Cancer nurse turned archbishop celebrates election as first woman to lead Church of England

LONDON (AP) — A former cancer nurse who became a priest at the age of 40 will be installed as archbishop of Canterbury on Wednesday, publicly celebrating her election as the first woman to lead the Church of England.

Although Sarah Mullally, 63, formally became the archbishop of Canterbury in January, Wednesday’s event marks the beginning of her public ministry as both the head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The communion is an association of independent churches, including the Episcopal Church in the U.S., that together have more than 100 million members.

“I intend to be a shepherd who enables everyone’s ministry and vocation to flourish, whatever our tradition,’’ Mullally said when named last year. “Today I give thanks for all the women and men … who have paved the way for this moment. And to all the women that have gone before me, thank you for your support and your inspiration.”

The ceremony will be attended by Prince William, Princess Catherine, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and representatives from many of the communion’s 42 member churches. Representatives from the Vatican and the Orthodox church will also attend.

An arson attack leaves Britain’s Jewish community feeling vulnerable

LONDON (AP) — British police hunted three suspects on Tuesday over an arson attack on a Jewish charity’s ambulances and pledged to step up security around a community that feels increasingly at risk.

The blaze in Golders Green, a London neighborhood with a large Jewish population, consumed four ambulances belonging to the volunteer organization Hatzola Northwest. Oxygen cylinders on the vehicles exploded, breaking windows in an adjacent apartment block. Also shattered was the community’s shaky sense of security, already strained by wars in the Middle East and what many say is soaring hatred of Jews.

“We’re feeling vulnerable,” said Damon Hoff, president of the Machzike Hadath Synagogue, where the ambulances were parked. Some of the building’s stained-glass windows were damaged in the blast.

“We know what’s going on,” Hoff said. “Nobody’s eyes are closed. We’re living through wars. There’s multiple fronts, and Britain is a part of it, and our community is a tiny little part of a very, very big world.”

As border dynamics change, priest keeps ministering to migrants and deportees

Over the past five years at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Rev. Brian Strassburger has gone from ministering to throngs of asylum-seekers in overcrowded shelters to celebrating Mass with detained and deported migrants.

But while border crossings have drastically shrunk under President Donald Trump’s administration, the Jesuit priest said his mission remains centered on embodying the Christian message “that God is accompanying you on your journey.

“And the journey, whether it’s northbound or southbound, involves a lot of suffering,” Strassburger added. “We have a faith that speaks to us amid that suffering. We have a God who says, ‘I want to be one of you.’”

Based in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, Strassburger heads the Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries, a trio of Jesuits who have been providing Mass and other sacraments to migrants on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border since 2021.

The Latest: Iran dismisses US ceasefire plan and issues its own counterproposal

Iran has dismissed an American plan to pause the war in the Middle East, issuing its own counterproposal instead, as it launched more attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries.

Pakistani officials described the proposal broadly as touching on sanctions relief, civilian nuclear cooperation, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency, missile limits and access for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.

Iran issued it’s own plan Wednesday via state TV, which includes a halt to killings of its officials, means to make sure no other war is waged against it, reparations for the war, the end of hostilities and Iran’s “exercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.”

Here is the latest:

Jewish communities boost security and continue observances amid rise in hateful incidents

Law enforcement officials on Tuesday said they are taking steps to monitor and counter threats to Jewish and Muslim communities nationwide since the onset of war in the Middle East, multiple hate crimes and an attempted terror attack prompted increased security measures at places of worship and investigations into extremist activity.

As the FBI conducts an investigation into a March 12 incident in West Bloomfield, Michigan, in which a driver drove a vehicle through the doors of Temple Israel, the nation’s second-largest congregation in Reform Judaism, officials offered an assessment of threats against faith communities and discussed strategies for maintaining safety and security at places of worship.

“We know a goal of our enemies is to scare us into submission so that we make a decision to not show up,” said Michael Masters, national director of the Secure Community Network, during a national security briefing that included insights from federal and local law enforcement agencies.

“With strong safety and security measures in place, that doesn’t need to happen," Masters said.

UK police arrest 2 men over arson attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity

LONDON (AP) — British police arrested two men on Wednesday in connection with an arson attack on four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity, an assault that authorities are investigating as an antisemitic hate crime.

The Metropolitan Police said the two men, aged 45 and 47, were arrested in London on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and that both men have been taken to a police station in the city for questioning.

Officers are searching two properties in north London, a few kilometers (miles) from the scene of the attack in Golders Green.

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the arrests marked “an important breakthrough in the investigation.” But she noted that surveillance camera footage of the incident suggests three people were involved.

Lawyers for Quebec government tell Supreme Court that Bill 21 is legitimate

OTTAWA - The Quebec government is urging the Supreme Court of Canada to uphold a controversial secularism law, arguing that the Constitution allows the province to override the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The case revolves around the law, adopted in 2019, that banned some public sector workers from wearing religious symbols on the job, including judges, police officers and teachers.

Quebec pre-emptively used its powers to override the Charter when it adopted the law, and the court challenge could have implications for how other provinces handle similar cases.

The federal and provincial governments can override the Charter if they invoke what is known as the notwithstanding clause of the Constitution.

Trump administration offers 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Trump administration offered a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran, a person briefed on the contours of the proposal said late Tuesday, even as the U.S. military prepared to send at least 1,000 more troops to supplement some 50,000 troops already in the Mideast.

The plan was submitted to Iran by intermediaries from Pakistan, who have offered to host renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The New York Times was the first to report that the plan had been delivered to Iranian officials.

The Pentagon is also in the process of deploying two Marine units that will add about 5,000 Marines and thousands of sailors to the region. The moves are being framed as Trump maneuvering to give himself “max flexibility” on what he will do next, the person added.

The Latest: US offers 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran

The Trump administration offered a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran, a person briefed on the contours of the plan but who was not authorized to speak publicly about it told The Associated Press on Tuesday, even as it's sending more troops to the Middle East.

The ceasefire plan was submitted to Iran by intermediaries from Pakistan, who have offered to host renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

The U.S. military is preparing to deploy at least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East in the coming days, according to three people with knowledge of the move who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.

Also Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes battered Iran as Iranian missiles and drones struck sites across the Mideast. Lebanese militant fire into northern Israel killed a woman, medics said, in the war’s first death inside Israel from cross-border drone and missile attacks. Israel has pounded Beirut, saying it is targeting infrastructure used by the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group.

Pope Leo moves Father Flanagan of Boys Town fame closer to possible sainthood

Pope Leo XIV put the Rev. Edward Joseph Flanagan a step closer to possible sainthood Monday as he proclaimed the “heroic virtues” of the founder of Boys Town, a Nebraska home for at-risk youths that gained national renown and inspired an Oscar-winning biopic performance.

With Leo's proclamation, the priest commonly known as “Father Flanagan” is now officially declared “venerable.” Later steps on a possible path of sainthood would include beatification and ultimately canonization.

Omaha Archbishop Michael McGovern said he is “overjoyed” with the news.

“We continue to pray that he will one day be beatified and ultimately declared a saint,” the archbishop said in a statement. “In the meantime, may we work to affirm the dignity of every person created in God’s image by serving the poor, the abandoned and the vulnerable, especially at-risk youth.”

Archbishop urges Catholics to learn about Indigenous spirituality

Roman Catholics will benefit by taking time to learn more about Indigenous spirituality, the head of the Archdiocese of Winnipeg says.

The Latest: Trump says Iran ‘wants to make a deal’ but the Islamic Republic denies any talks

U.S. President Donald Trump extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, saying the U.S. will hold off striking Iranian power plants for five more days.

Trump said U.S. envoys have been holding talks with a “respected” Iranian leader, and Iran wants “to make a deal.” Iranian officials denied any such negotiations, and declared that the American leader had backed down “following Iran’s firm warning.”

Relief ripped through financial markets Monday as oil prices eased following severe losses prior to Trump’s announcement. Financial markets have had vicious swings, both up and down, since the war began because of uncertainty about how long it may last.

Trump also said the U.S. would seek to retrieve Iran’s enriched uranium and end its nuclear program as part of a deal, telling reporters: “We want to see no nuclear bomb, no nuclear weapon. Not even close to it.”

A rare look inside the Sistine Chapel for a private concert about angel encounters

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican’s Sistine Chapel hosted a concert Sunday evening, debuting a composition focused on interactions with angels found throughout the Bible.

The Vatican sometimes hosts concerts in the chapel for visiting musicians and other special occasions. But the events are always invite-only, and it is extremely rare for photojournalists to receive access.

“I have to make an awkward announcement,” Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the archbishop of Westminster, said before the show, then told the roughly 200 attendees, mostly native English speakers, that they couldn't use their phones to film or photograph the premiere. Guests included Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney and the UK's former Prime Minister Theresa May.

The 70-minute oratorio, “Angels Unawares,” is comprised of 12 pieces, each representing a story drawn from the Bible. Sir James MacMillan composed it using texts by Robert Willis, the former Dean of Canterbury who passed away in late 2024, not long after completing the work.

People ‘bathe’ in nature to get respite from chaotic news cycle

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — For two hours, Claire Jefferies wanted to get away from the war in Iran and the rising gas prices and just commune with nature. And, so, she treated herself to a little forest bathing.

“When I’m here, it’s almost like a protective bubble around me," the human resources director said amid oaks and flowering magnolias at the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, North Carolina. "It provides a shield.”

The Sunday morning session was led by certified forest therapy guide Shawn Ramsey. Jingling a tiny brass bell, she called her dozen or so charges to gather for meditation, breathing exercises and to commune with nature.

“I invite you to really spend the next 10 minutes just exploring this area," she said, her own eyes closed. "Really focusing on your breath, on your footsteps. All the natural sounds around you. Maybe the manmade sounds, too. Thinking about the forest’s natural rhythm and how are part of that here in this urban, forested environment.”

Syrian authorities’ new limits on alcohol sales in Damascus spark backlash

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Crowds of Syrians rallied Sunday to protest authorities' efforts to limit the sale and consumption of alcohol in Damascus, reflecting rising anxiety in the cosmopolitan capital that Syria’s new Islamist government may threaten long-held secular freedoms.

Hundreds of residents from a range of religious sects poured into a grassy square in Bab Touma, a Christian neighborhood in Damascus, chanting “Syrians are united!” and brandishing signs that urged the government to safeguard personal liberties and religious minorities.

“This is not about whether we want to drink alcohol, this is about personal freedom,” said Isa Qazah, a 45-year-old sculptor from the area who joined the protest along the medieval stone lanes near Damascus' Old City. "We have come here to defend an idea."

Heavily armed security forces surrounded the protesters. The demonstration passed without incident.