The Apostolic Palace in the Vatican is home to the Holy See’s Secretariat of State, the engine room of the Catholic Church’s central administration. Entering the offices on the third floor of the Renaissance palazzo, you walk past frescoes of some of the first maps of the world, a reminder…

The seismic shift of the past fortnight is hard to digest. Ukraine and its allies hope, deeply, that the plank Kyiv has been slammed in the face with, is – to paraphrase US President Donald Trump’s presidential envoy to Ukraine – just to get its attention. That the White House…

This follows a statement from the Vatican press office on Saturday that described “a good response to therapy” and a “gradual, slight improvement” since his episodes of acute respiratory failure on Monday. The Vatican source said that this improvement was due to the “gas exchange” in the lungs and the…

North Korea unveiled for the first time a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, a weapons system that can pose a major security threat to South Korea and the US. State media on Saturday released photos showing what it called “a nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine,” as it reported leader Kim Jong…

Clashes between government security forces and supporters of ousted former President Bashar al-Assad have killed at least 311 people in Syria since Thursday, according to a monitoring group that warns the actual death toll could be “much higher.” Meanwhile, militants loyal to Assad have killed a further 147 people –…

As US President Donald Trump ratcheted up economic pressure on China over the past week, Beijing sent back its own message: Its rise won’t be interrupted. A major political meeting taking place in the capital was the ideal backdrop for Beijing to respond. The “two sessions” gathering of China’s rubber-stamp…

A vital, US-run monitoring system focused on spotting food crises before they turn into famines has gone dark after the Trump administration slashed foreign aid. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) monitors drought, crop production, food prices and other indicators in order to forecast food insecurity in more…

Ukraine’s presence in Russia’s Kursk region has deteriorated sharply, with the advance threatening Kyiv’s sole territorial bargaining counter at a crucial time in the war. Military bloggers from both sides say Ukraine is on the back foot – reports say Russian forces used a gas pipeline to launch a surprise…

Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, called for national unity Sunday, describing the outbreak of violence between government forces and supporters of ousted former President Bashar al-Assad as “expected challenges.” Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed, with eyewitnesses accusing government supporters of carrying out execution-style killings. “What is happening in…