The election of pope to lead the world’s one billion Catholics stirs debate over the spiritual authority of the pontiff and the church’s role in the world.

Pakistan’s poor public education system has been exploited by extremist groups and slowed the country’s development. Analysts say education reform is an essential element in stabilizing the country.

Kidnappings and deaths among the corps of international journalists covering the Iraq war occur with grim regularity. Yet the conditions facing native Iraqi journalists—both those working for Iraqi m…

Despite a security clampdown in Baghdad, Iraq’s capital remains a hotbed of sectarian violence. The new government has yet to find a solution—military, political, or otherwise—for securing the city.