Argentina's Bergoglio elected new pope
Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio becomes first Latin American and first Jesuit to lead Catholic Church taking name pope Francis.
Last Modified: 14 Mar 2013 08:56
Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been elected the 266th pope, making him the leader of the 1.2 billion-strong Roman Catholic Church.
Francis was elected on Wednesday on the second day of the conclave in Vatican City, after receiving the required two-thirds majority, or at least 77 votes of the 115 cardinal electors from 48 countries.
The 76-year-old from Buenos Aires is the first Jesuit and the first non-European pontiff in nearly 1,300 years.
The Jesuit order, which was founded in the 16th century, has a strong educational focus and takes vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to Christ and the pope.
The Jesuit order, which was founded in the 16th century, has a strong educational focus and takes vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to Christ and the pope.
Pope Francis appeared on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica just over an hour after white smoke poured from a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel to signal his election.
EUROZONE CRISIS
Trying to find the right policy for the crisis
Recession, unemployment, the rise of extremist parties - the ongoing crisis is a big strain on Europe. Thursday's EU summit is a search for solutions, but the huge differences will be hard to bridge.
Many leading politicians in Europe are growing desperate. The EU has been running a tough budget consolidation policy for years, but things do not seem to be getting any better. Growth is still weak; many countries are still in recession, and unemployment is rising to threatening levels, especially in southern Europe. More and more countries need help.
Guy Verhofstadt, head of the liberal group in the European parliament, describes the miserable situation: "What I see is the growth of the extreme right in Greece; in Italy we have no government; in Cyprus we have banks that have collapsed; in Spain we have a lost generation; France, Belgium and the Netherlands need new rescue packages, if they are to keep to the rules; in Ireland, they are currently going through the sixth year of austerity."
Man dies in Tunisia after setting himself alight
A jobless man who set fire to himself in Tunisia's capital has died, a development which could provoke renewed anger against the government.
Adel Kedhri (27) set himself on fire in the centre of Tunis on Tuesday and died in hospital on Wednesday.
"This young man is already dead", a medical source in Mourouj Hospital told Reuters.
The act recalled the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, whose death in December 2010 led to a revolt in Tunisia that spread across the Arab world.
The economic and social problems that fuelled Tunisia's uprising have yet to be solved in a country now deeply polarised and still awaiting a new constitution to advance a transition from autocracy.
Saudi Arabia executes 7 in first-ever firing squad
Saudi Arabia executes 7 men found guilty of theft, looting, and armed robbery. The 7 were executed in the first-ever firing squad execution in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has executed 23 people so far this year.
By Abdullah Al-Shihri, Associated Press
Seven Saudi men convicted of theft, looting and armed robbery were executed on Wednesday, according to the country's official news agency, more than a week after their families and a rights group appealed to the king for clemency.
The executions took place in Abha, a city in the southern region of Asir, the Saudi Press Agency said. A resident who witnessed the execution said the seven were shot dead by a firing squad, a first in the kingdom, which traditionally has beheaded convicts sentenced to death.
The witness spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared retribution.
China's Xi Jinping formally assumes title of president
By Barbara Demick
BEIJING -- Capping a highly choreographed transition of power, Xi Jinping formally assumed the Chinese presidency Thursday after a secret vote at the National People's Congress.
The 59-year-old son of a former vice premier is the most successful of the many “princelings,” as they are called, who had been vying for power in the Chinese leadership.
Xi was elected with an enviable margin of 2,952 votes in favor to one against at the congress. There were three abstentions.
Under the Chinese political system, there is no formal inauguration. After the vote was announced in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, Xi bowed to the deputies and shook hands with his predecessor,Hu Jintao. Hu is retiring from public office and also handed over his title of commander of the military.
14 March 2013 Last updated at 00:01 GMT
'Carmakers manipulate emissions tests'
Slick tyres are pumped hard to reduce rolling resistance. Brakes are adjusted, or at times even disconnected, to reduce friction. Cracks between body panels and windows are taped up to reduce air resistance. Sometimes they even remove the wing mirrors.
For carmakers, preparing for compulsory fuel efficiency and emissions tests has become a race in its own right, as they set out to make themselves look as clean and as frugal as possible.
"It's lots and lots of small tweaks," according to Greg Archer, clean vehicles manager with pressure group Transport & Environment.
"And they all add up."
All cars sold in the European Union go through official tests that measure fuel consumption and emissions of harmful emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or nitrogen oxides (NOx).
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