The country’s new leaders had billed a two-day “national dialogue” in Damascus as the start of a process to build an inclusive government. But some who attended came away disappointed.

South Korea reported a rare increase in births last year as the country grapples with a dwindling population. Its fertility rate remains the world’s lowest.

President Trump, who had insisted he wanted “payback” for past military aid to Kyiv, suggested President Volodymyr Zelensky would visit Washington this week to sign an agreement, which he called a “very big deal.”

Eleven days after the pope was hospitalized, speculation is mounting and prayers for his recovery verge on a vigil.

There is a broad reckoning in Ukraine: Washington can no longer be relied upon as a supporter. But Kyiv still has agency on the battlefield and can seek increased support from Europe.

Ahmed al-Shara’s unlikely path from membership in Al Qaeda to head of state has raised questions about how he intends to govern Syria.

As President Trump turns toward Russia, Taiwan grapples with its reliance on U.S. support in the face of conflict with China.

Sandra Demontigny, 45, pushed Quebec to become one of the few places in the world to allow people to choose a medically assisted death sometimes years in advance.

Although the conference was called to chart the country’s future, the Kurdish-led militia that controls much of Syria’s northeast was not invited.