Israeli airstrikes have killed at least a dozen people in Gaza over the past two days, according to local health officials.

The United States has intensified its strikes targeting Iran, hitting targets further north.

The U.S. military has reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports in response to Iran’s attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.K. government says a proxy group backed by Iran is responsible for recent arson and vandalism attacks on Jewish sites in Britain.

A new AP-NORC poll finds that support for Israel is a key component of the religious identity of many Jewish adults ages 45 and older in the United States, but younger Jewish adults are more likely to prioritize other forms of connection, like celebrating Jewish holidays.

The U.S. has launched more strikes on Iran after President Donald Trump said Washington is “reinstating” a blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

Israeli fire in Gaza has killed at least six Palestinians, including a 9-year-old girl.

The U.S. is demanding that Iran make a public statement saying the Strait of Hormuz is open and that ships crossing the vital corridor won’t be attacked anymore.

A new AP-NORC poll finds that many Jewish Americans feel unsafe in the United States, with a majority saying they feel less safe than they did before Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Sikh organizations and local activists are organizing community screenings in India’s northern Punjab state of a movie set during its bloody insurgency.

The United States has launched new airstrikes against Iran, and Tehran responded by targeting Gulf countries.

Funeral processions for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have been held in Iraq's holy cities of Najaf and Karbala.

A nearly 10-year battle for gay rights in Trinidad and Tobago could end soon at a final appeals court in England.

The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by hitting Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar in crossfire that again threatened an interim deal intended to help end the war.

The U.S. military has attacked Iran after it said Tehran struck three ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Hamas says it has dissolved its government in Gaza and is preparing to transfer power to a U.N.-backed technical committee.

Mourners dressed in black have flooded into Iran’s capital for a procession as part of the funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran’s top officials and brothers of the country’s new supreme leader have emerged into public view to attend the funeral prayers for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, signaling confidence in their safety as Iran pushes back on U.S. demands in negotiations to permanently end the war.

A pastor of a prominent underground church detained in China in October has been released, according to rights advocates.

Pope Leo XIV is spending the Fourth of July in the epicenter of Europe’s migration debate.

Iran is preparing for the dayslong funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Vatican has responded aggressively to a traditionalist society that consecrated bishops without the pope’s consent.

A breakaway group of traditionalist Catholics has directly defied Pope Leo XIV by consecrating four bishops without his consent.

Pope Leo XIV has issued a plea to a breakaway group of traditionalist Catholics to call off its planned consecrations of new bishops without his consent.

From refugee camps to stitching circles, many in the Palestinian diaspora around the world are engaging with a traditional form of Palestinian embroidery as far more than a decorative aesthetic.

The San Francisco Catholic Archdiocese has agreed to pay $395 million to settle over 500 lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by church officials.

Israeli strikes in southern and central Gaza on Monday killed at least eight people, including two children, according to health officials.

Israel’s Cabinet has approved a proposal to designate the violence against Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I as genocide.

Nasser Hospital says an Israeli drone strike has killed two Palestinian siblings in southern Gaza.

A polygamous sect leader has been convicted on child abuse charges in Arizona while already serving a 50-year sentence in federal prison for orchestrating sex involving children.

A new report by a Trump administration commission suggests replacing the idea of separating church and state with the idea of building bridges between them.

A standout at the World Cup, Deniz Undav is playing for Germany while representing his Yazidi and Kurdish heritage.

Shiite Muslims have marked Ashoura, a significant day on their calendar, with large gatherings in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and other parts of the world.

Texas public schools will require students to read Bible stories under a reading list approved by the state’s education board.

Pope Leo XIV has received a special gift from former Chicago White Sox catcher A.

Shiite Muslims around the world are marking Ashoura, a holy day symbolizing sacrifice and martyrdom that holds special significance for many this year after months of war in Iran and Lebanon.

The 95-year-old leader of a secretive South Korean church has been arrested on suspicion of election influence.

Devotees covered in mud and banana leaves took part in the annual Taong Putik festival in the Philippine village of Bibiclat, honoring St. John the Baptist in a tradition that blends Catholic faith and local customs.

The Supreme Court has barred a former Louisiana inmate from suing prison officials who cut his dreadlocks in violation of his Rastafari religious beliefs.

The State Board of Education approved the reading lists and K-8 social studies changes after months of debates.

The head of Latin America’s top development bank has made a case to Pope Leo XIV about the potential of rare earth mining.

U.S. and Iranian negotiators are on their way to a venue in Switzerland to discuss details of their interim agreement to halt the war.

Pope Leo XIV holding up America's first saint, Mother Frances Cabrini, as a model for Christians today because of her care for migrants in need.

Dragon boat races, lion dances, and other festivities have been staged across mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to mark the Dragon Boat Festival.

The chosen readings, to be voted on soon by the State Board of Education, draw heavily from Christian perspectives.

Guy Gilboa-Dalal, an Israeli man who says he was sexually abused while held hostage in Gaza, is speaking out to highlight sexual abuse in conflict zones.

Police have charged a third suspect with an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue that was allegedly directed by Iran.

Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group agreed to halt the heavy fighting in southern Lebanon that had threatened to unravel an interim peace agreement between the United States and Iran.

Whenever Ebola comes, some of those stricken choose the road to the nearest hospital.

Iran’s top diplomat says the tentative deal to end the war with the United States would require Israel to withdraw from Lebanon — a condition Israel has already rejected and that could sink the agreement.

Muslim delegates and attendees hoping to participate in the state Republican convention were shunned and rejected by members as they espoused themes of party unity ahead of the November election.

Vice President JD Vance writes about his religious journey in a new book, "Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith."

An initial agreement between the United States and Iran to extend their shaky ceasefire is inching toward a formal signing.

The United States and Iran have reached an initial agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Pope Leo XIV shared a touching moment with a 7-year-old boy, captured by AP photographer Emilio Morenatti.

Pope Leo XIV is warning human traffickers that they will face God’s wrath for exploiting the desperation of migrants.

Steven Spielberg's new film “Disclosure Day” explores extraterrestrial life and its impact on religion.

Pope Leo XIV has traveled to the Canary Islands, an epicenter of the European migration debate.

U.S. President Donald Trump has called off new military strikes on Iran, hours after threatening to escalate the war.

Hostilities between the U.S. and Iran have escalated, with Iran retaliating against U.S. air and cruise missile strikes.

Thousands of Southern Baptists have voted overwhelmingly to advance a formal ban on churches with women pastors in the nation’s largest conservative evangelical denomination.

The Pentagon’s recent revision to its list of Christian religions has reignited a long-standing debate about whether The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a Christian denomination.

Pope Leo XIV has celebrated the Sagrada Familia Basilica as a masterpiece of “stones, colors and light.”.

The unique grandeur of the Sagrada Familia means that even those who work and worship at Barcelona’s world famous basilica every day can still be surprised with some fresh wonder.

For decades, Israel has worked to expand the Jewish presence in annexed east Jerusalem.

A group of more than 130 people in Barcelona gave a unique welcome to Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday night by forming a human tower.

Pope Leo XIV is presiding over a youth rally in Barcelona.

Christian religious leaders in the Lebanese city of Tyre have urged swift international and local action to prevent Israeli attacks on the Christian district.

Pope Leo XIV has been caught in two of Spain's major culture debates during his visit to Barcelona.

Southern Baptists elected a new leader who has decried a “decline and drift” within the denomination.

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Pope Leo XIV will bridge 1,000 years of church history Wednesday when he visits a medieval monastery on a mountaintop that local Catholics consider sacred and then celebrates Mass at Barcelona’s famous Sagrada Familia Basilica.

The Vatican says that Pope Leo XIV has met with six survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Madrid and vowed to consider their suggestions for how the Catholic Church can improve its response to the crisis.

Spain's lawmakers have given Pope Leo XIV a lengthy standing ovation after his historic address to parliament.

Israel and Iran have exchanged fire, marking the first such incident since a ceasefire two months ago.

Israel and Iran appear to be backing away from further strikes, just hours after they traded fire for the first time since the U.S. and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire two months ago.

A Palestinian man with Israeli citizenship has opened fire in central Israel.

Pope Leo XIV has challenged Europe to acknowledge Christianity’s contributions to its cultural identity.

Pope Leo XIV acknowledges that he's competing with another VIP in Madrid this weekend.

Pope Leo XIV’s weeklong visit to Spain will bring him to a once-staunchly Catholic country that has long been in the throes of waning religious practice.

Pope Leo XIV is urging Spaniards to stop “fanning the flames of polarization” as he arrived in Spain.

Southern Baptists will gather for their annual meeting on Tuesday.

Lebanon’s president and prime minister are criticizing Iran for rejecting the latest ceasefire deal between the Lebanese government and Israel.

Victor Wembanyama stepped off the court for a moment before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, accepted greetings from a handful of well-wishers in San Antonio Spurs jerseys, then bowed his head to join them in a quick prayer.

Pope Leo XIV will visit two flashpoints of migration from Africa to Europe over less than a month starting on June 11.

June is Pride Month across the U.S. But in some Republican-controlled states it's now officially Fidelity, Nuclear Family or Strong Families Month.

Hezbollah has rejected the latest ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government and demanded a complete Israeli withdrawal.

The fatal stabbing of a British teenage who was handcuffed despite telling offices that he was wounded has sparked a debate about policing and race.

Archaeologists are digging beneath Notre Dame cathedral to explore as far back as Roman Paris from 2,000 years ago.

British authorities have blocked a Turkish American streamer Hasan Piker and political commentator Cenk Uygur from entering the U.K. The Home Office said Monday that their electronic travel authorizations were canceled over concerns that their presence might not be conducive to the public good.

Traveling to Spain in June and France in September, Pope Leo XIV will find traditionally Catholic but now staunchly secular countries with an abundance of historic churches but few people in the pews.

It’s no coincidence that Hugo Rosas’ jersey designs ahead of the World Cup resemble some of Mexico’s most iconic decorations.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani did not attend an annual parade honoring Israel, breaking with a decades-long political custom because of his support of Palestinian rights.

U.S. President Donald Trump has held a White House Situation Room meeting with his advisers as he ponders moving forward with a deal to extend the Iran ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has cast Pope Leo XIV as a global ally on social justice, migration and reparations after meeting the Chicago-born pontiff at the Vatican.

Yemen's former President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi has died at 80.

U.S. and Iranian negotiators have reached a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and start a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program.

Pilgrims in Saudi Arabia have been performing the symbolic stoning of the devil during the Hajj, enduring temperatures over 107 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hamas is confirming that Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City killed the new leader of Hamas' military wing.

Penpa Tsering has been sworn in for a second term as the president of Tibet’s government-in-exile based in India.