European history may be about to go into reverse.

Pope Francis has challenged Latin America’s youth to take up his environmental protection campaign, saying the defence of God’s creation is not just a recommendation but a requirement.

On the eve of one of the great Christian festivals, even if we now celebrate materialism with the zeal we once reserved for Christmas religious observance, it may be appropriate to consider the consequences of being Christian in the many parts of the world where religious freedom is an unknown concept and where being a Christian may endanger your life.

A pro-Russia insurgency in east Ukraine has decided to go ahead with a referendum on autonomy despite a call from Russian president Vladimir Putin to delay the vote.

ENGLAND: When David Yarrow was sent to the heart of Africa to photograph lions in the wild, he spiced up the job with the help of some aftershave.

Snapchat plans to put out a more secure version of its application following a breach that allowed hackers to collect the usernames and phone numbers of around 4.6 million of its devotees.

As the popularity of the controversial website ask.fm fades, another site is gaining currency with teenagers, leading to social media experts warning parents to talk to their children about Snapchat.

Technology has revolutionised what we measure about ourselves. But is all that tracking good for our health?

Twitter is booming as a social media destination for teenagers who complain about too many adults and too much drama on Facebook, a US study on online behaviour has revealed.

Former US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords met families of victims of the Connecticut school massacre that left 26 people dead, nearly two years after she was critically wounded in a mass shooting.

US president Barack Obama and his challenger Mitt Romney are storming into the last day of their long presidential contest, mounting a final thrust before Election Day and engaging in the toughest battleground state – Ohio.

President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney scurried through decisive swing states on Sunday, issuing promises of better days to come while castigating their opponent.

President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney attacked one another yesterday in frenzied campaigning as the presidential election enters the closing stages.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney conceded he may be defeated by President Barack Obama in tomorrow’s presidential contest, but insisted it is doubtful.

Paul Ryan, a hero to conservatives and lightning rod for Democrats, accepted the Republican nomination as Mitt Romney's vice presidential running mate today, saying the moment for President Barack Obama's Democrats "came and went".

Mitt Romney was on the defensive after raising the discredited rumour that Barack Obama was not born in the United States and therefore ineligible to be president.

PRIME Minister Tayyip Erdogan has captivated many Arabs with his tough talk against Israel, but voices at home and abroad question his drive to carve out a leadership role for Turkey in an Arab world once under the Ottoman imperial thumb.

TEA PARTY conservatives scored their biggest political triumph with a debt-ceiling deal that cuts federal spending, but their tactics could risk a voter backlash in the 2012 elections.

Attitudes about Muslim-Western relations have become slightly more positive in the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Russia compared with five years ago, but negative views persist on both sides, a survey said.

President Barack Obama said he is not worried about a recent poll showing that nearly one-fifth of Americans believe he is a Muslim.

NEARLY a fifth of Americans believe President Obama is a Muslim, a US poll found.

Nearly a fifth of Americans wrongly believe President Barack Obama is a Muslim, according to a US poll out today.

A NEW American study has found that advancing technology has led to significant changes in how people are using their mobile phones.

Belgium’s lower house of parliament has banned burqa-type Islamic dress in public.

Belgium's lower house of parliament has banned burqa-type Islamic dress in public.

Belgians may soon be the first Europeans to ban the burka, it has emerged.

Newspapers still lead the field when it comes to letting local communities know what is happening, according to a new study.

US President Barack Obama reaffirmed his campaign pledge to end the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military in a speech, but offered no timetable or specifics for acting on that promise.

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama, whose approval ratings have taken a hit over heated debates on healthcare reform, will address Congress tonight in an attempt to regain control of one of his top legislative priorities.

As First Lady she has to juggle a range of demanding public and private roles under the constant scrutiny of the world media.

Republican John McCain is accusing Democrat Barack Obama of seeking a socialist redistribution of wealth as a new Associated Press-GfK poll finds the candidates running nearly dead-even less than two weeks before the presidential election.

THE popularity gap between Barack Obama and John McCain has doubled from 7% earlier this month to 14%, according to the Pew Research Centre’s latest voters poll.

More than four in 10 US voters are still undecided as to who they will choose in November's presidential election, polls showed today.

Barack Obama will reveal his choice for his potential vice-president in an email and text message to supporters, his campaign said today.

Barack Obama gave a speech to rapturous applause in Berlin today where he told the gathered crowds that "now is our moment" as he touched on subjects such as nuclear weapons and climate change.

The Democratic presidential nominee ought to be decided by July 1 in order to avoid bitter in-fighting, the party’s national committee chairman said today.

The Bush administration is sending a stay-the-course message on Iraq on the third anniversary of the US invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, although a top military commander acknowledges the insurgency is more fierce than expected.

US president George Bush marked the anniversary of the Iraq war by touting efforts to build democracy there and avoiding any mention of the daily violence still raging three years after he ordered an invasion.

US President George Bush has failed to stem his slide in the opinion polls, despite his vow to rebuild New Orleans.

Americans have growing doubts about President George W Bush’s honesty and his effectiveness, according to a poll.

PUBLIC opinion favoured US President George W Bush’s decision to go to war in Iraq about 2-to-1 soon after Saddam Hussein’s capture, but months of chaos and casualties have taken a heavy toll on public support for the war.

With the installation of an interim government in Baghdad, President George Bush is banking on an untested group of Iraqi officials to achieve results that the US-led occupation could not deliver: security, stability and economic progress.

THE new wave of pitched fighting in Iraq, a war in all but name, is washing over an unsettled America.

Two years after the September 11 attacks the fear of a new terrorist strike continues to loom over the US.