Of Nigeria’s four cardinals, only one is eligible to vote in the upcoming papal conclave: Cardinal Peter Ebere Okpaleke, Bishop of Ekwulobia. At 61, he serves as Nigeria’s lone voice among the global body of papal electors—an appointment that highlights his vital role in both national and international Church affairs. With a Catholic population exceeding 30 million, Nigeria stands as a spiritual powerhouse in Africa. Notably, around 70% of Nigerian…

More than 72 hours after the death of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church has entered the Novemdiales—a traditional nine-day period of mourning. The Pope’s body will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica, giving the faithful an opportunity to pay their final respects and start the process of electing a new pope. The pope Francis funeral, expected between the fourth and sixth day after his passing, will draw dignitaries, religious…

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Istanbul early Wednesday, sending tremors through the metropolis of more than 15 million and sparking fear among residents who fled buildings in panic. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) reported that the quake struck at a shallow depth of six miles beneath the Sea of Marmara, approximately 25 miles southwest of the city. While no casualties or significant damage were immediately reported, the quake…

A massive wildfire tearing through Ocean County has prompted mandatory evacuations for thousands, scorched more than 8,500 acres, and left over 25,000 homes and businesses without power as emergency crews battle the flames. The blaze ignited around 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area, quickly spreading across the Pine Barrens. Officials from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service report that the wildfire is only 10% contained as…

Brazil, which hosts the 2025 United Nations Climate Summit has a main goal of persuading Europe, China and other developing economies to commit to cutting greenhouse gas emissions enough to keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius, three people with knowledge of the country’s plans revealed. Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and U.N Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have scheduled a closed online meeting on Wednesday to talk with…

Britain’s economic growth forecast for 2025 received the sharpest downgrade of any major European economy from the International Monetary Fund on Tuesday as the UK braces for the global fallout from the U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs. The Fund also said British inflation would be higher this year than it had thought in January, and higher than in any other Group of Seven country – showing the economic risks…

The Vatican has confirmed the death of Pope Francis, spiritual leader of over 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide. The beloved pontiff passed away peacefully at Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City on the morning of Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, following several days of deteriorating health. In a statement delivered from the chapel of Domus Sanctae Marthae, where Pope Francis lived, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican Camerlengo,…

Revoked visas, deportations and political uncertainty are forcing Indian students to reconsider studying in the US. At least 1,024 international students at US colleges, universities and university systems have had their visas revoked or their legal status terminated since late March, according to an Associated Press review of university statements and correspondence with school officials. US President Donald Trump’s administration said it should be allowed to deport noncitizens over involvement…

Five members of a single family were killed in a brutal mob attack on the night of Thursday, April 17, in Metembe village, Masimba ward, Kisii county, Kenya. Also, six houses were torched in Kisii over murder claims.The victims—among them the family’s father and mother—were accused by enraged villagers of having a hand in the murder of a middle-aged man whose body was discovered a month ago under mysterious circumstances.…

US President Donald Trump has expressed confidence about reaching a “very good” trade deal with China, even as the US imposed steep tariffs of up to 245 per cent on Chinese imports in response to Beijing’s retaliatory actions. “We’re going to make a deal. I think we’re going to make a very good deal with China,” Trump said, as reported by The Hill on Thursday. He also told reporters he…

The United States is preparing to walk away from its diplomatic efforts to broker a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine unless signs of meaningful progress emerge “within days,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Friday. Speaking at a press conference in Paris following a round of talks with European and Ukrainian leaders, Rubio delivered the Biden administration’s starkest warning yet: “It is not our war. We didn’t…

A deadly shooting on the campus of Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee on Thursday has left two people dead and six others injured, authorities confirmed. The suspect, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, a student at FSU, was apprehended after being shot by police and remains hospitalized. According to law enforcement officials, Ikner is the stepson of a long-serving Leon County sheriff’s deputy and had previously been involved in several youth advisory…