International

International leaders begin to confirm their presence at Pope Francis’ funeral

International leaders are already beginning to confirm their presence at the funeral for Francisco, which will take place on Saturday, April 26 in St. Peter’s Square.

Since yesterday, Monday, shortly after learning of the death of the 88-year-old pontiff, numerous countries announced mourning measures and sent condolences to the Vatican

Among the earliest when it comes to confirming his trip to Rome is the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who will travel with his wife Melania.

“Rest in peace, Pope Francis! May God bless him and all those who loved him!” the Republican leader wrote.

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to travel to Rome to attend Pope Francis’ funeral, according to sources from the Ukrainian presidency to the country’s public agency, Ukrinform, on Tuesday.

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The Ukrainian president stressed that Francis always prayed for “peace in Ukraine and for the Ukrainians” and highlighted his commitment “to God, to the people and to the Church.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has no plans to attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, whom he praised the day before for his “positive attitude” towards Russia.

“No, the president does not have such plans,” said Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman. Putin, a confessed Orthodox believer who was secretly baptized in Soviet times, met with the pope on three occasions, the last in 2019.

As for who will represent Russia in the funeral pompoms, Peskov assured that there is no final decision and that he will inform about it in due course.

The presidents of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament, Ursula von der Leyen, António Costa and Roberta Metsola, respectively, have already confirmed that they will attend the funeral.

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The presidents of the main institutions of the European Union mourned on Monday the death of Francis, whom they remembered as a guide to move towards “a more just, peaceful and compassionate world,” said Ursula von der Leyen.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, also announced his presence in Rome on the 26th after yesterday, after learning the news of the death, he paid tribute to Francis, of whom he stressed that throughout his pontificate “was on the side of the weakest.”

For their part, King Philip and Queen Matilda of Belgium will attend this Saturday’s religious ceremony after defining the Argentine pontiff as “a great man, close to the most humble and concerned about the problems of the world.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attend the funeral, the official residence of 10 Downing Street reported on Tuesday.

So will the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the acting Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro.

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Other leaders who have confirmed their presence have been the President of Switzerland, Karin Keller-Sutter, and the interim President of Romania, Ilie Bolojan

From other latitudes they have not yet clarified what kind of representation they will have at the funeral, in the case of China, which has not had diplomatic ties with the Holy See since 1951 and which this Tuesday, however, expressed its condolences for the death of the pope and, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said it was willing to “work with the Vatican to promote the continuous improvement” of their bilateral relations.

International

Epstein Denies Being ‘the Devil’ in Newly Released Video Interview

Jeffrey Epstein claims he was the least dangerous type of sex offender and denied being “the devil” in a video interview included in the latest batch of documents released over the weekend by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The roughly two-hour interview was conducted by Steve Bannon, a former adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, and appears to have been recorded at the late financier’s New York residence on an unknown date.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while in jail awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving minors. Since December, the U.S. government has released millions of documents related to the case under transparency laws.

“Do you think you’re the devil incarnate?” Bannon asks Epstein in the video interview revealed in the latest release.

“No, but I do have a good mirror,” Epstein replies with a smile, wearing a black shirt and glasses. When pressed again, he adds, “I don’t know. Why would you say that?”

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Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution, also appears to downplay the seriousness of his conviction.

He objects when Bannon refers to him as a “Level Three sexual predator,” a classification in the United States indicating a very serious threat to public safety.

“No, I’m the lowest,” Epstein says.

“But still an offender,” Bannon responds.

“Yes,” Epstein replies.

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The exchange comes after Bannon asks Epstein whether he considers his wealth to be “dirty,” suggesting it was earned by advising “the worst people in the world.”

Epstein insists that he made his money legally, while acknowledging that “ethics is always a complicated issue.”

He claims he donated money to help eradicate polio in Pakistan and India, apparently in an attempt to justify the origins of his fortune.

The documents also show that Bannon maintained regular correspondence with Epstein, who offered to help the far-right political figure spread his conservative ideology in Europe.

Since Trump took office in January 2025, U.S. authorities have released millions of pages related to Epstein, along with photos and videos.

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These materials have shed new light on Epstein’s ties to high-profile business executives such as Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, celebrities including filmmaker Woody Allen, and academics and political figures, among them Trump and former President Bill Clinton.

International

Hypothermia Linked to Most Deaths During New York’s Recent Cold Spell

Hypothermia “played a role” in 13 of the 16 deaths recorded in New York City during the recent period of extreme cold, Mayor Mandami said at a press conference. Three of the deaths were classified as drug overdoses.

None of the individuals were sleeping on the streets at the time of their deaths, the mayor added, noting that some had previously been in contact with emergency shelter services.

Mandami said the city has activated emergency warming centers and deployed a fleet of 20 vehicles staffed with medical personnel to respond to the cold weather crisis.

“As of this morning, we have made more than 930 referrals to shelters and safe facilities. We have also involuntarily transported 18 New Yorkers who were deemed a danger to themselves or others,” he said.

According to official statistics, New York City recorded between nine and 27 cold-related deaths per year from 2005 to 2021. That number rose to 34 in 2021 and climbed further to 54 in 2022.

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City Comptroller Mark Levine estimated that there are “tens of thousands” of homeless New Yorkers, “most of them families with children.”

He said that “nearly 95%” of the city’s homeless population lives in municipal shelters.

In August 2021, those shelters housed 44,586 people, the “lowest daily population in nearly a decade,” according to official data.

However, the shelter population increased from 22,955 to 62,679 people between January 2000 and January 2020, highlighting the long-term growth of homelessness in the city.

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International

NFL Investigating Emails Linking Giants Executive to Jeffrey Epstein

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Monday that the league will “examine all the facts” regarding contacts between New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch and Jeffrey Epstein, revealed in documents recently released about the late convicted sex offender.

The batch of files, made public on Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice, includes emails suggesting that Epstein introduced several women to Tisch.

Tisch, a film producer who has never been charged in connection with Epstein, issued a statement last week denying any wrongdoing.

“I had a brief relationship in which we exchanged emails about adult women, and we also discussed film, philanthropy, and investments,” Tisch said of his correspondence with Epstein, which dates back to 2013.

“I did not accept any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all now know, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret having associated with,” he added.

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Speaking at a press conference in San Jose, California, on Monday, Goodell said the NFL would carefully review the details of the ties between Tisch and Epstein.

“We’re going to examine all the facts,” the commissioner said. “We’re going to look at the context of those exchanges, try to understand them, and see how that fits within the league’s policies.”

Tisch, 76, could face disciplinary action under the NFL’s strict personal conduct policy, even if he is not found guilty of a crime.

“We’re going to take this step by step. First, let’s gather all the facts,” Goodell said at the press conference, which was part of the events leading up to Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.