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Honduras vote count begins - Trump-endorsed Nasry Asfura takes early narrow lead in tight presidential race

Honduras vote count begins - Trump-endorsed Nasry Asfura takes early narrow lead in tight presidential race

"The National Electoral Council (CNE) of Honduras reported Sunday night that National Party candidate Nasry 'Tito' Asfura is ahead in the presidential race, securing roughly 530,000 votes with just over 34 percent of tally sheets counted. According to the CNE, Asfura is narrowly ahead of Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, who has just over 506,000 votes, while ruling-party candidate Rixi Moncada trails in third with about 256,000. "The National Electoral Council thanks the Honduran people for the civism demonstrated in these elections and instructs all vote-receiving boards to remain at their polling centres until the count is transparently completed," said National Electoral Council of Honduras Councilor, Ana Paola Hall. On Friday, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: "If he [Asfura] doesn't win, the United States will not be throwing good money after bad." In this election, Hondurans are electing a new president, three presidential designates, 298 municipal mayors and 128 parliamentary deputies. The electoral results will be updated in the coming hours on the official website of the Preliminary Electoral Results Transmission system (TREP)."

'Pope will see the destruction they caused' - Beirut suburb residents greet pontiff amid ruins of Hezbollah-Israel conflict

'Pope will see the destruction they caused' - Beirut suburb residents greet pontiff amid ruins of Hezbollah-Israel conflict

"Residents of Beirut's southern suburb welcomed the motorcade of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday amid buildings destroyed during last year's conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Footage shows the Pope’s motorcade moving through one of the main streets in the southern suburb as crowds line the roadside waving Lebanese and Vatican flags. Locals gather with banners and portraits, some holding images of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, as they wait for the pontiff to pass. "We are for peace in this country, but not with the Zionists. The Pope will see the destruction they caused here, and therefore our message should be delivered," shared Fatima Qeshqesh, a citizen. Another resident added, "We, as Muslims, came to show the world that we are even here to welcome the Pope in the southern suburb, because this is Lebanon: Muslims and Christians as one. We all want to celebrate this very important day." The Pope's three-day visit to Lebanon includes high-level meetings with government officials, civil society representatives, diplomats, and religious leaders, alongside a commemorative mass at the site of the Beirut port explosion. It marks Pope Leo XIV's first overseas tour since assuming the papacy last May, following the late Pope Francis. The Pope's visit to Lebanon comes amid heightened regional tensions and escalating Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon. It also follows threats from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of potential military action if Lebanese authorities fail to disarm the Hezbollah group. Israel has conducted multiple airstrikes inside Lebanon since a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect on November 27, 2024."