WORLD

Thousands of Catholics gathered on Saturday for an outdoor mass in the Peruvian city of Chiclayo to celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV, who for years lived, ate and prayed among them.

Pope Leo XIV will lead the Regina Coeli prayer from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica on Sunday, in his second official public appearance since becoming the leader of the Catholic Church.

South Korea's People Power Party registered former labour minister Kim Moon-soo as its official presidential candidate on Sunday, a day after it attempted to cancel his candidacy.

Biliana, an international student at New York's Columbia University, is studying for exams but fears being arrested by immigration police.

Manchester City were held to a shock goalless draw by Premier League basement club Southampton on Saturday while Aston Villa beat Bournemouth as the race for Champions League places hots up.

A court in Paris on Tuesday is set to hand down a verdict in the sexual assault trial of French cinema icon Gerard Depardieu, a case that gripped the country for weeks.

Leo XIV visited an Augustinian sanctuary near Rome Saturday in his first outing since being made pope, after telling cardinals he intended to follow his predecessor's path as pontiff, praising Francis's "complete dedication to service".

Pope Leo XIV said Saturday he intended to follow his predecessor's path as pontiff, praising Francis's "complete dedication to service" and explaining his name choice reflected a commitment to social causes, according to the Vatican.

Desperate crowds fought Saturday to board a special train ferrying people out of Jammu in Indian Kashmir and away from the worst fighting with Pakistan in decades.

The death of 12-year-old twins who were killed in a Pakistani strike as they fled the town of Poonch in India-held Kashmir has helped unite a community in shock.

A "pragmatic" approach to talks on food standards, youth mobility and European courts could yield an "ambitious" post-Brexit deal between the EU and UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in an interview published Saturday by The Guardian newspaper.

US President Donald Trump heads for Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on Monday, eyeing big business deals even as accords on the Middle East's hotspots will be harder to seal.

South Korea's conservative party dropped its presidential candidate against his will on Saturday, beginning a process to instead nominate outsider and former prime minister Han Duck-soo less than a month before the election.

Louis Prevost is still reckoning with what just happened in his family.

Paula Hambrick never imagined that in her lifetime the Catholic Church would be led by a pope from the United States, never mind her hometown of Chicago.

Israel would not be involved in food distribution under a US-led plan for the Gaza Strip but would provide "necessary military security", Washington's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said on Friday.

US President Donald Trump has fired the country's top librarian, his spokeswoman confirmed Friday, cutting short the term of the only woman and first African American to take on the role.

France and Poland on Friday signed a treaty committing both sides to mutual assistance in case of an attack by an aggressor, strengthening ties between the EU heavyweights in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Residents in the Peruvian town of Chiclayo chant "long live the pope!"

Vladimir Putin chatted easily with China's Xi Jinping as a pro-Kremlin US actor sat nearby watching tanks and missiles roll across the cobblestones of Red Square.

The UK, France and a group of northern European nations said Friday they supported a US proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

Pro-Ukrainian activists held a protest at a Soviet memorial in Warsaw where Moscow's ambassador placed a wreath on Friday, as Russia celebrates World War II Victory Day.

US President Donald Trump signaled on Friday that he could lower tariffs on Chinese imports, as the rival superpowers prepare for trade talks over the weekend.

Serbian students leading an anti-corruption movement that has rocked the Balkan country for months maintained the pressure Friday with a march in the western city of Loznica -- the first major protest since their call for early elections.

Ukraine's EU allies on Friday endorsed the creation of a tribunal to try Russia's top leaders over the invasion, as Kyiv pushes for Vladimir Putin himself to be brought to justice.

In today's world, Leo warned in his homily to assembled cardinals, there are places or situations where "it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth, where believers are mocked, opposed, despised or at best tolerated and pitied".

Mohammad Naseem says his neighbours laughed when he borrowed money and built a concrete bunker under his home in a village near the disputed Kashmir border.

Pope Leo XIV will celebrate mass Friday, the day after becoming the first US head of the Catholic Church, with the world watching for signs of what kind of pope he will be.

Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad is giving President Donald Trump three months before his fellow Americans force him to rethink his stringent global tariff strategy, accusing the US leader of "living in an old world".