One of the gems of the Vatican's priceless religious art collection has been restored to its Byzantine-era glory.
The Vatican on Thursday unveiled the restored Crux Vaticana (picture), a 40-cm-high jewel-encrusted golden cross containing what tradition holds are shards of Jesus' cross inside.
The Crux Vaticana is considered the oldest reliquary of the cross. Byzantine Emperor Justin II gave it to the people of Rome sometime between 565-578.
For centuries, it was used in the Vatican's most solemn ceremonies at Christmas and Easter. The cross will be on public display inside Saint Peter's Basilica through April 12. AP
A cluster of Antarctic icebergs were heading towards New Zealand, after being spotted around 400km south of the country.
Oceanographer Mike Williams said currents and winds would determine whether the latest icebergs, estimated to be up to 80m-long, would come close to New Zealand.
The icebergs were spotted by tourist ship Spirit of Enderby near the Auckland Islands and expedition leader Rodney Russ said it was the first time in 37 years that he had seen icebergs in the area.
"They currently appear to be moving north at about 1.25km an hour," Mr Russ said in a statement. AFP
Britain's air force and emergency workers rescued about 200 people on Friday, as rising floodwaters caused widespread havoc in northern England's picturesque Lake District. One police officer was missing after a bridge was washed away.
About 960 homes were flooded, the police in the region of Cumbria said. Among the hardest hit communities was Cockermouth, which sits at the junction of the rivers Cocker and Derwent and is known as the birthplace of poet William Wordsworth. Forecasters said the rainfall was unprecedented. AP
Scientists have developed a Star Trek-like phaser, capable of causing paralysis with a beam of light. But the effect has only been proven on worms.
Researchers from Simon Fraser University in Canada have found a way to paralyse the tiny worms by exposing them to ultraviolet light.
The scientists fed the worms a molecule - which changes its shape when exposed to ultraviolet light - and then exposed them to the light. Some of the worms died although most lived.
The team claims the phaser could someday be used as a treatment for medical conditions, but admit they are unsure what they would be. The Daily Telegraph
A second Bangladeshi twin began returning to consciousness on Friday, three days after being separated from her conjoined sister in a landmark operation in Melbourne, Australia.
Krishna was opening her eyes and slowly becoming more alert as she came out of an induced coma, a hospital statement said.
She is expected to make a slower recovery than Trishna, who was "100 per cent perfect" after waking up on Thursday, according to one of their guardians. Both girls are in stable condition. AFP
Somali pirates attacked the United States-flagged Maersk Alabama on Wednesday for the second time in seven months and were thwarted by private guards on board the vessel who opened fire with guns and set off a high-decibel noise device.
The latest incident took place off the north-east coast of Somalia.
In April, the vessel was seized briefly by pirates and its captain held on a pirate boat for five days.
The standoff ended only when US Navy sharpshooters attacked the vessel, killing three suspected pirates and capturing one. AGENCIES
The United States government on Wednesday distanced itself from a report that has triggered an outcry in the country after it recommended that women under the age of 50 should not be routinely screened for breast cancer.
The doctors and scientists in the US Preventive Services Task Force which issued the report "do not set federal policy and they don't determine what services are covered by the federal government", Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement. She said US policies remained unchanged.
Ms Sebelius urged American women to talk to their doctors about their individual medical histories and make the right decisions. AFP