Woody Allen is in the spotlight again over old accusations

Woody Allen, the well-known filmmaker, has been dogged for two decades by accusations that he molested his adopted daughter, Dylan, when she was 7 years old. Several weeks ago, Allen received a Golden Globe award for lifetime achievement and that led New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof to raise the allegation again in his column this weekend.

The column, and Kristof's posting of a letter by Dylan Farrow in his blog, reignited media coverage of the incident across the world. An earlier police investigation ended without charges, but the controversy has persisted. CNN International reports on the allegations by Dylan Farrow and counter-allegations by her adopted brother, Moses Farrow. 

The Jamaican bobsled team is back, sort of

Jamaica's bobsled team has attracted out-sized attention since it qualified for the 1988 winter Olympics and then had its story told in Disney's movie, Cool Runnings. But the team hasn't actually competed in the Olympics since 2002. Now, they're back for Sochi, but without their gear.

Al Jazeera reports that the team missed its first scheduled practice run this week because key equipment, included runners for the bobsled, was in luggage that didn't arrive. The team only recently qualified, and then raised money for their equipment and expenses through crowdfunding. Driver Winston Watts says if their sled doesn't arrive soon, they'll ask to borrow from other teams, so they can practice. 

A UN committee report denounces the Vatican on child sexual abuse

A few weeks ago, Vatican officials gave their first public testimony to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Now the committee has issued a report finding the church "failed to acknowledge the huge scale of clerical sex abuse and has implemented policies that have led to 'the continuation of the abuse and the impunity of the perpetrators.'"

The Guardian reports that the UN panel demanded the Church "immediately remove all known and suspected child sexual abusers." The Vatican gave the report a cold response, saying it would receive the report, but that it resented what it saw as meddling in its internal affairs.  

A photo-shy city opens the world's largest photography museum

The Marrakesh Museum for Photography and Visual Arts is preparing to open its doors, and it wanted to generate a little buzz for its opening. So it brought photographers to Morocco and turned them loose on the city. What the photographers found, though, is that people there really don't like having their photos taken.

So the photographers had to get creative, including shooting pictures of people's shadows, instead of the people themselves. The results are part of a new temporary exhibit that's designed to draw attention to the museum before it opens. You can learn more and see photos at PRI's The World.

Scotland says yes to same-sex marriage

The Scottish Parliament has approved a bill that will legalize same-sex marriage — despite opposition from the country's two main churches. The bill passed easily, 105 to 18. The first gay weddings could take place as soon as October of this year, according to the BBC. That will make at least 17 countries in the world that recognize same-sex marriage. By the end of 2014, Northern Ireland will be the only country in the United Kingdom that doesn't permit same-sex marriages.

Shuan White and others won't compete on Sochi's dangerous slopestyle course 

The new Olympic slopestyle competition gets underway on Thursday, but the field keeps narrowing. Some competitors have dropped out after injuring themselves during practice rounds. Now others, including American star Shaun White, are saying it's not worth competing on a course they consider too dangerous. PRI.org has a video showing what it's like to ride down the course, without doing any tricks. You judge if it's too extreme.

What we're seeing on social

Sneak peak of #Sochi opening ceremony. Is that a hammer and sickle i see before me? RT @adagamov: И уносит меня… pic.twitter.com/UIL5msyw1K

— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) February 5, 2014

Weather around the world

In Kowanyama, Australia, the rain has been coming down in torrents. Since Sunday, the town in Queensland, in northeastern Australia, has received more than 11 inches of rain — and it's still falling, according to AccuWeather. The volume of rain is tied to a tropical cyclone that's moved through the area.