Pope following Vatican's spiritual retreat from afar as he recovers from pneumonia

An Auckland resident charged with murder in January can now be identified after a four-month court-ordered anonymity period. Hao Feng, 36, was arrested on January 11 following the death of his partner, Xiaoyan Wang, who had just moved into their Avondale home and recently acquired a puppy and a kitten. Feng's name suppression lapsed last week after his lawyer initially sought to delay its release to protect his elderly parents in China, but the request...

In Matatiele, South Africa, protesters are demanding justice after Thandekile Mtshizana revealed that her 7-year-old daughter, known as Cwecwe, was allegedly raped at Bergview College. The case has sparked widespread outrage, highlighting the culture of sexual violence in the country, where an average of 118 rapes are reported daily and many cases remain unsolved. Mtshizana's call for systemic change includes a petition to President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare sexual violence a national disaster, aiming for...

Read a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FASTSINGAPORE: Firefighting operations are underway after a blaze broke out at a two-storey industrial building in Tampines on Friday (May 9).The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the incident at 18 Tampines Street 92 at 12.50pm, adding that it is fighting...

An Iranian mechanical engineering student, Alireza Doroudi, chose to self-deport after being detained for six weeks in a Louisiana facility, despite the U.S. government dropping a charge related to his arrest. Initially detained under national security concerns, his visa was revoked without explanation, and he was unable to secure bond, leading to his decision to leave rather than face indefinite detention. His attorney criticized the process as a denial of due process, while Doroudi's fiancée...

Pakistan's economic affairs division faced backlash after a social media post sought urgent financial aid, attributing losses to escalating tensions with India. Following the negative attention, the ministry claimed their account was hacked, denying the appeal for loans, although the post remained visible. Amid military escalations and a significant drop in the Karachi Stock Exchange, Pakistan's economic stability is threatened, with ongoing conflicts linked to "Operation Sindoor" in response to a recent terrorist attack. Full...

The article critiques the politicization of humanitarian aid to Gaza, highlighting the European Union's ambiguous stance amid Israeli proposals for aid delivery by private contractors, which further marginalizes Palestinians. It argues that international law is misused to protect colonial interests, with European leaders failing to acknowledge Israel's actions as genocide rather than a democratic conflict. The planned aid distribution method dehumanizes Palestinians, reducing their dignity and political rights while perpetuating the unsustainable status quo established...