Category: World

Orbán's era was over in a flash and Hungary's next PM is a man in a hurry2 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleNick ThorpeBudapest correspondentSOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesPéter Magyar's party dramatically ended 16 years of Orbán in last Sunday's votePéter Magyar and his victorious Tisza party have wasted no time preparing for the transfer of power in Hungary after their dramatic landslide defeat of Viktor Orbán last Sunday.
They won 52% of the vote to put an end to his party's 16 years of continuous rule, which translates into 141 seats in the 199-seat National Assembly.
Orbán's Fidesz have slumped from 135 to 52 seats.
The count will be finalised on Saturday – including recounts in closely tied constituencies, and votes cast abroad.
Magyar has won a pledge from President Tamás Sulyok to bring forward the formation of the new parliament to the week beginning 4 May. Parliament can then elect the new government.
He also gave combative in..

Madonna joins Sabrina Carpenter to surprise Coachella5 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleAndre Rhoden-PaulGetty ImagesMadonna surprised fans at Coachella making a guest appearance during Sabrina Carpenter's Friday night headline set.
The Queen of Pop joined Carpenter on stage for a duet of Vogue, Like A Prayer and a song seemingly from Madonna's new album.
The performance followed days of speculation that Madonna would appear at the festival in the Colorado desert in California.
On Wednesday, Madonna officially confirmed the release of Confessions II – a sequel to her 2005 Confessions On A Dance Floor.
After Carpenter finished a rendition of Juno, Madonna emerged while the intro of Vogue played out and dancers struck a pose.
With matching blonde hair and lace corsets, the pair sang the 1990 house hit, before strutting across the stage to perform a new song.
“Thank you so much for inviting me on your show,” the Hung Up singer said.
“No thanks needed, Madonna,” Carpe..

Oil prices plunge as Iran says Strait of Hormuz 'open' during ceasefire11 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleArchie MitchellBusiness reporterGetty ImagesOil prices have plummeted after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz would be “completely open” to commercial ships for the remainder of the ceasefire.
The cost of a barrel of Brent crude fell to $88 dollars a barrel, having been above $98 earlier on Friday.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow strip of water linking the Gulf to the Arabian sea, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquified natural gas is typically transported.
“The passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.
Global markets also rallied on the announcement, with the major US stock indices rising in early trading. The S&P 500 rose by 0.8%, while the Nasdaq and Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) were both up by more t..

Ceasefire with Israel brings respite to Lebanon, but obstacles to peace remain34 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleHugo BachegaMiddle East correspondent, BeirutReutersMany people have already started to make their way back to where they were displaced fromAt the stroke of midnight, gunfire and fireworks celebrated the start of the ceasefire in Beirut.
Throughout the morning, smiling crowds gathered along roads leading to Lebanon's south, the heartland of Hezbollah, playing revolutionary music and waving the group's yellow flag as they started their journey back to where they had been forced from by the war.
This is, initially, a 10-day ceasefire after six weeks of a devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia Muslim militia and political party. But it brings some respite for a country exhausted by the war.
More than 2,100 people have been killed, Lebanese health authorities say, and over a million, or roughly one in five of the population..

Pope criticises 'tyrants' who spend billions on wars after Trump spat1 hour agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleTom McArthurWhat Trump and Pope Leo have said about each otherPope Leo has criticised leaders who spend billions on wars and said the world was “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants” in unusually forceful comments during a visit to Cameroon.
The pontiff blasted those he said had manipulated “the very name of God” for their own gain, while touring a region ravaged by a deadly insurgency.
The remarks come just days after a high-profile spat with US President Donald Trump, who posted a lengthy attack on the Pope, a vocal critic of the US-Israeli military operation in Iran.
The Pope had voiced his concern about Trump's threat that “a whole civilisation will die” if Iran did not agree to US demands to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz.
Leo, who last year became the first US-born Pope, has previously also questioned the Trump administration's approac..

Turkish police detain 162 people over online praise for school shootings4 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleElla KiplingandOrla Guerin,in Kahramanmaras, TurkeyGetty ImagesAt least nine people have died following a shooting at a school in southern TurkeyTurkish police have arrested 162 people accused of posting controversial content online about two deadly school shootings that took place this week.
They were “found to have engaged in posts and activities praising crime and criminals and negatively affecting public order”, police said.
At least 16 people were injured in a shooting at a high school in the country's south-east on Tuesday, before another nine were killed in a shooting at another school in the city of Kahramanmaras on Wednesday.
Hundreds have gathered near the city's main mosque for the funerals of the young victims, which are being held on Thursday.
One victim has been identified as 10-year-old Zeynep. Her uncle, Mahmut, told the BBC that she was a cl..