A shocked nun has given birth to a baby boy, and named him after Pope Francis. The 31-year-old nun, who comes originally from El Salvador, was rushed to hospital from her convent in the Italian city of Rieti – only to find, to her huge surprise, that her ‘stomach pains’ were in fact labour pains.

A Pennsylvania couple has drawn national attention for the ad they wrote attempting to sell their house. The four bedroom 1901 Victorian has now become a draw for ghost hunters. The ad for the house at 1217 Marion St. in Dunmore casually tells potential buyers that the building is, “slightly haunted. Nothing serious, though.” Greg and Sandi Leeson go on …

Benedict Cumberbatch has admitted that he considered turning down the lead role in Sherlock. Cumberbatch told Entertainment Weekly that he had “pause for thought” when first offered the role of the iconic detective in BBC One’s drama.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says gays should feel welcome at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, but they must “leave the children in peace”. Mr Putin told volunteers today that gays visiting Sochi “can feel calm and at ease,” and vowed that there would be no discrimination at the games.

A mysterious rock has suddenly appeared in front of the Mars rover Opportunity, but where could it possibly have come from? On Sol 3528, the Mars rover Opportunity captured an image of a small segment of the Martian surface. Twelve days later, on Sol 3540, a second image of the same area was taken – and this one was different. …

In its ongoing bid to get back on its feet, embattled retailer JC Penney Company, Inc. (JCP) announced after Wednesday’s closing bell that it is shuttering 33 underperforming stores across the U.S., including five stores in Wisconsin, a state where rival Kohl’s (KSS) has a strong presence. With that comes the dismissal of approximately 2,000 employees. Penney’s has shed more …

Jon Gosselin, of Jon & Kate Plus 8 fame, revealed that he won’t be adding any more children to his already extensive brood. Jon Gosselin: ‘I’m Fixed’ Gosselin is currently starring on VH1’s Couple’s Therapy with the new woman in his life, his girlfriend Liz Jannetta. Even if the two survive the therapy, Gosselin says more children won’t be in …

Russell Johnson from Gilligan’s Island, who played the Professor has died aged 89… His death was confirmed by his agent on Thursday — Johnson died at his home in Washington State of natural causes. Only Tina Louise and Dawn Wells are still alive, who were both part of the seven castaways on Gilligan’s Island.

A hunter who paid $350,000 for the right to hunt and kill an endangered African black rhino says he has had to hire full-time security after receiving death threats. Corey Knowlton became a figure of hate after his name was leaked on to the internet after his winning bid at last week’s Dallas Safari Club auction. Speaking on state television, …

This wild and wintry spectacle sees naked ambition and sporting prowess collide at high speed, as thousands of flesh-hungry spectators descend on the German mountains to watch the selected racers shed their clothes and sled down the slopes.

Glassdoor just released its sixth annual 50 Best Places to Work for 2014. The list forecasts which companies will be the best to work for in 2014 based on anonymous surveys of current and former employees at companies with a minimum of 1,000 workers. More than half a million reviews were submitted to build the list.