WORLD

COMMENT | Gertrude Kamya Othieno | The death of a Pope is no private affair. Over 50 heads of state descended upon Rome, standing beneath Michelangelo’s dome to honour a man whose life mirrored a carpenter from Galilee. Cloaked in diplomacy, spectacle, and centuries of ritual, they gather not just to …

BEIRUT | Xinhua | The Trump administration’s first 100 days in office have pushed the Middle East further into “an arena of deals and more destruction,” a Lebanese expert has said. The administration’s handling of Mideast affairs exposed a foreign policy approach driven by short-term interests, reckless bargaining and a …

Vatican, Rome | VATICAN NEWS | The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, told reporters on Wednesday that 180 Cardinals attended the seventh General Congregation, of whom 124 were Cardinal electors. In the first part of the meeting, the Cardinals discussed the economic and financial situation of …

KAMPALA, UGANDA | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda AIDS Commission has reported a downward trend in new HIV infections, even as the country continues to fall short of key national targets in the fight against the epidemic. Speaking to journalists at the Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday, Dr. Vincent Bagambe, …

UNITED NATIONS | Xinhua | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Tuesday that the two-State solution to the Palestinian question “is near a point of no return.” In remarks to the UN Security Council open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, Guterres said the …

The growing number of cardinals from Africa eligible to vote in the upcoming papal election, along with a rising number of Catholics on the continent, signals promise for those hoping for an African Pope. Here, bird story agency looks at which African cardinal might be chosen. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD …

MOSCOW | Xinhua & TASS |  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced a three-day truce starting from midnight May 8 (2100 GMT May 7). The Kremlin said that Putin had ordered a full cessation of hostilities to mark the 80th anniversary of Russia’s Victory Day, which falls on May …

Vatican, Rome | THE INDEPENDENT & VATICAN NEWS | Pope Francis was buried in the side aisle of the Basilica of St Mary Major, between the Pauline Chapel, where his beloved icon of Our Lady ‘Salus Populi Romani’ is located, and the Sforza Chapel. The Pope is the first in over …

ROME, ITALY | THE INDEPENDENT | Pope Francis has been laid to rest at Santa Maria Maggiore basilica following his funeral in the Vatican City. In a statement, the Vatican says Pope Francis’ coffin has been buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in central Rome. The Pope’s burial …

ROME, ITALY | THE INDEPENDENT | The funeral mass for Pope Francis has ended at St Peter’s Square in Vatican City ahead of his burial. From the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, aged 91 years, Dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over the Solemn Requiem …