Pope Francis has chosen 21 new cardinals in a move that once again shows his determination to reshape the group of churchmen who will elect his successor. Francis, 87, made the surprise announcement after commenting on the spiraling conflict in the Middle East and recalling the anniversary of the October 7 attacks on Israel. Among the…

Tunisians voted Sunday in an election expected to grant President Kais Saied a second term, as his most prominent detractors, including one of the candidates challenging him, are in prison. The 66-year-old president faces few obstacles to winning reelection, five years after riding anti-establishment backlash to a first term, and three after suspending parliament…

A massive blast outside Karachi Airport in Pakistan on Sunday killed two people and injured at least eight, officials said. Police and the provincial government said a tanker exploded outside the airport, which is Pakistan’s biggest. But the provincial home minister, Zia Ul Hassan, told local TV station Geo that…

Editor’s Note: Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. In the US, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Globally, the International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide have contact information for crisis centers around the…

It’s been a year since the deadly fighting between Israel and Hamas began, and the dire humanitarian crisis is getting worse. In addition to ongoing bloodshed in Gaza, the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified across swaths of Lebanon. Israel’s ambassador to the UN said 70,000 Israeli civilians have…

New Zealand’s navy lost its first ship since World War II after the HMNZS Manawanui sank on a reef off the coast of Samoa on Sunday creating a potential environmental disaster in waters used for fishing and tourism. The specialist dive and hydrographic vessel lost power and ran aground on…

Africa is home to the world’s largest free trade agreement, in terms of number of countries, territory, and population – the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Fifty-four of 55 African Union member countries have signed up to the deal which covers a market of 1.3 billion people and a combined…

It is “absolutely impossible” for Communist China to become Taiwan’s motherland because the island’s government is older, Taiwan’s president has said in a carefully timed speech that underscores the intense historical rivalry between the two. Lai Ching-te, who took office in May, has long faced Beijing’s wrath for championing Taiwan’s…

It is almost impossible to remember life in Israel before Hamas launched its brutal October 7 attacks a year ago, killing more than 1,200 people and kidnapping more than 250 others. There is little point, because that life is gone for good. And not just because more than 100 hostages are still captive. The same is true…