In his Christmas message, Pope Francis prayed for peace in Syria, Libya and other war-torn regions of the world and called on the international community to crackdown on “brutal terrorism” perpetrated by ISIS and other terrorists.

The Urbi et Orbi message, which means ‘to the city and the world’, was delivered from the central loggia of St Peter’s Basilica to the faithful gathered in the square below.

“We pray to the Lord that the agreement reached in the United Nations may succeed in halting as quickly as possible the clash of arms in Syria and in remedying the extremely grave humanitarian situation of its suffering people. It is likewise urgent that the agreement on Libya be supported by all, so as to overcome the grave divisions and violence afflicting the country,” he said.

“May the attention of the international community be unanimously directed to ending the atrocities which in those countries, as well as in Iraq, Libya, Yemen and sub-Saharan Africa, even now reap numerous victims, cause immense suffering and do not even spare the historical and cultural patrimony of entire peoples.

Turns out mom was right. 

Chicken soup is good for a cold.

But it's not the only old-school remedy that scientists have actually found to be helpful.

Here are nine weird household tricks that you can actually use to ward off pain, soothe a cold, calm a headache, or brighten your smile.

Paul Schrodt

The internet lost it when Steve Harvey mistakenly crowned the wrong woman Miss Universe on Sunday night, and many felt bad for Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez, who had to give up the crown to the rightful owner, Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo.

But you might be wondering: What exactly did Gutierrez lose, besides the title of Miss Universe?

The winner of the pageant gets quite a lot, but the biggest perk may be all the free publicity — and despite lower ratings this year, with the viral mix-up, both Gutierrez and Alonzo are going to get plenty of that.

But as Miss Universe, Pia Alonzo will be entitled to a series of press appearances and travel that help raise awareness for charitable causes. The pageant explains in an FAQ what Miss Universe does after nabbing the crown:

After the winner is crowned, they are whisked away to New York City and are prepped for a media tour where they make multiple appearances at media outlets, networks, charitable organizations, sponsor events, etc. The titleholders spend their reign representing their platforms, raising awareness and funds for charitable alliances, and traveling.

Beyond media attention, Miss Universe gets a year's salary, a fancy New York City apartment, and plenty of free stuff (especially clothes and beauty products) provided by sponsors. The prize package for this year includes:

By Elise Harris

(CNA/EWTN News).- While the days of the Muslim Brotherhood are over, one expert says the February murder of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians by ISIS has opened the door to an even wider persecution – one that's gaining steam under new forms of Islamic authoritarianism.

Mariz Tadros, author and scholar on persecution in the Arab world, spoke at a conference last week in Rome, calling the gruesome beheadings “just the beginning.”

The murders, she said, have unleashed a new wave of both physical and economic persecutions against the country’s Christian minority.

“Following the beheading of the 21 Christians there were more assaults, physical assaults (and) murders of Ethiopians that didn’t appear as visibly in the press, but that basically showed a strategy of targeting Christians.”

Increased persecutions have also taken on an economic aspect, she said, explaining that Christians have begun to be exploited for economic interests.

At a time when everyone – Christians and non-Christians included – are suffering from a large “security vacuum,” the lack of a national condemnation for the beheadings and the absence of a zero-tolerance message for such acts “is very disconcerting,” Tadros told CNA.