British cardinal apologises for sexual conduct
Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who resigned last week as Britain's most senior Roman Catholic cleric, on Sunday admitted that his sexual conduct had "fallen below the standards expected of me".
04 March 2013
Australian climate on 'steroids' after hottest summer
Australia's weather went "on steroids" over a summer that saw an unprecedented heatwave, bushfires and floods, the climate chief said Monday, warning that global warming would only make things worse.
04 March 2013
Cardinals to begin pre-conclave talks in Vatican
Catholic cardinals begin talks on Monday ahead of a conclave to elect the next pope, following Benedict XVI's historic resignation, as a British cardinal not in attendance admitted to sexual misconduct with priests.
HIV cured in baby for the first time: scientists
Researchers said Sunday they had, for the first time, cured a baby born with HIV -- a development that could help improve treatment of babies infected at birth.
04 March 2013
British queen hospitalised with gastroenteritis
Britain's 86-year-old Queen Elizabeth II spent Sunday night in hospital after being admitted for the first time in 10 years as a precautionary measure against the symptoms of gastroenteritis.
Sydney set to sparkle for gay pride parade
Up to 300,000 spectators were Saturday expected to brave the rain to watch Sydney's annual Mardi Gras gay pride parade, with an emphasis on the political as the nation prepares for elections.
03 March 2013
Cardinals look to conclave as Benedict begins quiet life
Cardinals from around the world were summoned Friday to meetings that will set a date for a conclave to elect a new pope, as Benedict XVI settled into a pensioner's life after becoming the first pontiff to resign in more than 700 years.
02 March 2013
Thai tourist industry 'driving' elephant smuggling
Smuggling the world's largest land animal across an international border sounds like a mammoth undertaking, but activists say that does not stop traffickers supplying Asian elephants to Thai tourist attractions.
02 March 2013
Russian activists set to march against foreign adoptions
Activists from pro-Kremlin children's advocacy groups were set to march through Moscow to call on authorities to ban all foreign adoptions and demand the return of an adopted boy whose brother died in Texas.
02 March 2013
Raf Simons unveils second Dior collection
Belgian designer Raf Simons' keenly anticipated second collection for Christian Dior received an enthusiastic welcome Friday, less than a year after he took over from the disgraced John Galliano.
02 March 2013
Air New Zealand pilot nodded off in cockpit
Air New Zealand said Friday that one of its pilots fell into a deep sleep while at the controls of an international flight but insisted that safety aboard the aircraft was never compromised.
02 March 2013
Cambodia orders action to stop deadly bird flu
Phnom Penh on Friday ordered urgent action to stem the "worrying" number of bird flu deaths in Cambodia, following a surge in the number of fatalities from the virus.