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Pope Francis starts first full day as pontiff with prayer

Pope Francis put his humility on display during his first day as pontiff Thursday, stopping by his hotel to pick up his luggage and pay the bill himself in a decidedly different style of papacy than his tradition-minded predecessor, who tended to stay ensconced in the frescoed halls of the Vatican. The break from Benedict XVI's pontificate was evident even in Francis' wardrobe choices: He kept the simple pectoral cross of his days as bishop and eschewed the red cape that Benedict wore when he was presented to the world for the first time in 2005 - choosing instead the simple white cassock of the papacy. The difference in style was a sign of Francis' belief that the Catholic Church needs to be at one with the people it serves and not imposing its message on a society that often doesn't want to hear it, Francis' authorized biographer, Sergio Rubin, said in an interview Thursday with The Associated Press. "It seems to me for now what is certain is it's

shark protection Historic Day

The Oceanic whitetip is found in tropical and warm temperate seas Three types of critically endangered but commercially valuable shark have been given added protection at the Cites meeting in Bangkok. The body, which regulates trade in flora and fauna, voted by a two thirds majority to upgrade the status of these sharks. Campaigners hailed the move as historic and said that the vote represented a major breakthrough for marine conservation. The decisions can still be overturned by a vote on the final day of this meeting later this week. The oceanic whitetip, three varieties of hammerheads and the porbeagle are all said to be seriously threatened by overfishing. “Start Quote     Cites is ready to come of age for marine species” Dr Colman O'Criodain WWF International Their numbers have declined dramatically in recent years, as the trade in shark fins for soup has grown. Manta rays are killed for their gill plates which are used in Chinese medicine. S