Religion News

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela is set to have its first female saint following approval from Pope Francis .

The Israeli military indicated on Monday it could soon launch another major offensive in Rafah and ordered most of the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip evacuated.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel's military on Monday issued sweeping evacuation orders covering Rafah and nearby areas, indicating it could soon launch another major ground operation in the Gaza Strip's southernmost city.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court appeared Monday to be leaning toward a Catholic charitable organization pushing back against the state of Wisconsin in the latest religious rights case to come before the court.

BANGKOK (AP) — The death toll in last week's massive earthquake in Myanmar has passed 2,000, state media said Monday, as accounts of some people's last moments emerged: Two hundred Buddhist monks crushed by a collapsing monastery.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A court in the United Arab Emirates has sentenced three people to death for the killing of Israeli-Moldovan Zvi Kogan , state media reported Monday.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The usual festive mood of Eid al-Fitr holiday to mark the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan has been subdued in Indonesia this year as people grapple with soaring prices for food, clothing and essential goods.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza’s bakeries will run out of flour for bread within a week, the U.N. says. Agencies have cut food distributions to families in half. Markets are empty of most vegetables.

The Taliban leader said Sunday there was no need for Western laws in Afghanistan and that democracy was dead as long as sharia laws are in effect.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinians in Gaza marked the normally festive Eid al-Fitr on Sunday with rapidly dwindling food supplies and mourning for several children killed in Israel's latest airstrikes.