Pope Francis had a good night's rest early Monday after apparently overcoming a setback in his recovery from pneumonia: He is stable, off mechanical ventilation and shows no sign of new infection following a respiratory crisis late last week.

"The pope rested well all night," the Vatican said in its update from Gemelli hospital, where Francis has been hospitalized since Feb. 14.

Observant Muslims the world over will soon be united in a ritual of daily fasting from dawn to sunset as the Islamic holy month of Ramadan starts. For Muslims, it's a time of increased worship, religious reflection, charity and good deeds. Socially, it often brings families and friends together in festive gatherings around meals to break their fast.

Ramadan is followed by the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

Pope Francis was sitting upright and receiving therapy for double pneumonia Wednesday, the Vatican said, as Argentines, Romans and others kept up the steady stream of prayers for his recovery. Francis remained in critical condition but the Holy See machinery ground on, with the announcement of new bishops and a new church fundraising initiative.

The Vatican said that it hoped to have information later in the day about the results of a CT scan taken Tuesday evening to check on the status of the complex lung infection that has kept the 88-year-old pope hospitalized since Feb. 14. Francis has chronic lung disease and was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital after a bout of bronchitis worsened.

The number of Americans who identify as Christian has declined steadily for years, but that drop shows signs of slowing, according to a new survey Wednesday from the Pew Research Center.

Thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray for an ailing Pope Francis, expressing sorrow for his suffering, hope for his recovery and gratitude for his efforts to steer the Catholic Church in new directions.

The 88-year-old Francis has pneumonia in both lungs and remains in critical condition despite showing a slight improvement after 11 days in the hospital. The Vatican said early on Tuesday that he had "slept well, all night."

The European Union and Samir Kassir Foundation launched Tuesday the 20th edition of the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press.

The award, which has been granted by the European Union since 2006, honors the Lebanese journalist and writer Samir Kassir, who was assassinated in 2005. The competition for the award has attracted since its creation more than 3,600 candidates from the Middle East, the Gulf and North Africa and 55 journalists have won the award so far.

Pope Francis woke up and was continuing his therapies Monday after a quiet night, on the 10th day of his hospitalization for a complex lung infection that has provoked the early stages of kidney insufficiency, the Vatican said.

"The night passed well, the pope slept and is resting," it said. The 88-year-old pope is continuing to feed himself and is not receiving artificial or liquid nutrition, the Vatican said, adding that he was in good spirits.

The British Museum said Friday it had chosen French-Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh to redesign a third of the venue's gallery space -- including a section housing the disputed Parthenon Marbles.

The museum, one of London's biggest tourist draws, received more than 60 entries after launching a competition last year for a remodeling of its Western Range galleries.

It was a mournful moment for Christians in Syria. A bell that once summoned residents to worship rang out, but the church was no longer there.

The Saint Odisho church was blown up by the Islamic State group a decade ago, leaving Tel Tal village almost empty of residents.

To resist, ignore or yield? Hollywood and the film industry, long a haven for progressive idealists, are braced for difficult choices in the era of US President Donald Trump.

At the Berlin film festival this week, the radical changes unfolding in the United States and on the world stage loomed over every discussion and led many films screening there to be viewed through a new political lens.