CNN World

By Jessie Yeung and Yumi Asada, CNN Tokyo (CNN) — Think of Japan’s famed yakuza gangs and you might think of heavily tattooed men getting into bloody fights – the stuff of action films and video games. But last week four men were arrested in Tokyo for a more mundane crime – operating a yakuza

By Merlin Delcid, Ivonne Valdés and Michael Rios, CNN (CNN) — Authorities in El Salvador have arrested a prominent attorney critical of President Nayib Bukele, in a move criticized by rights groups who say it reflects an increasing trend of “authoritarianism” in the country. Ruth Eleonora López, the head of the Anti-Corruption and Justice Unit

By Jack Guy, CNN (CNN) — France is planning to build a brand new high-security prison in the Amazon rainforest, near the site of the notorious Devil’s Island penal colony that inspired the 1973 movie “Papillon,” starring Steve McQueen. Speaking on Sunday during a visit to French Guiana, a French territory that borders Suriname and

By Jessie Yeung, Marlon Sorto and Michael Rios, CNN (CNN) — The murder of a 22-year-old model and influencer in Colombia has sent shock waves through the country and drawn parallels to the killing of a Mexican influencer last week, highlighting the high rates of femicide in Latin America. Maria Jose Estupinan, a university student

By Stefano Pozzebon, Christopher Lamb, Caitlin Stephen Hu and David von Blohn, CNN LIMA (CNN) — As a missionary and bishop in Peru, the future Pope Leo came face-to-face with one of the most serious and far-reaching scandals in the church in Latin America. For years, there were allegations of abuse within the hugely influential

By Christopher Lamb and Sophie Tanno, CNN Rome (CNN) — Leo XIV, the first ever American pope, condemned the exploitation of the poor and called for unity in the church during his inaugural Mass in St. Peter’s Square, an event attended by world leaders, royalty and tens of thousands of believers. The 267th pontiff arrived

By Kathleen Magramo, CNN (CNN) — In the gripping game of thrones of Philippine politics, voters have delivered former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte a sweeping mayoral victory in his hometown stronghold of Davao – predictable for a family that has held the job for more than 20 years. But this latest landslide win creates a

By Rob Picheta, CNN London (CNN) — Austria won its third Eurovision Song Contest after a glittering grand final in neighboring Switzerland, with singer JJ earning the continent’s votes for the operatic pop anthem “Wasted Love.” The song, which showcases the classically trained Austrian-Filipino singer’s remarkable vocals and was staged in a dramatic style that

By Max Saltman and Marlon Sorto, CNN (CNN) — A Venezuelan mother who was initially deported from the US without her 2-year-old daughter says being reunited with her child this week felt like a “miracle.” “Many times, I doubted that my daughter was going to come,” said a tearful Yorely Bernal in an interview with

By Caitlin Danaher, Sharon Braithwaite and Christopher Lamb, CNN (CNN) — An Italian personal trainer has spoken of his shock after learning his client for two years had been elected to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics as Pope. “Here in the gym, no one knew that Robert, now Leo XIV, was a cardinal, least

By Chris Lau, Sophie Tanno and Kosta Gak, CNN (CNN) — A Russian drone attack on a bus in northeastern Ukraine killed at least nine people and injured seven others, Ukrainian officials said Saturday, just hours after the two countries met for the first direct peace talks in three years. While the two sides discussed

By Chris Lau, CNN (CNN) — Russia has sentenced an Australian man to 13 years in a maximum-security prison for fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, state prosecutors in the Russian-controlled parts of eastern Ukraine said Friday. Oscar Jenkins, 33, was found guilty by a court in Luhansk of participating in an armed conflict as a mercenary,

By Jessie Yeung, CNN (CNN) — For millions across India, a rigid caste system thousands of years old still dictates much of daily life – from social circles to dating pools to job opportunities and schooling. The Indian government has long insisted that the social hierarchy has no place in the world’s most populous nation,

By Ivonne Valdes Garay, Daniela Patino, Maija Ehlinger and Fidel Gutierrez, CNN (CNN) — Over a decade after 43 students from a rural teaching college vanished in southern Mexico, a new arrest has stirred fresh scrutiny and reopened old wounds. On Thursday, Mexican authorities detained now-retired judge, 79-year-old Lambertina Galeana Marín, over missing evidence in

By Rob Picheta, CNN (CNN) — Since winning power back from the hands of his populist rivals a year and a half ago, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk has faced one very stubborn roadblock to his plans: the country’s president. That could change after a pivotal presidential election, which begins with a first round of

By Jeremy Diamond, CNN Tel Aviv, Israel (CNN) — Israel has agreed to allow some food into Gaza before a newly approved mechanism for aid deliveries is up and running later this month, the head of the newly established Gaza Humanitarian Foundation told CNN. Jake Wood, the foundation’s executive director, said he did not yet