Historic Basilica

Venice's mayor called the city a disaster zone on Wednesday after the second highest tide ever recorded swept through it overnight, flooding its historic basilica and leaving many squares and alleyways deep under water.

Italy's most powerful earthquake in 36 years dealt a new blow on Sunday to the country's seismically vulnerable heart, sending terrified residents fleeing for the third time in nine weeks and flattening a revered six-century-old church.

A powerful 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck central Italy early on Sunday, panicking jittery residents and destroying historic buildings for the third time in just over two months.

Pope Francis is preparing for a historic encounter with his predecessor Benedict XVI on Saturday - the first time in Church history that a pontiff will come face to face with a former one, with both expected to wear the papal white vestments.

Cardinals prayed in St Peter's Basilica on Tuesday ahead of a conclave to elect the next pope with no clear frontrunner after Benedict XVI's historic resignation as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics left behind a Church beset by scandals.

Catholic cardinals had a final day of talks on Monday before going into lockdown in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope after Benedict XVI's shock resignation, with an Italian and a Brazilian among the top contenders.

Venice's mayor called the city a disaster zone on Wednesday after the second highest tide ever recorded swept through it overnight, flooding its historic basilica and leaving many squares and alleyways deep under water.

Italy's most powerful earthquake in 36 years dealt a new blow on Sunday to the country's seismically vulnerable heart, sending terrified residents fleeing for the third time in nine weeks and flattening a revered six-century-old church.

A powerful 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck central Italy early on Sunday, panicking jittery residents and destroying historic buildings for the third time in just over two months.

Pope Francis is preparing for a historic encounter with his predecessor Benedict XVI on Saturday - the first time in Church history that a pontiff will come face to face with a former one, with both expected to wear the papal white vestments.

Cardinals prayed in St Peter's Basilica on Tuesday ahead of a conclave to elect the next pope with no clear frontrunner after Benedict XVI's historic resignation as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics left behind a Church beset by scandals.

Catholic cardinals had a final day of talks on Monday before going into lockdown in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope after Benedict XVI's shock resignation, with an Italian and a Brazilian among the top contenders.