An Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip has killed Bahaa Abu el-Atta, a senior official with the Islamic Jihad militant group, setting off the worst bout of fighting in recent months. Islamic Jihad is one of several groups fighting Israel, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Following is a look at the Islamic Jihad movement.

Israel’s September 17 national election stripped away the usual talking points. The Palestinian issue was almost completely off the agenda, along with a general consensus about security challenges. With those swept aside, the vote laid bare bitter, growing rifts in the nation…

The hymn of the Brazilian state of Rondonia takes pride in the region’s famously beautiful skies. “Blue, our sky is always blue,” it says. “May God keep it unrivaled, crystal, pure, and always keep it that way.”

Yet, during the summer, a haze of thick smoke blanketed Brazil.

Money cannot buy happiness. Spending it on others does.

We all know this is intrinsically true. Even science proves that giving makes us happier than receiving. A person’s brain is more engaged when giving, specifically because of increased levels of the pleasure chemical dopamine.

The massive, violent demonstrations that stopped Hong Kong in its tracks this summer—even as protesters went so far as staging the largest-ever shutdown of a major airport—had perhaps as many angles as participants.

For one, China viewed the protests as a challenge and potential embarrassment to its authority.

Chile is one of the richest countries in the region. Haiti is the poorest. Ecuador has a centrist government. Bolivia’s is socialist.

A Cornell University study published in the journal Science revealed that, since 1970, bird populations in the United States and Canada have declined by 29 percent, or almost 3 billion birds, signaling a widespread ecological crisis. The results show tremendous losses across diverse groups of birds and habitats—from iconic songsters such as meadowlarks to long-distance migrants such as swallows and backyard birds including sparrows.

Timothy Buchanan says he never consults clergy about important decisions, but it is not for lack of faith. He regularly attends a nondenominational Christian church near his home.

Since the United States withdrew from the nuclear accord between Iran and global powers in 2018, tensions in the Middle East have hit boiling points.

Tens of millions of Americans were reminded of the dangers of living near a fault line when two earthquakes struck around 24 hours apart in almost the exact same location—about 150 miles from Los Angeles in Ridgecrest, California. The first (6.4 magnitude) struck on July 4 in the morning while the second, even larger earthquake (7.1 magnitude) struck the evening of July 5.

Kim stands in front of a large, white door, the white buttons of her blue blouse a striking contrast. She says something many have felt: “I wanted to know who I am and where I came from.” She took a DNA test and was shocked when her results revealed 26 percent Native American heritage.

Idealism can seem to border on lunacy—particularly when one does not have the means to accomplish a goal.

“Teach us to pray.” This may sound like a naive request considering people had been praying for thousands of years by the time this question was asked. Yet the man decided to ask Jesus Christ anyway (Luke 11:1).

You may go your entire life without seeing an endangered species, yet the globe’s biodiversity crisis threatens all of humanity in numerous unseen or unrecognized ways, scientists say.