A 25-year-old man who tried to kill a priest by stabbing him in a Rome church has told police that he did so after the watching the film The Da Vinci Code and believing himself to be the anti-Christ.

The priest, Rev. Caino Calitri, 68, was in critical condition in a Rome hospital after he was stabbed repeatedly in the neck on Tuesday by Marco Luzi.

Police found a note in one of Mr Luzi's pockets reading "this is just the beginning, 666."

The number 666 is known as "the number of the beast" in the Book of Revelation in the Bible.

Mr Luzi, who stabbed three other people who had tried to help the priest, told police after his arrest that he had watched The Da Vinci Code on TV the night before.

The police also found various references to the novel by Dan Brown in Mr Luzi's apartment.

The best-selling book and its film adaptation, have both been condemned by the Vatican.

Designer dress for Virgin Mary

French parishioners have turned to world-famous fashion designers in the hope of giving their church's centuries-old statue of the Virgin Mary a modern-day makeover.

The Notre-Dame de la Daurade basilica in the southwestern city of Toulouse has housed a black virgin statue since the fifth century, and the revered Madonna's wardrobe of just four outfits is wearing thin.

"Our black virgin has always been dressed by benefactors from the city or the region. This time, we asked ourselves if the top global designers, most of them French, would agree to make a gesture for her," said Annie Dreuille, a member of the society for the preservation of the basilica.

Sonia Rykiel, Christian Lacroix, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and Paco Rabane were among the French designers they had asked to dress the more than two-metre tall statue, in addition to Italian brands Gucci, Prada and Valentino, she said.

"Maybe one or several of them will agree to give a dress as a present to our virgin and to Jesus, whom she is holding in her arms," she added. The churchgoers, who have not set any restrictions on the designs, are now awaiting replies.

Flood waters lap Taj Mahal

Officials in eastern India struggled to provide aid to tens of thousands of flood victims after riots broke out yesterday, as floodwaters lapped the Taj Mahal compound but posed no immediate threat to it.

Monsoon rains, burst dams and overflowing embankments have unleashed bouts of flooding in South Asia this year, killing about 1,500 people.

In India's Orissa state, tens of thousands were still stranded on embankments and highways after large areas were flooded when authorities opened sluice gates of a dam on the Mahanadi river after heavy rains last week.

Transexual faces army accusations

A popular Turkish transsexual singer who infuriated the country's powerful armed forces by questioning a military campaign against Kurdish separatists told a court yesterday she would rather die than be silent.

Bulent Ersoy is on trial on charges of "turning the people against military service" in a case that has raised concerns about free speech in the EU candidate, where criticising the armed forces is taboo.

Ms Ersoy, one of Turkey's most famous singers, caused a stir in February by saying that were she able to give birth to a son she would not allow him to fight in neighbouring Iraq, where the military had launched operations against Kurdish rebels.

If found guilty she could face up to two-and-a-half years in prison.

Sentenced for Muslim 'cruelty'

A Muslim, convicted of child cruelty after encouraging two boys to flail themselves during a Muslim ceremony, was given a 26-week suspended jail term yesterday.

Syed Mustafa Zaidi, 44, of Eccles, Manchester, had pushed the boys into whipping themselves with chains fitted with curved blades at the ends during an annual Shia Muslim ceremony.

The boys, aged 13 and 15, needed hospital treatment after their mother found them suffering from several deep wounds on their backs and multiple slash wounds.

Mr Zaidi had used the Zangeer Zani flail on himself during the ceremony at a Manchester centre in January, before being stopped by other members of the Muslim community. He then encouraged the boys to flagellate themselves instead.

Archaeologists find 'Ramses' statue

Egyptian archaeologists have discovered a granite statue probably depicting the head of Ramses II, one of ancient Egypt's most powerful pharaohs.

Researchers discovered the statue 150 cm under ground in the eastern Nile Delta town of Tell Basta, which was once the capital of ancient Egypt. The pink granite statue had a broken nose and a missing beard.

Archaeologists are continuing to dig around the site in hopes of finding the rest of the statue and possible remains of a temple built by Ramses.