1958 Soccer Crash Remembered

Rankings factor in public safety, housing, economy, and recreation

(NEWSER) - If you're looking for the world's top quality of living, get thee to Vienna, the elegant European capital that tops the list of best cities to live, reports Reuters . The other end of the spectrum is found, perhaps unsurprisingly, in Baghdad. The rankings are compiled by consulting group Mercer, which evaluated cities based on public safety, housing, local economy, recreation, and a bevy of other quality-of-life indicators. The top 10:

1. Vienna, Austria
2. Zurich, Switzerland

Wayne Rooney getting 2-match ban for sweary goal celebration

(NEWSER) - British soccer ace Wayne Rooney is facing a two-game ban for cursing heard 'round the world. The Manchester United striker swore directly at a TV camera after completing a hat-trick against West Ham over the weekend and is now expected to miss the upcoming FA Cup clash with arch-rivals Manchester City, CNN reports. Soccer authorities have charged him with using offensive language. Since the outburst was broadcast live to 150 countries, Rooney's not expected to appeal. More»

World's biggest beer festival prepares for 200th anniversary

(NEWSER) - For the first time in its 200-year history, Munich's Oktoberfest plans to do something about the stench of stale beer. Countless gallons of beer end up sloshed onto the floor of beer tents during the 3-week festival, leaving behind a stink that in previous years was largely masked by cigarette smoke. A smoking ban comes into effect for the first time at this year's festival, so organizers plan to rely on microbes instead, the Independent reports. More»

Abuse transpired in Ratzinger's archdiocese

(NEWSER) - More bad news for the Catholic Church from Pope Benedict's native Germany, where monks and lay teachers stand accused of abusing students for decades at an elite Catholic boarding school near Munich. Allegations from more than 100 students that monks "brutally mistreated, sadistically tormented and, not least, sexually abused" them are probably only the "tip of the iceberg," according to a report released yesterday. More»

Pontiff didn't allow a pedophile to serve as a priest

(NEWSER) - Pope Benedict XVI is taking an unfair beating in the world press, writes Damian Thompson. Headlines to the contrary, the then-archbishop of Munich "did not allow a priest he knew to be a pedophile to continue in ministry." He did permit the priest to receive counseling, and that "revolting pervert" was then transferred to another parish without Benedict's knowledge. More»