RIO DE JANEIRO, July 22 (UPI) -- Pope Francis' much-anticipated arrival in Brazil Monday comes amid church leaders' hopes he can staunch the exodus of the faithful from the church.
BEIJING, July 22 (UPI) -- The rapidly rising death toll from the earthquake that struck China's Gansu province Monday morning jumped to 47 as authorities mounted a massive relief effort.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand, July 22 (UPI) -- Minor damage was reported Monday in New Zealand's capital Wellington from the 6.5-magnitude earthquake that struck off the Cook Strait the previous day.
BEIJING, July 22 (UPI) -- A 5.9-magnitude earthquake at a depth of 6.1 miles shook central China Monday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
DAMASCUS, Syria, July 21 (UPI) -- Supporters of Syrian rebels said 185 people were killed across the civil war-torn country Sunday, including 13 members of one family.
KABUL, Afghanistan, July 21 (UPI) -- Pakistan's lead diplomat, Sartaj Aziz, said he traveled to Afghanistan Sunday to attempt to repair relations amid the country's peace efforts with the Taliban.
VATICAN CITY, July 21 (UPI) -- On the eve of Pope Francis' first international trip as pope to Brazil, he asked those in St. Peter's Square to accompany him spiritually on the visit.
KEFLAVIK, Iceland, July 21 (UPI) -- A Russian super passenger jet made a belly landing Sunday in Iceland during a test flight, officials said.
SIMITLI, Bulgaria, July 21 (UPI) -- A Bulgarian lawmaker on Sunday vowed to bring to justice to those found responsible for a deadly coal mine accident in his country.
SEOUL, July 21 (UPI) -- The North Korea Workers' Party warned of a catastrophe Sunday if South Korea and the United States move ahead with their annual military drill next month.
ATHENS, Greece, July 21 (UPI) -- Police in Greece Sunday shot and killed one a man who escaped from the Trikala Prison earlier this year, officials said.
BURLINGTON, Ontario, July 21 (UPI) -- Five Canadian women say they are gearing up for a record-setting marathon relay swim across the length of Lake Ontario.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 21 (UPI) -- Electronic billboards with missing children's information and photos will be set up in the next few months in five Jamaican cities, government officials said.
MURMANSK REGION, Russia, July 21 (UPI) -- Three people died when a private helicopter crash-landed in northern Russia Sunday, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said.
OTTAWA, July 21 (UPI) -- Canadian lawmakers are considering whether it should be illegal to distribute sexy pictures of people without their consent.