International
About 150,000 people say goodbye to the pope in St. Peter’s Basilica before the funeral
About 150,000 people have passed before Pope Francis’ coffin in the Vatican basilica to say goodbye, in the last three days and until noon this Friday, the eve of his funeral.
The spokesman for the Holy See, Matteo Bruni, confirmed the figure until 12.00 local hours (10.00 GMT).
The passage of the faithful has remained constant in the last few hours, after last night the basilica remained open until 2.30 am (0.30 GMT) and reopened at 5.40 (3.40 GMT).
The Holy See had to change the initial plans of closing the tempo at night so that the thousands of faithful who arrived from all over the world could say goodbye to the pontiff.
The burning chapel of Francis will remain open until 7:00 p.m. local time (17.00 GMT) this afternoon, and then proceed to the ceremony of closing the coffin before its solemn funeral, on Saturday morning.
The Italian Civil Protection has launched an alert on all mobile phones in Rome to warn that the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square will be closed this afternoon to prepare for the funeral.
The warning, also audible, appeared on mobile phones through the IT-alert system, used in emergencies.
“Civil Protection Department – Farewell to Pope Francis. Closing time of St. Peter’s Square from 5:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m.) on April 25. For tours and schedules of the funeral www.protezionecivile.it«, read the message.
The notice could be read on the telephone screens in Italian, English, French and Spanish due to the high number of tourists and faithful who are in the Italian capital and, above all, in the vicinity of the Vatican.
The Italian authorities estimate that around 200,000 faithful will attend the funeral by the pontiff on Saturday, after which the coffin will be transferred in a funeral procession to the basilica of Santa María la Mayor, where Francis expressed his desire to be buried.
A total of 149 cardinals have already arrived in Rome of the total of 252 that make up the cardinal college, although only 133 will enter the conclave to choose a successor for being under 80 years old, a mandatory rule.
The cardinals who will participate in the funeral tomorrow will visit the tomb of the Argentine pope on Sunday.
The funerals also mark the beginning of the ‘Novendial’, the period of nine days of mourning in the Vatican for the death of the pontiff.
As for the conclave, Vatican legislation establishes that it must begin within a maximum period of 20 days after the death of the pope, which occurred on April 21.
That is why the cardinals are expected to be locked up in the Sistine Chapel between May 5, when mourning ends, and the 10th, when the period of 20 days without a pope is fulfilled.
The Sistine Chapel has announced its closure from April 28 to prepare for the conclave.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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