In Italy's Alps, at the border with Austria, there's a land where people speak in German and dream of independence. Once part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, it was annexed by Italy at the end of World War I. But even today, not a single drop of Italian blood runs through the veins of its more than 500,000 inhabitants.

Pope Francis on Sunday named his first batch of cardinals, choosing 19 men from Asia, Africa and elsewhere, including Haiti and Burkino Faso, to reflect his attention to the poor. Francis made the announcement as he spoke from his studio window to a crowd in St. Peter’s Square. Sixteen of the appointees are younger than 80, meaning they are eligible to elect the next pontiff, which is a cardinal’s most important task. The ceremony to formally install them will be held Feb. 22 at the Vatican.

Dalit Camera, a popular YouTube channel dedicated to India's Dalits (formerly untouchables), has become a rallying point for the community, reports Vanya Mehta. "I believe that the protests in Delhi over the gang rape of a student have no other political significance than a mere middle class fury," feminist and Dalit activist Rekha Raj says, standing with a microphone in the city of Kottayam in the southern state of Kerala.

January 1, 2014 marks 20 years since the Zapatista rebels rose up in arms and drew the world's attention to the plight of Mexico's impoverished indigenous population. January 1, 2014 marks 20 years since the Zapatista rebels rose up in arms and drew the world's attention to the plight of Mexico's impoverished indigenous population.

Wittingly — or perhaps unwittingly, because of the rapid acceleration of events — Hezbollah’s opponents have not shed much light on the latest major positions expressed by Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in his Dec. 3 interview on Lebanon's OTV. Lebanese cultural and intellectual circles, however, are preoccupied with two issues raised by unprecedented assertions by Nasrallah. One issue is external, involving Hezbollah and Iran’s vision of the United States, while the other concerns the Shiite organization’s vision of Lebanon as a nation and a state.