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Hello, I'm Gurvinder Gill with the BBC News.
The pope, Robert Prevost, has appeared before large crowds at the Vatican after being elected as the new head of the Catholic Church. He's chosen the name of Leo XIV and becomes the first pope from the United States. He's also a citizen of Peru where he spent years as a missionary. In his first address from the balcony above St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo said the world needed the light of Jesus Christ and called on Catholics to unite people in peace. "We must seek together how to be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges and dialogue, always open to receive people as the square is, to receive with open arms all who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, love." President Trump said the election of the first U.S. pope was a great honor for America and he was excited at the prospect of meeting him. The president of Pope Leo's adopted homeland, Peru, Dina Boluarte, said it was a historic moment. Pakistan's denied claims by India its missiles and drones have destroyed three military stations in Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistan's defense minister said if his country had attacked, everyone would know it. The Indian foreign minister warned that any escalation would be met with a firm response. The U.S. secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has urged both countries to exercise restraint. Tammy Bruce is a spokesperson at the State Department. "Secretary Rubio spoke with Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif and Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar. In both calls, the secretary emphasized the need for immediate de-escalation and called for an end to the violence. He expressed U.S. support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications." One of the world's richest men, the Microsoft founder Bill Gates, has said he will donate virtually all of his fortune before closing his foundation in 20 years. The Gates Foundation's already given $100 billion towards health and development projects and has pledged to spend double that over the next two decades. Speaking to the BBC, Mr. Gates said a sense of urgency would encourage the foundation to spend more money faster. "I know that 20 years from now there'll be lots of rich people and they'll understand better what's happened in AI and geopolitics and the few disease things that hopefully we aren't able to get done in the next 20 years. And so we can spend a lot more if we're not trying to be perpetual and I know that the spending will be in line with my values." You're listening to the latest world news from the BBC. The U.S. State Department says it steps away from a solution to the food crisis in Gaza. Israel has been maintaining a blockade of all aid deliveries for two months and the situation is said to be dire. Most of the food kitchens in the territory have been forced to close. Israel is facing growing pressure to lift the blockade but its plan to use private companies to distribute aid has been criticized. President Trump has called for an unconditional 30-day cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine. Writing on his Truth Social, the U.S. leader said he was "committed to securing a lasting peace" in Ukraine. Mr. Trump's message comes after he held a phone call with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said Kyiv was prepared. "Ukraine is ready for a full cease-fire right now, right from this minute, for 30 days of silence so that there are no missile strikes, no drones and no hundreds of assaults on the front. We need the Russians to respond to this adequately, to support the cease-fire. They have to prove their readiness to end the war." Reports in U.S. media say prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation against the New York attorney general, Letitia James, who's critical of President Trump over allegations of mortgage fraud. It would be the first known criminal probe of a law enforcement official who sued the Trump administration over its policies. Ms. James' lawyer has called the allegations "baseless." In football, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will contest an all-English final in the Europa League after securing convincing wins in their respective semifinals. Spurs advance with a 5-1 aggregate win over Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt, while Manchester United eased past Spain's Athletic Bilbao with a 7-1 win across two legs. In the UEFA Conference League, English side Chelsea will face Spain's Real Betis in the final. BBC News. |