Religion News

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Thousands of Albanians gathered in the capital on Thursday to pay their last respects to Archbishop Anastasios, who revived the country’s Orthodox Christian Church after the fall of the country's communist party in 1990.

MONTREAL — A Catholic shrine that is one of Montreal's most recognizable landmarks is attracting a new kind of pilgrim. Since last summer, St.

STOCKHOLM (AP) — An Iraqi man who carried out several Quran burnings in Sweden has died, a court in Stockholm said Thursday. Swedish media reported that he was killed in a shooting in a nearby city.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A mountain in New Zealand considered an ancestor by Indigenous people was recognized as a legal person on Thursday after a new law granted it all the rights and responsibilities of a human being.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas is set to free three more Israeli hostages as well as five Thai captives on Thursday, and Israel is to release another 110 Palestinian prisoners, in the third such exchange since a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has long urged couples to marry and have babies rather than dogs. He also has long championed the rights of workers and held up labor itself as the foundation of human dignity.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Three more incidents of antisemitic graffiti were found across Sydney on Thursday morning, leading Australian political leaders to warn of an escalation in hatred and decry as terrorism explosives found earlier in a traile

BEIJING (AP) — Firecrackers popped, incense was offered at temples and dancers and drummers paraded Wednesday in Asia and farther afield as millions around the world celebrated the Lunar New Year .

Palestinian health authorities said an Israeli airstrike in the northern West Bank killed at least 10 people late Wednesday, as Israeli forces have carried out a major crackdown in the occupied territory during the ceasefire in Gaza.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas will release three Israelis, including two women and an 80-year-old man, as well as five Thai nationals during the next hostage release set for Thursday, Israel and Hamas said Wednesday as their tenuous ceasefire moves ahead .