Vatican: World not ending: VATICAN CITY — The Vatican’s top astronomer has some assurances to offer: The world won’t be ending this week, despite predictions to the contrary.

The Rev. Jose Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory, wrote in Wednesday’s Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano that “it’s not even worth discussing” doomsday scenarios based on the Mayan calendar that are flooding the Internet ahead of the purported Dec. 21 apocalypse.

Yes, Funes wrote, the universe is expanding and if some models are correct, will at one point “break away” — but not for billions of years. But he said Christians profoundly believe that “death can never have the last word.”

The Mayan Long Count calendar begins in 3,114 B.C., marking time in roughly 394-year periods known as Baktuns. The Mayans wrote that the significant 13th Baktun ends Dec. 21.

Ariz. home: ‘Ditto’ to neighbor’s lights

MARICOPA, Ariz. — An Arizona woman who knew she couldn’t compete head on with her neighbor’s elaborate Christmas light display is attracting attention for her response.

Using red and green lights, Kristina Green of Maricopa spelled out the word “ditto” and made an arrow pointing toward her neighbor’s home.

KNXV-TV reported that Green’s display is made of around 600 lights. Her neighbor’s set-up has about 16,000 colorful lights.

Green has created a Facebook page for her “ditto” sign.