(ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates) — Pope Francis is opening his historic visit to the United Arab Emirates by meeting Monday with the federation’s leader and a group of Muslim elders before addressing faith leaders in a show of religious tolerance in a Muslim region known for its restrictions on religious freedom.

Francis’ speech to the gathering later in the evening is the highlight of his brief, 40-hour visit to Abu Dhabi. His trip culminates on Tuesday with the first-ever papal Mass on the Arabian Peninsula — a gathering expected to draw some 135,000 people in a never-before-seen display of public Christian worship here.

Francis arrived in the Emirati capital late on Sunday and was greeted by Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who hosts him at his palace for Monday’s official welcome ceremony.

Francis arrival followed his surprising appeal on Sunday at the Vatican for the urgent observation of a limited cease-fire in Yemen and for food and med..

(CANBERRA, Australia) — The Australians government on Monday agreed to create a compensation fund for people who lost money from bad financial advice and to set rules to help drought-stricken farmers avoid bank foreclosures.

A government-commissioned inquiry into misconduct in Australia’s banking and financial services industry found widespread misbehavior that often went unpunished.

The report from the yearlong inquiry that was made public on Monday referred 24 incidents of misconduct to regulators for further investigation and to consider potential civil or criminal charges against executives and corporations, including most major banks.

The government agreed with a report recommendation to establish a fund of last resort, paid for by industry, for individuals and businesses that have won court judgments against financial service providers over the past decade but have never received the damages owed for their losses.

Financial advisers were most likely to fail to pay compensatio..

Germans can now start getting their post delivered to them via e-mail, CNN reports.

Under a new digitization pilot program, customers can opt to have their mail “e-scanned,” meaning their mail will be opened and scanned, before it is sent to them online.

The scheme aims to bring the national mail service more in line with a digitized world. Like many mail services, the Deutsche Post has struggled to stay competitive amidst the tide of e-mail, CNN reports.

But in seeking to boost convenience, especially for customers wanting to receive their mail while traveling, the “e-scan” service may also prompt a host of privacy and data security concerns. The digitalization program would require “e-scan” customers to waive their right to privacy, CNN reports.

The “e-scan” service currently only applies to postcards and letters. Larger items will still have to be collected in person.

Until July, the “e-scan” pilot will be available at a promotional price of about US $5.74 per month, according ..