Benedict Smith

4 days ago | telegraph.co.uk | Benedict Smith

Chicago, where Pope Leo XIV grew up, has eagerly embraced the new pontiff as its new favourite sonGazing at the camera with his hair neatly parted, tie tightened up to his collar and a twinkle in his eye, the boy looked every inch a clean-cut Catholic school student. To his friends, Robert Prevost - or Bob, as they called him - was a "trickster" who loved to play pranks on his classmates under the watchful eyes of the nuns. Now, to the rest of the world, he is Pope Leo XIV.

5 days ago | yahoo.com | Benedict Smith

Pope Leo XIV has been accused of mishandling allegations of child sex abuse. The accusations refer to allegations before Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost’s election as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church. Cardinal Prevost is said to have failed to properly investigate multiple claims made against Catholic priests in Peru and, according to reports in the US, gave refuge to an accused paedophile in a monastery without informing a nearby school in Chicago.

5 days ago | telegraph.co.uk | Benedict Smith

Mario Bustamante Leiva was reportedly handed a prison sentence for a series of thefts in BritainA Gucci shoulder bag worth thousands, left under a woman's seat in a burger restaurant, probably looked like an easy target. After spotting the bag, a thief in a Covid mask and dark cap hooked his foot through the strap, tugged it over to his table and swiftly exited the building before heading out onto the evening streets of Washington, DC, prosecutors say.

5 days ago | telegraph.co.uk | Benedict Smith

Leo XIV, the new Pope, has been accused of mishandling allegations of child sex abuse. Leo, formerly known as Robert Prevost, is said to have failed to properly investigate multiple claims made against Catholic priests in Peru, and, according to reports in the US, gave refuge to an accused paedophile in a monastery without informing a nearby school in Chicago.

6 days ago | yahoo.com | Benedict Smith

The Pulitzer Prize has been accused of “desecrating the memory” of Oct 7 victims after awarding a journalist who suggested Israelis could not be hostages. Mosab Abu Toha, a Palestinian poet, was recognised by the Pulitzer committee for his “essays on the physical and emotional carnage in Gaza”. However, Honest Reporting, a watchdog that monitors for anti-Israel bias, found Mr Toha had posted a string of social media posts in which he disparaged Israeli hostages.