For Americans who still think that Donald Trump is an advocate of realism and restraint in foreign policy, the events in Yemen should come as a rude awakening.  Unfortunately, the most prominent indicator enabled the president’s political opponents to evade their own share of the blame for the tragic events in that country.  Revelations that members of Trump’s national security team had conducted a discussion of highly classified information about war plans in Yemen over an insecure system exploded in the news media last month.  One official, apparently National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, had even inadvertently invited Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of the Atlantic, to join the chat.  The resulting “Signalgate” scandal dominated the news cycle for the next two weeks.

The dominant focus of most news stories about the episode was both revealing and depressing.  Critics vehemently denounced the Trump team for an egregious inability to keep the Yemen war plans secret.  Few journalists or members of Congress condemned the participants in the chat for planning an unconstitutional war.  There was no hint that President Trump planned to seek a formal declaration of war as required by the Constitution.  Instead, the principal officials intend to continue the illegal practice of waging presidential wars that has become the norm since the end of World War II.

Indeed, a new phase of the conflict with Yemen was already well underway. Vice President J. D. Vance boasted to the other participants in the chat that U.S. forces had located a “terrorist leader” (i.e. a high-level military official of Yemen’s Houthi rebel government) and would be taking him out.  Indeed, the U.S. launched an air and missile attack on the apartment complex where the official was visiting his girlfriend. The collateral damage included the collapse of the building along with extensive casualties. Notably, very few administration critics bothered to criticize the Trump foreign policy team for such conduct.

Matters have grown worse since that episode.  On April 17, U.S. forces conducted an even larger assault on a civilian port in Yemen.  This time, more than 80 people, mostly civilians, perished.  And once again, there was silence from critics who have denounced the Trump administration for everything from the ill-treatment of immigrants, to harassment of law firms linked to the Democratic Party, to the White House’s efforts to downsize the federal bureaucracy.

Bipartisanship about waging brutal, unconstitutional wars, though, apparently remains thoroughly intact. Given the long history of pro-war views on Yemen in both parties, one should not be especially surprised that there would be no meaningful dissent regarding Washington’s current belligerence toward that country.  When Saudi Arabia first intervened in Yemen’s simmering civil war in 2015, Barack Obama’s administration gave full backing to its ally and the coalition that Riyadh led.  Washington supplied weapons to the Saudi-led forces, shared military intelligence with those forces, and helped to refuel coalition warplanes.  Most of that support continued through both Trump’s first term and Biden’s presidency.

The U.S. meddling helped produce one of the worst tragedies in the perennially troubled Middle East.  In the years that followed during the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations, the people of Yemen suffered from famine, a cholera epidemic, and the chronic infliction of military casualties.  Even when the fighting subsided from time to time, the respites were relatively brief.  Before Trump took office for his second term in 2021, the Biden administration had launched a new wave of attacks on Houthi targets because the Yemini regime condemned Israel for its war crimes in Gaza and harassed Western shipping passing through the Red Sea.

The Trump administration’s decision to reignite full-scale warfare in Yemen is horrifying and immoral.  To do so without a declaration of war is also unconstitutional.  For administration critics to condemn officials for insufficient skill in concealing such illegal and immoral conduct but not to denounce the conduct itself is disgraceful.

Reprinted with permission from Antiwar.com.

Speaking on Thought for the Day this morning on BBC Radio 4, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, expressed sadness at the death of Pope Francis.

The Cardinal said that “the death of Pope Francis takes from us a voice that has been heard in every corner of the world”.

Cardinal Nichol’s full message can be read below. 

“Good morning.

“Today a voice has fallen silent. The death of Pope Francis takes from us a voice has been heard in every corner of the world: a voice of warm encouragement and sharp challenge, expressing both love of God and love of our shared humanity.

“He had a single focus in life: to do the will of God, as it was given to him in the Catholic Church and in honouring the summons to holiness which touches every human heart. Once asked ‘Who is Pope Francis?’ he instantly replied: ‘A sinner’. His discernment was sensitive and profound. He knew that maturity, growing closer to God, comes mostly through our struggle with weaknesses and not by the highway of our own achievements. He taught that our best way of life is one of loving mercy, received and given. For we know the mercy of God outweighs the burden of our faults.

“He gave his voice to share the Word of God. This is why he spoke so directly to countless people.

“He spoke of hope. To millions of young people he said: ‘If you want to be a sign of hope, go and talk to your grandparents.’

“He spoke for those on the margins of society. He said: ‘If you want to know how successful your economy is, go and speak with an unemployed person.’

“He spoke of those imprisoned in slavery and suffering other terrible forms of abuse. He said: ‘These are gaping wounds in the flesh of humanity, wounds in the flesh of Christ himself.’

“This voice, filled with compassion, mercy, and righteous indignation, is now silent, for a more authoritative voice has spoken, that of his heavenly Father, calling him home, to be with his Lord and Master for ever. And he has done so on the day after the great feast of Easter, the solemn proclamation of the victory of Christ over death. Pope Francis died in the light of the brightly burning Pascal candle, the symbol of the risen Christ. In this hope he lived, in this light he has died. Its promise will be fulfilled.

“It is for us to continue this task: to make humanity great: great in strength of service, great in depth of compassion and great in richness of generosity. These are the measures of true greatness.

“May Pope Francis, beloved of so many, rest in peace.”

(Cardinal Vincent Nichols attends a press conference at the Throne Room of the Archbishop’s House in central London on April 21, 2025, following the news of the death of Pope Francis. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)

The post ‘A voice heard in every corner of the world’: Cardinal Nichols’ BBC Radio 4 tribute to Pope Francis first appeared on Catholic Herald.

The post ‘A voice heard in every corner of the world’: Cardinal Nichols’ BBC Radio 4 tribute to Pope Francis appeared first on Catholic Herald.

Beijing has denounced the exercises as destabilizing and warned against provocations over Taiwan

China has vehemently condemned joint US-Philippines military drills that kicked off on Monday, accusing Manila of colluding to undermine regional stability and provoke tensions over Taiwan.

The 2025 Balikatan exercise, which started on April 21 and runs through May 9, involves around 14,000 troops from the US and the Philippines along with contingents from Australia and Japan. Several other countries have sent observers. 

The drills include live-fire training, amphibious landings, aerial surveillance, and a simulated island defense operation near the Luzon Strait, close to Taiwan. Fighter jets, warships and an array of weaponry including a US Marine anti-ship missile system will also be involved in the “full-scale battle scenario,” American and Filipino military officials have said.

At a press conference on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun slammed the exercise, stating that while the international community is facing “the impact of unilateralism, protectionism, bullying, and hegemony… drills like the Balikatan undermine regional peace.

“The Philippines, in collusion with countries outside the region... has undermined regional strategic stability, damaged the region’s economic growth prospects, and openly stood in opposition to regional countries,” the spokesman said.

Guo went on to condemn the use of the Taiwan issue as an excuse to strengthen regional military deployment and provoke tension and confrontation, stressing that the matter is “purely China’s internal affairs.”

“Those who play with fire will get burned,” Guo cautioned.

Taiwan has governed itself since 1949, when nationalist forces retreated to the island after losing China’s civil war. Beijing maintains that Taiwan is part of China and has opposed any form of foreign involvement in the issue. Only a handful of nations currently recognize the island’s sovereignty, and most of the world, including Russia, adheres to Beijing’s One China policy.

While Washington also officially recognizes Taiwan as part of China, it has nevertheless maintained unofficial relations with the government in Taipei and has supplied billions of dollars’ worth of weapons to the self-governing island over the years.

The request is part of the Justice Department’s antitrust case intended to “remedy” the tech giant’s online search monopoly

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has stepped up its antitrust proceedings against Google, focusing on the company’s dominance in the internet search market. The DOJ is advocating for sweeping measures, including mandatory divestiture of the Chrome browser, according to media reports.

The trial, which started on Monday, follows years of investigations, public hearings, and courtroom testimony, all of which led to a landmark judicial ruling in August that Google holds an unlawful monopoly in the search market.

Judge Amit P. Mehta of the US District Court for the District of Columbia is hearing arguments from the government and the company over how to best fix Google’s monopoly and is expected to order measures, referred to as “remedies,” by the end of the summer.

In court filings, the DOJ has contended that Google must face consequences for its allegedly monopolistic behavior. Among the proposed remedies is a court-ordered sale of its widely used Chrome web browser, which plays a critical role in directing users to Google’s search engine.

“This is the time for the court to tell Google and all other monopolists who are out there listening, and they are listening, that there are consequences when you break the antitrust laws,” the New York Times quoted DOJ lawyer David Dahlquist as saying.

The DOJ has also demanded the termination of agreements that grant Google default search engine status on smartphones and other devices, and requested that the company share critical data with competitors to level the playing field in the search market.

The plaintiffs argue that Google, which controls about 90% of the global search market, has maintained its dominance through unlawful agreements that sideline competitors, ultimately harming both consumers and advertisers.

A trial held last year, which centered only on liability, revealed that Google pays Apple over $20 billion annually to ensure its search engine remains the default on Apple’s Safari browser.

Arguing before Judge Mehta on Monday, Google attorney John Schmidtlein dismissed the government’s proposed remedies as “extreme” and “fundamentally flawed.”

“Google won its place in the market fair and square,” Schmidtlein said, according to the Washington Post. He claimed that the government’s proposals “will reward competitors with advantages they never would have earned in a market where Google competed.”

Google has said it is open to easing agreements with Apple and others to give rival search engines better placement on mobile devices. However, it rejects most of the government’s proposals, arguing they would hinder innovation. The company has also pointed to growing competition from emerging AI firms such as OpenAI.

Images of the coffin containing the body of Pope Francis at Casa Santa Marta have been released by the Vatican.

The pictures and video, taken on Easter Monday, and released this morning, show the body of the 88-year-old pontiff, hours after his death, during the rite of the Confirmation of the Death of the Pontiff.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, who will oversee the Holy See until a new pope is elected, can be seen blessing the body of Pope Francis.

The Vatican revealed on Monday evening that Pope Francis died after suffering a stroke followed by heart failure.

Later on Wednesday, the coffin will be moved to St. Peter’s Basilica to lie in state until his funeral on Saturday morning so that the faithful may pay their respects, reports Vatican News.

The Holy See Press Office announced on Tuesday that Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, 26 April 26, at 10 a.m., local time in Rome, in St. Peter’s Square.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside at the Mass, which will be concelebrated by patriarchs, cardinals, archbishops, bishops and priests from across the globe.

The Eucharistic celebration will conclude with the Ultima commendatio and the Valedictio, marking the beginning of the Novemdiales, or nine days of mourning and Masses for the repose of Pope Francis’s soul.

The body of the late pope will then be taken into St. Peter’s Basilica and then to the Basilica of St. Mary Major for entombment.

Cardinal Farrell will preside over the rite of translation on April 23, which will begin at 9 a.m., local time, with a moment of prayer.

The procession will pass through Santa Marta Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs.

The procession will then exit through the Arch of the Bells into St. Peter’s Square and enter the Vatican Basilica through the central door.

At the Altar of the Confession, the Cardinal Camerlengo will preside over the Liturgy of the Word, at the conclusion of which visits to the body of the Roman Catholic pontiff will commence.

Photo: Cardinal Kevin Farrell presides over the rite of certification of death of Pope Francis in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta, Vatican, 22 April 2025. (Vatican Pool/Getty Images.)

The post Vatican releases images of Pope Francis in open coffin first appeared on Catholic Herald.

The post Vatican releases images of Pope Francis in open coffin appeared first on Catholic Herald.

Economic and inflation forecasts have a highly significant impact on treasury bond yields. Therefore, one would suspect that their yields would follow a linear trend as the maturity lengthens on Treasury securities. For example, if current expectations were for high growth and higher than normal inflation but long-term expectations were contrary, one would expect a downward sloping yield curve, i.e., higher yields for shorter maturities and lower yields for longer maturities. One would not expect the economic and inflation forecast for 8 years to differ from the average of 7 and 9-year forecasts.

While economic forecasts impact the shape of the yield curve, there is another key factor. That is liquidity. In other words, instead of yields following a linear or logarithmic trend based on economic and inflation expectations, kinks in the yield curve appear for "off-the-run bonds." These bonds are not recently issued and do not have standard maturities, like two, three, five, ten, and thirty years. Because of liquidity, these bonds will often trade at higher yields than surrounding "on the run bonds." While off-the-run bond liquidity is outstanding for small investors and most investment advisors, large mutual funds and banks need excess liquidity. Thus, they require a premium yield for less liquid off-the-run bonds.

The graph below highlights the kink in 20-year yields. As it shows, the 20-year bond trades about 20- 25 bps above the interpolated yield between 10-year and 30-year bonds. For those, like ourselves, who do not need excess liquidity, the kink is an opportunity to pick up additional yield. Moreover, for those looking at a long hold timeframe, the off-the-run bonds age to become on-the-run bonds, thus allowing investors to monetize the kink.  

What To Watch Today

Earnings

Economy

Market Trading Update

Yesterday, we discussed the market's recent rebound from the lows. Notably, while the markets are still struggling, as expected given the overall pressure on the equity markets from concerns over tariffs, the valuation reversion so far has been entirely a function of the price decline.

Over the weekend, I downloaded the latest earnings estimates for the S&P 500 from S&P Global (the purveyors of the benchmark index), and the findings were quite surprising. As of April 15th, S&P revised its 2026 year-end targets higher to $292/share from $283/share in March. This upward revision comes after the recent tariff announcements, market declines, and falling economic outlooks.

While I don’t necessarily see the logic behind their optimism, it nonetheless applies significant downward pressure on valuations, as the decline in the “P” is being assisted by the rise in the “E.” Currently, trailing GAAP valuations have declined to 22x earnings, which is the median market valuation since 2007. If the market declines further without earnings estimates falling, valuations will become more compelling from an investment perspective.

However, given the impact of tariffs as a tax on the consumer, significantly reduced savings rates, and slowing economic data, we find it challenging to be as optimistic about earnings. All those factors will ultimately impact demand, which is where corporate revenues are derived from. Given the massive deviation of earnings estimates from their long-term exponential growth trend, it is hard not to think that a reversion to the mean is eventually coming.

As we enter the heart of earnings season this week and next, some resolution to the exuberance of earnings estimates should be expected. The good news, however, is that after next week, stock buybacks will return to the market, which will provide some near-term relief from the recent selling pressure.

Stay tuned.

The Shifting Of The Absolute And Relative SV Curves

The SimpleVisor absolute and relative analysis shows that the market sectors and factors are returning to fair value after being very oversold. For instance, last week's analysis showed that the transportation and technology sectors were very oversold with relative scores of -65 and -53, respectively. Its absolute scores were similarly oversold at -60 and -74. As shown below, they remain oversold but at more moderate relative scores of -30 (technology) and -28 (transportation). Their respective absolute scores are also heading back toward fair value. Such moderation is healthy and natural.

The second graphic compares the factor scores from yesterday to two weeks ago. Two weeks ago, the factors were scattered across the relative score (Y-axis) and pinned to the left side of the absolute score (X-axis). In other words, almost everything was oversold, but some factors were over- or underperforming the S&P 500. Since then, the absolute scores have shifted to the right, and more factors are overbought compared to the S&P 500.

The Death Cross And Market Bottoms

In financial markets, few technical patterns generate as much attention and anxiety as the death cross. This ominous-sounding term refers to a crossover on a price chart when a short-term moving average, most commonly the 50-day moving average (50-DMA), drops below a long-term moving average, usually the 200-day moving average (200-DMA). The “death cross” is a fantastic headline for the media to generate clicks and views. However, for investors, the “death cross” signals a market correction and suggests a more cautious investing approach. But there are a few questions we must answer.

1. What does the death cross mean?
2. How reliable is it as an indicator?
3. And how should investors respond when they see it?

Let’s answer those questions by exploring the death cross’s history, data, and interpretations, and explaining why context matters more than the signal itself.

READ MORE...

Tweet of the Day

“Want to achieve better long-term success in managing your portfolio? Here are our 15-trading rules for managing market risks.”

Please subscribe to the daily commentary to receive these updates every morning before the opening bell.

If you found this blog useful, please send it to someone else, share it on social media, or contact us to set up a meeting.

The post The Kink In The Yield Curve appeared first on RIA.

“Pope Francis has returned to the House of the Father.” Those sad words, read out by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, a former Bishop of Dallas, shortly after 10 a.m. local time yesterday morning echoed John Paul II’s final utterance in April 2005: “Allow me to depart to the house of the Father”. It is twenty years since the world last saw a pope die in office.

Few Catholics can not have been moved by Francis’s dignified response to suffering and decline over the past few months, which his spiritual testament has now told us he offered “to the Lord, for peace in the world and for fraternity among peoples”. His long hospitalisation occasioned an outpouring of sympathy and concern; he willed himself to be discharged from the Gemelli Hospital to reach the Easter liturgies, and to appear amongst his flock one last time.

Francis’s demise has now set in motion an ancient and well-established series of rites. Farrell, the cardinal camerlengo (the chamberlain), will have verified the pope’s death, removed his fisherman’s ring, and have sealed off his private apartments – the added complexity that would have ensued had the pope died in hospital has been avoided. However, the Church has now entered a period of sede vacante (the time of “the seat being vacant”). Her normal laws and structures of authority are suspended. The world, even as it mourns, now waits expectantly for information about what will follow.

The first phase of activity during the sede vacante focuses on the repose of the papal body. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI lay in state only two years ago; around 200,000 people filed past this venerable priest to pay him their last respects and to pray for his soul. The practice for Francis is likely to be similar, although the numbers coming to Rome to honour his memory may be considerably larger. Eyes will also turn to Buenos Aires, where mass for Francis has already been said, and where further commemorations are likely being planned.

The papal funeral in St Peter’s Square is traditionally presided over by the Dean of the Sacred College (currently the ninety-one-year-old Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re). It should take place between four and six days after the pope’s death. Dignitaries are expected to fly in for it from around the world – including, we have learned, President and Mrs Trump. Hundreds of thousands of ordinary mourners will also make the journey; security will be tight, and the Italian government will hope that everything passes as smoothly as it did in 2005.

There are then nine further days of mourning for the late pope (the novendiales). Historically, these have provided an opportunity to make arrangements for Church governance during the vacancy and the conclave. However, they are also important as a moment of breathing space for the cardinals entrusted with the awesome task of electing a papal successor.

All cardinals, even the non-voting ones over 80, are eligible to take part in the discussions that take place at this time, both during the formal consistories and at their fringes. Many current cardinals will not know each other well – a legacy of Francis’s push to have all Catholic communities represented, no matter how small. The non-curial cardinals in particular will need this time to become acquainted, to sound out each other’s views, and to form judgments about each others’ qualities and vulnerabilities.

The voting cardinals will also likely turn to their non-voting brethren for advice. Many of these elder statesmen will play an important and active part in the proceedings. Their voices, those of experience, will be valued and consulted.

The conclave itself should begin anywhere from fifteen to twenty days after the pope’s death. That said, Benedict XVI’s constitution Normas nonnullas (2013) in fact gives the cardinals unprecedented discretion over its timing: they can move it forwards, but also backwards. 

Recent conclaves have taken place in the Sistine Chapel and it would be a major surprise if this were not the case this time around. The cardinals themselves will stay at the Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis’s former home, for the duration. Electronic communications will be closely monitored, not least for outside interference. Two ballots will likely be held each day: one in the morning and one in the evening. Prayer and contemplation will fill the time in between.

Voting regulations for the conclave have varied considerably over time, but the modern “one cardinal, one vote” procedure has been in place since at the Third Lateran Council of 1179. Pope Alexander III instigated rules then that each cardinal has an equal vote, and that the votes of two-thirds of the cardinals are required to win. The only slight modification in place today is that there is now a “run off” between the leading candidates after thirty deadlocked ballots.

Although the Church currently has fifteen extra voting cardinals above the 120 named by John Paul II’s conclave constitution Universi Dominici gregis (1996) they are all likely to be welcomed in. Whom the cardinals will choose is historically very difficult to predict. Much media commentary in recent months has focused on the Sacred College’s so-called “progressive majority”. Over two-thirds of cardinals are Francis’s picks so it would seem logical that they would be willing and able to elect someone in his image.

Alas, voting for a pope does not work quite like that, not least on account of the influence of the Holy Spirit. Cardinals are a sophisticated electorate who will consider the many facets of a man’s character, not just his most obvious ideological leanings.

Some Catholics will be hoping for another pope from the Global South, others for a man who will be more sympathetic to traditionalism within the Church than Francis sometimes was. Whatever their views, the cardinals themselves will be tight-lipped and respectful – both to Francis and to the process of choosing who will succeed him.

We will only know what has happened once the senior cardinal-deacon intones the famous “habemus papam” from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica. He will then inform the world of the name the new pontiff has chosen, who will to pray with and for the whole Church. “He who enters the conclave a pope leaves it a cardinal,” an old saying goes. We will just have to wait and see, with hearts primed and eyes peeled.

Photo: A mourner holds a portrait of Pope Francis in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 
(Gustavo Garello/AP)

Dr Miles Pattenden is the author of Electing the Pope in Early Modern Italy, 1450-1700 (OUP, 2017).

The post Watching and waiting: customs and ceremonies surrounding death of a pope first appeared on Catholic Herald.

The post Watching and waiting: customs and ceremonies surrounding death of a pope appeared first on Catholic Herald.

Not even months into his new pontificate, Pope Francis declared, to a group of young people in Paraguay, “Go out and make a mess.” A puzzling remark from the Successor of St. Peter. As the years of his papacy went on, we witnessed what he meant. Year after year, he kept his promise. And the Church descended into an unprecedented chaos. Recall St. Augustine’s classic definition of peace: the…

Source

Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller , 77, 

(Germany): 

The former bishop of Regensburg is appreciated for his intelligence, down to earth and above all his abilities as a decorated theologian. Since the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. however, German clergymen in the Vatican have lost their influence altogether.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi , 69, 

(Italy): 

As president of the Italian Bishops' Conference CEI, the Archbishop of Bologna is already automatically one of the favorites at the Pope election. He is the Pope's special envoy for peace in Ukraine.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin , 70, 

(Italy): 

The current Vatican Secretary of State is considered a powerful man in the Vatican and could even lead the conclave.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa , 60, 

(Italy): 

Pizzaballa is valued as a decorated diplomat in the politically tense Middle East, his approach is considered unconventional. He has an open dialogue with Jewish, Islamic and Christian Orthodox religious leaders.

Cardinal Peter Erdö , 72, 

(Hungary): 

Erdö should have the best chances with conservatives who expect a departure from Francis' progressive course. The President of the Council of the European Conference of Bishops is considered to be deeply traditional.

Cardinal Willem Eijk , 71, 

(Netherlands): 

He is not in favor of reforms. In the fall of 2024 he told the media that the world church must learn from the mistakes of the Dutch church, which has failed with its liberal positions.

Cardinal Anders Arborelius , 75, 

(Sweden): 

He is valued as a wise man and enjoys great popularity among both conservatives and progressives.

Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline , 66, 

(France/Algeria): 

Aveline also enjoys recognition outside the ecclesiastical circles as a "man of outstanding intelligence". 

On controversial church topics such as women ordination or celibacy, Aveline remained rather modest in the past, allowing him not to position himself publicly, nor create an opponent.

Cardinal Robert Sarah , 79, 

(Guinea): 

Even after the resignation of Joseph Ratzinger, he was treated as a potential candidate for the papal office. However, his prospects among Pope Francis' followers may have been clouded by the fact that in January he expressed strong criticism of the blessings of homosexual believers.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle , 67, 

(Philippines): 

He is one of the most influential confidants of Pope Francis and is considered one of the most promising non-Italian candidates for his possible successor.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith , 77, 

(Sri Lanka): 

He stands for conservative values. In 2024 he spoke out clearly against two legal initiatives to recognise same-sex marriage in Sri Lanka.

Cardinal Charles Maung Bo , 76, 

(Myanmar): 

Bo is the Archbishop of Yangon and executes significant influence as President of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences. 

In addition, he is vice-president of the NGO "Religions for Peace", which is dedicated to promoting peace through interfaith dialogue.

Especially a Pope from the African continent or the Far East would be a novelty for the Catholic Church.

Source : Focus Online

Ron Johnson suspects “an awful lot” is being covered up about the attacks

Republican US Senator Ron Johnson has suggested that new congressional hearings into the September 11 attacks may be forthcoming, citing unanswered questions surrounding the official narrative and the handling of evidence.

On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger airliners, crashing two into the World Trade Center towers in Manhattan. A third plane struck the Pentagon, while the fourth crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), World Trade Center Building 7 collapsed due to fires ignited by debris from one of the nearby towers.

During an interview with conservative commentator Benny Johnson which was published on Monday, Senator Johnson questioned several aspects of the 9/11 investigation, including the collapse of Building 7.

“I don’t know that you can find structural engineers – other than the ones that have the corrupt investigation inside NIST – that would say that that thing didn’t come down in any other way than a controlled demolition,” he said.

Senator Ron Johnson drops BOMBSHELL:

Tells us that 9/11 Hearings are being planned, Building 7 was potentially a "Controlled Demolition"

“Structural Engineers say that thing didn't come down in any other way than controlled demolition. Molten steel. Destruction of evidence. We… pic.twitter.com/aBQzCakll7

Johnson, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, also criticized the removal and destruction of physical evidence from the site, calling it “totally contrary to any other firefighting investigation procedures.”

“Where’s all the documentation from the NIST investigation? There are a host of questions that I want and I will be asking, quite honestly, now that my eyes have been opened,” he added.

When asked whether the public might see hearings on the issue, Johnson replied, “I think so.” He further suggested that President Donald Trump, “being a New Yorker himself,” might have an interest in reopening the case: “What actually happened in 9/11? What do we know? What is being covered up? My guess is there’s an awful lot being covered up in terms of what the American government knows about 9/11.”

Johnson also said he recently spoke with former Congressman Curt Weldon and plans to “work with him to expose what he’s willing to expose.”

Earlier this month, Weldon urged Trump to appoint “people of impeccable integrity” to lead a commission to “study the facts” surrounding 9/11.

In an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson, Weldon dismissed the label of conspiracy theorist, suggesting that the CIA and the government have long engaged in disinformation. “You know, what gets me is reporters who call people conspiracy theorists. Well, that’s all the agency does! They’re the ones who create the conspiracies,” he said. “They have whole courses for their agents on how to make people look like they’re conspiracy theorists.”

The 9/11 Commission Report, released in 2004, remains the most comprehensive US federal review of the attacks. However, critics have pointed to omissions and the continued classification of key government documents. Johnson also referenced a bipartisan effort with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) in 2023 to obtain unredacted FBI files. “We wanted to get those answers, those documents for the families. Again, we didn’t get squat from the FBI,” he said.

The Holy See has also unveiled the pontiff’s final testament

Pope Francis died from a stroke followed by heart failure, the Vatican has confirmed, outlining the health complications that led to the pontiff’s passing at age 88 on Easter Monday.

The Holy See announced that Francis died at 7:35am on April 21 at his residence in Casa Santa Marta, Vatican City. The official cause of death was listed as “stroke, followed by a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse,” according to Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, Director of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican City State.

“I hereby declare… that the causes of death, to the best of my knowledge and judgment, are as stated above,” Dr. Arcangeli wrote in the official death certificate released on Monday evening.

The Vatican’s statement also noted that the Pope had been suffering from multiple chronic conditions, including bilateral pneumonia, bronchiectasis, arterial hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. Francis had recently been hospitalized for 38 days due to double pneumonia, during which he faced a life-threatening health crisis that reportedly led doctors to consider palliative measures.

Despite his declining health, Pope Francis made a final public appearance on Easter Sunday, April 20, greeting crowds during the Holy Mass at St. Peter’s Square. Although his traditional address was delivered by a member of the clergy, he rose from his wheelchair and waved to the cheering crowd from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, saying: “Dear brothers and sisters, happy Easter.”

“As I sense that the twilight of my earthly life is approaching, and with firm hope in Eternal Life, I wish to express my final wishes regarding my burial place,” the pontiff wrote in his final testament, which was released by the Vatican. “May the Lord grant the deserved reward to those who have wished me well and will continue to pray for me. The suffering that marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and brotherhood among peoples.”

In accordance with his wishes, Francis will be buried in a modest tomb at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, diverging from the traditional papal burial at St. Peter’s Basilica. His spiritual testament specified a simple burial “in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, and bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.”

The Vatican has announced that his body will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica beginning Wednesday, allowing the public to pay their respects. The cardinals are expected to convene on Tuesday to determine the date of the funeral, which traditionally takes place between four and six days after a pope’s death.

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected in March 2013 as the first Jesuit and the first Latin American pope. His 12-year papacy was marked by a focus on humility, social justice, and interfaith dialogue. He was widely known for his advocacy for the poor, environmental stewardship, and efforts to reform the Catholic Church.