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In today’s newsletter: He was an unpredictable leader unafraid to upset traditionalists, but was he really a liberal figure – and will his changes last?Good morning. On Sunday, after a 38-day hospitalisation, Pope Francis greeted crowds in St Peter’s Square and wished them a happy Easter. At 7.35am yesterday, he died at the age of 88, of a stroke and subsequent heart faillure.“He taught...

The tree, believed to be city’s oldest, had already been damaged by the region’s increasingly arid climateAn ancient English oak believed to be Berlin’s oldest tree is suffering the effects of a prolonged dry spell in the German capital, local authorities have said, compounding already significant damage to its once lush canopy and branches.“Dicke Marie” (Fat Marie), as Berliners affectionately call the tree located...

Japanese consumers who used to treat foreign-grown rice with scepticism have been forced to develop a taste for it amid domestic shortageJapan has imported rice from South Korea for the first time in a quarter of a century in an attempt to address soaring prices and growing consumer anger.South Korean rice arrived in Japan last month for the first time since 1999, according to...

Officials and campaigners from around world pay tribute to pontiff who put environment at heart of his papacyLatest updates: Cardinals head to Rome to prepare for funeralHe declared destroying the environment a sin, warned that humanity was turning the glorious creation of God into a “polluted wasteland full of debris, desolation and filth”, and located the cause of the climate crisis in people’s “selfish...

Statement signed by Harvard, Princeton and Brown leaders denounces White House’s ‘undue government intrusion’More than 100 presidents of US colleges and universities have signed a statement denouncing the Trump administration’s “unprecedented government overreach and political interference” with higher education – the strongest sign yet that US educational institutions are forming a unified front against the government’s extraordinary attack on their independence.The statement, published early...

This blog is now closed. You can read our latest story here‘Full-blown meltdown’ at Pentagon after Hegseth’s second Signal chat revealedDonald Trump “stands strongly behind” defense secretary Pete Hegseth, the White House has said, after a Sunday report alleging that he shared sensitive information about planned strikes in Yemen in a private Signal group chat that included his wife and brother.The White House’s press...

University fights back against threats to cut about $9bn in funding for school after it refused to comply with demandsHarvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging it is trying to “gain control of academic decision-making at Harvard”.The university is fighting back against the administration’s threat to review about $9bn in federal funding after Harvard officials refused to comply with a...

From Timor-Leste to PNG and the Philippines, millions of Catholics are marking the death of Pope FrancisLatest updates after death of Pope FrancisThe death of Pope Francis has left millions of people in south-east Asia and the Pacific in deep mourning, as they remember a Catholic leader known for his humility, interfaith commitment and dedication to their region.In tiny Timor-Leste, where more than 95%...

Palestinian activist, held in Louisiana detention facility, only allowed to call in as wife delivered their first childNoor Abdalla, the wife of detained Columbia university graduate and Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, has announced the birth of their son.In a statement released on Monday evening, Abdalla wrote: “I welcomed our son into the world earlier today without Mahmoud by my side. Despite our request for...

Passport, driver’s license and keys also reportedly taken but not clear if theft was random or if Trump ally was targetedA purse belonging to Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security secretary, Kristi Noem, that contained $3,000 in cash, her passport, driver’s license and her apartment keys was stolen while she ate dinner at a restaurant in downtown Washington on Sunday night.The secretary revealed the...

María Isabel Salvador tells security council the country could face ‘total chaos’ without necessary international aidHaiti, where rampant gang violence has surged in recent weeks, is approaching a “point of no return” leading to “total chaos”, the UN special representative to the troubled Caribbean nation has warned.“As gang violence continues to spread to new areas of the country, Haitians experience growing levels of vulnerability...

Nayib Bukele offered to exchange 252 Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador for 252 prisoners in VenezuelaVenezuela’s chief prosecutor has accused El Salvador’s president of being a “tyrannical” human trafficker after Nayib Bukele offered to exchange the 252 Venezuelan migrants deported to his country’s prisons by Donald Trump for the same number of political prisoners in Venezuela.Bukele made the offer on Sunday night in...

US president dismisses criticism of defense secretary sharing information on strikes in Yemen to his familyUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump offered public support for defense secretary Pete Hegseth a day after it emerged that Hegseth had shared information about US strikes in Yemen last month in a second Signal group chat that included family, his personal lawyer and several top Pentagon aides.“He’s...

Worshippers gathered in Rome for the Easter weekend reflect on legacy of pontiff who pushed the limitsBill Nicoletti and his family, from Philadelphia, were among the thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square for Easter Sunday mass when Pope Francis arrived in his open-air popemobile.The vehicle cruised through the square, stopping occasionally for the pontiff to bless babies that were brought towards him, as the...

Jets intended for Chinese airline returned to US, raising fears for planemaker as results nearChina sends back new Boeing jet made more expensive by tariffsInvestors in Boeing are braced to learn the full impact of Donald Trump’s trade war, amid fears the US planemaker could be hit harder than first expected after jets intended for a Chinese airline were returned to the US.A Boeing...

UN, Palestinian Red Crescent and civil defence service condemn lack of accountability after Israeli investigationThe UN’s humanitarian agency, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and Gaza’s civil defence service have rejected the findings of an Israeli military investigation that concluded the killings of 15 Palestinian medics and rescue workers in Rafah last month were caused by “professional failures”.Eight PRCS paramedics, six members of the...

Official claimed Jose Hermosillo, who was visiting Arizona, was ‘without the proper immigration documents’Immigration officials detained a US citizen for nearly 10 days in Arizona, according to court records and press reports.As the NPR affiliate Arizona Public Media, first reported, 19-year-old Jose Hermosillo, a New Mexico resident visiting Arizona, was detained by border patrol agents in Nogales, a city along the Mexico border about...

Footage of apes consuming fermented breadfruit leads researchers to ask if it may shed light on origins of human feastingHumans have gathered to feast and enjoy a tipple together for thousands of years, but research suggests chimpanzees may also bond over a boozy treat.Wild chimpanzees in west Africa have been observed sharing fruit containing alcohol – not in quantities to get roaring drunk but,...

Ronen Bar, head of Israel’s internal security service, says he was also asked to spy on anti-government protestersThe director of Israel’s internal intelligence agency, Shin Bet, has alleged that Benjamin Netanyahu fired him for refusing to pledge his loyalty to the prime minister over the courts and use the agency to spy on anti-government protesters.The battle between Netanyahu and Ronen Bar, the head of...

Four representatives join effort to challenge the Trump administration’s refusal to facilitate the immigrant’s releaseWho is Kilmar Ábrego García, the man wrongly deported to El Salvador?A delegation of four House Democrats has arrived in El Salvador to push for the release of Kilmar Ábrego García, part of a mission to challenge the Trump administration’s refusal to comply with a supreme court order to facilitate...

Island country deals with drought and hurricane damage as it pushes for reparations from countries that benefited from slaveryWhen category 4 Hurricane Beryl hit the Caribbean last June, the three-island nation of Grenada bore the brunt of its wrath. At the time, the country’s prime minister, Dickon Mitchell, described the destruction as “almost Armageddon-like”. On the small island of Carriacou, it was estimated by...

Heat spreads eastwards into the Baltics and western Russia, although colder air will sweep in by the weekendAfter a spell of record-breaking heat last week, eastern Europe and western parts of Russia will experience further unseasonable warmth in the next few days. The burst of mid-spring warmth began during the middle of last week, when temperatures climbed to the high 20s celsius in eastern...

Human rights experts voice alarm as refugees expelled by the US, not welcomed by Bhutan and rejected by NepalWhen Narayan Kumar Subedi received a call from his daughter in the United States three weeks ago, he expected to hear news of his two children’s life abroad, perhaps even plans for a long-awaited reunion. Instead, he was told his 36-year-old son Ashish, a Bhutanese refugee...

Incendiary letter by Moscow’s envoy says Australians should be more concerned about US bases on their soil than a Russian base in IndonesiaElection 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastRussian warnings to Australia that “you have no cards” to stop Russian military activity in the Indo-Pacific have been mocked by Anthony Albanese, who has...