The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church has said the world is on the brink of slipping into “the abyss of the end of history.” The apocalypse “is already visible to the naked eye,” Patriarch Kirill, 71, told congregants after a service…

In a landmark ruling on a deeply contentious issue, the High Court of Justice ruled on Thursday that grocery stores can remain open on Shabbat in Tel Aviv. The decision follows a decade-long struggle against the practice between small business…

The world is up in arms over the U.S. President’s formal recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The White House is breaking with years of precedent and people are bracing for violence. U.S. embassies around the world have…

Australia descended to a new low as a same-sex marriage bill has passed the parliament’s lower house. The House bill complements the Senate bill passed recently. Some called it a great “win for Australian values,” while Malcolm Turnbull, the Prime…

Less than two months after the Santa Rosa fires destroyed thousands of homes and killed 40 people, a ravenous, fast-moving wildfire driven by powerful Santa Ana winds scorched over 65,000 acres near Los Angeles on Monday and Tuesday, destroying more than 150…

Pope Francis visited Myanmar and Bangladesh November 27 through December 2. Both countries have a Catholic population of only about 1 percent, more or less of the total population, with Myanmar 90 percent Buddhist and Bangladesh 90 percent Muslim. Following…

Shopping centers, eateries and other retail outlets are getting rid of their ATMs in a move toward a cashless Australia. Retailers who were “cash only” will have to change their format. Retailers stand to gain a lot of information about…

If the U.S. House of Representatives’ tax bill becomes law, partisan politics would overtake the nonprofit world, casting institutions designed to promote the public good into the depraved den of identity politics and selfish motives. This would become a seismic…

A bill to legalize same-sex marriage passed the Senate in a historic moment in Australian politics, setting up a final vote in the House of Representatives. The bill breezed through 43 votes to 12, and the moment was met with…

Under Pressure from its dominant Catholic Church, Poland will end shopping on Sundays by 2020. The nation intends to protect Sunday as a day of rest, and promote family time. Poland’s religious makeup is 87% Catholic. In addition, there are…

Pope Francis reiterated his appeal for the world to do more to protect the environment, stressing the importance this can have in reducing the risk and impact of natural disasters. “On 13 October, we observe the international day for the…

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has plunged into fights long sought by the religious right, issuing a 25-page memo bolstering legal protections for people of faith, rolling back employers’ requirement for birth-control coverage and reversing a policy that included…