Starting with the historic moment when the first Latin American pontiff greeted the crowds in St Peter's Square after his election on Wednesday, Pope Francis has shown a lively sense of humour.
China has overtaken Britain to become the world's fifth largest arms exporter with five percent of the global trade, its highest position since the Cold War.
Eurozone finance ministers approved early Saturday plans to give bailed-out Ireland and Portugal more time to pay back some of their massive rescue loans.
France has joined Britain in voicing its willingness to supply weapons to Syria's rebels if it cannot convince its European partners to lift an arms embargo as the conflict enters its third year.
A small French study of 14 HIV patients who have remained healthy for years after stopping drug treatment offers fresh evidence that early medical intervention may lead to a "functional cure" for AIDS.
Pope Francis has warned that the troubled Catholic Church risks becoming little more than a charity with no spiritual foundations if it fails to undergo renewal.
On the banks of the River Niger, mud-walled buildings festooned with tricolours mark out the ancient trading post of Gao, Mali's largest northern city where the French have been welcomed as heroes.
World leaders and Catholics hailed the election of Jorge Bergoglio from Argentina as the first Latin American pope on Wednesday, urging him to work for religious reconciliation and peace.
Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis on Wednesday, becoming the first Latin American pontiff in an astonishing decision that raises hopes of greater openness for the troubled Catholic Church.
He is performing handstands and eating constantly, and she is spraying her home with alluring scents -- all the signs point to mating season for Britain's giant pandas.
Argentine President Cristina Kirchner Tuesday slammed as a "parody" the referendum in the disputed Falkland islands, where residents voted in favor of remaining a British overseas territory.