Mountain View
AFP
Pope denounces abuse cover-ups as he wraps thorny Belgium visit
Pope Francis implored bishops not to cover up the sexual abuse of children, during an open-air mass on Sunday that capped a three-day visit to Belgium, which is still struggling with the legacy of past scandals. "I ask everyone not to cover up abuse, I ask the bishops not to cover up abuse, to condemn the abusers and help them heal themselves of this disease of abuse."
Israel carries out first strike on heart of Beirut: security source
An Israeli strike on a Beirut apartment block killed four people on Monday, a Lebanese security source said, the first such raid on the heart of the city since the outbreak of the war in Gaza last year. "At least four people were killed in an Israeli drone strike targeting a flat belonging to Jamaa Islamiya in Beirut's inner city," according to the Lebanese source.
UK's Sunak tells Conservatives 'learn lessons' of defeat as party gathers
Former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday urged his Conservative Party to "learn the lessons" of their crushing election defeat as it gathered to begin electing a new leader. "We need to learn the lessons of our defeat: we did not get everything right in government –- no government ever does –- and we do now need to reflect on that," he wrote.
Bike apprenticeship helps break UK reoffending cycle
Cameron Moseley hopes never to return to jail thanks to a pioneering scheme in London that aims to cut reoffending by training former prisoners to become bicycle mechanics. He came up with the idea while volunteering at Brixton prison in south London, where he saw inmates return to jail because often they had been unable to find work after their release.
N. Korea players celebrate U20 World Cup victory in Pyongyang
North Korea's young women's football team received a thunderous homecoming after their title win at the 2024 Fifa U-20 World Cup in Colombia, AFP footage showed on Sunday. The U-20 Women's World Cup win followed years of the country's withdrawal from international sporting competitions due to the Covid pandemic.
The three contenders vying for power in Austrian election
A combative far-right marathon-runner is up against a mild-mannered chancellor and a left-wing former warehouse worker in Austria's national election on Sunday. As chancellor, Nehammer has been steering the nation through multiple crises ranging from the pandemic to the soaring cost of living following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with Austria's economy flagging.
Austria far right scores historic win in national vote
Austria's far right topped national elections on Sunday, marking a historic victory, but the party is expected to struggle to find partners with whom they can govern. - 'Earthquake' - The FPOe had been widely predicted to narrowly top the vote, but Sunday's results for the party formed by former Nazis were even better than expected.
Florida island starts long clean-up after Hurricane Helene
Michael Ward -- who has lived on Treasure Island, off Florida's Gulf coast, for 33 years -- decided to ride out Hurricane Helene despite an order to evacuate. Like many others, Czyszczon evacuated the island ahead of Helene, and is now taking stock of the damage.
Mexico's Sheinbaum to take reins of nation facing huge challenges
Claudia Sheinbaum will be sworn in on Tuesday as Mexico's first woman president, taking charge of the violence-plagued Latin American nation at a time of mounting security, economic and diplomatic challenges. "Sheinbaum's chief challenge will be tackling Mexico's deteriorating security situation," said Shifter.
Bollywood's 'King Khan' steals show at Indian film awards
Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan declared "it's good to be back" as he won best actor at the International Indian Film Academy Awards on Saturday after a long absence from the limelight. Sandeep Reddy Vanga's "Animal" won best picture among six awards including best supporting actor for Anil Kapoor, another stalwart of the Hindi film industry.
Venezuela opposition marks two months since disputed vote
Small groups of opposition protesters rallied Saturday in Venezuela, joined by supporters outside the country, marking two months since the country's disputed election that President Nicolas Maduro claimed to have won. Meanwhile, hundreds of Maduro supporters marched in Caracas to proclaim victory in the election.
'Partial peace' with Armenia not an option, Azerbaijan says at UN
A "partial peace" with Armenia is not a possibility, Azerbaijan's foreign minister said Saturday at the UN General Assembly's annual gathering, after Yerevan offered a more optimistic message. "Partial peace is not an option after so much pain and suffering inflicted by... territorial claims against neighbors," Jeyhun Bayramov told the gathering, insisting in particular on a change to Armenia's constitution, which refers to "reunification" with Nagorno-Karabakh.
Trump launches into 'dark speech' on illegal immigration
Donald Trump on Saturday called Democrat Kamala Harris "mentally impaired" and said illegal immigrants are out to cut the throats of ordinary Americans in their own homes as he doubled down on the racially charged rhetoric fueling his unprecedented bid to regain the US presidency. "They will walk into your kitchen, they'll cut your throat," Trump said of illegal immigrants.
UK lawmaker quits Labour Party over PM's 'hypocrisy'
The new government of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reeled from its first resignation Saturday, as lawmaker Rosie Duffield quit the Labour Party, accusing him of "hypocrisy" over his acceptance of free gifts. But records show that Starmer accepted more than £100,000 ($132,000) in gifts and hospitality since December 2019, more than any other lawmaker.
Liverpool go top of Premier League after Man City held by Newcastle
Manchester City felt the absence of star midfielder Rodri as the Premier League champions were held to a damaging 1-1 draw at Newcastle on Saturday as Liverpool went top with a 2-1 win at Wolves. West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek rescued a 1-1 draw at Brentford, who made Premier League history thanks to Bryan Mbeumo's quick-fire opener.
Dozens missing, 9 dead in migrant boat wreck off Spanish Canaries
Nine people are confirmed drowned and at least 48 are missing after a boat carrying migrants capsized off Spain's Canary Islands overnight, rescue services said Saturday, the latest in a series of such disasters off the west coast of Africa. But as the migrants had gone two days without food or water, that probably contributed to the panic and the boat capsizing, he said.
Biden says Hezbollah leader's killing a 'measure of justice'
The United States on Saturday offered clear support for Israel's bombing campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, including a strike that killed the group's longtime leader, but also said the time has come for ceasefires there and in Gaza. In a statement one day after an Israeli air strike on a southern Beirut suburb killed Nasrallah, Biden reiterated US support for "Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Huthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups."
SpaceX launches mission to return stranded astronauts
A SpaceX rocket soared into the sky Saturday with two passengers on board, leaving two seats empty to return American astronauts who have been stranded for months on the International Space Station, NASA said. - 'A bit unique' - After weeks of intensive tests on the Starliner's reliability, the space agency finally decided to return it to Earth without its crew, and to bring the two stranded astronauts back home on the SpaceX mission Crew-9.
Russia's Lavrov warns Europe against 'suicidal escapade' in fiery speech
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned European countries against seeking confrontation with Moscow, saying it would be a "suicidal escapade" as Moscow's war with Ukraine grinds on. Speaking in place of Russian President Vladimir Putin who, as in past years, did not attend the UN's showpiece event, Lavrov also warned against "dragging (Ukraine) into NATO." "(The West) hope to defeat Russia using the illegitimate neo-Nazi Kyiv regime, but they're already preparing Europe for it to also throw itself into this suicidal escapade," Lavrov told the annual UN General Assembly gathering.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.