Category: World

VATICAN CITY: 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 that saw him hospitalised for five weeks. Tributes have poured in from around the globe for Francis, a liberal reformer who took over following the resignation of German…

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President Trump is backing Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth even as the Pentagon is rocked by a second leak scandal involving Signal app messages about airstrikes in Yemen, Reuters reported. According to reports, Hegseth discussed strike plans — including sensitive flight schedules — in a private group chat with his wife, brother, and lawyer. Some chat participants are Pentagon-affiliated, but others were not cleared for classified information. The controversy follows a previous incident in which a journalist was mistakenly added to a similar Signal group, sparking outrage over the breach. Trump dismissed the…

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Pope Francis died Monday morning from complications stemming from a stroke that caused coma and irreversible heart failure, the Vatican confirmed in an official statement, AFP reported. The 88-year-old leader of the Catholic Church passed away at 7:35 am in his Santa Marta residence apartment. The Vatican’s death certificate, signed by health director Professor Andrea Arcangeli, cited “cerebral stroke, coma, irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse” as the cause. Francis had faced serious health challenges in recent months, including a five-week hospital stay for double pneumonia. He had nearly died during that time, and the…

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US Vice President JD Vance met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a red carpet welcome in New Delhi on Monday, as India bids for an early trade deal to stave off punishing tariffs. Modi’s office said that there had been “significant progress in the negotiations” with the two countries negotiating the first tranche of a trade deal. New Delhi hopes to secure relief within the 90-day pause on tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump this month. Vance’s office similarly reported “significant progress” in the talks and said…

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WASHINGTON: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth shared details of a March attack on Yemen’s Houthis in a message group that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. The revelations of a second Signal chat raise more questions about Hegseth’s use of an unclassified messaging system to share highly sensitive security details and come at a particularly delicate moment for him, with senior officials ousted from the Pentagon last week as part of an internal leak investigation. In the second chat, Hegseth shared details of…

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US Vice President JD Vance began a four-day visit to India on Monday as New Delhi looks to seal an early trade deal and stave off punishing US tariffs. Vance’s visit comes two months after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with US President Donald Trump at the White House. A red carpet welcome with an honour guard and troupes of folk dancers greeted Vance after he stepped out into the sweltering sunshine of New Delhi, where he is set to meet with Modi. Vance’s tour also includes a…

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In a return to the White House, US President Donald Trump has reignited speculation about the unpredictable nature of his leadership as his first 100 days have been marked by a notable consolidation of presidential power, pushing the boundaries of authority to nearly imperial levels. “I think the second term is just more powerful,” the 78-year-old Republican US president said during a recent event. “They do it — when I say do it, they do it, right?” Driven by lingering sense of grievance from his previous term, which ended in…

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As Canada prepares for next week’s election, the paths of the leading candidates, Liberal Party leader Mark Carney and Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, to the pinnacle of national politics could not be more different. Carney ascended to the role of prime minister just weeks ago after winning a leadership contest to replace former prime minister Justin Trudeau. Notably, the former central banker has never held elected office before. In contrast, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has been a presence in Parliament since 2004, first elected at just 25 years old. Over…

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US President Trump said Sunday that Russia and Ukraine could gain access to substantial economic partnerships with the US if they reach a peace agreement this week. “Hopefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Both will then start to do big business with the United States of America, which is thriving, and make a fortune.” Trump’s statement followed his threat to withdraw US involvement in the peace process if talks fail to move forward. “You’re foolish, you’re fools, you’re horrible people,” he…

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Russia and Ukraine exchanged accusations on Sunday over violations of a 30-hour Easter truce initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, AFP reported. Intended to begin Saturday evening, the ceasefire was meant as a gesture of peace for the religious holiday, but fighting reportedly continued across several regions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of breaking the truce by launching “hundreds of shelling and drone assaults” along the front line. “The Ukrainian army is acting and will continue to act in an absolutely mirror image of Russia,” he stated. Zelensky also reiterated his…

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