Author: By AFP

The 15 cardinals who are among the potential favourites to become the next pope, known as the “papabili.”on April 21, 2025. [AFP] With no official campaigning or list of candidates and the election process shrouded in secrecy, speculation about who will succeed Pope Francis after the conclave beginning this week remains just that — speculation. But here are 15 cardinals who are among the potential favourites to succeed Pope Francis — so-called “papabili” — divided by region. EUROPE Pietro Parolin (Italy), 70, Francis’s number two at the Vatican Parolin was secretary of state — the Vatican’s effective number two –…

Rong Chhun (second right), an advisor of the Nation Power Party, speaks to UN officials near the Phnom Penh municipal court on May 5, 2025. [AFP] A Cambodian court sentenced an outspoken opposition politician to four years in jail for incitement on Monday, he told reporters, barring him from voting and holding office. Nation Power Party adviser Rong Chhun said he was found guilty of incitement to cause serious social unrest — a charge Cambodian authorities frequently deploy against activists. The case was brought against him last year after he met victims of land disputes and commented on Prime Minister…

In the dusty alleys of Nima, a shanty town in the heart of Ghana’s capital, a 17-year-old called Ghost reclines on a faded plastic chair inside a dimly lit internet cafe. Outside, barefoot children chase a punctured football. Inside, Ghost’s fingers dance across the keyboard, his eyes locked on WhatsApp as he engineers a phishing scam that could earn him thousands of cedis in just a few hours. “I made GHC12,000 ($770) last month,” Ghost told AFP, his voice low and calculated, describing an online store he set up on Instagram. “People bought phones and laptops. None of it existed.”…

A tourist guide holds a leaflet displaying pictures of Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI at St Peter’s square in The Vatican, on May 1st, 2025. [AFP] US President Donald Trump posted on Friday a spoof picture of himself dressed as the pope on his Truth Social platform after joking that he would like to be the next Catholic pontiff. The president is seen in what appears to be an AI-generated color image, with his right index finger pointed toward the sky, wearing papal regalia, including white robes, a gold crucifix pendant, and the miter hat. It comes after Trump…

 A firefighter installs the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, with the statue of Saint Paul in the foreground. May 2, 2025. [AFP] Firefighters installed the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel on Friday, which will emit white smoke to signal the election of a new pope as preparations proceed just five days before cardinals gather for the conclave. Some 133 Catholic cardinals will gather below Michelangelo’s famed frescoes in the 15th-century chapel, situated inside the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican, to elect a successor to Pope Francis. Held behind locked doors, the conclave will signal to the world…

An aerial view of the launch of the Hull 096 aluminium catamaran, the world’s largest battery-electric ship. May 2, 2025. [AFP] An Australian boatbuilder launched what it described as the world’s largest electric-powered ship on Friday, a 130-metre (426-feet) behemoth capable of carrying 2,100 passengers. Identified by boatbuilder Incat as Hull 096, the aluminium catamaran is powered by more than 250 tonnes of batteries and was built for South American ferry operator Buquebus. It was designed to carry passengers and up to 225 vehicles across the River Plate between Buenos Aires and Uruguay. “Hull 096 proves that large-scale, low-emission transport…

Lebanese army soldiers deploy at the site of Israeli strikes following evacuation orders, in Beirut’s southern suburb on April 27, 2025. [AFP] Lebanon’s top security body on Friday warned  Hamas against using the country’s territory for acts that undermine national security, after rocket fire towards Israel sparked retaliatory strikes. The Higher Defence Council said it had recommended the government warn Hamas “against using Lebanese territory for any acts that undermine Lebanese national security”. The council, headed by President Joseph Aoun, added that “the utmost measures and necessary procedures will be taken to put a definitive end to any act that…

Argentine Cardinal Angel Sixto Rossi arrives for the seventh congregation meeting at the Vatican, on April 30, 2025. [AFP] A week before the conclave to choose a new pope opens, preparatory talks intensified Wednesday as cardinals sounded out potential candidates — with many hoping the election will be quick. More than 180 “Princes of the Church” met behind closed doors in their seventh meeting since Pope Francis died on April 21, to discuss what they want from the next leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. After discussing issues such as child sex abuse in the Church and the institution’s role…

  Asia’s front-runner for the papacy, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines. [Courtesy] Asia’s front-runner for the papacy, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, is a charismatic moderate often dubbed the “Asian Francis”. Tagle, 67, who shares with Pope Francis a history of advocating for the poor, migrants and other marginalised people, is known for his missionary spirit and pastoral focus. Wearing glasses with a youthful air and ready smile, the cardinal nicknamed “Chito” is a popular figure among the fervently religious country’s more than 90 million Catholics. Born into a working-class family near Manila, Tagle was ordained…

Leaders, members, and supporters from the Canadian labor union Unifor, gather during a “Protect Canadian Jobs Rally” to protest the damaging effects of Trump’s trade war at the Riverfront Festival Plaza in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on April 26, 2025. [AFP] The White House on Tuesday slammed Amazon over reports it would soon tell consumers how much US President Donald Trump’s tariffs have contributed to the price tag on its goods. “This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a briefing in Washington. “Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked…

Members of Amnesty International during a demonstration called by a dozen pro-Palestinian organizations in support of the Palestinian people, in Brussels, on January 26, 2025. [AFP] Amnesty International on Tuesday accused Israel of committing a “live-streamed genocide” by forcibly displacing most Gazans and deliberately creating a humanitarian catastrophe — allegations Israel dismissed as “blatant lies.” The UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, warned Israel’s blockade on aid had become a “silent killer” in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, with children and the sick suffering the most. In its annual report, Amnesty said Israel was acting with “specific intent to destroy…

  White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, accompanied by White House border czar Tom Homan, speaks during the daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on April 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. [AFP] The foreign ministers of Brazil, China, Russia and other BRICS members began two days of talks in Rio de Janeiro Monday aimed at forging a united front to US President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies. The meeting comes at a critical moment for the world economy after the International Monetary Fund slashed growth forecasts over the impact of the US leader’s…

Cardinals during the fifth congregation meeting in the Vatican, on April 28, 2025. [AFP] The announcement of the date for a conclave kicks off a process that could see a successor to Pope Francis elected by the end of next week. John L. Allen Jr, editor of online Catholic newspaper Crux and author of numerous books on the Vatican, offered AFP some insights on Monday into how it will play out. Who appears the favourite so far? “Certainly the early favourite has to be Cardinal Pietro Parolin. He was the secretary of state for 12 years of the Francis papacy,…

Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Live Published Date: 2025-04-28 00:00:00 Author: By AFP Source: The Standard

Faithful attend Pope Francis’ funeral ceremony at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican on April 26, 2025. [AFP] Hundreds of thousands of mourners joined world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, to bid farewell Saturday to Pope Francis, a champion of the poor who strived to forge a more compassionate Catholic church. The Vatican said 400,000 people packed St Peter’s Square and lined the streets of Rome for the funeral of the first Latin American leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. After a solemn funeral, the Argentine pontiff’s plain wooden coffin — a testament to a life of humility…

This photo taken and released on April 26, 2025, by The Vatican Media shows pallbearers carrying the coffin of late Pope Francis at the end of his funeral service, inside Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, the Pope’s final resting place, in Rome. [AFP] Pope Francis was buried inside his favourite Rome church after a funeral mass in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican said on Saturday. Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, was laid to rest during a 30-minute ceremony which started at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in the Italian capital. Footage shared by the…

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) meets with US President Donald Trump (L) on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral . [AFP] Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky met briefly at Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, their aides said, marking their first encounter since a disastrous White House clash as the US president pushes the Ukrainian to make a peace deal with Russia. Trump was rubbing shoulders with dozens of world leaders at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome keen to bend his ear on the tariffs he has unleashed and other subjects. But it was the meeting with Zelensky that drew the…

Pallbearers carry the coffin of late Pope Francis during the funeral ceremony in St Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, on April 26, 2025. [AFP] Tens of thousands of mourners and world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, packed St Peter’s Square on Saturday for the funeral of Pope Francis, the champion of the poor and the Catholic Church’s first Latin American leader. Some waited overnight to get a seat for the ceremony, with police reporting some 150,000 people in the square and surrounding streets even before proceedings began at 10:00 am (0900 GMT). The crowds cheered and applauded as the…

A man walks past All Saints’ Church with portraits of the late Pope Francis placed at the entrance, in Colombo, on April 26, 2025. [AFP] Pope Francis’s funeral will take place on Saturday in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican before he is buried at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome. Here is the official programme of the ceremonies for the late pontiff, who died on Monday aged 88: 5:30 am (0330 GMT) St Peter’s Square opens. 9:30 am (0730 GMT) US President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, arrive in St Peter’s Square. 10:00 am (0800 GMT) The funeral…

This photograph shows a view of the Column of Peace and the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica, the Pope’s last resting place, ahead of late Pope Francis’ funeral, in Rome on April 26, 2025.  [AFP] The Santa Maria Maggiore basilica, which Pope Francis chose as his final resting place, is a fifth-century church located in the centre of Rome that already holds the tombs of seven popes. Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, will be the first pontiff in more than a century not to be entombed in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Francis was very devoted to the…

People crowd on a street in Rome ahead of late Pope Francis’ funeral on April 26, 2025. [AFP] Mourners thronged the Vatican and the streets of Rome on Saturday for the funeral of Pope Francis, champion of the poor and the Catholic Church’s first Latin American leader, which will be attended by world leaders and tens of thousands of faithful. Some of the mourners waited overnight for a place and rushed into St Peter’s Square when the metal barriers were opened at 6:00 am (0400 GMT). The Argentine pontiff, who died on Monday aged 88, sought to steer the centuries-old…

The African peacekeeping mission in Somalia requires an additional 8,000 troops, even as Burundi is expected to withdraw its contingent, a statement from military heads from troop-contributing countries said on Friday. The African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) is tasked with combating the Al-Shabaab Islamist group, whose attacks are stoking fears of a jihadist resurgence in the Horn of Africa nation. But Burundi’s planned pull-out, which diplomatic sources told AFP was triggered by a spat with Mogadishu over the state of its soldiers’ equipment, would deprive the mission of around one-fifth of its current manpower. Envoys from…

Tanzania’s main opposition party said on Thursday at least two of its officials had been arrested on their way to a rally to support leading government opponent Tundu Lissu, who refused to appear at a virtual court hearing to face a charge of treason. Authorities in the east African country have increasingly cracked down on the opposition Chadema party ahead of presidential and parliamentary polls in October. Lissu’s party was disqualified from the forthcoming elections after it refused to sign an electoral code of conduct. Lissu himself could face the death penalty over the treason charge — his most serious…

Visitors and mourners queue along a road leading to St Peter’s Square and the basilica to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis, outside The Vatican in Rome on April 24, 2025. [AFP] The Vatican will make final preparations Friday for Pope Francis’s funeral as the last of the huge crowds of mourners file through St Peter’s Basilica to view his open coffin. Many of the 50 Heads of State and 10 monarchs attending Saturday’s ceremony in St Peter’s Square, including US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, are expected to arrive in Rome on Friday. Italian…

Desperate Ugandans are using poison to kill thousands of migrating white storks and other protected birds because they have so few sources of food. In Ayoreri, a village on the Kenyan border, Sam Chekwoi, 42, said unpredictable rains and droughts have made it increasingly hard to feed his two wives and 11 children. “I used to farm but the sun would destroy my food crops. That is when I decided to start catching those birds to provide food for my children and myself,” he said. He showed AFP how locals hunt their prey. First they catch a mouse and kill…

President Cyril Ramaphosa praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his first visit to South Africa on Thursday for agreeing to an unconditional ceasefire in the war with Russia so that peace talks could begin. Ramaphosa threw South Africa’s weight behind the push for an end to the more than three-year war, holding talks with Zelensky hours after agreeing in a call with US President Donald Trump that the conflict should be ended urgently. “It is a good signal from President Zelensky that Ukraine is agreeable to an unconditional ceasefire so that discussions and negotiations can then ensue,” Ramaphosa told reporters…

Tanzania’s main opposition party said 13 officials had been arrested on their way to a rally to support their leader Tundu Lissu on Thursday as he faced a charge of treason in court. Lissu, who faces a potential death sentence if convicted, refused to take part in the hearing because he could only appear by video link. Authorities in the east African country have increasingly cracked down on the opposition Chadema party ahead of presidential and parliamentary polls in October. Lissu’s party was disqualified from the forthcoming elections after it refused to sign an electoral code of conduct. “Some of…

Women light candles at an altar in honor to the late Pope Francis at San Jose de Flores Basilica in Buenos Aires on April 24, 2025. [AFP] The Vatican said at least 130 foreign delegations had confirmed their attendance at Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, including around 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs. Here is a list of VIP guests whose offices have confirmed they will be in Rome. Americas ARGENTINA: President Javier Milei. BRAZIL: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Janja. HONDURAS: President Xiomara Castro. UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. UNITED STATES: President…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lays a wreath during a ceremony marking the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, in Jerusalem, on April 24, 2025. [AFP] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered condolences on behalf of Israel following the death of Pope Francis. “The State of Israel expresses its deepest condolences to the Catholic Church and the Catholic community worldwide at the passing of Pope Francis. May he rest in peace,” Netanyahu’s office posted on X late Thursday. It was Netanyahu’s first statement since the announcement of the pope’s death on Monday. Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, was…

A portrait of the late Pope Francis at San Jose de Flores Basilica in Buenos Aires on April 24, 2025. [AFP] As Catholics around the world mourn Pope Francis, many Ukrainians will remember him bitterly for failing to blame Russia for its invasion and calling for Ukraine to raise the “white flag”. President Volodymyr Zelensky will be one of the prominent mourners at Saturday’s funeral for Francis, even though the pope never visited Ukraine and critics said he echoed Kremlin talking points by saying the war was “provoked” and portraying it as part of a wider global confrontation. Speaking to AFP,…

Video game giant Ubisoft. (Courtesy/Ubisoft) A privacy campaign group filed a complaint Thursday with authorities in Austria against video game giant Ubisoft, accusing the “Assassin’s Creed” publisher of illegally collecting users’ personal data. The Vienna-based organisation, Noyb — which stands for “none of your business” — said the French games maker forced users to connect to the internet even to play offline, then used their personal data for commercial ends without their consent. “Video games are expensive — but that doesn’t stop companies like Ubisoft from forcing their customers to play offline games online unnecessarily, just so they can make more…

US President Donald Trump announces tariffs on auto imports in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 26, 2025. Trump announced imposition of 25 percent tariffs on all cars and light trucks not built on US soil. “What we’re going to be doing is a 25 percent tariff on all cars that are not made in the United States. If they’re made in the United States, it is absolutely no tariff,” he announced at the White House. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) The road ahead looks treacherous for Nissan after the Japanese auto giant…

This photograph shows the changing room at the Gammarelli tailor shop in Rome, on April 24, 2025. Rome’s Gammarelli tailors traditionally prepare the vestments for the new pope — but say this time the Vatican will use cassocks from previous elections, a gesture which would likely have pleased environmentally-conscious Pope Francis. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP) Rome’s Gammarelli tailors traditionally prepare the vestments for the new pope — but say this time the Vatican will use cassocks from previous elections, in what may be a homage to the environmentally conscious Pope Francis. Once Francis is laid to rest, the…

Tanzania’s main opposition leader Tundu Lissu (C) speaks with his lawyers at the magistrate’s court in Dar es Salaam on April 10, 2025. [AFP] Tanzania’s main opposition party said Thursday at least two of its officials had been arrested on their way to a rally to support leading government opponent Tundu Lissu, who is due in court to face a treason charge. Authorities in the east African country have increasingly cracked down on the opposition Chadema party ahead of presidential and parliamentary polls in October. Lissu could face the death penalty over the treason charge. His party has been disqualified…

In 2010, Ghana’s Cardinal Peter Turkson said he was not ready to become pope — and that the Catholic Church might not be either. “I wouldn’t want to be that first black pope. I think he’ll have a rough time,” he said. Now, after the death of Pope Francis, the West African clergyman’s name is buzzing around the Vatican. Turkson isn’t the only potential African candidate as the Church prepares for a conclave to choose its next leader, and he wouldn’t be the first pontiff from the continent: Pope Victor I, who reigned from 189-199, was from North Africa. But…

  White House staff secretary Will Scharf hands President Donald Trump an executive order to sign in the Oval Office at the White House on April 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. [AFP] President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday ordered the closure of a US agency that invested billions in African and other developing countries’ infrastructure in return for good governance, effectively ceding ground to China. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) will immediately exit projects around the world, from building roads to modernising electricity grids, likely leaving the works under construction unless other partners step in. An MCC executive at a…

Russia launched a missile attack Thursday on Kyiv, killing at least two and wounding dozens hours after US President Donald Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for refusing to accept Moscow’s occupation of Crimea as a peace deal. The Ukrainian capital was attacked “by enemy missiles” in the early hours, with flights of drones heard across the city by AFP journalists as residents hid in bomb shelters. City mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were killed and 54 others wounded so far in the attack. Of these, “38 of them, including six children, were hospitalised ,” he said,…

Russia launched a missile attack Thursday on Kyiv, killing at least two and wounding dozens hours after US President Donald Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for refusing to accept Moscow’s occupation of Crimea as a peace deal. The Ukrainian capital was attacked “by enemy missiles” in the early hours, with flights of drones heard across the city by AFP journalists as residents hid in bomb shelters. City mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were killed and 54 others wounded so far in the attack. Of these, “38 of them, including six children, were hospitalised ,” he said,…

  When former South Korean President Moon Jae-in met with US Vice President Kamala Harris at the Vice President’s Ceremonial Office at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on May 21, 2021 in Washington, DC. [AFP] South Korea’s prosecutors said today they have indicted former president Moon Jae-in on corruption charges related to the employment of his son-in-law at an airline. Moon was “indicted for corruption for receiving 217 million won (USD 150,000) in connection with facilitating the employment of his son-in-law at an airline”, the Jeonju District Prosecutors’ Office said in a statement. The case adds to the political drama…

Local residents wait in a park in Istanbul on April 23, 2025, following an initial quake at 12:49 pm (0949 GMT) followed by three others of with magnitudes of 4.4 to 4.9..[AFP] Local residents wait in a park in Istanbul on April 23, 2025, following an initial quake at 12:49 pm (0949 GMT) followed by three others of with magnitudes of 4.4 to 4.9..[AFP] A 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit the Sea of Marmara near Istanbul on Wednesday, with its impact and that of multiple aftershocks forcing thousands out onto the streets in panic across Turkey’s largest city.   The quake was…

Down a narrow street in Villa 31, the oldest of Buenos Aires’s informal settlements, Father Ignacio “Nacho” Bagattini celebrates mass in a community centre for homeless drug addicts. The legacy of Pope Francis, who famously exhorted young Catholics to “shake things up” by taking the gospel to “favelas, slums and shantytowns,” lives on in the ramshackle neighborhood of 40,000 souls, a stone’s throw from the well-heeled district of Retiro. Francis’s call, issued at the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro shortly after he became pope, struck a deep chord among a group of Argentine clerics dubbed the “curas…

  US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (R) speaks with IIF President and CEO Tim Adams during the Institute of International Finance (IIF) Global Outlook Forum in Washington, DC on April 23, 2025. [AFP] US President Donald Trump on Wednesday played up prospects of a “fair deal” on trade with China, but his top officials offered few details of how Washington might de-escalate its damaging tariff war with Beijing. Trump told reporters his country would have a “fair deal with China,” adding that “everything’s active” when asked if Washington was talking to Beijing. But how soon the tariffs can be lowered…

  US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (R) speaks with IIF President and CEO Tim Adams during the Institute of International Finance (IIF) Global Outlook Forum in Washington, DC on April 23, 2025. [AFP] US President Donald Trump on Wednesday played up prospects of a “fair deal” on trade with China, but his top officials offered few details of how Washington might de-escalate its damaging tariff war with Beijing. Trump told reporters his country would have a “fair deal with China,” adding that “everything’s active” when asked if Washington was talking to Beijing. But how soon the tariffs can be lowered…

This photograph shows Pope Francis’ coffin (bottom) with members of the clergy attending a ceremony inside St Peter’s Basilica following the procession of the late Pope’s coffin from the chapel of Santa Marta to St Peter’s Basilica, in the Vatican on April 23, 2025. [AFP] The date when Catholic cardinals will gather to select Pope Francis’s successor is not yet known. But bookmakers and crypto investors are already scrambling to guess who will be the next pontiff. Just days after Francis died on Monday, speculation on who would succeed him is already “one of the most popular betting markets in…

  Volunteers, including tourists, pick up waste as they take part in a desert cleaning campaign during the Nomads Festival in Mhamid El-Ghizlane in Morocco’s southern Sahara desert on April 12, 2025. [AFP] It may be the gateway to the vast Sahara Desert, but that does not mean it’s free of that modern scourge of the environment, the rubbish humanity discards. In southern Morocco, volunteers are hunting for waste embedded in the sand, and they do not have to look far. Bottles, plastic bags — “there are all kinds”, noted one helper who has joined the initiative cleaning up the…

  Volunteers, including tourists, pick up waste as they take part in a desert cleaning campaign during the Nomads Festival in Mhamid El-Ghizlane in Morocco’s southern Sahara desert on April 12, 2025. [AFP] It may be the gateway to the vast Sahara Desert, but that does not mean it’s free of that modern scourge of the environment, the rubbish humanity discards. In southern Morocco, volunteers are hunting for waste embedded in the sand, and they do not have to look far. Bottles, plastic bags — “there are all kinds”, noted one helper who has joined the initiative cleaning up the…

  Volunteers, including tourists, pick up waste as they take part in a desert cleaning campaign during the Nomads Festival in Mhamid El-Ghizlane in Morocco’s southern Sahara desert on April 12, 2025. [AFP] It may be the gateway to the vast Sahara Desert, but that does not mean it’s free of that modern scourge of the environment, the rubbish humanity discards. In southern Morocco, volunteers are hunting for waste embedded in the sand, and they do not have to look far. Bottles, plastic bags — “there are all kinds”, noted one helper who has joined the initiative cleaning up the…

China’s President Xi Jinping (R) and Kenya’s President William Ruto shake hands during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 24, 2025. [AFP] China and Kenya agreed on Thursday to boost ties to a new level and oppose trade barriers, following talks between President Xi Jinping and his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto in Beijing. Relations between Beijing and Nairobi will be upgraded to a “China-Kenya community with a shared future for the new era”, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported after the two leaders met during Ruto’s state visit. Africa is vital to…

Visitors, pilgrims and the faithful walk next to the coffin as they pay their respects to late Pope Francis inside St Peter’s Basilica in The Vatican, on April 24, 2025. [AFP] Thousands of people gathered Thursday for a glimpse of Pope Francis’s body on the second day of public tributes, after St Peter’s Basilica stayed open almost all night to accomodate the crowds. With waiting times reaching four hours to enter the basilica, some 48,600 people had already filtered past the Catholic leader’s red-lined wooden coffin by Thursday morning, the Vatican announced. The lying in state began on Wednesday and…

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan speaks as Google celebrates the 20th anniversary of first video uploaded to YouTube, in San Bruno, California, on April 23, 2025. [AFP] YouTube on Wednesday celebrated more than 20 billion videos being uploaded to the platform since the first clip debuted two decades ago. The online video-sharing platform has evolved from a dinner party lark into a modern lifestyle staple poised to overtake US cable television in paid viewership. PayPal colleagues Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim conceived YouTube in 2005, reportedly during a dinner party. The domain YouTube.com launched on Valentine’s Day that year.…

  Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni paying her respects to Pope Francis at St Peter’s basilica in The Vatican on April 25, 2025. [AFP] Huge crowds were expected at St Peter’s Basilica today for a glimpse of Pope Francis’s body on the second day of public tributes ahead of the Catholic leader’s weekend burial. Close to 20,000 people filtered past the Argentine’s open, red-lined wooden coffin in the first few hours of the lying in state on Wednesday, the Vatican said. Many more were predicted ahead of Saturday’s funeral. Italy is preparing a massive security operation for the funeral in…

A man displays freshly collected Damascenas (Damask) roses, used to produce rose water and oil, at a farm in Saudi Arabia’s western city of Taif, on April 9, 2025. Every spring, roses bloom in Taif, transforming pockets of the kingdom’s vast desert landscape into fragrant pink patches. And for one month in April, they produce essential oil that is used in perfumes. [AFP] After decades spent pruning thorny bushes and working arduous harvests, Khalaf Allah al-Talhi has perfected the art of capturing the fragrant aroma of the desert rose in a bottle. “I love roses and take care of them…

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Chief Economist Pierre-Olivier and IMF Research Department Deputy Director Petya Brooks in Washington, DC. April 22, 2025. [AFP] Donald Trump’s tariff plans have increased the risks to public finances, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday, warning countries to get their spending plans under control and prepare for “sharper” trade-offs. The US president’s on-again, off-again introduction of levies against top trading partners has sent market volatility soaring and unnerved investors, who are attempting to chart a path through the increased uncertainty. Over the past six months, “global economic prospects have significantly deteriorated, and risks to the economic output…

People attend a special mass for Pope Francis in St. Patrick’s Cathedral on April 22, 2025, in New York City. Pope Francis passed away in the early morning hours of April 21st at the age of 88. [AFP] Tens of thousands of mourners began saying their last goodbyes to Pope Francis at St Peter’s Basilica Wednesday, as the body of the late Argentine pontiff began three days of lying in state. By mid-afternoon, the wait to enter St Peter’s Basilica was about three hours, as the long line of pilgrims and tourists wishing to pass by the pontiff’s open coffin…

Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina and France’s President Emmanuel Macron at the Presidential Palace in Antananarivo on April 23, 2025. [AFP] France and Madagascar announced Wednesday they would strengthen economic cooperation through several ambitious projects, including a major hydroelectric dam, as President Emmanuel Macron kicked off a two-day state visit to the Indian Ocean island. The visit, the first official trip by a French president in 20 years, is intended to strengthen bilateral ties and consolidate France’s presence in the Indian Ocean despite ongoing colonial-era disputes. Macron announced after talks with President Andry Rajoelina that several agreements would be concluded during…

Catholic priests file past a photo of Pope Francis during a mass to pay tribute to the late Pope Francis at St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Cape Town on April 23, 2025. [AFP] Tears mixed with smiles as a dense crowd flocked to the requiem mass for the pope at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Wednesday. “He gave us hope, and we will keep that hope with us forever even in this situation in Palestine”, said Na’ma Tarsha, a retiree from the Mount of Olives in east Jerusalem, a part of the city occupied and annexed by Israel…

Pallbearers carry the coffin of late Pope Francis during the procession of the late Pope’s coffin from the chapel of Santa Marta to St Peter’s Basilica, in The Vatican. [AFP] Tens of thousands of mourners began saying their last goodbyes to Pope Francis at St Peter’s Basilica Wednesday, as the body of the late Argentine pontiff began three days of lying in state. A long line of pilgrims and tourists stretched across the sprawling St Peter’s Square before the doors opened at 11:00 am (0900 GMT), when the public were allowed inside to file past the open coffin. “I came…

 Pope Francis shaking hands with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier during Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI funeral mass at St Peter’s square in the Vatican.[AFP] Many world leaders have announced they will travel to Rome for Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday,  which is expected to draw a huge crowd in the square in front of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Here is a list of the expected VIP guests.  Americas — US President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, will attend. Trump said in a social media post: “We look forward to being there!” — President Javier Milei of Argentina, where…

A screen displaying the Meta logo and the European flag. Picture taken on April 27, 2023. [AFP] The EU on Wednesday slapped Apple and Meta with 700 million euros in fines for breaking digital competition rules, risking the wrath of US President Donald Trump. The penalties threaten to cause more tension in the already fraught relationship between the bloc and Trump, as the two sides discuss a deal to avoid his sweeping tariffs on the EU. The European Commission fined Apple 500 million euros ($570 million) after concluding the company prevented developers from steering customers outside its App Store to access…

The body of Pope Francis is being blessed inside St. Peter’s Basilica on April 23, 2025. [AFP] Pope Francis, who died this week at age 88 of a stroke at the Vatican, will be buried on Saturday. World leaders and worshippers will be present at his funeral before a conclave of cardinals is convened to elect a successor. Here’s what we know about the processes leading up to the election of a new pope.  Lying in state Francis’s body was taken on Wednesday morning to lie in state in St Peter’s Basilica, where mourners were able from 11:00 am (0900…

Pope Francis’s open coffin began its procession to Saint Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, accompanied by dozens of red-robed cardinals and Swiss Guards. To the ringing of St Peter’s bells, the coffin left the Casa Santa Marta, the modest residence where Francis lived and died, on the shoulders of pallbearers and was carried slowly towards the basilica. Eight Swiss Guards carrying staffs walked beside the open wooden coffin as it passed through St Peter’s Square, which was filled with tens of thousands of onlookers. Priests decked out in choir dress and others in cassocks made up the long procession, some with candles…

A photo of late Pope Francis is displayed in a catholic church in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on April 22, 2025.[AFP] Pope Francis’s coffin will be transferred to St Peter’s Basilica Wednesday for three days of lying in state, with scores of Catholics and well-wishers expected to pay their respects to the beloved spiritual leader before he is laid to rest. The body of the Argentine pope, who died on Monday aged 88 after a stroke, will remain there until his funeral on Saturday in the majestic Baroque plaza in front of the basilica. Francis died in the Casa…

The World Health Organisation chief said Tuesday that operations and jobs would be slashed as US funding cuts had left the UN agency with a budget hole of several hundred million dollars. “The sudden drop in income has left us with a large salary gap and no choice but to reduce the scale of our work and workforce,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told member states, according to a transcript of his remarks. The United Nations health agency has been bracing for President Donald Trump’s planned full withdrawal of the United States — by far its largest donor — next January. The…

  An Indian Army personnel stops vehicles for inspection near Pahalgam, south of Srinagar, on April 22, 2025, following an attack. [AFP] At least 26 people were killed Tuesday in Indian-administered Kashmir when gunmen opened fire on tourists, security sources told AFP, in the insurgency-hit region’s deadliest attack on civilians since 2000. Prime Minister Narendra Modi decried the “heinous act” in the summer retreat of Pahalgam, pledging the attackers “will be brought to justice”. The killings come a day after Modi met in New Delhi with US Vice President JD Vance, who is on a four-day tour of India with…

In Silicon Valley, they talk about “moving fast and breaking things.” In Washington, these days, they call it Elon Musk doing his job. The one thing even Musk, the richest human alive, is not allowed to obtain under the US Constitution is the presidency, because he was not born in the United States. But when Donald Trump charged him with downsizing the entire government, Musk scored a good second best. The South African-born 53-year-old’s official title is the non-descript “special government employee.” In reality, he is one of the most powerful individuals in the country. As Trump’s top financial supporter during…

  Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a press conference in Kyiv on April 22, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [AFP] Ukraine is ready to hold direct peace talks with Russia but only after a ceasefire is in place, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday amid new US pressure to end the three-year-old conflict. US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff is to go to Moscow this week, the White House said, and a US envoy was to take part in new talks with European officials in London on Wednesday. US media reports have said US President Donald Trump has proposed accepting…

  US President Donald Trump speaks to the press after signing a proclamation renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America aboard Air Force One, as it flies over the Gulf enroute to New Orleans, Louisiana on Febrary 09, 2025. [AFP] A judge on Tuesday ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to restore funding to Voice of America and other US-funded media, saying its abrupt shutdown of the outlets broke the law. The federal judge in Washington agreed to a request led by the outlets’ employees for a preliminary injunction, a temporary order as a court examines the legal…

  US President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order after delivering remarks on reciprocal tariffs during an event in the Rose Garden entitled “Make America Wealthy Again” at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 2, 2025. [AFP] In his California laboratory, Ralph Keeling examines a graph created from data his father began collecting that keeps a record of the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. After 67 years, the fate of this “major indicator of climate change” is uncertain under President Donald Trump’s administration. The United States “needs this information, there’s no doubt about it,” the…

  US President Donald Trump kisses first lady Melania Trump after being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States in the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, on January 20, 2025. [AFP] First Lady Melania Trump, relatively out of public view during her husband’s first term, has been even more off-grid this time around. In the first 100 days since Donald Trump returned to office, the first lady has appeared at only a handful of public events. It is unclear how many days she has even spent in Washington. Trump’s other family members have similarly been…

Members of the “Guerreros Buscadores” collective pray in an abandoned house used to sell drugs after finding human remains in the Oblatos neighborhood, during a search for their missing relatives in Guadalajara, Jalisco state, Mexico, on April 19, 2025. [AFP] When Rubi Cruz recognised her husband’s belongings among personal items found at a suspected Mexican drug cartel training camp, she feared the worst — that he had become a victim of forced recruitment. The discovery of bones, shoes and clothing at a ranch in the western state of Jalisco has shone a spotlight on the ruthless tactics of violent criminal…

Since his return to the White House, President Donald Trump has turned US foreign policy upside down, sent shock waves through the financial markets and turned the Oval Office into one “happening” after another. [AFP] Since his return to the White House, President Donald Trump has turned US foreign policy upside down, sent shock waves through the financial markets and turned the Oval Office into one “happening” after another. Here are 10 of the key moments in the first 100 days of his second term as president: January 20: a flurry of decrees  Trump signs a record 26 decrees on…

 Philippine Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David touches a portrait of Pope Francis after a mass at the Manila Cathedral in Manila on April 22, 2025. [AFP] Cardinals were meeting Tuesday to set the date for Pope Francis’s funeral, as world leaders from US President Donald Trump to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said they would attend to honour the Catholic leader. The first so-called “general congregation”, called following the death on Monday of Francis, 88, signals the start of a centuries-old tradition that culminates in the election by cardinals of a new pontiff within three weeks. The first images of the Argentine pontiff…

  A photo of the late Pope Francis is displayed at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne in Melbourne on April 22, 2025. [AFP] Pope Francis looked visibly drained when he drove around St Peter’s Square in his popemobile on Easter Sunday, cheered by a rapt crowd in what became his final public appearance. Aged 88 and weakened by five weeks battling double pneumonia in the hospital, some in the Vatican suspect the head of the Catholic Church knew that his strength was abandoning him. Among Catholics gathered outside the Vatican on Monday to pray after the death of Francis was…

  A priest prays near a portrait of late Pope Francis at the Caridad del Cobre church in Havana on April 21, 2025. [AFP] The death of Pope Francis silences arguably the most powerful moral voice on the world stage critical of Donald Trump, with the pontiff taking the lead against the US president’s mass deportations of migrants. When Trump first ran for president in 2016, Francis was unsparing on Trump’s signature promise to build a wall to seal off Mexico, telling reporters, “Anyone, whoever he is, who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian.”…

Bishop of Dallas Kevin Joseph Farrell walks after kneeling before Pope Francis to pledge allegiance and become cardinal, on November 19, 2016 during a consistory at Peter’s basilica. [AFP] With Pope Francis’s death, the immediate running of the Vatican is now in the hands of one cardinal, Dublin-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell. Known as the Camerlengo, and appointed by the pope, it is he who will lead meetings to determine the date of Francis’s funeral, and supervise other organisational tasks, culminating in the Conclave to elect the next pope. On Monday evening, Farrell was due to preside over the rite that…

  US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth looks on as he attends the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 21, 2025, in Washington, DC. [AFP] President Donald Trump stood behind his controversial Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, on Monday despite a new scandal over his reported use of the messaging app Signal to discuss US strikes on Yemen with his wife and others. “He’s doing a great job,” Trump said, dismissing the reports as “just fake news.” US media reported that Hegseth used Signal to talk about the air strikes against Yemen’s Huthi…

Pope Francis in an open coffin during the rite of the Confirmation of the Death of the Pontiff at the Chapel of Santa Marta in the Vatican, on April 21, 2025. [AFP] Vatican City, Holy See Key quotes from Pope Francis’s papacy: – Humility -“Pray for me” – pronounced at the end of every speech, because, he once explained, “I am a sinner too.” His first tweet and first post on Instagram were versions of the mantra. – The poor -“How I would like a poor church for the poor” – setting the tone for his pontificate, three days after his…

Pope Francis in an open coffin during the rite of the Confirmation of the Death of the Pontiff at the Chapel of Santa Marta in the Vatican, on April 21, 2025. [AFP] Vatican City, Holy See Key quotes from Pope Francis’s papacy: – Humility -“Pray for me” – pronounced at the end of every speech, because, he once explained, “I am a sinner too.” His first tweet and first post on Instagram were versions of the mantra. – The poor -“How I would like a poor church for the poor” – setting the tone for his pontificate, three days after his…

  This handout image courtesy of Maxar Technologies released on April 17, 2025, shows smoke billowing and burned buildings in the Zamzam camp near the besieged Darfur city of El-Fasher. [AFP] Paramilitary shelling of Sudan’s besieged city of El-Fasher, in the western region of Darfur, has killed more than 30 civilians and wounded dozens more, activists said on Monday. The attack, which took place on Sunday, involved “heavy artillery shelling” and targeted the city’s residential neighbourhoods, said the local resistance committee, one of hundreds of volunteer groups coordinating aid across Sudan. Since April 2023, the war between the army and…

Candles light in front of a portrait of Pope Francis at the Catholic Church of St. Catherine in Saint Petersburg on April 21, 2025. Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic Church since March 2013, died on Monday aged 88. (Photo by Olga MALTSEVA / AFP) During his 12 years as head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis was a voice for compassion and peace, reformed the Vatican government and took action against clerical child abuse. Here are some of the main achievements of the Argentine pontiff and the opposition he faced — and what he left undone. Battle against sex…

Pope Francis’s funeral set for Saturday, Vatican announces. [AFP] Pope Francis’s funeral will be held on Saturday, the Vatican announced Tuesday, as world leaders from US President Donald Trump to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said they would attend to honour the Catholic leader. The Argentine pontiff, 88, died on Monday from a stroke, less than a month after returning home from five weeks in hospital battling double pneumonia. His funeral, which is expected to draw huge crowds, will take place at 10:00 am (0800 GMT) on Saturday in the square in front of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Francis’s coffin…

  US President Donald Trump takes questions during a briefing about the mid-air crash between American Airlines flight 5342 and a military helicopter in Washington, in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. [AFP] In his second term, Trump has tested the rule of law, a vital and fundamental pillar of American democracy, as never before. At times, he has appeared to push the country to the brink of a constitutional crisis, flirting with open defiance of the judiciary, pushing for the abolition of long-standing rights like birthright citizenship and suggesting…

  Haitian soldiers patrol during a protest against insecurity in Port-au-Prince on April 16, 2025. [AFP] Haiti, where rampant gang violence has surged in recent weeks, is approaching a “point of no return” leading to “total chaos,” the UN special representative to the troubled Caribbean nation warned Monday. “As gang violence continues to spread to new areas of the country, Haitians experience growing levels of vulnerability and increasing scepticism about the ability of the state to respond to their needs,” Maria Isabel Salvador told the UN Security Council. “Haiti could face chaos,” she said, adding that international aid was desperately…

  US President Donald Trump attends the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.  [AFP] For eight decades, the United States has built a global order around its interests and values. In 100 days, Donald Trump has torn it down. The United States remains, by most measures, the world’s most powerful country and Trump has vowed to strengthen it further by aggressively promoting domestic business and ramping up military spending. But the Republican billionaire offers a far more unilateralist vision than any modern US president. Reviving views long…

  US President Donald Trump attends the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.  [AFP] For eight decades, the United States has built a global order around its interests and values. In 100 days, Donald Trump has torn it down. The United States remains, by most measures, the world’s most powerful country and Trump has vowed to strengthen it further by aggressively promoting domestic business and ramping up military spending. But the Republican billionaire offers a far more unilateralist vision than any modern US president. Reviving views long…

  A family prays in front of a grave of a fallen Ukrainian soldier at the Lychakiv Military Cemetery on Easter Sunday in Lviv, on April 20, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [AFP[ Many Ukrainians felt let down by a 30-hour Easter truce announced by Russia, even if some welcomed a brief lull in fighting after more than three years of war. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops Saturday afternoon to “stop all hostilities” for the duration of the religious holiday. While both sides reported a dip in fighting, they accused each other of hundreds of violations…

A man holding a white rose stands at St Peter’s square following the death of Pope Francis in the Vatican on April 21, 2025. Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025 aged 88, a day after making a much hoped-for appearance at Saint Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, the Vatican said in a statement. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP) The death of Pope Francis on Monday sets in motion centuries-old traditions which will culminate in the election by cardinals of a new pontiff — but with a few changes. Here is how the process unfolds: Sede Vacante The Catholic…

  Worshippers pay their respects to the late Pope Francis at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne on April 22, 2025. [AFP] President Donald Trump and his White House predecessor, Joe Biden, led the way in paying respects from the United States to Pope Francis, who died Monday at 88. Trump, who had a sometimes thorny relationship with Francis, said in a social media post Monday that he would travel to Rome with First Lady Melania Trump to attend the funeral. A date for the funeral has not yet been announced, and it was not immediately clear if Trump’s Rome visit…

Pope Francis’s funeral set for Saturday, Vatican announces. [AFP] Pope Francis’s funeral will be held on Saturday, the Vatican announced Tuesday, as world leaders from US President Donald Trump to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said they would attend to honour the Catholic leader. The Argentine pontiff, 88, died on Monday from a stroke, less than a month after returning home from five weeks in hospital battling double pneumonia. His funeral, which is expected to draw huge crowds, will take place at 10:00 am (0800 GMT) on Saturday in the square in front of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Francis’s coffin…

  Aerial view of the obelisk illuminated with the image of late Pope Francis in Buenos Aires on April 21, 2025. [AFP] At the school in Buenos Aires where he started his religious journey at the young age of 5, the nuns remember the boy who would later become Pope Francis as “mischievous.” A boisterous child, he played football with his friends in the courtyard and sprinted up and down the marble stairs. “They say he was rather mischievous,” recounted Teresa Rovira, a teacher at the Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia kindergarten where then-Jorge Bergoglio enrolled in the early 1940s.…

  US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before signing a proclamation renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America aboard Air Force One enroute to New Orleans, Louisiana on Febrary 09, 2025. [AFP] With lawsuits and tirades about “the enemy of the people” Donald Trump has launched a frontal assault on the mainstream media, while empowering conservative bloggers and podcasters to get his radical agenda across. The president has stepped up his long-established hostility towards TV news channels like CNN and newspapers such as The New York Times, but even the respected Associated Press news agency…

  A demonstrator holds a sing in Harvard Square after a rally was held against President Donald Trump’s attacks on Harvard University at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts on April 17, 2025. [AFP] Harvard sued US President Donald Trump’s administration Monday in a sharp escalation of the fight between the prestigious university and the Republican, who has threatened its funding and sought to impose outside political supervision. Trump has sought to bring several prestigious universities to heel over claims they tolerated campus anti-Semitism, threatening their budgets, tax-exempt status and the enrollment of foreign students, but Harvard has refused to bow.…

A general view shows St Peter’s basilica a day after the death of Pope Francis, in The Vatican on April 22, 2025.[AFP] The Vatican, headquarters of the Catholic Church, is the smallest state in the world, with its own newspaper, national anthem in Latin and supreme leader — the pope. Some 900 people live within its ancient walls, from the pontiff himself to red-hatted cardinals, nuns, priests, diplomats, and lay people such as gardeners, cooks and cleaners. At its gates stand Swiss Guards, members of the oldest army in the world — famous for its blue, red and yellow striped…

This photo taken on April 21, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows Pope Francis in his open coffin during the rite of the Confirmation of the Death of the Pontiff at the Chapel of Santa Marta in The Vatican. [AFP] Cardinals will meet Tuesday to decide the date for Pope Francis’s funeral, starting a process that will culminate in the election of a new Catholic leader within three weeks. Francis, the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, died at his home in the Vatican on Monday, aged 88, after suffering a stroke. He had been recovering from double pneumonia…

This photo taken on April 21, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows Pope Francis in his open coffin during the rite of the Confirmation of the Death of the Pontiff at the Chapel of Santa Marta in The Vatican. [AFP] Cardinals will meet Tuesday to decide the date for Pope Francis’s funeral, starting a process that will culminate in the election of a new Catholic leader within three weeks. Francis, the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, died at his home in the Vatican on Monday, aged 88, after suffering a stroke. He had been recovering from double pneumonia…

A general view shows St Peter’s basilica a day after the death of Pope Francis, in The Vatican on April 22, 2025.[AFP] The Vatican, headquarters of the Catholic Church, is the smallest state in the world, with its own newspaper, national anthem in Latin and supreme leader — the pope. Some 900 people live within its ancient walls, from the pontiff himself to red-hatted cardinals, nuns, priests, diplomats, and lay people such as gardeners, cooks and cleaners. At its gates stand Swiss Guards, members of the oldest army in the world — famous for its blue, red and yellow striped…

Bishop of Dallas Kevin Joseph Farrell walks after kneeling before Pope Francis to pledge allegiance and become cardinal, on November 19, 2016 during a consistory at Peter’s basilica. [AFP] With Pope Francis’s death, the immediate running of the Vatican is now in the hands of one cardinal, Dublin-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell. Known as the Camerlengo, and appointed by the pope, it is he who will lead meetings to determine the date of Francis’s funeral, and supervise other organisational tasks, culminating in the Conclave to elect the next pope. On Monday evening, Farrell was due to preside over the rite that…

  Aerial view of the obelisk illuminated with the image of late Pope Francis in Buenos Aires on April 21, 2025. [AFP] At the school in Buenos Aires where he started his religious journey at the young age of 5, the nuns remember the boy who would later become Pope Francis as “mischievous.” A boisterous child, he played football with his friends in the courtyard and sprinted up and down the marble stairs. “They say he was rather mischievous,” recounted Teresa Rovira, a teacher at the Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia kindergarten where then-Jorge Bergoglio enrolled in the early 1940s.…

A damaged building is pictured in Sudan’s Tuti island, nearly deserted after two years of war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF),on April 19, 2025. [AFP] Paramilitary shelling on Sudan’s besieged city of El-Fasher, in the western region of Darfur, killed more than 30 civilians and wounded dozens more, activists said on Monday. The attack, which took place on Sunday, involved “heavy artillery shelling” and targeted the city’s residential neighbourhoods, said the local resistance committee, one of hundreds of volunteer groups coordinating aid across Sudan. Since April 2023, the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support…

  More than a million people have been forced from their homes in South Sudan in more than three months of fighting. [AFP] South Sudanese government forces have retaken the town of Nasir which had been a flashpoint in a deepening political crisis, an army spokesman said on Sunday. Clashes around Nasir in the northeastern Upper Nile State have helped unravel a power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival, Vice-President Riek Machar. The violence has threatened to plunge South Sudan, which became the world’s youngest country after gaining independence in 2011, back into civil war. Kiir’s allies…