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Belting out a tune in front of strangers is a big ask for most people. CircleSinging participants regularly take that risk, and among their rewards are friendship and acceptance.

Journalist T.D. Allman bought a centuries-old house in a French mountaintop village. His “In France Profound” offers an idiosyncratic take on rural life.

China’s expansions in the South China Sea are shifting power dynamics in the valuable, disputed waterways, complicating efforts to maintain peace.

India has long struggled to tackle gender-based violence. But as Kolkata reels from a brutal attack on a young doctor, some protesters point to neighboring Bangladesh as proof that with enough solidarity, change is possible.

Tourism is making some top tourist destinations unlivable. Places like Barcelona are seeking a balance between affordability and hospitality.

Linking solar energy across the region adds to other climate-friendly projects designed to cool the passions of nationalism.

Michelle Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with a speech that went beyond the “Yes, we can!” of yesteryear, our cultural commentator writes.

School choice, civil rights, and a possible Project 2025 agenda are fueling debates in the U.S. about public schooling. How is the undercurrent of education playing out in the 2024 presidential race?

As Tim Walz takes center stage at the DNC, his career arc spans from representing rural conservatives to signing bills that move Minnesota leftward.

Intense scrutiny of veteran politicians has prodded America toward greater awareness of how unchallenged ageism affects everyone, not just presidents.

Whether institutions can reform themselves is being tested in the midst of war. The Palestinian Authority is devising a plan to democratize and provide for Gaza’s future, but the PA is deeply distrusted by the Palestinian people.

What if Shakespeare paid a woman to write his plays? Jodi Picoult centers her novel on Elizabethan poet Emilia Bassano as the true author, weaving a tale of female empowerment.

The return of elections to Jammu and Kashmir won’t restore the political agency lost over the past decade – but it’s a step forward that many in the heavily militarized region hope to build upon.

A surprise incursion into Russia again shows other countries how Ukrainians rely more on their mental capabilities than on material solutions.

Since rioters targeted mosques recently, British Muslims have been comforted by their non-Muslim neighbors. But they hope for a change in rhetoric.

Thirty-four homes were lost when a wildfire tore through Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl’ecw First Nation in British Columbia last August. The community held a homecoming ceremony in April.

A last-minute ticket swap has unfolded remarkably smoothly, with Democrats closing ranks around Kamala Harris as their convention opens in Chicago.

The opening night of the Democratic National Convention features a bittersweet moment as Joe Biden speaks. The party shoved him aside, but he’s also deeply respected and known for resilience.

Venezuelans globally rallied to support the opposition's claim of victory over President Maduro in last month's disputed election. Demonstrations in cities like Caracas, Tokyo, and Sydney urged global backing for candidate Edmundo González, and support for those silenced by repression.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bipartisan package of 10 bills aimed at curbing retail theft, targeting professional crime rings, and repeat offenders. The new laws, signed on Friday, focus on cracking down on repeat shoplifters, auto thieves, and those reselling stolen goods.

With inflation on voters’ minds, Kamala Harris pitches a ban on grocery store price gouging. What’s behind food prices, and can her plan help?

Lessons from COVID-19 – such as the need for empathy and transparency – are being applied to a similar health crisis.

The CSM Gaza correspondent writes from her heart of the pain, fear, and indignity that so much death and destruction has imposed on her life.

How do you capture both the atrocities of slavery – and the dignity of the people who survived it? Our columnist visited the offerings at the new Freedom Monument Sculpture Park in Montgomery, Alabama. He calls it “an overwhelming experience.”