International News from Friday, May 9th, 2025

Two men were found guilty on Friday of cutting down Britain's 'Sycamore Gap' tree two years ago, felling the much-loved landmark whose dramatic silhouette had featured in a Hollywood movie in what prosecutors described as a "moronic mission".

Pope Leo XIV on Friday celebrated his first Mass in the Sistine Chapel where he was elected less than 24 hours earlier and prayed that his historic papacy can help the Catholic Church be a beacon illuminating "the dark nights of this world".

Russia marked the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory in World War II on Friday with a parade attended by China's Xi Jinping amid tight security.

A helicopter crash in Sri Lanka has killed six military personnel, an Air Force official said on Friday.

Russia hit eight Ukrainian settlements near a frontline 220 times during ceasefire, governor of the Zaporizhzhia region Ivan Fedorov said on the Telegram messaging platform early on Friday.

India and Pakistan have accused each other of launching drone attacks as conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours continue to intensify.