SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh's famed hilltop shrine of Naina Devi saw record offerings of over Rs.11 crore in 2010 apart from gold and silver, a temple official said Friday.

CAIRO - Amina Abaza was one of dozens of Muslims praying Thursday evening.

MOSCOW - Russia's Orthodox patriarch, Kirill I, called on worshippers to be kind to their fellow humans and the community at large Thursday, as millions of Orthodox Christians in the country celebrated their Christmas.

ROME - Pope Benedict XVI used his epiphany mass Thursday to encourage Orthodox churches, among them Egypt's Copts, to remain strong in the face of adversity.

KATHMANDU - Once the only Hindu kingdom in the world, Nepal has the largest number of religious holidays among countries, as well as the controversial reputation of sacrificing the largest numbers of birds and animals to obtain divine blessings.