Reuters

Donald Trump has backed away from a total ban on Muslims entering the United States, vice presidential running mate Mike Pence said on Thursday, a shift from one of the Republican presidential candidate's most provocative proposals.

London-based charity Lumos said many orphanages in the poor Caribbean nation were run by enterprising traffickers who starved and beat children to attract sympathy and money from well-intentioned donors.

About 300 protesters took to the streets of Charlotte, North Carolina, in a fourth night of demonstrations on Friday, calling on authorities to "release the tapes" of the fatal police shooting of a black man, hours after his family released its own video.

ASSISI, Italy (Reuters) - Pope Francis and leaders of other world religions said "No to War!" on Tuesday, vowing to oppose terrorism in God's name and appealing to politicians to listen to "the anguished cry of so many innocents."

South African cleric and anti-apartheid icon Desmond Tutu was discharged from hospital on Wednesday after a successful surgery to treat recurring infections that have afflicted him for more than a year

Aleppo, Syria's biggest city before civil war uprooted half of the country's population and killed hundreds of thousands of people, is now the conflict's biggest prize. Opposition-held areas are now under total siege and heavy bombardment as President Bashar al-Assad's government attempts to deal a death blow to a five year rebellion.

The first openly gay candidate competes this weekend in the Miss America contest, a first in the competition's 95-year-history, organizers said.