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 killing of Christians is reportedly on the rise in Islamic countries such as Pakistan, Nigeria and Egypt according to a human rights group, with the Vatican claiming that 1,00,000 Christians are being killed each year.
All the 27 deaths occurred in the virus-hit central Hubei province, China's National Health Commission (NHC) said. The confirmed cases for the first time fell below 50 since COVID-19 surfaced in Hubei province in January.
Pope Francis obligingly posed for a "selfie" with a group of youngsters visiting the Vatican.
The Roman Catholic cardinals will begin electing a new pope on Tuesday, the Vatican announced on Friday after 115 cardinals gathered for talks, BBC reported.
After prayers and ceremonies, the Pope presented beret (Cardinal's cap) and the ring to Cleemis,elevating him to the highest strata of the Catholic hierarchy vested with the voting right to elect the Pontiff, when a situation arises.
An Indian delegation led by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien on Monday left for the Vatican from Delhi to take part in the installation of Pope Francis as the 266th Pontiff of the Catholic church.
Rediff.com takes look at the grand lakeside villa, which will be Benedict's first refuge.
Rediff.com takes a look at some of the highs and lows that marked Pope Benedict XVI's tenure.
Here's a look at Pope Francis' first day on the job.
A look at some of the Popemobiles over the years
There was "no verifiable information" about the fate of a priest from Kerala who was allegedly abducted by terror group Islamic State in Yemen earlier this month, government sources said on Monday.
The 115 cardinals responsible for electing a new leader for the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics are set to sit down and cast their secret vote on the next Pope.
A recently re-discovered secret Bible in which Jesus is believed to predict the coming of the Prophet Muhammad to earth has sparked serious interest from the Vatican.
An estimated two lakh people thronged St Peter's Square at Vatican City on Wednesday to hear Pope Benedict's final address
Rediff.com takes a look at some of the prominent papabile cardinals who might take over from Pope Benedict XVI.
The mass marked the high point of the first papal visit to the Arabian peninsula.
He will also hold extensive interactions with the minority Christian community of the country, majority of them Catholic, besides visiting a Church.
In the third of his four-part series that gives a Pakistani perspective on India's politics, society and economy, Amir Mateen recalls an Indian Sikh's lament, "Why does Pakistan not allow us to visit Kartarpur Sahib? It's like Medina to us, the holiest of holy places; how would you feel if Muslims are not allowed to visit Medina or Christians stopped from visiting Jerusalem or the Vatican?"
In the third of his four-part series that gives a Pakistani perspective on India's politics, society and economy, Amir Mateen recalls an Indian Sikh's lament, "Why does Pakistan not allow us to visit Kartarpur Sahib? It's like Medina to us, the holiest of holy places; how would you feel if Muslims are not allowed to visit Medina or Christians stopped from visiting Jerusalem or the Vatican?"
Want to catch up on all that happened across the world in the week gone by? Here are 10 images that says it all.
In a chilling new development, Habeeb Al Sadr, Iraq's ambassador to the Vatican, warned that Pope Francis could be on IS' list of targets, ahead of his visit to Albania this weekend and Turkey in November.
The protest led by the nuns and Catholic reformist forums in Kochi in September had led to a public outrage and demands for action against the bishop.
A minor Christian girl, who was arrested last month after being falsely accused of blasphemy, was on Friday granted bail by a Pakistani court, a case that has drawn concern from Western governments and the Vatican.
Leaders across political parties hailed the canonisation of Mother Teresa.
The 54-year old Mulakkal was arrested by Kerala police after intense interrogation in Kochi over the last three days.
Kolkata-based artist and co-worker of the Missionaries of Charity, Ritu Singh, who has had a long association with the order, fondly remembers the gentle Sister Nirmala, who passed away on Tuesday, sharing anecdotes that truly uplift the spirit.
We bring you a collection of some of the odd moments from around the world in recent weeks.
Maradona was a uniquely gifted player who rose from the tough streets of Buenos Aires to reach the pinnacle of his sport.
Pope's comment, which immediately drew sharp reaction from Trump, came in an interaction with reporters travelling on his plane on his way back to Vatican from Mexico where he visited this week.
The Bishop will have to surrender his passport and his entry to Kerala will be restricted.
The world celebrates Christmas with great vigour and joy!
An Argentine football club has recreated the Sistine Chapel on the ceiling of its gymnasium, with Diego Maradona as God, Lionel Messi as Adam and a host of angels that include Mario Kempes, Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Batistuta.
"Bhagwat has done national service by speaking the truth on what missionaries do," the Sena said.
Angels & Demons is a satisfying serving of popcorn cinema.
Coming just a day after she was canonised by Pope Francis in the Vatican City, the death anniversary had a special significance on Monday.
Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon works to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican in the adaptation of Angels & Demons, a prequel to the 2006 smash hit Da Vinci Code.
Nearly 10,000 people, mostly Keralite Christians, are expected to participate in the canonisation of Sister Alphonsa in Vatican on October 12.
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