The cardinals who have traveled to Rome to elect the next pope at a conclave next week sometimes look as ideologically polarized as many secular voters around the globe. At first glance, they appear to split along the kinds of left-right lines that characterize political contests elsewhere. Many conservative Roman Catholic Church leaders disagreed with…
At the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur on a recent Friday, a crowd of men angled for an close-up look at the silver-haired figure in a gray suit exiting an elevator. They held their camera phones up high and perched on stairs to catch a better glimpse. Those who could get close enough stepped forward…
A Ukrainian delegation was in Washington on Friday for a new round of talks about a deal that would give the United States a major stake in Ukraine’s natural resources. The visit marked the latest twist in a monthslong saga that has seen Kyiv and Washington haggling over a deal that President Trump sees as…
The Indian Parliament passed a controversial bill on Friday that increases government oversight of properties held by Muslim trusts, despite vocal protests that the religious minority was being singled out for interference. The bill would allow the appointment of non-Muslims to panels administering the trusts, called Waqf boards, and empower state officials to be adjudicators…
Inside the auditorium, the event went on as planned. The hundreds of students who remained listened and learned. They peered into a world beyond shouted slogans and curated stories. They learned about the region’s politics and power dynamics, and the evolving national identities and echoes of past empires that continue to shape the reality of…
On Oct. 12, 2023, Columbia University closed its gates. The ornate, iron fences were an $89,000 gift from the philanthropist George Delacorte. For years, their purpose was largely decorative, closing sporadically for special occasions. Most other times, they remained open, and members of the public could enter freely, sit on a bench and traverse the…
The Ukrainian Parliament on Tuesday passed a contentious bill allowing the government to purchase two unused, Russian-made nuclear reactors from Bulgaria for at least $600 million — a project that has faced sharp criticism over its high cost and yearslong timeline. The Ukrainian government plans to install the two reactors at the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power…
President Trump is poised to move forward with sweeping tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum on Monday, re-upping a policy from his first term that pleased domestic metal makers, but hurt other American industries and ignited trade wars with allies on multiple fronts. The 25 percent tariffs that the president said he would impose on…
A controversial decision involving KL Rahul’s dismissal in the first Test between India and Australia in Perth has sparked debate, leaving the batsman visibly unhappy after being adjudged caught behind off Mitchell Starc’s bowling. Starc delivered a good-length ball to Rahul, which seemed to carry through to the keeper, Alex Carey. Initially, the on-field umpire…