“Defending and promoting the human rights of LGBT persons is at the core of our commitment to advancing human rights globally — the heart and conscience of our diplomacy,” said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Kerry was referring to…

Angela Merkel met with Pope Francis for the second time in a private audience at the Vatican on February 21. The 40-minute discussion focused on the fight against poverty and international crises, including the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the role…

“The Chicago police department operates an off-the-books interrogation compound, rendering Americans unable to be found by family or attorneys while locked inside what lawyers say is the domestic equivalent of a CIA black site.” The warehouse, known as Homan Square,…

U.S. District Judge Callie Granade ordered an Alabama official to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Mobile County, AL, where same-sex couples were unable to marry because local probate judge Don Davis, had refused to issue marriage licenses. Justice…

A senior Egyptian official has warned that it has intelligence that ISIS is planning worldwide attacks this spring and summer including attacks in Europe and the United States as well as a ground offensive in Iraq and Syria. Egyptian warplanes…

The City of Lake Worth, Florida has taken the position that all churches must have a “business license” to conduct worship. City employees were even sent undercover like spies, to attend services to get video and other evidence for use…

In the aftermath of the recent Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris, France has disclosed plans to establish a “dialogue forum,” which would engage “leading associations, intellectuals and other notable figures from the Muslim community into regular talks with the government.”…

The United States is reaching out to Rome again, seeking the pope’s help on climate change. After relying on Pope Francis to help broker the diplomatic deal between the U.S. and Cuba, the Obama administration sent Regina McCarthy, head of…

Believe it or not, at a recent scientific conference scientists have said it is time to attempt contact with intelligent life in outer space. And they are working on what message to send to outer space aliens to let them…

“I know hedge fund managers who are buying airstrips in places like New Zealand because they think they need a getaway,” said Robert Johnson at the Davos Economic Forum. Johnson believes that wealthy people are fearful of the civil unrest…

(Update: The Vatican denies that it gives VIP treatment for general audiences. All seats in the so-called VIP section are given to anyone on a first come first served basis. Apparently the AP and Reuters didn’t verify their information. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/vip-treatment-for-lgbt-group-at-the-vatican-not-really-72364/.) For…

The Vatican has announced that a high-level delegation of leading women from Iran including Shahindokht Molaverdi, Iran’s vice-president for Woman and Family Affairs will join the pope in Philadelphia in September for the World Meeting of Families. The idea arose…