Pope says migrants symbol of ‘all who are rejected’

Vatican City: Migrants are human beings who symbolise all those rejected by globalisation, Pope Francis told a special mass on Monday, saying “the weakest and most vulnerable must be helped”. “These least ones are abandoned and cheated into dying in the desert,” the Pope told the mass to mark the sixth anniversary of the Pope’s visit to Lampedusa, where many asylum seekers arrive after a perilous sea journey from Libya. Italy has in recent weeks been trying to keep its ports closed to charity ships which have rescued migrants from the Mediterranean, usually shipwrecked after leaving war-torn and lawless Libya. AFP

Kamala Harris raises $23 million in 6 months 

Washington: Senator Kamala Harris, the first Indian-origin US Senator, has raised over $23 million since the powerful Democrat from California announced her ambitious presidential bid in January. Among the 23 Democratic presidential aspirants, Harris, 54, is running neck-and-neck with former US vice president Joe Biden, particularly after her impressive show at the first Democratic Party debate held recently. A rising Democratic Party star and vocal critic of President Donald Trump, Harris, if elected, would be the first woman and woman of colour to be the President of the United States. PTI 

Ex-French leader Hollande finds second career, on stage

Avignon: Former French president Francois Hollande made the first tentative step into what may or may not be a second career this weekend when he trod the boards at one of the world’s biggest theatre festivals. The Socialist leader, who was forced from political stage by his one-time acolyte Emmanuel Macron in 2017, appeared for 15 minutes in a play at the Avignon theatre festival in the South of France. Hollande, 64, known for his sense of humour even in the gravest circumstances, managed to make the audience laugh with a quip at the expense of his party, which has gone into a precipitous decline since his presidency. PTI

Imran wants to avoid expensive hotels during his US trip

Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan wants to stay at the Pakistani envoy’s official residence in Washington instead of an expensive hotel during his visit to the US to reduce the cost of the trip, a media report has said, amidst an austerity drive by the government to solve the cash-strapped nation’s financial woes. Prime Minister Khan, after assuming office last year, launched several austerity measures. Officials in Islamabad are believed to have informed the Pakistan embassy that Prime Minister Khan desires to stay at the ambassador’s official residence in Washington during his three-day visit to the US starting from July 21.  PTI