Gay Rights in Italy / Venezuela / "The Gulf"

From Rome Paddy Agnew reports on a bill to introduce civil unions recognising same sex relationships to Italy. The Pope has intervened in the debate, but how much sway does the Catholic Church still hold? Is time up for Venezuela's socialist revolution? The fall in oil prices has caused spiraling debt and hyper-inflation in a country already weakened by decades of populist Chavismo governance, says Tom Hennigan. Whats's in a name? Michael Jansen sheds further light on the dispute over the naming of a body of water and the long history of tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran.