Bursts of gamma rays from an exploding star 13 billion light-years away from Earth became the most distant object ever seen by modern astronomers when the space observatory Swift detected its afterglow Thursday.

American and British astronomers announced the discovery of the event called GRB 090423 on Tuesday, according to Astronomy.com.

Lily Allen has been fined $2,000 for an ice cream fight.

The 'Fear' singer received the costly cleaning bill after causing havoc backstage to celebrate the end of the North American leg of her tour.

The star wrote on her Twitter account: "Had a massive ice cream fight, dressing room based, cost me $2000. End of tour, time to get mashed. Props to natalie portmans shaved head. (sic)"

About 70,000 glass beads from all around the world have been found on an island off Georgia. It's the largest 17th century bead repository ever found at what is believed to be one of the Spanish empire's most remote and wealth outposts.

The beads, made of French and Chinese blue glass, Dutch layered glass and Baltic amber, were discovered as part of a continuing research project at the former Mission Santa Catalina de Gaule on what is now known as St. Catherine's Island off the coast of Georgia. The site, founded in the 16th century, was the capital and administrative center for the province of Guale in Spanish Florida for almost a century, according to a statement from the American Museum of Natural History.

Italian Minister for Legislative Simplification Roberto Calderoli urged surgical castration on convicted rapists. His suggestion follows a growing public clamor for a solution to the series of sex attacks in Italy, including the rape of a teenager in a Roman park on Saturday.

Calderoli told the Italian newspaper La Stampa, "In some cases, I don't believe that rehabilitation is possible... I think that chemical castration may be insufficient and that surgical castration is the only option left."

The Vatican, the seat of the Roman Catholic Church, concluded a two-day conference which provided its followers a better understanding of the sacrament of Confession and encouraged more Catholics to avail themselves of it.

The conference, which was open to the public, was organized by the Apostolic Penitentiary, more known as the tribunal of conscience which was established by Pope Alexander III. Since its establishment in 1179 the tribunal has never provided details of cases it handled or sins it knew.