A man holds a cross as he waits in St Peter's Square on the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope. Picture: AP Source: AP
THE Catholic Church has picked a new Pope but there was an apparent lack of leadership at a church which gave 14-year-olds a "shagging diploma".
In Rome, the cardinals have chosen a new pope with the white smoke billowing from the Sistene Chapel's chimney just after 5am AEDT.
Black smoke rises from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel past St Paul's statue, meaning that cardinals failed to elect a new pope in the second ballot of their secret conclave. Picture: AFP Source: AFP
In Sweden, a "shagging diploma" given to youths at a Lutheran Church confirmation camp has proved too much for parents who complained that their 14-year-olds are too young for sex. After attending a course entitled Love and Sexuality, the teenagers were given a certificate stating they were "qualified for sex".
And there have also been complaints to a cathedral - and even hate mail and threats - about the plans for the burial of the recently discovered remains of Richard III.
An illustration of King Richard III, who died during the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, and a photo made available by the University of Leicester, of King Richard III's skull. Richard III was the last king to fall in battle. Source: The Courier-Mail
In other news from around the globe, four people are dead after a shooting spree at a barbershop and car wash in New York, North Korea has fired a sexist salvo at the South, US President Barack Obama has pinned some hacking attacks on China's government, there are concerns that they see in Syria worldwide, people dressed as cricketers have opened fire in Kashmir and a Pakistani soldier has been tied to the hood of a car and stoned to death for allegedly having a romantic relationship with a woman.
A Syrian rebel crosses a street while trying to dodge sniper fire in the old city of Aleppo in northern Syria on March 11. Picture: AFP Source: AFP
A Sumatran tiger has decapitated a farmer, a ban on sharkfinning may hurt a tsunami-hit Japanese town, the winner of the Iditarod dogsled race is the oldest musher ever to claim the prize and a puppy that swallowed 111 pennies is feeling better after an op to remove them provided more than a small change to his health.
Mitch Seavey holds one of his lead dogs, Taurus, as he poses for photographers at the finish line of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race in Nome, Alaska. Picture: AP Source: AP
New Zealand is about to cross the threshold on legalising gay marriage, a British lord who lost his wife to cancer is calling for the sick to be given experimental medical treatments, technology which can detect Alzheimer's disease before symptoms show up is winning awards and a Japanese company has printed a book with pages the size of the eye of a needle.
Japanese publisher Toppan Printing's 22-page micro-book Flowers of Seasons, is impossible to read with the naked eye. It's for sale for in Tokyo, together with a magnifying glass and a larger copy, for $297. Picture: AFP / TOPPAN PRINTING Source: AFP
On the celebrity front, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have reportedly split, Miranda Kerr is recovering after being injured in a car accident, Kim Kardashian has tweeted pictures of her new hairdo, Anna Wintour has been given even more power to decide what is stylish and Spider-Man and Thor are running off to join the circus.
Miranda Kerr arrives for the 2013 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on February 24 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AFP Source: AFP
Shane Warne has tweaked his proposed Ashes squad to include only 15 men while England is thoroughly enjoying the turmoil facing the Australian team at the moment. Also, Lindsay Vonn is such a good skier that she can be at home resting her leg and still win a world title, Chelsea and Inter Milan are out to salvage their Europa League campaigns and English club Notts County are using lamps confiscated from cannabis growers to help the grass grow greener on their pitch.
Notts County's Meadow Lane ground (above) is getting some help from lamps confiscated from cannabis growers. Picture: AFP Source: AFP
And finally, we turn to seagulls. One was snapped flying past a huge fire in Louisiana while another briefly became a focal point of the conclave before.
Smoke watching became bird watching in St Peter's Square when a seagull perched atop the chimney that later belched out the smoke from the Sistine Chapel to signal a new pope.
The bird offered welcome comic relief during the long wait. Dublin tourist Harry Sheeran quipped that the gull was "nearer to heaven than we are". Minutes after being spotted, the bird inspired a slew of Twitter accounts.
A seagull, top centre, is seen flying in front of a fire that still burns after a tugboat and barge hit a gas pipeline yesterday evening in Perot Bay in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. Picture: Gerald Herbert Source: AP
A seagull sits on the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel while another flies past in St Peter's Square. Picture: Gregorio Borgia Source: AP
A seagull stands on a statue of St Peter while the faithful hold umbrellas on St Peter's Square. Picture: AFP Source: AFP
