
Indonesia's Mount Semeru erupted, covering nearby villages in ash and prompting evacuations of more than 300 residents of the most at-risk villages.

At least 25 Palestinians were killed in four Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday, in a part of Gaza under Hamas control since a shaky ceasefire took effect in October, the local Health Ministry said.

Pope Leo has come out in support of a rare special message released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in recent days that lamented a "climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement."

The U.S. stock market swung through another unsettled day of trading on Wednesday, ahead of a couple of crucial tests for Wall Street.