French bishops announced Wednesday they were setting up an "independent" commission to "shed light on the sexual abuse of minors in the Catholic church since 1950."

A painting of an animal in an Indonesian cave dates from at least 40,000 years ago, making it the world's oldest piece of figurative art, new research has shown.

The painting in Borneo, possibly depicting a native type of wild cattle, is among thousands of artworks discovered decades ago in the remote region.

An Indian activist said Wednesday that he expects thousands of people to join his "March for Justice and Peace", a 9,500-kilometer hike from New Delhi to Geneva next year.

Rajagopal PV told reporters in Geneva that he plans to begin his long trek from New Delhi next October 2 and should arrive in the Swiss city on September 25, 2020.

Workers perched on scaffolding delicately repair Cairo's 13th-century al-Zahir Baybars mosque, a vital restoration project in the Egyptian capital's neglected Islamic quarter.

Halted by the popular protests that toppled dictator Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and the ensuing political and economic turmoil which enveloped the country, restorative work on the Mamluk-era mosque picked back up last month.

A body representing 144 Turkish mosques in the Netherlands has asked Twitter to block the account of anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders for inciting hatred.

The opening of a new hotel is posing a challenge to tribal customs in western Iraq's Anbar province, where locals traditionally welcome outsiders into their homes.

In the heart of Ramadi, the provincial capital, a tall building is lit up with neon lights. "Rose Plaza Hotel" reads a bright sign in Arabic and English.

Among the many novelties that crossed the Atlantic when the United States entered World War I in 1917, jazz was arguably the most upbeat -- and infectious.

Tucked beside one of London's busiest railway stations, a small army of archaeologists dig through clay as they clear a burial site of 40,000 bodies to make way for a new train line.

There are only 14 cemeteries in the French capital, and whether it's under an overpass next to the Sacre-Coeur basilica in Montmartre, or under shady trees in trendy Montparnasse, the graveyards are mostly full.

The Vatican said Tuesday it agreed with Spain's efforts to find an alternative to the Madrid cathedral as a place to rebury late dictator Francisco Franco, once he is exhumed from his vast mausoleum.