Meet Mudlarks: The treasure hunters uncovering centuries-old secrets from the River Thames | World News

Just after midnight, while much of London sleeps, figures carrying headlamps and small shovels quietly descend the slippery banks of the River Thames. Kneeling in thick mud beneath bridges and beside ancient embankments, they sift through silt searching for fragments of forgotten history. Some discover Roman coins. Others uncover medieval jewellery, Victorian toys or centuries-old […]

Cardinals enter Sistine Chapel to start centuries-old secret ritual to elect a new pope | World News

VATICAN CITY: With all the pomp, drama and solemnity that the Catholic Church can muster, 133 cardinals on Wednesday began the secretive, centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis, opening the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith’s 2,000-year history. Two by two, the cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel chanting the meditative “Litany […]