"Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the leader of the Church in Scotland, said that as well as standing down as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, he would take no part in the forthcoming conclave to elect Benedict XVI’s successor" Cardinal Keith O'Brien's resignation casts shadow over Papal Conclave — (By John Bingham, and Simon Johnson, The Telegraph)
"The crisis engulfing the Catholic Church deepened tonight as the outgoing Pope effectively sacked Britain's most senior cleric, following allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young priests" — Cardianl Keith O'Brien departs with an apology but no admission as Pope forces him out over allegations of inappropriate behaviour (Jonathan Brown, The Independent)
"The findings of a potentially explosive investigation into a massive leak of highly confidential documents stolen from the heart of the Vatican are to remain top secret, it has emerged. Pope Benedict XVI launched a probe into the so-called 'Vatileaks' scandal which erupted after his former butler released private papers taken from the papal chambers. Italian newspapers have been rife with unsourced reports claiming the dossier produced by three cardinals looking into the incident unearthed an underground network of senior clergy who have organised gay homosexual parties and faced blackmail" — For the Pope's eyes only: Report into Vatileaks scandal will remain confidential and only be seen by the next Pontiff (Daily Mail Reporter)
Israël
"La dérive raciste des supporters du Beitar Jérusalem. Ce club israélien a subi ces dernières semaines des actes de violence de la part de ses supporters, en colère contre le recrutement de deux joueurs musulmans dans l'équipe. Une affaire qui choque le pays" — La dérive raciste des supporters du Beitar Jérusalem (Paul Grisot, Courrier international)
UK
"The family of radical preacher Abu Qatada today won an injunction preventing protesters from demonstrating outside their home. His wife and five children were granted the “anti-harassment” order by a High Court judge in London" — Radical cleric Abu Qatada wins court fight to stop protests outside his home (London Evening Standard)
"The festival of Purim is celebrated every year on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar - in late winter/early spring. It commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, a story recorded in the Book of Esther" — Gloriously diverse Britain: celebrating Purim in Stamford Hill (London Evening Standard)
US
"A little local difficulty. Should a disgraced archbishop help select the next Pope? The details will be wearily familiar to any observer of the abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic church in recent decades. Priests accused of horrific crimes are treated by their superiors as victims, while the children who suffered at their hands are seen as administrative headaches to be wished away" — Scandal in the Catholic church (The Economist)
Belgique
"Le député de la fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles Alain Destexhe (MR) a déposé mercredi au parlement bruxellois, une proposition d'ordonnance co-signée par le député-bourgmestre de Koekelberg Philippe Pivin, destinée à barrer la route aux extrémistes musulmans sur l'échiquier politique" — Destexhe veut barrer la route aux extrémistes musulmans (La Libre Belgique, Belga)
Canada
"Dégoûtée par l’intolérance des Québécois envers les femmes voilées, Rabha El Hajjaoui a choisi de quitter la Vieille Capitale pour s’installer au Nouveau-Brunswick, qu’elle qualifie de «plus accueillant» envers les minorités visibles" — Une femme voilée quitte le Québec pour une province «plus accueillante» (Danny Gauthier, Le Journal de Montréal)
Bouddhisme
"Though sources differ slightly, it is generally believed the festival originates from the first sermon given by Lord Buddha, nine months after his Enlightenment, when 1,250 monk disciples appeared spontaneously to hear him speak" — Thousands of Thai monks put on a light show for Buddha as full moon festival begins Makha Bucha commemorates the full moon day which falls on the third lunar month of the year (Steve Robson, MailOnline)