MEXICO CITY (AP) – Pope Francis kicks off his first trip to Mexico on Saturday with speeches to the country’s political and ecclesial elites, riding in on the success of his historic meeting in Cuba with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. During a three-hour stop in Havana on …

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – The United States temporarily deployed an additional Patriot missile battery in South Korea in response to North Korea’s nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch, ahead of talks next week to set up an even more sophisticated U.S. missile defense in a move that has …

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — For more than two years, even going to the cemetery to bury a loved one could get a mourner killed in Central African Republic. The threat of attacks from Christian militia fighters was once so high that Muslims here began burying their dead at …

JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel’s main high school civics textbook has become a new battleground in a culture war embroiling the country – pitting politicians against educators in a debate over how much religion and Jewish history should be included in the country’s national curriculum. Three of the book’s authors have …

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) – Prosecutors charged three state officers with homicide after a bloody prison brawl that ended with 49 dead, raising questions about what happened during the melee inside Mexico’s Topo Chico lockup that saw inmates fight with hammers, cudgels and makeshift knives. Nuevo Leon state prosecutor Roberto Flores …

MUNICH (AP) – Diplomats agreed Friday to work toward a temporary “cessation of hostilities” in Syria’s civil war within a week, although efforts to secure a lasting cease-fire fell short. The deal appeared to be the result of a compromise between the United States, which had wanted an immediate cease-fire, …

BRUSSELS (AP) – U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter says a key Persian Gulf ally has agreed to send special forces soldiers to Syria to assist in the development of local Sunni Arab fighters focused on recapturing Raqqa, the Islamic State group’s capital. Carter made the comment after meeting Friday at …

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – Looking to take a harder line after North Korea’s recent nuclear test and rocket launch, Seoul and Washington will begin talks as early as next week on deploying a sophisticated U.S. missile defense system in South Korea, officials said Friday. The new tough stance follows …

ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Greek farmers wielding shepherd’s staffs and throwing rocks clashed Friday with riot police in central Athens during a two-day protest against the government’s plans to impose new tax hikes and overhaul the pension system. Riot police used tear gas to repel them. Separate clashes broke out …

MOSCOW (AP) – When Patriarch Kirill meets Pope Francis this week, the historic event will allow the head of the Russian Orthodox Church to assert Russia’s leading role in the Eastern Christian world. It may also allow Kirill, a skillful political player with close ties to President Vladimir Putin, to …