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Pope Francis salutes the faithful during a meeting with members of the Pope John XXIII Community association in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, on Dec. 20. The first pope from the global south wants to reshape the church for the contemporary world.

Pope Francis And His Gift For Blending The Spiritual And The Political

Despite detractors within the church, Pope Francis' emphasis on humility and mercy has won him strong support worldwide. He has addressed thorny issues such as Vatican finances and clerical sex abuse.

Naive, Yet Revolutionary: Ray Davies On 50 Years Of The Kinks

"I think if I had been an accomplished songwriter I wouldn't have written 'You Really Got Me,' " Davies tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross. Originally broadcast Nov. 26.

This copper engraving from approximately 1700 depicts the condition of the English prisoners at the hands of the Dutch. In the 1660s, Cornell University's Eric Tagliacozzo says, the conflict and competition for the spice trade came to a head. "The Dutch decapitated a number of English merchants who were also in the Spice Islands trying to profit from the trade."

Nutmeg Spice Has A Secret Story That Isn't So Nice

Nutmeg is a feel-good holiday spice. But it once caused serious bloodshed and may have even been a reason the Dutch were willing to part with Manhattan in the 1600s.

While many may have appreciated Facebook's "Year in Review" app, others were unhappy about being urged to revisit a difficult 2014.

Facebook Finds That Not All Users Want To Review Their Year

The social media giant's "Year in Review" app has upset some who prefer to forget 2014's unpleasant memories.

Wonder Abides, Even For A Skeptical Doctor

When science cannot explain patients' recoveries, even a doctor who studiously makes decisions based on the medical evidence is forced to rethink his ideas about hope and miracles.

Adebisi Alimi, an actor-turned-activist, was the first person ever to come out as gay on Nigerian television. He now shares his story when he speaks up for the rights of the LGBT community.

Adebisi Alimi: Gay Nigerian Actor Puts His Sexuality In The Spotlight

The rising star was the first Nigerian to come out on national TV, was nearly beaten to death in his home and is now an international activist for LGBT rights and for men with HIV.

A Thalidomide victim leaves a Spanish court in a wheelchair while a protestor holds a sign reading "Thalidomide, Justice!" during a trial in Madrid in October 2013. Thousands of babies across Europe were born with abnormalities including missing limbs when expectant mothers were prescribed thalidomide in the 1950s and later.

Thalidomide Victims In Spain Still Waiting For Compensation

Five decades on, the battle for justice over birth defects caused by the drug thalidomide continues in only one European country. Victims in Spain are the only ones still left without compensation.

Murakami's 'Library' Is Dark, Creamy And Grainy At The Same Time

Alan Cheuse reviews "The Strange Library" by Haruki Murakami.

A woman prepares a Japanese Christmas cake at the Patisserie Akira Cake shop on Dec. 23, 2011. The sponge cake is drenched in symbolic meaning.

Japan's Beloved Christmas Cake Isn't About Christmas At All

The Japanese Christmas cake takes its name from the Christian holiday, but it actually symbolizes building a life of prosperity from nothing. And it's ubiquitous (it's even in your smartphone).

A transmission electron micrograph shows Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus particles (colorized yellow).

NIH Allows Restart Of MERS Research That Had Been Questioned

The National Institutes of Health has approved requests for waivers from a moratorium on experiments that aim to make the virus that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome more infectious in mice.

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