Gazans Mark a Somber Ramadan Amid the Rubble

Bags of fragrant spices, crates of dates, frozen chicken and fresh produce. Food and other goods that were scarce during the war have returned to the shops and street markets of Gaza in time for the holy fasting month of Ramadan. And the Israeli bombs have fallen silent. But the shadow of the war hangs … Read more

What Would the Church Say About End-of-Life Decisions for a Pope?

A respiratory crisis suffered by Pope Francis on Friday during his two-week hospitalization for pneumonia has added urgency to a delicate, and uncomfortable, question worrying many in the church: What would happen if the pope remains in critical condition for an extended period, with his health worsening, his faculties fading, his quality of life deteriorating? … Read more

Japan Fights Its Largest Wildfire in More Than 30 Years

Japan’s largest wildfire in more than three decades was burning through a forested area of a small coastal city on Sunday after killing at least one person, damaging dozens of homes and prompting evacuation orders for thousands of residents, fire officials said. The roughly 1,800-hectare (4,500-acre) fire has been burning for days in Ofunato, a … Read more

Why Congo’s Vast Army Is Struggling to Fight M23

Its soldiers are underpaid and underarmed. Its ranks are riddled with factions pursing their own interests. And successive presidents are said to have kept it weak for fear of a coup. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s army has appeared too weak and dysfunctional to stop a militia that has swept through the eastern part of … Read more

Japan Fights Its Largest Wildfire in More Than 30 Years

Japan’s largest wildfire in more than three decades was burning through a forested area of a small coastal city on Sunday after killing at least one person, damaging dozens of homes and prompting evacuation orders for thousands of residents, fire officials said. The roughly 1,800-hectare (4,500-acre) fire has been burning for days in Ofunato, a … Read more