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Albert II of Monaco (left) escorting Pope Leo XIV to his helicopter upon departure from Monaco Heliport in Monte Carlo, Monaco, Saturday. (AFP) Pope Leo XIV Saturday denounced the widening gap between the haves and have-nots as he visited Monaco, a millionaires’ playground that is the surprise pick for the first western European trip of his papacy.Arriving by helicopter from Rome as the first Pope to visit the principality in nearly half a millenium, Leo was greeted by Monaco’s ruler Prince Albert II and his wife, Princess Charlene, at Monte Carlo’s heliport under radiant sunshine.Just after his arrival at the tiny principality on the French Riviera, the Pope condemned what he termed the widening “chasms between the poor and the rich”, ahead of an afternoon mass before an expected 15,000 people in the Louis II stadium.In an address in French from the balcony of the Prince’s Palace, the first US-born pontiff launched into an address which touched on the themes of social justice and inequality dear to his predecessor, Pope Francis.He denounced “unjust configurations of power, structures of sin that dig chasms between poor and rich, between the privileged and the rejected, between friends and enemy”.And within walking distance of Monaco’s casinos, Leo insisted that wealth should serve “law and justice, especially at a historical moment when displays of force and the logic of omnipotence wound the world and jeopardise peace”, in a clear reference to the growing number of conflicts across the globe.Bells pealed across the principality to mark Leo’s arrival in the microstate nestled on the Mediterranean between France and Italy.Some 5,000 locals gathered outside the palace to hear the Pope speak, many brandishing flags in the red and white of the principality and the yellow and white of the Vatican.After his speech, more than 1,500 young people welcomed Leo to the square in front of the Church of Saint Devota, dedicated to the patron saint of Monaco.But while cheers went up along the Popemobile’s route, the full-scale jubilee hoped for by the authorities did not come to pass.In the tiny city state’s streets billboards showing the pontiff in his church regalia offered a stark contrast to gleaming sports cars and jostling crowds of tourists.”The Pope brings people together,” said Eric Battaglia, a 64-year-old Monegasque artist and musician. “In a world that has been at war for the past few years, it’s a blessing that there are people like him, trying to ensure that people remain human.”Pope Leo was slated to make speeches addressing environmental protection — which is a cause close to Prince Albert’s heart — Monaco’s role in Europe and “the protection of life in all its forms”, according to the Vatican’s press office director, Matteo Bruni.That phrase encompasses opposition to abortion, banned in the principality, and euthanasia, but also serves as condemnation of all conflict, at a time of war in the Middle East which is destabilising the global economy. Related Story…
Russian air attacks across Ukraine early Saturday killed at least four people and damaged critical infrastructure, including a port and a maternity hospital, authorities said, as Russia pressed on with its war against Ukraine.Moscow has been firing drones at Ukraine in nightly barrages during its four-year invasion launched in February 2022, with Kyiv accusing it of attacking residential areas and targeting civilians.In the southern port city of Odesa, two people were killed and at least 13 wounded, said Sergiy Lysak, the head of the city's military administration, adding that one of the hits damaged a maternity hospital.AFP images showed shattered windows, with rubble inside the building and shards of glass strewn across the floor and treatment chairs.’There was no military purpose whatsoever — this was pure terror against ordinary civilian life,’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media about the strikes on Odesa.A port in the Odesa region was also damaged in the shelling, after several hits were recorded on its infrastructure, Ukraine's state ports authority said.Russia launched 273 drones at Ukraine overnight, 252 of which were shot down, the Ukrainian air force said Saturday.In Kryvyi Rig, a man was killed in a morning strike that hit an industrial enterprise, said Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipro regional administration. He said fires erupted at the site.In the central Poltava region, one person was killed after Russian drones hit a residential building and industrial facilities, regional authorities said.State oil firm Naftogaz said the victim was its employee who worked as a process plant operator.’We have suffered a tragic loss. Our colleague, 55-year-old Roman Chmykhun, was killed during one of the attacks,’ Naftogaz said on Telegram, adding: ‘This is the second death of one of our colleagues this week.’It said its facilities in the region were targeted ‘for the third day running’.In Russia's Yaroslavl region, a child was killed in a drone attack, regional governor Mikhail Evraev said on Telegram.Moscow said that a total of 155 Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed in Russia's airspace overnight. Source link
Pakistan will host a quadrilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt on March 29-30 to discuss regional developments and efforts to de-escalate tensions.In a statement on Saturday, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the meeting aims to hold in-depth discussions on a range of regional and international issues, including efforts to reduce tensions in the region.The statement added that the talks will provide an opportunity to strengthen cooperation and coordination across areas of mutual interest, in a manner that supports the strategic, economic and political interests of the participating countries. Source link
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), affiliated with the United Nations, renewed its call today for all parties to exercise restraint and avoid any nuclear accident risks arising from escalation in the Middle East.IAEA’s official X account said that Director General Rafael Grossi called for exercising restraint to prevent any risk of a nuclear incident in the region, noting that no increase in radiation levels has been recorded outside the Shahid Rezaei-Nejad facility for raw uranium production in Iran.Earlier this week, the Israeli occupation targeted one of Iran’s largest steel plants, a power station, civilian nuclear sites, and other infrastructure. Source link
US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said today that the US and Iran could hold talks this week.Witkoff did not provide further details on the potential meeting, but confirmed that Iran had received its 15-point plan, and that Washington was still awaiting Tehran’s response. He also noted that, under any peace plan, Iran would have to hand over its enriched Uranium.It is worth noting that Turkiye, Pakistan, and Egypt have announced their participation in joint mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran to halt the ongoing escalation in the Middle East. Source link
Newly elected lawmakers taking an oath during a swearing-in ceremony at the parliament in Kathmandu Thursday. (AFP) A Nepal commission has recommended the prosecution of ex-prime minister KP Sharma Oli in connection to the deadly September 2025 uprising that toppled his government, according to a leaked report.At least 77 people were killed in the anti-corruption youth uprising on September 8 and 9, which began over a brief social media ban but tapped into longstanding fury over economic hardship.Four-time prime minister and Marxist leader Oli, 74, was defeated in the polls this month by the 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, whose Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won in a landslide after promising to oust an ageing elite, stem corruption and fix the economy.The commission’s recommendations, set out in a report leaked by Nepali media, came ahead of the swearing-in Thursday of newly elected members of parliament.”It was decided to recommend to the Government of Nepal that an investigation, inquiry, and prosecution be carried out against the then executive head, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli,” reads a copy of the report seen by AFP Thursday.At least 19 young people were killed in a crackdown on the first day of protests.No one has been convicted of the killings.Former interior minister Ramesh Lekhak and ex-police chief Chandra Kuber Khapung should also be investigated and prosecuted, according to the recommendations in the report.Lekhak bore “overall responsibility for home administration, security agencies, and maintaining law and order”, the report said, adding that he and Oli “did not appear to have made any effort on the afternoon… to prevent further human casualties”.The report said it was “not established that there was an order to shoot”, but “no effort was made to stop or control the firing and, due to their negligent conduct, even minors lost their lives”.The report said victims in 48 out of 63 completed autopsies died of bullet wounds, and that the majority were struck in their chest or head.The nationwide unrest in September saw the parliament and government offices set ablaze and led to Oli’s ouster.Former chief justice Sushila Karki took on the role of interim prime minister and established a commission to investigate the violence.The commission’s report was submitted this month and protesters have demanded that its findings be released.Commission member Bigyan Raj Sharma told reporters the team had questioned more than 200 people and submitted a 900-page report — with more than 8,000 additional pages of evidence.Karki’s office said on Wednesday evening that she would release the report but the official version was not out yet.The March 5 election returned a new 275-seat lower house of parliament, with the RSP winning a commanding majority of 182.New lawmakers took the oath of office Thursday in a hall within the newly constructed parliament building.The national anthem played as RSP’s president Rabi Lamichhane and soon-to-be prime minister Shah stood next to each other, before the parliamentarians were sworn in.Shah, who kept his trademark dark sunglasses on for the ceremony, has yet to give a formal speech since winning his seat.Shah, popularly known as Balen, is expected to be sworn in as prime minister around midday today. Related Story Source link
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said yesterday that if the energy crisis sparked by the Middle East war dragged on, Germany might have to keep running coal-fired power plants longer than planned.Germany has committed as part of its climate plans to gradually shutting down plants fired by anthracite and lignite and complete the coal phase-out by 2038 at the latest.’If the energy crisis continues and a shortage actually occurs, we may even have to keep existing coal-fired power plants online for longer,’ Merz told a forum in Frankfurt organised by the FAZ newspaper.’We have to supply this country with electricity. I am not prepared to jeopardise the core of our industry just because we have decided on phase-out plans that have become unrealistic.’Europe's biggest economy has for decades pushed an energy transition away from fossil fuels and nuclear energy by building up wind, solar and other clean and renewable energy sources.While the Merz government has pledged to stick to national climate targets, it has prioritised boosting the stagnating economy and scrapped some green energy initiatives.Under Merz, Germany has lobbied for the EU to weaken the phase-out of combustion engine car sales, proposed ending subsidies for rooftop solar panels and reversed a law mandating green heating for buildings.His Economy and Energy Minister, Katherina Reiche, speaking at an oil and gas conference in Houston, Texas this week, called for more ‘flexibility’ in EU plans to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, sparking protests at home and abroad.Yesterday, Merz said he was committed to the further expansion of renewable energies, but said they must be supplemented by new gas-fired power plants.Under ex-chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany moved to shut down nuclear power in the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima disaster.Merz said yesterday the decommissioned reactors would have to stay shut for technical reasons.But he also said that he envisions Germany participating in research on small modular nuclear reactors, and, ultimately, building nuclear fusion reactors. Source link
Ministers pose for a family photo on the second day of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vaux-de-Cernay Abbey in Cernay-la-Ville near Paris, yesterday. (Reuters) G7 allies were yesterday pressing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for clarity on American plans for Iran almost one month into the war in the Middle East, with concern also intensifying over the extent of co-operation between Russia and the Islamic republic.Having skipped the first day of the meeting at the historic monastery turned luxury hotel complex outside Paris, Rubio arrived at the Vaux-de-Cernay Abbey for a full day of talks with counterparts from leading industrialised democracies.German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the international community needed to collaborate even more closely now it was dealing with two wars — including the conflict sparked by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine — in which Russia and Iran were co-operating.”We need to strengthen our unity. Given that Iran and Russia are working together in the closest way, we must stand even closer together,” Wadephul told reporters.He told German radio earlier ahead of the talks that allies needed to know “how the US will proceed” in Iran. Rubio, he said, would “perhaps explain this more precisely”.In contrast to usual protocol, and in a sign of the distance between the US and its allies, there is to be no joint communique at the end of the meeting.Instead, the G7 presidency, which France holds this year, will issue a statement, said a diplomatic source who asked not to be named.The UK’s foreign minister Yvette Cooper urged a “swift resolution to this conflict that restores regional stability”.She echoed concerns over the ongoing de facto blockade by Iran of the key Strait of Hormuz, which has driven up global oil prices and left vessels queueing up to enter the energy bottleneck.”Frankly, Iran cannot be able to just hold the global economy hostage as a result of a Strait which is about international shipping routes and the freedom of navigation,” she said.It is Rubio’s first trip abroad since the US and Israel launched the war with the air strikes on February 28 that killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei.Before leaving for France, Rubio said Thursday that it was in the “interest” of all G7 nations to push for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.Defending the war, he said: “The president is not just doing a favour to the US and to our people. This is for the world.”With Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in attendance, European ministers are keen to emphasise support for Kyiv must not be forgotten over four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion.”Putin is cynically hoping that the escalation in the Middle East will divert our attention from his crimes in Ukraine,” Wadephul said.”This calculation must not succeed,” he said, warning that any compromising on Ukraine’s defence capabilities would “play into Putin’s hands”.Writing on X, in his first comment on the meeting, Rubio said he had reiterated at the G7 “that President Trump is committed to reaching a ceasefire and negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine war as soon as possible”.France is eager to broaden the scope of the elite G7 club — whose origins go back to the first G6 summit held in the nearby Chateau de Rambouillet in 1975 — and which now comprises Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, UK and US.It has invited foreign ministers from key emerging markets Brazil and India, as well as Saudi Arabia and South Korea.The event is leading up to a G7 summit in the French Alpine lakeside resort of Evian in June to be chaired by President Emmanuel Macron.The South African presidency Thursday alleged Washington had urged Paris to disinvite President Cyril Ramaphosa from that summit. But French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Kenya — rather than South Africa — had been invited. “We did not give in to any pressure,” he said. …
* Meloni weighs risky paths to stay in control* New vote law or even early elections now in play* Weak economy and Iran war add to political pressure Giorgia Meloni’s defeat in a justice reform referendum has thrust the Italian leader into the toughest phase of her premiership, with her authority weakened, her reform programme in tatters and no easy way to regain the initiative.The prime minister’s right-wing coalition suffered a resounding loss in the March 22-23 vote, puncturing the aura of political invincibility she has cultivated since taking office in 2022.As the result came in, Meloni made clear she had no plans to resign, but none of her options looks attractive, political analysts say.Governing as if nothing has changed risks leaving her a lame-duck prime minister, with the anaemic economy under growing strain and her closeness to US President Donald Trump seen by pollsters as an increasing liability.Alternatively, she could seek to reshape the electoral law to try to boost her chances of winning the next general election, due in 2027, but would open herself to charges of upending the rules to suit her political interests.A third option could be to gamble on forcing an early ballot this spring before the full impact of the Iran war hits Italy’s already fragile economy, hoping to catch the fragmented centre-left opposition unprepared. “It’s clear that what’s at stake is the end of the legislature. Even the date of the next election is uncertain,” said Nicola Lupo, director of the Centre for Parliamentary Studies at Rome’s Luiss University.OPPOSITION BLOC REMAINS FRAGMENTEDFor all the damage, the referendum did not amount to a blanket rejection of Meloni, with 37% of those who voted “No” telling Youtrend pollsters she should remain in office. “This wasn’t an opposition victory so much as a victory for the judiciary,” said Massimiliano Panarari, a political analyst at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.The centre-left opposition hailed Monday’s result as evidence the political cycle was turning its way, but its two main components, the Democratic Party and 5-Star Movement, remain deeply divided over key issues, including foreign policy. These splits could tempt Meloni to resign shortly and force a snap election, Luiss’ Lupo said, adding that the government had pushed for a swift referendum in March to have the eventual option of holding a pre-summer vote.”Meloni knows the next budget won’t allow for generous spending, so she might say it would be better to go to elections now and not give the opposition time to organise,” he said. While none of her allies are openly suggesting this, some of her partners — including Maurizio Lupi, head of the small “Us Moderates” party — are urging a change to the electoral law to introduce a system based solely on proportional representation.Latest polls show the conservative bloc, including Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, the League and Forza Italia, in the lead, but vulnerable to defeat in a future ballot because of the way seats are distributed under the current system. Studies have suggested a pure PR system could give the ruling coalition a comfortable majority.Although government parties presented a draft bill on this last month, some of Meloni’s allies urged caution after the referendum, saying voters would not approve. “It would be stupid,” Stefano Candiani, a League lawmaker in the lower chamber, told Reuters. “There are so many problems facing Italians, including the Iran war and (high) cost of living, that anyone who wants to tie up parliament with this electoral law is crazy.”TRUMP TIES, WEAK ECONOMY DRAG ON MELONIPollsters confirmed an unexpectedly high turnout in the justice referendum was driven by voters motivated by broader political and economic concerns rather than the technical details of the complex judicial reform. “In the last 10 days, the number of people saying they would vote grew by 10 percentage points. We had never seen such a surge,” said pollster Antonio Noto.The referendum’s timing proved challenging for Meloni, with the US-Israeli war on Iran turning a spotlight on her friendship with Trump and costing her votes, analysts said. “Even if she has tried to put a bit of distance between herself and him in recent days, the shift hasn’t been very noticeable,” said political analyst Panarari.Meloni risks treading water for the next 12 months, with her reform agenda in shreds and little time left to enact meaningful change. “From this day forward, she is a lame duck,” said centrist leader Matteo Renzi, who quit as prime minister in 2016 after losing a referendum on his own constitutional reform agenda.He told La7 news channel that opposition parties would draw strength from Monday’s result, saying the Meloni-backed “Yes” camp had until recently enjoyed a big lead. “If beating Meloni in the referendum wasn’t easy, it will be far easier to beat her on issues like inflation, fuel taxes, the cost of living, and public safety in major cities,” he said. 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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced yesterday the formation of a special task force focused on developing and proposing technical mechanisms designed to address humanitarian needs related to the Strait of Hormuz and facilitate trade in fertilisers and related raw materials. During a press conference, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric explained that the formation of this task force comes amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and serious concerns that disruptions to maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz could have severe repercussions for humanitarian needs and agricultural production globally. He emphasised that, given the evolving conflict in the Middle East and the risks of escalation, any disruptions to maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz threaten to have cascading consequences affecting humanitarian needs and agricultural production in the coming months. He stressed Guterres’ commitment to doing everything possible to reach a comprehensive and lasting settlement to this conflict, adding that “immediate action is essential to mitigate these consequences.” Source link