International
The pope’s doctor reveals his last moments of life and that he wanted to “die at home”
The doctor of the Gemelli hospital in Rome Sergio Alfieri, coordinator of the team that attended Pope Francis, told this Thursday the last moments of the pontiff’s life: “I entered his room and his eyes were open. I checked that he had no breathing problems and tried to call him but he did not answer,” he said and explained that he decided not to take him to the hospital because his desire was to “die at home.”
“I didn’t respond to the stimuli, not even to the painful ones. At that moment I realized that I couldn’t do anything else. I was in a coma,” Alfieri explains in statements published in the Italian media.
According to the doctor, “if he had lost consciousness” he would have “had to follow the guidelines of his personal health assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, who was like a son for the Holy Father” and who were those of “no therapeutic cruelty.”
“During his last hospitalization he expressly asked that intubation not be carried out in any case,” which “would have helped him breathe, but it would have been difficult to go back and extubate him, with the lungs infected with a virus,” he explains.
The one who was also his surgeon in two operations explained: “On Monday around 5:30 in the morning I received a call from Strappetti: The Holy Father is very sick we have to go back to the Gemelli. I warned everyone and twenty minutes later I was there in Santa Marta, it seemed difficult to think that an income was necessary.”
“We ran the risk of him dying in the transfer, I explained to him that hospitalization would have been useless. Strappetti knew that the pope wanted to die at home, he always said it when we were in the Gemelli. He died shortly after,” recalls Alfieri.
In another interview, he says that “he never exposed himself to danger.”
“It’s as if, approaching the end, I had decided to do what I had to do. As happened on Easter Sunday, “when he accepted the proposal of his personal health assistant Massimiliano Strappetti to go around the square through the crowd,” he adds.
About the cause of death, Alfieri explains that “it was one of those heart attacks that take you in an hour, maybe an embolus started and a blood vessel in the brain was occluded. Maybe there was a hemorrhage. These are events that can happen to anyone, but the elderly are more at risk, especially if they move little.”
According to the death certificate, signed by the director of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican City State, Andrea Arcangeli, the death occurred at 7:35 local hours (5:35 GMT) on April 21 in his apartment, the Vatican residence Casa Santa Marta, due to a stroke, which resulted in a coma and then a cardiocirculatory arrest.
International
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
International
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of violating a Victory Day truce that was reportedly agreed with mediation from the United States, claiming that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on Russian territory as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian military positions using attack drones and artillery.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces made twelve attempts to advance toward Russian-held positions across several sectors of the front line.
It also alleged that Ukrainian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in Crimea, several border regions, the Caucasus, and other areas including Moscow and Perm in the Ural region.
The Defense Ministry estimated around 8,900 violations of the ceasefire in total, including more than 7,000 drone attacks and over 1,000 strikes involving tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars since the truce came into effect at midnight.
Russia said its forces responded “symmetrically” to what it described as violations by Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied claims that Ukraine attempted to sabotage a military parade in Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“No attempts were made. Everything went well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media.
International
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Talks Progressing, Signals Possible Deal on Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is holding “very good” talks with Iran and stated that there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ve had very good conversations over the last 44 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll reach an agreement,” Trump said during an event held in the Oval Office at the White House.
The president’s remarks came just hours after he announced a temporary suspension of the military operation aimed at escorting vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump explained that the pause in operations is intended to facilitate diplomatic negotiations between both sides and prevent further military escalation in the region.
“We’re in good shape, and right now things are going well. Now we have to achieve what we need to achieve. If we don’t, we’ll have to go much further,” the Republican president warned.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated that if Iran accepts Washington’s proposed conditions, military operations and the naval blockade affecting the Islamic republic would come to an end.
However, he also issued a new warning to the Iranian government, stating that the United States would respond with attacks “of greater intensity” if Tehran rejects the agreement promoted by the White House.
Panama confirms drug contamination of El Salvador coffee shipment occurred on its territory
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
