Pope Francis sat out mass and his traditional Angelus prayer from hospital on Sunday, with a Vatican health official saying the 88-year-old pontiff needed to preserve his strength for the Church's busy Jubilee year. - Busy Jubilee year - The head of the health office for the Italian Bishops' Conference, Massimo Angelelli, told AFPTV it was "absolutely necessary for him to recover his strength" as "the Jubilee is still long."
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German automakers are losing their dominance in China’s high-performance car market to Chinese rivals like Xiaomi, whose electric, AI-equipped models offer powerful performance at lower prices. Porsche, significantly affected, saw its 2024 China sales drop by 28%, leading to global delivery declines and job cuts.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni dismissed speculation about the US using force to annex Greenland or the Panama Canal, attributing Donald Trump's comments to strategic messaging aimed at China. She emphasized the importance of these regions and expressed confidence in continued US support for Ukraine despite concerns about Trump's future policies.
A fire at an Islamic school in northwestern Nigeria killed at least 17 children and injured 17 others. About 100 children were at the school when the fire broke out in the Kaura Namoda district of Zamfara state. Preliminary findings suggest the fire may have been caused by a stockpile of sticks used for oral hygiene. President Bola Tinubu expressed condolences and urged schools to prioritize safety. The government had previously failed to enforce safety measures despite a 2014 initiative.
As Trump is pushing for an immediate resolution to the three-year-long war and Russia is happy about it, US and Russian officials held their first meeting in Saudi Arabia on how to end the war but Ukraine was not included in the meeting. Trump said Zelenskyy has no cards and hence he did not think the Ukraine side was important to be at meetings. "he makes it very hard to make deals," Trump said about Zelenskyy.
In Namibia, Susan de Meyer uses horses to help children with disabilities. Her program, Enabling Through the Horse, aids kids with autism and ADHD. Children ride, groom, and bond with the animals. Teachers note positive changes in the students' behavior and confidence. The program improves motor skills, balance, and posture. De Meyer hopes to expand the initiative to other countries.
Pakistan's education minister revealed that the Afghan Taliban government did not attend a global summit on girls' education held in Islamabad. Despite the absence of official Afghan representatives, various organisations dedicated to Afghan girls' education participated. The Taliban, since their takeover in 2021, have barred girls above sixth grade from school, impacting 1.4 million girls according to Unesco.
Vice-President-elect JD Vance did not commit to blanket pardons for January 6 rioters, stating that only those who protested peacefully should be considered. This stance contrasts with Donald Trump's promise of sweeping pardons on day one of his administration. ​“There’s a little bit of a gray area there,†Vance said.
Special counsel Jack Smith argued that Donald Trump could have been convicted for trying to overturn the 2020 election if he hadn't been re-elected. His report claims Trump used knowingly false election fraud claims to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power and highlights challenges faced during the investigation.
Lily Stewart, a 20-year-old University of Georgia student, went viral for her smiling mugshot after a speeding charge. The case was dismissed, but she gained online fame. She was arrested again Sunday for obstructing a law enforcement officer and loitering. Her new mugshots have also gone viral, despite officials' concerns about glorifying such behavior.
President Trump toured disaster-stricken areas in North Carolina and California, criticising FEMA and suggesting states handle disaster recovery directly. He proposed this strategy to reduce bureaucracy and speed up efforts. Trump's appointments and political overtones suggest changes in federal disaster response roles.