International
The protocol for the funeral of Pope Francis, a delicate diplomatic work
The rigid protocol for the funeral of Francis this Saturday, in which more than 130 international delegations, 50 heads of state and 10 monarchs are expected, is a delicate diplomatic work to avoid conflicting situations that will follow the alphabetical order in French when assigning the posts.
The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, confirmed the presence of 130 delegations, but they could be increased during the day and some media speak of up to 170, which will arrive throughout the afternoon.
The delegations will enter through the Vatican walls through the Puerta del Perugino, where they will park the cars to go to St. Peter’s Square and enter through a side access, where they will be received by the prefect of the Pontifical House Leonardo Sapienza, before the staff of the pontifical ceremonial accompanies them to their position.
The international delegations will be placed on the right side of the square while on the left side the cardinals will be.
The Vatican protocol, which has had harsh evidence during the funeral of Benedict XVI or the massive farewell to John Paul II – which had 80 Heads of State or Government – indicates that the front rows are reserved for the heads of State, but with priority for the Italian delegations, the most massive with the presence of the president, Sergio Mattarella, and the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni; and the Argentine, Francisco’s native country, headed by Javier Milei.
The first rows are also dedicated to the Catholic royal houses, so the kings of Spain will be placed in that position along with the rest of the monarchs who have announced their presence: Philip and Matilda of Belgium, Grand Duke Henry and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of Luxembourg, Princes Albert and Charlène of Monaco, and the co-prince of Andorra, Joan Enric Vives, current bishop of Seu de Urgell. Next to them will sit the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, frey John T. Dunlap
Then the non-Catholic kings such as Charles Gustav of Sweden and Queen Silvia, and Prince William of England.
And then there is the complicated diplomatic game of the presidents that follows the French alphabetical order. Donald Trump, along with his wife Melania, will be in the same row as the Frenchman Emmanuel Macron, but very far from the Ukrainian Volodimir Zelensky, who has sponsored a meeting with the US president, but which will be difficult since he intends to return to his country just after the mass.
Among the first positions are also the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, the representatives of the European Union – with the Presidents of the Council, the Commission and the Parliament, Antonio Costa, Ursula von der Leyen and Roberta Metsola.
Among the heads of state closest to the altar, always in the front row, will be the Germans and Austrians, Frank Walter Steinmeier and Alexander van der Bellen, with their Albanian counterparts Bajram Begaj and the Angolan João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenç.
Also the Brazilian president, Lula da Silva, along with the governor general of Canada, Mary Simon, and the heads of state of Cape Verde and Cyprus, José Maria Pereira Neves and Nikos Christodoulides, as well as the president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa.
An enigma will be to know if former US President Joe Biden, who confirmed his presence in Rome yesterday due to his close relationship with Pope Francis, will be included in the delegation, but what is certain is that he will be in the back rows with respect to Trump.
In the third row there will be ministers, other members of the delegations and ambassadors, as will be the case of Israel’s representative to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman.
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
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