include Bill Gates, Mick Jagger, Britney Spears and Sarah Palin.

This week, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined the ranks of those pranked by a Quebec radio station, his office confirmed Friday.

Montreal comedy duo Marc-Antoine Audette and Sebastien Trudel called Ban on Thursday afternoon and pretended to be Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

“He quickly realized it was a prank … and he took it as it was intended: as a joke,” said Eri Kaneko, associate spokeswoman for Ban’s office.

Known as the Masked Avengers, the two are notorious for prank calls to celebrities and heads of state. The duo said the world’s top diplomat was rushed out of an important meeting to speak to them.

MILAN

Crew of ship capsized last year honored for courage

The crew of the Costa Concordia has been awarded the “Seafarer of the Year” award at the Lloyds List Global Awards ceremony for “the courage and professionality” demonstrated by crew members when the ship hit rocks and capsized last January.

Thirty-two crew and passengers died in the Jan. 13 wreck off Tuscany, which has been blamed on the captain for sailing too close to shore in an apparent stunt. The captain and eight others, including crew and Costa’s crisis coordinator, face possible charges.

The judges for Llloyds List cited the crew for “the genuine examples of bravery and professionalism.”

— From news service reports