Pope accelerated LatAm church's right turn: analysts
Benedict XVI's legacy in Latin America, the world's most Catholic region, is marked by a victory of conservative theology and the demise of home-grown leftist religious thought.
Powerful Cyclone Rusty nears Australia
Australian authorities urged the evacuation of parts of the resource-rich northwest Tuesday as a powerful cyclone whipped up huge seas, while a man died in heavy flooding in the northeast.
Astana students hold hands
Students of Kazakhstan's Nazarbayev University made an experiment to find out reactions of people at strangers trying to hold their hand.
25 February 2013 14:52
Will the next pope be Italian?
After a Pole and a German, will the Roman Catholic Church revert to an Italian leader once again?
Germany returns lost ancient artifacts to Kosovo
Kosovo's culture minister on Friday said Germany had returned seven millennia-old artefacts that were smuggled out during the 1998-1999 war with Serbia and were unexpectedly found in a German police raid.
Chef Wolfgang Puck: 19 years of feeding Oscars' hungry
Hollywood's biggest stars, after weeks of dieting for the Red Carpet, finally get to pick up their cocktail forks again at the glittering banquet the follows Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony.
Sad end for 'Happy Feet Jr.' in New Zealand
A penguin dubbed Happy Feet junior that washed up in New Zealand 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) from his home has died despite intensive efforts to save him.
23 February 2013 10:22
Historic week looms for Vatican with papal resignation
Pope Benedict XVI's final Sunday prayers in St Peter's Square will signal the start of a week in the Vatican that will make history with the first voluntary papal resignation in more than 700 years.
Vatican's popeless interim -- the 'Sede Vacante'
After the pope's resignation on Thursday the Catholic Church will enter a period known as "Sede Vacante" ("Vacant Seat") in which a cardinal takes over interim powers before a new pope is elected.