Christian worshippers thronged the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem to celebrate the ceremony of the "Holy Fire," an ancient ritual that sparked tensions this year with the Israeli police.

In the annual ceremony that has been observed for over a millennium, a flame taken from Jesus' tomb is used to light the candles of fervent believers in Greek Orthodox communities near and far. The devout believe the origin of the flame is a miracle and is shrouded in mystery.

Hordes of revelers toted colorful water guns Thursday as Thailand kicked off its exuberant three-day Songkran festival at full blast for the first time since 2019, hoping for a significant boost in tourism after the industry was devastated by coronavirus travel restrictions.

The New Year celebration's signature water fighting — a major draw for tourists — had been banned or discouraged since 2020 to curb the spread of the virus, and its full-scale return was widely promoted. In Bangkok alone, there are 40 designated spots this year for public water splashing, including the touristy Khao San Road where vendors hawked food, clothes and water-fighting gear in the scorching heat.

Marking April as Arab American Heritage Month – a time to learn about the history, culture and contributions of our nearly 4 million strong community – is gaining traction across the country.

In 2022, Joe Biden made history as the first U.S. president to recognize the month, which he did again in 2023. States such as Illinois and Virginia have passed legislation to make the celebration an annual event, and dozens more have commemorated it.

The Greek Orthodox Church on Wednesday accused Israeli police of infringing on the freedom of worshippers with "heavy-handed" restrictions on how many pilgrims can attend the "Holy Fire" ceremony amid soaring tensions.

Israeli police said the limits are needed for safety during Saturday's celebration at the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulcher, a holy site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

Pope Francis urged world leaders Wednesday to use reason and not arms to resolve differences, evoking memories of the 1960s Cold War between Washington and Moscow, .

At his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square, Francis noted that Tuesday marked the 60th anniversary of the issuance of a Cold War-era encyclical by Pope John XXIII.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi has called for the election of a “maestro” president for the country.

India will surpass China's population this month. Or maybe in July. Or, perhaps it's happened already?

Demographers are unsure exactly when India will take the title as the most populous nation in the world because they're relying on estimates to make their best guess. But they know it's going to happen soon, if it hasn't occurred by now.

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama apologized Monday after a video showing him kissing a child on the lips triggered criticism.

A statement posted on his official website said the 87-year-old leader regretted the incident and wished to "apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused."

Yiyun Li's novel "The Book of Goose," the story of two mischievous teenage girls in post-World War II France and their improbable literary success, has won the PEN/Faulkner Award for fiction.

Li will receive $15,000 for the PEN/Faulkner, which in previous years has been given to Philip Roth, Ann Patchett and Deesha Philyaw, among others. She has published both novels and story collections and received numerous other prizes, including the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story, presented to her last December.

Spain is getting ready for one of its most revered holiday periods of the year: Easter Week, which means thousands of colorful and noisy religious street processions that draw multitudes onto the streets to watch.

The central pieces of the processions are the richly decorated gigantic floats bearing sculptures of Jesus or the Virgin and often weighing up to a ton or more.