Under Pope Francis, the Vatican approved an improbable LGBTQ+ pilgrimage, but the views of Leo XIV, on an issue that has long divided the Catholic church, are not yet clear.

The push to build the Messina bridge linking Sicily to mainland Italy illustrates how European governments are capitalizing on NATO’s pledge to boost defense spending.

Lebanon would be a highly symbolic stop for the first American pope, who has repeatedly called for peace in the Middle East.