RIO DE JANEIRO — Sergio Mendes, the Grammy-winning Brazilian musician whose hit “Mas Que Nada” made him a global legend, has died after months battling the effects of long COVID. He was 83. The death Thursday of the Brazilian pianist, songwriter and arranger was confirmed in a statement by his family. “His wife and musical … Read more
ROME — Seemingly every tourist in Rome knows the key to returning to the Eternal City is to toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain and make a wish. The result: Hoards of visitors packing the Baroque monument any given day, taking selfies and betting on a return trip. Officials are now considering a plan … Read more
A fire has raged through the dormitory of a boarding school for young children in central Kenya, killing 17 boys sleeping there. Citizen Television said the fire in the early hours of Friday had burnt the victims beyond recognition. The blaze occurred at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri, a primary boarding school for young … Read more
TOKYO — Chinese President Xi Jinping is reported to be a big soccer fan, and he promised in a 2015 document to resuscitate the men’s national team, damaged by abysmal results on the global stage and widespread corruption in local leagues. He cannot be happy. Japan defeated China 7-0 on Thursday in a World Cup … Read more
A woman who was allegedly drugged by her now ex-husband so that she could be raped by other men while she was unconscious testified Thursday that her world collapsed when police uncovered the years of alleged abuse. Speaking in a calm and clear voice, Gisèle Pélicot detailed with impressive composure the horror of discovering that … Read more
Summer 2024 sweltered to Earth’s hottest on record, making it even more likely that this year will end up as the warmest humanity has measured, European climate service Copernicus reported Friday. And if this sounds familiar, that’s because the records the globe shattered were set just last year as human-caused climate change, with a temporary … Read more
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has apologised to those affected by London’s Grenfell Tower disaster on behalf of the British state for the string of failures that led to the fatal fire. He told Parliament the survivors, bereaved families and the community around Grenfell had been “let down very badly” before, during and after the fire … Read more
German police have exchanged fire with a man in the city of Munich, fatally wounding the suspect in an area near a museum on the city’s Nazi-era history and the Israeli consulate. Officers were alerted to a person carrying a “long gun” in the Karolinenplatz area, near downtown Munich, on Thursday morning. There was then … Read more
Once again, classrooms and hallways turned into scenes of carnage and horror as a mass shooter killed four people at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia on Wednesday. It’s the 45th school shooting so far this year and the deadliest US school shooting since March 2023. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Students at US school speak … Read more
LONDON — Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein won’t face charges of indecent assault in Britain, prosecutors announced on Thursday. The Crown Prosecution Service, which in 2022 authorized two charges of indecent assault against Weinstein, said it decided to discontinue proceedings because there was “no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.’’ “We have explained our decision … Read more
