An "unbalanced woman" jumped the barriers in St Peter's Basilica and knocked down Pope Benedict XVI as he walked down the main aisle to begin Christmas Eve Mass, a Vatican spokesman said on Thursday.
Seeking to put at rest the speculation on his atheist roots, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Friday said it was not important whether he believed in God or not, but that the almighty accepted him for his services to the poor, downtrodden and suffering masses.
Cinemas, stadiums, town squares and other public gathering places are devoid of people as the coronavirus spreads to at least 118 countries around the world. As of Thursday, the Johns Hopkins University tracker says 1,26,258 people have contracted the disease and 4,638 have died across the globe. The vast majority of the victims have been in China but the country said on Thursday that it had only 15 new cases. The outbreak also claimed its most high-profile victim so far when Hollywood star Tom Hanks announced he and his wife, Rita Wilson, had tested positive. The couple, who are in Australia where Hanks is making a film about Elvis, said they had felt "a bit tired, like we had colds" before being "found to be positive" Take a look.
The Vatican has decided to abandon the traditional stable and the straw-ladden setting, shifting it to Nazareth, and placing Jesus in his father Joseph's carpentry shop in a bid to reflect the more straightforward scenario as described by St Matthew.
The world celebrates Christmas with great vigour and joy!
The world is slowly going into lockdown trying to stop the spread of the dangerous coronavirus disease, leading to cities and famous attractions turning eerily deserted. Many streets, train stations, mass transit systems and restaurants are now eerily empty. You can scarcely avoid seeing images of the emptiness -- the cleared streets and squares of St Petersburg, the missing throngs outside the temples of Kyoto, the abandoned restaurants in most Chinatowns, some of which have had to close. This astonishing moment when the world hit pause on normal life will never be forgotten by those who lived through it. Take a look.
The Vatican defines matrimony as a divine union between man and woman.
The Pope was presented with the symbols of power -- the Papal ring and the pallium (a narrow stole of wool).
The world famous Basilica of St Benedict in Norcia and other buildings have been destroyed, with the streets of the town now covered in rubble from the tremor.
Let's take a tour of Turkey through Krystle's eyes.
Thousands of fans and dozens of players turned out on Thursday to say goodbye to Fiorentina captain and Italy international Davide Astori, who died suddenly at the age of 31 on Sunday.
The capital of Portugal has reinvented itself as one of the hottest travel destinations in Europe.
The reports suggested six members of the terror outfit infiltrated into the state by sea from Sri Lanka and moved to different cities, including Coimbatore, according to the police.
The event was also attended by Prince Charles.
The drone photography community Dronestagram released a collection of their favourite drone photography of the year.
Amazing holiday ideas from Bollywood!
Midnight tolling of bells, decked up Christmas trees, long row of candles and carols sung in unison marked Christmas celebration across the country, as the faithful thronged churches to offer prayers and exchange gifts.
On this joyous occasion, rediff.com wishes all its readers 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,' as we a take a look at pictures of Christmas festivities from across the globe.
According to officials, ten men and three women died and 28 head of cattle perished in cyclone related incidents despite authorities evacuating as many as 81,948 people to 471 relief centres in Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Tiruvarur districts.
'We must not forget who we are and what courage and bravery were shown by our ancestors to bring us closer to the freedom we enjoy today,' says Tarun Vijay after attending the Gudi Padwa in Goa.
Head to these places to enjoy a traditional Christmas celebration.
Here's your weekly digest of odd, crazy moments from around the world.
'Hopefully, people will understand that, beyond medical vaccination plans, in the future we will also need to implement some 'social inoculation' plans.'
Unaware of the historical marker outside Bandra railway station, hawkers used it to display their wares, reports Anil Singh.
Mother Teresa, who cared for the world's most unwanted and became an icon of the Catholic Church, was canonised at a ceremony in St Peter's Square in Vatican City.
'Culture is our asset. Culture is our identity.' 'Wherever you go in India, every millimetre can be measured with culture.' 'There is so much to see that even one life is not enough.'
Shibani Gharat loves to run. So this September the 29-year-old decided to test her limits and ran 72 kilometres along the world's highest motorable path. This is her story.
