🕊🇻🇦⚡️- With the passing of Pope Francis, the College of Cardinals prepares for conclave. Here are the leading contenders:

Cardinal Pietro Parolin 🇮🇹
🔹 70 years old
🔹 Vatican Secretary of State
🔹 Diplomatic heavyweight, deeply entrenched in Curia politics. Seen as a continuity candidate with strong Vatican experience

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle 🇵🇭
🔹 67 years old
🔹 Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization
🔹 A favorite among progressives, could become the first Asian Pope

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi 🇮🇹
🔹 69 years old
🔹 Archbishop of Bologna & President of Italian Bishops
🔹 Known as the “Italian Francis.” Pushes for social justice, peace efforts, and pastoral outreach

Cardinal Robert Sarah 🇬🇳
🔹 79 years old
🔹 Former Prefect of Divine Worship
🔹 Intellectual, traditionalist, popular among conservative factions

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa 🇮🇹
🔹 59 years old
🔹 Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
🔹 Lots of experience with interfaith dialogue in the Middle East, gaining traction as a dark horse candidate

🗳 The conclave date is expected to be announced within days. Stay tuned for live updates.

🇵🇸🇻🇦⚡️- The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) says it mourns the death of Pope Francis.

🇺🇸🇻🇦⚡️- The White House has released an official statement on the death of Pope Francis.

🇻🇦⚡️- The Vatican announces that Pope Francis will be buried at 6:00PM GMT.

🇵🇸🇻🇦⚡️- President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, in a statement:

"With great sadness, we mourn the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis — a faithful friend of the Palestinian people, a man of peace and conscience who stood by justice and human dignity."

"He supported the rights of our people, recognized the State of Palestine, and allowed our flag to fly at the Vatican. He prayed with us in Bethlehem, at the wall that divides us, and called for a just peace in our land."

"We will never forget his solidarity, his humanity, and his unwavering support for the oppressed."

Netanyahu is yet to comment on the death of the Holy Father.

🇺🇸⚡️- National Public Radio (NPR) is reporting that the White House has begun looking for a new Secretary of Defense to replace Pete Hegseth, in light of the recent allegations that Secretary Hegseth shared top secret information with family members from the Signal group chat.

🇺🇸⚡️- White House has already come out and strongly denied this story, however as with the Trade War the White House is not immune from changing its mind within a 24 hour timespan.

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇱⚡️- US CENTCOM Commander Michael Kurilla will travel to Israel in the next 2 days.

🇮🇷🇮🇱⚡️- "The Israeli Air Force has trained today for the possibility of Israeli military bases being subjected to a potential Iranian attack." - Israeli Broadcasting Authority.

🇺🇸🇻🇳⚡️- In a significant shift away from China and toward closer ties with the United States, Vietnam has reportedly secured a landmark deal to acquire at least 24 F-16 multirole fighter jets from the US.

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇱⚡- "If US-Iran talks fail, we’ll have to address the threats Iran poses.

Israel is now preparing for a possible strike on Iran, with Tel Aviv bracing for a response from Tehran," - Israeli Channel 11.

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇱⚡️- A group of 8 C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft were tracked flying from Ramstein Air Base in Germany to Nevatim Air Base in Israel, all of which designated as transferring air defense systems originating in Texas (either Fort Bliss or Fort Cavazos.)

🇱🇧🇮🇱⚡- Israeli assassination strike against a vehicle in Baawerta, southern Lebanon.

🇺🇸🇮🇱 - Since April 10th, 25 US C-17 military transport aircrafts have landed at Nevatim Air Base, Israel.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- "Qatar and Egypt have proposed a new plan to Israel for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The new agreement calls for a 5-7 year ceasefire, the release of all Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, a formal end to the war, and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip," - BBC.

🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡- A very unusual and rare morning drone attack on Ukraine, with over 20 Russian UAVs operating over Ukrainian airspace.

🇺🇸🇹🇷🇮🇷⚡- "The US is asking Turkey to remain neutral in the event of a military conflict with Iran and not to interfere with the use of Syrian airspace," - Hurriyet, Turkish media.

🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡- "Trump said he would reveal the contents of his proposed peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war within the next three days," - The New York Post.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡- "Dan Caldwell, a recently ousted Pentagon adviser, says he was fired not for leaks, as the Department of Defense claims, but for opposing a strike on Iran and challenging establishment foreign policy views," - Politico.

🇨🇩🇷🇼⚡- Wazalendo forces continue their counterattack in the Goma direction, eastern DR Congo, capturing the towns of Mihanga, Kitsule and Mukaka from the M23.

More importantly, Wazalendo have captured the large town of Gandjo, which lies on the RP1030 Highway. Fighting ongoing at Bibatama, which is just 4.5km north of the strategic town of Kingi.

Wazalendo are closing in on Goma, with less than 28km until they reach the city outskirts.

🇸🇸⚡- South Sudan's government shuts down the largest opposition outlet, Juba News Daily, all of their social medias have been deleted.