Graphic News Planner (news) 25/04/2025 18:22:07
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POLITICS: Trump’s first 100 days (Graphic DUE Apr 30, 16:00GMT)
April 23, 2025 -- As Donald Trump reaches, for a second time, the milestone of 100 days in office, he has already issued a record-breaking number of executive orders in an effort to deliver on his campaign promises.
POLITICS: Trump’s first 100 days (Graphic DUE Apr 30, 16:00GMT)
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POLITICS: Trump’s first 100 days (Graphic DUE Apr 30, 16:00GMT)
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ECONOMY: Poll – 80% of Americans fear recession (Graphic)
April 25, 2025 -- A new survey of U.S. citizens highlights the uncertainty sowed at home by President Donald Trump’s controversial tariffs, with many living in fear of rising prices and recession.
A new survey of U.S. citizens highlights the uncertainty sowed at home by President Donald Trump’s controversial tariffs, with many living in fear of rising prices and recession.
According to poll results based on interviews with 1,260 U.S. adults, 76% of respondents think the price of U.S. goods will rise and 80% are concerned the U.S. will enter a recession.
Most Americans (80%) are feeling financial stress, with 45% having to deal with major stress over their personal finances. Notably, Democrats and independents report more financial stress than Republicans.
ECONOMY: Poll – 80% of Americans fear recession (Graphic)
GN46977 Graphic shows results of an AP-NORC poll on the state of the U.S. economy after Trump initiated tariffs on foreign goods.
(107mm by 172mm deep) View graphic
A new survey of U.S. citizens highlights the uncertainty sowed at home by President Donald Trump’s controversial tariffs, with many living in fear of rising prices and recession.
According to poll results based on interviews with 1,260 U.S. adults, 76% of respondents think the price of U.S. goods will rise and 80% are concerned the U.S. will enter a recession.
Most Americans (80%) are feeling financial stress, with 45% having to deal with major stress over their personal finances. Notably, Democrats and independents report more financial stress than Republicans.
ECONOMY: Poll – 80% of Americans fear recession (Graphic)
GN46977 Graphic shows results of an AP-NORC poll on the state of the U.S. economy after Trump initiated tariffs on foreign goods.
(107mm by 172mm deep) View graphic
VE DAY 80: Fall of Nazi Germany WWII (Graphic)
May 8, 2025 -- The 80th anniversary of VE Day, which marks the end of World War II in Europe following the defeat of Nazi Germany, is being commemorated by countries around the world.
VE Day marks the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allied forces on May 8, 1945, bringing an end to the war in Europe. With few veterans of the conflict still around to attend reunions typically held on key anniversaries, the 80th VE Day may have been the final major opportunity to honour them.
The ambassadors of Russia and Belarus will not be invited to the German parliament’s commemorations of the 80th anniversary, over concerns they could “exploit” the event for anti-Ukraine propaganda.
Russian president Vladimir Putin, has frequently drawn on the legacy of the second world war to justify his invasion of Ukraine.
VE DAY 80: Fall of Nazi Germany WWII (Graphic)
GN46978 Graphic shows timeline of the downfall of the Third Reich.
(219mm wide by 274mm deep) View graphic
VE Day marks the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allied forces on May 8, 1945, bringing an end to the war in Europe. With few veterans of the conflict still around to attend reunions typically held on key anniversaries, the 80th VE Day may have been the final major opportunity to honour them.
The ambassadors of Russia and Belarus will not be invited to the German parliament’s commemorations of the 80th anniversary, over concerns they could “exploit” the event for anti-Ukraine propaganda.
Russian president Vladimir Putin, has frequently drawn on the legacy of the second world war to justify his invasion of Ukraine.
VE DAY 80: Fall of Nazi Germany WWII (Graphic)
GN46978 Graphic shows timeline of the downfall of the Third Reich.
(219mm wide by 274mm deep) View graphic
WORLD AGENDA: May 2025 (Graphic)
May 1-31, 2025 -- Events in May include Elon Musk stepping back from DOGE, the election of a new Pope in Rome, elections in Australia and Romania, the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, the Eurovision Song Contest, the reopening of refurbished galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the opening of Universal’s fourth theme park in central Florida.
May 3, Australia: Voters head to the polls in a general election, with surveys showing a tight race between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s ruling centre-left Labor Party and the conservative Liberal-National coalition led by Peter Dutton.
May 4, Romania: The first round of a controversial presidential election takes place, after concerns over Russian interference triggered an annulment of the original vote last November.
May 8, Europe: The 80th anniversary of VE Day – Victory in Europe Day – marking the end of the Second World War on the continent following the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Mid-May, Vatican: Cardinals from around the world convene in Rome for a conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis as the pastoral leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
May 17, Switzerland: The Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest 2025 takes place in St. Jakobshalle, Basel.
May 30, U.S.: Elon Musk scheduled to leave Doge in line with strict 130-day cap on his service as a special government employee. Tesla has seen profits plunge since its CEO joined the federal government.
May 31, U.S.: The Metropolitan Museum of Art reopens its refurbished galleries dedicated to Africa, the Ancient Americas and Oceania after a four-year break. It features over 1,800 works spanning five continents
May 22, U.S.: Universal’s fourth theme park in central Florida, Epic Universe, opens to visitors and includes Harry Potter and Super Nintendo areas.
WORLD AGENDA: May 2025 (Graphic)
GN46974 Graphic shows selected news events in May 2025.
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May 3, Australia: Voters head to the polls in a general election, with surveys showing a tight race between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s ruling centre-left Labor Party and the conservative Liberal-National coalition led by Peter Dutton.
May 4, Romania: The first round of a controversial presidential election takes place, after concerns over Russian interference triggered an annulment of the original vote last November.
May 8, Europe: The 80th anniversary of VE Day – Victory in Europe Day – marking the end of the Second World War on the continent following the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Mid-May, Vatican: Cardinals from around the world convene in Rome for a conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis as the pastoral leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
May 17, Switzerland: The Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest 2025 takes place in St. Jakobshalle, Basel.
May 30, U.S.: Elon Musk scheduled to leave Doge in line with strict 130-day cap on his service as a special government employee. Tesla has seen profits plunge since its CEO joined the federal government.
May 31, U.S.: The Metropolitan Museum of Art reopens its refurbished galleries dedicated to Africa, the Ancient Americas and Oceania after a four-year break. It features over 1,800 works spanning five continents
May 22, U.S.: Universal’s fourth theme park in central Florida, Epic Universe, opens to visitors and includes Harry Potter and Super Nintendo areas.
WORLD AGENDA: May 2025 (Graphic)
GN46974 Graphic shows selected news events in May 2025.
(163mm wide by 187mm deep) View graphic
UKRAINE: U.S. peace proposal (1) (Graphic UPDATED Apr 24)
April 24, 2025 -- President Trump’s “final offer” to end the war in Ukraine proposes a freeze of the frontlines in exchange for terms that critics argue amount to a surrender to Russian interests
The U.S. has been circulating proposals around Europe which include the formal recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, a commitment to permanently bar Ukraine from joining NATO, and the lifting of sanctions imposed following the invasions of 2014 and 2022.
In exchange, the White House is not offering Ukraine any security guarantees.
The U.S. decision to recognise Crimea would be politically contentious in Ukraine and would mark a turning point in U.S. postwar policy, with the White House effectively endorsing a Russian effort to redraw the borders of Europe by force.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed that Ukraine will never formally recognise Russia’s annexation of Crimea – remarks that prompted President Trump to call him “inflammatory”.
UKRAINE: U.S. peace proposal (1) (Graphic UPDATED Apr 24)
GN46976 Graphic shows details of the U.S. peace proposal to end the war in Ukraine
(107mm wide by 160mm deep)
The U.S. has been circulating proposals around Europe which include the formal recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, a commitment to permanently bar Ukraine from joining NATO, and the lifting of sanctions imposed following the invasions of 2014 and 2022.
In exchange, the White House is not offering Ukraine any security guarantees.
The U.S. decision to recognise Crimea would be politically contentious in Ukraine and would mark a turning point in U.S. postwar policy, with the White House effectively endorsing a Russian effort to redraw the borders of Europe by force.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed that Ukraine will never formally recognise Russia’s annexation of Crimea – remarks that prompted President Trump to call him “inflammatory”.
UKRAINE: U.S. peace proposal (1) (Graphic UPDATED Apr 24)
GN46976 Graphic shows details of the U.S. peace proposal to end the war in Ukraine
(107mm wide by 160mm deep)
RELIGION: The final resting place of Pope Francis (Graphic)
April 26, 2025 -- Foregoing the traditional practice of being interred in the Vatican Grottoes beneath St Peter’s, Pope Francis chose to be laid to rest inside the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, in Rome.
In his testament, dated June 29, 2022, Pope Francis asked for his tomb to be located “in the niche of the side nave between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel”, located on the west side of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
The Pope’s funeral takes place on Saturday, April 26.
RELIGION: The final resting place of Pope Francis (Graphic)
GN46972 Graphic shows where Pope Francis will be laid to rest on April 26, 2025.
(107mm by 162mm deep) View graphic
In his testament, dated June 29, 2022, Pope Francis asked for his tomb to be located “in the niche of the side nave between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel”, located on the west side of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
The Pope’s funeral takes place on Saturday, April 26.
RELIGION: The final resting place of Pope Francis (Graphic)
GN46972 Graphic shows where Pope Francis will be laid to rest on April 26, 2025.
(107mm by 162mm deep) View graphic
VATICAN: Electing a new pope (Graphic)
May 5, 2025 -- Following Pope Francis’ death, cardinals are summoned to Rome for a papal conclave—an elaborate and highly secretive ballot process to elect the new spiritual leader for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
Papal conclaves are notoriously difficult to predict because the election process is shrouded in so much secrecy.
Of the 252 members of College of Cardinals, 135 are under age of 80, which makes them eligible to vote.
Voting takes place in the Sistine Chapel, which is thoroughly swept for surveillance devices beforehand, then locked and sealed once the cardinals are inside.
In each voting round, electors write their chosen candidate’s name on a slip of paper and place it into a silver urn, declaring “before God” that they have followed their conscience. The votes are then counted and read aloud, revealing the leading contenders and the extent of their support.
This process continues until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority. After every round, the ballots are burned – black smoke from the chimney signals no decision has been reached, while white smoke announces the election of a new pope.
The secrecy of the conclave was brought to life in the Oscar-nominated film “Conclave”, released last year.
VATICAN: Electing a new pope (Graphic)
GN46966 Graphic shows steps in electing the next pope, isometric view of the Vatican City’s most important buildings, and cutaway of the Sistine Chapel.
(219mm wide by 291mm deep) View graphic
Papal conclaves are notoriously difficult to predict because the election process is shrouded in so much secrecy.
Of the 252 members of College of Cardinals, 135 are under age of 80, which makes them eligible to vote.
Voting takes place in the Sistine Chapel, which is thoroughly swept for surveillance devices beforehand, then locked and sealed once the cardinals are inside.
In each voting round, electors write their chosen candidate’s name on a slip of paper and place it into a silver urn, declaring “before God” that they have followed their conscience. The votes are then counted and read aloud, revealing the leading contenders and the extent of their support.
This process continues until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority. After every round, the ballots are burned – black smoke from the chimney signals no decision has been reached, while white smoke announces the election of a new pope.
The secrecy of the conclave was brought to life in the Oscar-nominated film “Conclave”, released last year.
VATICAN: Electing a new pope (Graphic)
GN46966 Graphic shows steps in electing the next pope, isometric view of the Vatican City’s most important buildings, and cutaway of the Sistine Chapel.
(219mm wide by 291mm deep) View graphic
UNREST: Kashmir terror attack (Graphic)
April 23, 2025 -- Indian security forces in Kashmir are carrying out a major manhunt, a day after gunmen killed 26 tourists in the region’s deadliest attack on civilians since 2000.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cut short a state visit to Saudi Arabia, decried the “heinous act” and pledged that the attackers “will be brought to justice”.
A hospital list verified by police recorded 26 dead – all men, who were killed on Tuesday afternoon when gunmen burst out of forests at a popular tourist spot and raked crowds of visitors with automatic weapons, AFP said.
UNREST: Kashmir terror attack (Graphic)
GN46973 Graphic shows details of attack and areas of control in Kashmir.
(107mm by 130mm deep) View graphic
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cut short a state visit to Saudi Arabia, decried the “heinous act” and pledged that the attackers “will be brought to justice”.
A hospital list verified by police recorded 26 dead – all men, who were killed on Tuesday afternoon when gunmen burst out of forests at a popular tourist spot and raked crowds of visitors with automatic weapons, AFP said.
UNREST: Kashmir terror attack (Graphic)
GN46973 Graphic shows details of attack and areas of control in Kashmir.
(107mm by 130mm deep) View graphic
RELIGION: Possible successors to Pope Francis (Graphic)
April 22, 2025 -- Experts say there is no single frontrunner to be the next Pope, but several names have been cited as indications of which direction the Roman Catholic Church might take.
Guesses about who will be the next Roman Catholic pope often prove inaccurate. Before the selection of Pope Francis in 2013, many bookmakers had not even counted him among the frontrunners.
This time, predictions are further complicated because Francis made many appointments in a relatively short amount of time during his tenure, diversifying the College of Cardinals and making it harder to identify movements and factions within the group, according to the New York Times.
RELIGION: Possible successors to Pope Francis (Graphic)
GN46965 Graphic shows some of the contenders to succeed Pope Francis.
(107mm by 160mm deep) View graphic
Guesses about who will be the next Roman Catholic pope often prove inaccurate. Before the selection of Pope Francis in 2013, many bookmakers had not even counted him among the frontrunners.
This time, predictions are further complicated because Francis made many appointments in a relatively short amount of time during his tenure, diversifying the College of Cardinals and making it harder to identify movements and factions within the group, according to the New York Times.
RELIGION: Possible successors to Pope Francis (Graphic)
GN46965 Graphic shows some of the contenders to succeed Pope Francis.
(107mm by 160mm deep) View graphic
RELIGION: What happens when a pope dies? (1) (Graphic UPDATED Apr 21)
April 21, 2025 -- The passing of a pope sets in motion a series of centuries-old processes, including a nine-day mourning period, an elaborate burial, and the election of a new leader for the Catholic Church.
A papal funeral has traditionally been an elaborate affair, but Pope Francis recently approved plans to make the whole procedure less complex.
Breaking with long-standing tradition, Pope Francis has chosen a simpler path for his burial. Unlike his predecessors, who were laid to rest in three nested coffins, Francis will be buried in a plain wooden coffin lined with zinc.
He has also done away with the custom of placing the Pope’s body on a raised platform, or catafalque, in St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing. Instead, mourners will have the chance to pay their respects while his body lies in an open coffin, without the traditional display.
In another historic departure, Francis will become the first pope in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican. His final resting place will be the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of Rome’s four major papal basilicas and a site deeply significant to him throughout his papacy.
At the end of the process, a new leader of the Catholic church will be selected in a high-stakes election dramatised in the Oscar-nominated thriller “Conclave,” with progressive and conservative cardinals vying for control of an institution with a billion followers globally.
RELIGION: What happens when a pope dies? (1) (Graphic UPDATED Apr 21)
GN46796 Graphic shows process that unfolds after a pope dies and another one is chosen.
(163mm wide by 200mm deep)
A papal funeral has traditionally been an elaborate affair, but Pope Francis recently approved plans to make the whole procedure less complex.
Breaking with long-standing tradition, Pope Francis has chosen a simpler path for his burial. Unlike his predecessors, who were laid to rest in three nested coffins, Francis will be buried in a plain wooden coffin lined with zinc.
He has also done away with the custom of placing the Pope’s body on a raised platform, or catafalque, in St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing. Instead, mourners will have the chance to pay their respects while his body lies in an open coffin, without the traditional display.
In another historic departure, Francis will become the first pope in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican. His final resting place will be the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of Rome’s four major papal basilicas and a site deeply significant to him throughout his papacy.
At the end of the process, a new leader of the Catholic church will be selected in a high-stakes election dramatised in the Oscar-nominated thriller “Conclave,” with progressive and conservative cardinals vying for control of an institution with a billion followers globally.
RELIGION: What happens when a pope dies? (1) (Graphic UPDATED Apr 21)
GN46796 Graphic shows process that unfolds after a pope dies and another one is chosen.
(163mm wide by 200mm deep)
RELIGION: Pope Francis obituary (1) (Graphic UPDATED Apr 21)
April 21, 2025 -- Pope Francis, 88, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died one day after appearing in St. Peter’s Square to wish “Happy Easter” to thousands of worshippers.
Francis’ death comes a day after the pope had made his first prolonged public appearance since being discharged on March 23 from a 38-day hospital stay for pneumonia.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he made history in 2013 as the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years and the first from the Jesuit order.
His leadership ushered in significant reforms, emphasising humility, inclusivity, and social justice.
Among his most notable achievements are the papal encyclical Laudato Si’, which addresses climate change and environmental stewardship; efforts to foster unity among Catholics, non-Catholics and non-Christians; historic apologies to survivors of clergy sexual abuse; and the promotion of women to roles traditionally held by men within the Church.
RELIGION: Pope Francis obituary (1) (Graphic UPDATED Apr 21)
GN46816 Graphic shows life and times of Pope Francis.
(219mm wide by 243mm deep)
Francis’ death comes a day after the pope had made his first prolonged public appearance since being discharged on March 23 from a 38-day hospital stay for pneumonia.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he made history in 2013 as the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years and the first from the Jesuit order.
His leadership ushered in significant reforms, emphasising humility, inclusivity, and social justice.
Among his most notable achievements are the papal encyclical Laudato Si’, which addresses climate change and environmental stewardship; efforts to foster unity among Catholics, non-Catholics and non-Christians; historic apologies to survivors of clergy sexual abuse; and the promotion of women to roles traditionally held by men within the Church.
RELIGION: Pope Francis obituary (1) (Graphic UPDATED Apr 21)
GN46816 Graphic shows life and times of Pope Francis.
(219mm wide by 243mm deep)
SPACE: What is a light-year? (Graphic)
April 17, 2025 -- The new discovery of chemicals in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting a red dwarf star, that may indicate an abundance of aquatic life, is some 124 light years from Earth.
The new discovery of chemicals in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting a red dwarf star, that may indicate an abundance of aquatic life, is some 124 light years from Earth.
A light-year is the distance light travels in one year. Light zips through interstellar space at 300,000 kilometres per second – 9.46 trillion kilometres a year.
Scientists have discovered two chemicals in the atmosphere of K2-18b orbits, a large planet orbiting a red dwarf star in the Leo constellation, that on Earth are only known to be produced by life – dimethyl sulphide and dimethyl disulphide.
SPACE: What is a light-year? (Graphic)
GN46961 Graphic explains the distance light travels within specific periods of time.
(107mm by 145mm deep) View graphic
The new discovery of chemicals in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting a red dwarf star, that may indicate an abundance of aquatic life, is some 124 light years from Earth.
A light-year is the distance light travels in one year. Light zips through interstellar space at 300,000 kilometres per second – 9.46 trillion kilometres a year.
Scientists have discovered two chemicals in the atmosphere of K2-18b orbits, a large planet orbiting a red dwarf star in the Leo constellation, that on Earth are only known to be produced by life – dimethyl sulphide and dimethyl disulphide.
SPACE: What is a light-year? (Graphic)
GN46961 Graphic explains the distance light travels within specific periods of time.
(107mm by 145mm deep) View graphic
POLITICS: Canada goes to the polls (Graphic)
April 28, 2025 -- Canada goes to the polls, with voting spread across six time zones and ballots counted by hand. Booths will all close within three hours of each other to enable a winner to be announced by the following morning.
Results are expected within 30 minutes of the polls closing at 2300GMT in Newfoundland and in British Columbia at 0200GMT. Candidates are standing for 343 constituencies or ridings, and around 28 million people are registered to vote.
Turnout in recent elections has declined from its peak between 70-80% from 1950-1990s but is expected to increase again for the 45th General Election.
POLITICS: Canada goes to the polls (Graphic)
GN46962 Graphic shows facts about the Canadian federal election
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Results are expected within 30 minutes of the polls closing at 2300GMT in Newfoundland and in British Columbia at 0200GMT. Candidates are standing for 343 constituencies or ridings, and around 28 million people are registered to vote.
Turnout in recent elections has declined from its peak between 70-80% from 1950-1990s but is expected to increase again for the 45th General Election.
POLITICS: Canada goes to the polls (Graphic)
GN46962 Graphic shows facts about the Canadian federal election
() View graphic
POLITICS: Merz’s grand coalition cabinet (Graphic)
May 6, 2025 -- The German parliament plans to meet to elect Friedrich Merz as the country’s new chancellor if members of all the parties in his proposed government approve a coalition agreement reached on April 9.
Friedrich Merz will need a majority of all members of the house to be elected as post-World War II Germany’s 10th chancellor, succeeding Olaf Scholz.
The proposed coalition of his centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU); its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU); and Scholz's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) has a relatively modest majority, with 328 of the 630 seats.
The German parliament plans to meet on May 6 to elect Friedrich Merz as the country’s next leader, if all the parties in his proposed government approve a coalition agreement reached last week.
Because no party is willing to collaborate with the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) –which came in second in February’s election – no other viable coalition commands a parliamentary majority.
Two key steps remain before a parliamentary vote can take place. The most significant is a vote by the Social Democrats' membership on the coalition agreement, which concludes on April 29.
Appointments to ministerial posts will be unveiled after that vote.
POLITICS: Merz’s grand coalition cabinet (Graphic)
GN46960 Graphic shows shortlist of likely candidates for key ministerial posts.
(107mm wide by 158mm deep) View graphic
Friedrich Merz will need a majority of all members of the house to be elected as post-World War II Germany’s 10th chancellor, succeeding Olaf Scholz.
The proposed coalition of his centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU); its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU); and Scholz's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) has a relatively modest majority, with 328 of the 630 seats.
The German parliament plans to meet on May 6 to elect Friedrich Merz as the country’s next leader, if all the parties in his proposed government approve a coalition agreement reached last week.
Because no party is willing to collaborate with the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) –which came in second in February’s election – no other viable coalition commands a parliamentary majority.
Two key steps remain before a parliamentary vote can take place. The most significant is a vote by the Social Democrats' membership on the coalition agreement, which concludes on April 29.
Appointments to ministerial posts will be unveiled after that vote.
POLITICS: Merz’s grand coalition cabinet (Graphic)
GN46960 Graphic shows shortlist of likely candidates for key ministerial posts.
(107mm wide by 158mm deep) View graphic
MARKETS: China’s weaponised rare earth metals (Graphic)
April 16, 2025 -- China, which dominates both the mining and processing of rare earth metals, is restricting their export to the United States as part of its response to President Trump’s punitive tariffs.
China, which dominates both the mining and processing of rare earth metals, is restricting their export to the United States as part of its response to President Trump’s punitive tariffs.
Beijing claims the seven rare metals added to its export control list were chosen because they are used in advanced technologies – deeming them materials with both civilian and military applications.
MARKETS: China’s weaponised rare earth metals (Graphic)
GN46958 Graphic shows the global dominance of China in the mining and processing of rare earth metals.
(107mm by 156mm deep) View graphic
China, which dominates both the mining and processing of rare earth metals, is restricting their export to the United States as part of its response to President Trump’s punitive tariffs.
Beijing claims the seven rare metals added to its export control list were chosen because they are used in advanced technologies – deeming them materials with both civilian and military applications.
MARKETS: China’s weaponised rare earth metals (Graphic)
GN46958 Graphic shows the global dominance of China in the mining and processing of rare earth metals.
(107mm by 156mm deep) View graphic
BUSINESS: Tourism to U.S. plunges (Graphic)
April 16, 2025 -- The United States economy is set to lose billions of dollars in revenue in 2025 from a pullback in foreign tourism and boycotts of American products.
Some 4.5 million visitors arrived last month, down 9.7% from March 2024, according to the data published Monday by the International Trade Administration.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. estimates in a worst-case scenario, the hit this year from reduced travel and boycotts of U.S. goods could total 0.3% of gross domestic product, amounting to almost $90 billion.
Foreign tourism has been a tailwind for the U.S. in recent years as the cessation of pandemic-era restrictions sparked a resurgence of international travel. But many potential visitors are now rethinking their vacation plans amid increased hostility at the border, rising geopolitical frictions and global economic uncertainty, Bloomberg said.
BUSINESS: Tourism to U.S. plunges (Graphic)
GN46955 Graphic shows change in international visitors to the U.S.
(107mm by 135mm deep) View graphic
Some 4.5 million visitors arrived last month, down 9.7% from March 2024, according to the data published Monday by the International Trade Administration.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. estimates in a worst-case scenario, the hit this year from reduced travel and boycotts of U.S. goods could total 0.3% of gross domestic product, amounting to almost $90 billion.
Foreign tourism has been a tailwind for the U.S. in recent years as the cessation of pandemic-era restrictions sparked a resurgence of international travel. But many potential visitors are now rethinking their vacation plans amid increased hostility at the border, rising geopolitical frictions and global economic uncertainty, Bloomberg said.
BUSINESS: Tourism to U.S. plunges (Graphic)
GN46955 Graphic shows change in international visitors to the U.S.
(107mm by 135mm deep) View graphic
LAW: Mistaken deportation of Maryland man to El Salvador (Graphic)
April 16, 2025 -- A Maryland judge is demanding that President Donald Trump’s administration return a man it admits was mistakenly deported to a mega-prison in El Salvador.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported on March 15, despite a legal order shielding him from removal. His case has become one of several raising alarms among Democrats and legal experts, who worry the Trump administration is willing to defy the authority of the judiciary.
Administration officials, meanwhile, have accused the courts of overstepping their bounds and obstructing the executive branch's ability to manage foreign affairs.
Kilmar was sent to El Salvador’s notorious Cecot (Terrorism Confinement Centre), along with hundreds of Venezuelan migrants deported under the Alien Enemies Act – a rarely used 1798 law previously invoked only during wartime. Multiple judges have since halted further deportations under that statute.
On April 15, Federal Judge Paula Xinis gave the Trump administration two weeks to present evidence of its efforts to repatriate Abrego, warning that “there will be no tolerance for gamesmanship.”
LAW: Mistaken deportation of Maryland man to El Salvador (Graphic)
GN46957 Graphic shows timeline in the case of the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador.
(107mm wide by 160mm deep) View graphic
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported on March 15, despite a legal order shielding him from removal. His case has become one of several raising alarms among Democrats and legal experts, who worry the Trump administration is willing to defy the authority of the judiciary.
Administration officials, meanwhile, have accused the courts of overstepping their bounds and obstructing the executive branch's ability to manage foreign affairs.
Kilmar was sent to El Salvador’s notorious Cecot (Terrorism Confinement Centre), along with hundreds of Venezuelan migrants deported under the Alien Enemies Act – a rarely used 1798 law previously invoked only during wartime. Multiple judges have since halted further deportations under that statute.
On April 15, Federal Judge Paula Xinis gave the Trump administration two weeks to present evidence of its efforts to repatriate Abrego, warning that “there will be no tolerance for gamesmanship.”
LAW: Mistaken deportation of Maryland man to El Salvador (Graphic)
GN46957 Graphic shows timeline in the case of the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador.
(107mm wide by 160mm deep) View graphic
RELIGION: Pope puts Gaudí on path to sainthood (Graphic)
April 15, 2025 -- Pope Francis has declared Catalan modernist architect Antoni Gaudí, dubbed “God’s architect” for his work on Barcelona’s Sagrada Família, “Venerable”, marking a pivotal step toward sainthood.
The path toward sainthood for renowned architect Antoni Gaudí began in 1992, with the establishment of the Association for the Beatification of Antoni Gaudí, tasked with gathering evidence of his holiness.
In 2003, the Vatican officially opened his cause for canonisation, bestowing upon him the title “Servant of God.”
A significant moment came in 2010, when Pope Benedict XVI consecrated Gaudí’s masterpiece, the Sagrada Família, lauding his ability to “build human consciousness, anchored in the world yet open to God.”
On April 14, 2025, Pope Francis advanced the cause further by recognising Gaudí’s “heroic virtues”, declaring him “Venerable” – the second step on the road to sainthood.
For Gaudí to be beatified – the next stage – a verified miracle attributed to him is required. The Archdiocese of Barcelona has submitted a case to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints involving a woman who reportedly recovered from a severe eye condition in 2016, following prayers to Gaudí. This alleged miracle is currently under review.
Should that miracle be confirmed, Gaudí could be beatified. A second confirmed miracle would then be necessary for canonisation, the final step that would declare him a saint – and the first architect ever canonised by the Roman Catholic Church. This process can be lengthy, often taking years or even centuries.
RELIGION: Pope puts Gaudí on path to sainthood (Graphic)
GN46954 Graphic shows path toward sainthood of Antoni Gaudí.
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The path toward sainthood for renowned architect Antoni Gaudí began in 1992, with the establishment of the Association for the Beatification of Antoni Gaudí, tasked with gathering evidence of his holiness.
In 2003, the Vatican officially opened his cause for canonisation, bestowing upon him the title “Servant of God.”
A significant moment came in 2010, when Pope Benedict XVI consecrated Gaudí’s masterpiece, the Sagrada Família, lauding his ability to “build human consciousness, anchored in the world yet open to God.”
On April 14, 2025, Pope Francis advanced the cause further by recognising Gaudí’s “heroic virtues”, declaring him “Venerable” – the second step on the road to sainthood.
For Gaudí to be beatified – the next stage – a verified miracle attributed to him is required. The Archdiocese of Barcelona has submitted a case to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints involving a woman who reportedly recovered from a severe eye condition in 2016, following prayers to Gaudí. This alleged miracle is currently under review.
Should that miracle be confirmed, Gaudí could be beatified. A second confirmed miracle would then be necessary for canonisation, the final step that would declare him a saint – and the first architect ever canonised by the Roman Catholic Church. This process can be lengthy, often taking years or even centuries.
RELIGION: Pope puts Gaudí on path to sainthood (Graphic)
GN46954 Graphic shows path toward sainthood of Antoni Gaudí.
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CONFLICT: Sudan displacement crisis (Graphic)
April 15, 2025 -- Sudan’s civil war has displaced 13 million people, the UN estimates, as the conflict between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces enters a third year.
The war, which erupted on April 15, 2023, has left tens of thousands dead, pushed parts of Sudan into famine and fractured the country into warlord-run territories.
The conflict has effectively divided Sudan in two, with the army holding the north and east while the RSF controls much of the western region of Darfur and, with its allies, parts of the south.
The UNHCR says 8.6 million people have been displaced internally and almost four million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, AFP news agency reported.
CONFLICT: Sudan displacement crisis (Graphic)
GN46952 Graphic shows details of Sudan’s displacement crisis.
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The war, which erupted on April 15, 2023, has left tens of thousands dead, pushed parts of Sudan into famine and fractured the country into warlord-run territories.
The conflict has effectively divided Sudan in two, with the army holding the north and east while the RSF controls much of the western region of Darfur and, with its allies, parts of the south.
The UNHCR says 8.6 million people have been displaced internally and almost four million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, AFP news agency reported.
CONFLICT: Sudan displacement crisis (Graphic)
GN46952 Graphic shows details of Sudan’s displacement crisis.
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CLIMATE: Europe battered by record floods in 2024 (Graphic)
April 15, 2025 -- Europe experienced its most widespread flooding last year since 2013, as fossil fuel-driven climate change pushed the continent to endure its hottest year on record.
Flooding killed at least 335 people in Europe in 2024 and affected an estimated 413,000, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization said in a joint report on Europe's climate.
The two most destructive examples were the deluges that tore through central Europe in September and eastern Spain in October, which accounted for more than 250 of the 335 flooding deaths recorded across the continent in 2024.
Globally, 2024 was the world’s warmest year since records began, as well as the warmest for Europe – the planet’s fastest-warming continent.
Previous studies have shown that global heating has intensified and increased the likelihood of such disasters, as warmer temperatures allow clouds to unleash heavier rainfall.
CLIMATE: Europe battered by record floods in 2024 (Graphic)
GN46953 Graphic shows the annual percentage of European river networks experiencing flooding between 1992 and 2024, and maps the rivers affected.
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Flooding killed at least 335 people in Europe in 2024 and affected an estimated 413,000, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization said in a joint report on Europe's climate.
The two most destructive examples were the deluges that tore through central Europe in September and eastern Spain in October, which accounted for more than 250 of the 335 flooding deaths recorded across the continent in 2024.
Globally, 2024 was the world’s warmest year since records began, as well as the warmest for Europe – the planet’s fastest-warming continent.
Previous studies have shown that global heating has intensified and increased the likelihood of such disasters, as warmer temperatures allow clouds to unleash heavier rainfall.
CLIMATE: Europe battered by record floods in 2024 (Graphic)
GN46953 Graphic shows the annual percentage of European river networks experiencing flooding between 1992 and 2024, and maps the rivers affected.
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MILITARY: Germany willing to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine (Graphic)
April 14, 2025 -- Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz says Berlin is willing to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles, as he emphasised the need to help Kyiv in its conflict with Russia.
Merz, who is set to take office as the leader of Europe’s largest nation next month, denounced a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday as “a serious war crime” and said that Kyiv needed help to “get ahead” in the conflict.
Asked if he would follow through on a previous call for Germany to supply Ukraine with the Taurus missiles that Kyiv has long asked for, he said that he would be willing to do so if done in co-ordination with European allies, according to the FT.
MILITARY: Germany willing to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine (Graphic)
GN46951 Graphic shows details of Taurus air-launched cruise missile.
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Merz, who is set to take office as the leader of Europe’s largest nation next month, denounced a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday as “a serious war crime” and said that Kyiv needed help to “get ahead” in the conflict.
Asked if he would follow through on a previous call for Germany to supply Ukraine with the Taurus missiles that Kyiv has long asked for, he said that he would be willing to do so if done in co-ordination with European allies, according to the FT.
MILITARY: Germany willing to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine (Graphic)
GN46951 Graphic shows details of Taurus air-launched cruise missile.
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CONFLICT: Israel bombs Gaza City hospital (Graphic)
April 14, 2025 -- Israel fired missiles at Gaza City’s last fully functional hospital, as the country’s defence minister said its forces would expand their offensive in the shattered Palestinian enclave.
The Diocese of Jerusalem said the strike on the Al Ahli hospital, which is run by the Anglican Church, had damaged the pharmacy and emergency department and demolished a two-storey laboratory.
It added that before the strike – which took place on the Christian festival of Palm Sunday – Israeli forces had given the patients, staff and displaced people sheltering in the hospital “a mere 20 minutes” to vacate the premises, and that one patient had died during the evacuation.
The Israeli military alleged that the hospital was being used as a command and control centre by Hamas, and said that it had taken steps to minimise harm to civilians before carrying out the strike, according to the FT.
CONFLICT: Israel bombs Gaza City hospital (Graphic)
GN46950 Graphic shows areas of control in the Gaza Strip.
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The Diocese of Jerusalem said the strike on the Al Ahli hospital, which is run by the Anglican Church, had damaged the pharmacy and emergency department and demolished a two-storey laboratory.
It added that before the strike – which took place on the Christian festival of Palm Sunday – Israeli forces had given the patients, staff and displaced people sheltering in the hospital “a mere 20 minutes” to vacate the premises, and that one patient had died during the evacuation.
The Israeli military alleged that the hospital was being used as a command and control centre by Hamas, and said that it had taken steps to minimise harm to civilians before carrying out the strike, according to the FT.
CONFLICT: Israel bombs Gaza City hospital (Graphic)
GN46950 Graphic shows areas of control in the Gaza Strip.
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BUSINESS: Meta faces antitrust trial (Graphic)
April 14, 2025 -- Meta is facing off against the federal government in an antitrust trial over claims that it illegally squashed competition by buying Instagram and WhatsApp.
At stake is the future of Meta’s $1.4 trillion advertising business and the possibility that its massively popular platforms could be split into separate entities – a potential corporate breakup not seen since the dismantling of AT&T’s telephone monopoly over four decades ago.
The case, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) versus Meta, was filed during U.S. President Donald Trump's first administration but risks becoming politicised during his second term.
Zuckerberg has lobbied Trump in person to have the FTC drop the case, according to the Wall Street Journal.
BUSINESS: Meta faces antitrust trial (Graphic)
GN46949 Graphic charts market capitalisation of Meta Platforms (Facebook) from 2012 to 2025.
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At stake is the future of Meta’s $1.4 trillion advertising business and the possibility that its massively popular platforms could be split into separate entities – a potential corporate breakup not seen since the dismantling of AT&T’s telephone monopoly over four decades ago.
The case, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) versus Meta, was filed during U.S. President Donald Trump's first administration but risks becoming politicised during his second term.
Zuckerberg has lobbied Trump in person to have the FTC drop the case, according to the Wall Street Journal.
BUSINESS: Meta faces antitrust trial (Graphic)
GN46949 Graphic charts market capitalisation of Meta Platforms (Facebook) from 2012 to 2025.
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MILITARY: F-35 stealth fighter commitments (Graphic)
April 11, 2025 -- A number of significant deals have been inked with the U.S. to buy the F-35, either to expand existing fleets or to replace old aircraft with the fifth-generation fighter.
The impetus for investment into the U.S. platform has been the lesson of the air war in Ukraine. Hindered both by modern as well as Cold War-era air defences, the conflict has shown that fourth-generation aircraft struggle on the battlefield.
And without control of the air, the fight on the ground in Ukraine has turned into a grinding, attritional struggle with echoes of World War I over a century before.
Several nations, therefore, have decided that despite the steep price tag compared to older fighters, the F-35, with its stealth capabilities, advanced sensors, and networking capabilities, is an increasingly necessary upgrade to prepare for future conflicts in an increasingly hostile environment, according to 19FortyFive.
MILITARY: F-35 stealth fighter commitments (Graphic)
GN46946 Graphic shows Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II orders and deliveries.
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The impetus for investment into the U.S. platform has been the lesson of the air war in Ukraine. Hindered both by modern as well as Cold War-era air defences, the conflict has shown that fourth-generation aircraft struggle on the battlefield.
And without control of the air, the fight on the ground in Ukraine has turned into a grinding, attritional struggle with echoes of World War I over a century before.
Several nations, therefore, have decided that despite the steep price tag compared to older fighters, the F-35, with its stealth capabilities, advanced sensors, and networking capabilities, is an increasingly necessary upgrade to prepare for future conflicts in an increasingly hostile environment, according to 19FortyFive.
MILITARY: F-35 stealth fighter commitments (Graphic)
GN46946 Graphic shows Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II orders and deliveries.
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MILITARY: UK unveils Ukraine aid package (Graphic)
April 11, 2025 -- The UK has announced a further £450 million ($585 million) of military aid to Kyiv, as European allies attempt to strengthen Ukraine’s position ahead of any peace deal with Russia
Defence officials are convening to “pile pressure” on Russian President Vladimir Putin and force him to end his invasion of Ukraine, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said at a meeting of 50 nations in Brussels.
The package includes funding for hundreds of thousands of drones, anti-tanks mines and and repairs to military vehicles.
About £350m will be provided by the UK, with extra funding from Norway via the UK-led International Fund for Ukraine, the BBC said.
MILITARY: UK unveils Ukraine aid package (Graphic)
GN46943 Graphic shows details of UK military assistance to Ukraine.
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Defence officials are convening to “pile pressure” on Russian President Vladimir Putin and force him to end his invasion of Ukraine, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said at a meeting of 50 nations in Brussels.
The package includes funding for hundreds of thousands of drones, anti-tanks mines and and repairs to military vehicles.
About £350m will be provided by the UK, with extra funding from Norway via the UK-led International Fund for Ukraine, the BBC said.
MILITARY: UK unveils Ukraine aid package (Graphic)
GN46943 Graphic shows details of UK military assistance to Ukraine.
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BUSINESS: Gold hits record high price (Graphic)
April 11, 2025 -- Spot gold prices topped a record $3,200 an ounce as investors ditch U.S. assets and seek a safe haven amid the global economic uncertainty caused by U.S. President Trump’s erratic tariffs.
Investors have been dropping Wall Street stocks, as Trump flip-flops, implementing higher tariff rates on dozens of trading partners without any warning and then abruptly pausing or reversing course.
The U.S. dollar has now lost its “safe haven” status, and has sunk to its lowest in 10 years against the Swiss franc and a six-month low against the yen, while the euro surged to levels last seen in 2022.
BUSINESS: Gold hits record high price (Graphic)
GN46942 Graphic shows changes in price of gold spot prices since record in 2011.
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Investors have been dropping Wall Street stocks, as Trump flip-flops, implementing higher tariff rates on dozens of trading partners without any warning and then abruptly pausing or reversing course.
The U.S. dollar has now lost its “safe haven” status, and has sunk to its lowest in 10 years against the Swiss franc and a six-month low against the yen, while the euro surged to levels last seen in 2022.
BUSINESS: Gold hits record high price (Graphic)
GN46942 Graphic shows changes in price of gold spot prices since record in 2011.
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POLITICS: DOGE cuts raise conflict of interest questions (Graphic)
April 10, 2025 -- Mass layoffs affecting at least 20,000 federal employees at departments directly affecting Elon Musk’s businesses and the resignation of the SEC lawyer handling a lawsuit against him have raised widespread concern over potential conflicts of interest.
Job cuts at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommended by Musk’s unofficial Department of Government Efficiency primarily targeted staff in the office of vehicle
automation safety. Musk has staked the future of Tesla on self-driving cars.
To the consternation of European air regulators, members of SpaceX - which was fined for safety violations in 2024 - are now advising the Federal Aviation Administration on safety procedures, after 400 employees of the agency were fired. FAA contracts worth $2.4 billion with Verizon, a competitor of Musk’s Starlink, are reportedly at risk after criticism by Musk, and the FAA has confirmed that it is now using Starlink for parts of the air traffic control system.
Most recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission lawyer handling a $150m lawsuit against Musk over his Twitter takeover resigned amid concerns that under a Trump-appointed chair the SEC would dismiss the case.
POLITICS: DOGE cuts raise conflict of interest questions (Graphic)
GN46941 Graphic shows U.S. government agencies with which Musk has conflict of interest issues.
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Job cuts at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommended by Musk’s unofficial Department of Government Efficiency primarily targeted staff in the office of vehicle
automation safety. Musk has staked the future of Tesla on self-driving cars.
To the consternation of European air regulators, members of SpaceX - which was fined for safety violations in 2024 - are now advising the Federal Aviation Administration on safety procedures, after 400 employees of the agency were fired. FAA contracts worth $2.4 billion with Verizon, a competitor of Musk’s Starlink, are reportedly at risk after criticism by Musk, and the FAA has confirmed that it is now using Starlink for parts of the air traffic control system.
Most recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission lawyer handling a $150m lawsuit against Musk over his Twitter takeover resigned amid concerns that under a Trump-appointed chair the SEC would dismiss the case.
POLITICS: DOGE cuts raise conflict of interest questions (Graphic)
GN46941 Graphic shows U.S. government agencies with which Musk has conflict of interest issues.
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ENERGY: AI to drive increase in data centre power (Graphic)
April 10, 2025 -- Electricity demand from data centres is projected to more than double by 2030, primarily driven by artificial intelligence applications, according to the IEA.
At the same time, AI can unlock opportunities to produce and consume electricity more efficiently, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its first report on the energy implications of AI.
Data centres represented about 1.5% of global electricity consumption in 2024, but that has increased by 12% annually over the past five years. Generative AI requires colossal computing power to process information accumulated in gigantic databases.
Together, the United States, Europe, and China currently account for about 85% of data centre consumption, AFP said.
ENERGY: AI to drive increase in data centre power (Graphic)
GN46940 Graphic shows details of projected increase in data centre power.
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At the same time, AI can unlock opportunities to produce and consume electricity more efficiently, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its first report on the energy implications of AI.
Data centres represented about 1.5% of global electricity consumption in 2024, but that has increased by 12% annually over the past five years. Generative AI requires colossal computing power to process information accumulated in gigantic databases.
Together, the United States, Europe, and China currently account for about 85% of data centre consumption, AFP said.
ENERGY: AI to drive increase in data centre power (Graphic)
GN46940 Graphic shows details of projected increase in data centre power.
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BUSINESS: Magnificent Seven tech stocks regain $1.5tn (Graphic)
April 10, 2025 -- Stock values for the Big Tech companies dubbed the Magnificent Seven rose by a combined $1.5tn – but still failed to regain the $2tn lost in the week following the announcement of sweeping U.S. tariffs.
However, calls for clarity on tariffs remain, with the companies’ AI ambitions dependent on removing uncertainty ahead of the enormous capital expenditure required with complex hardware dependencies and the availability of cross-border talent.
The companies fell by a combined $3.4 trillion after their peak in late 2024.
BUSINESS: Magnificent Seven tech stocks regain $1.5tn (Graphic)
GN46939 Graphic shows how the value of the seven companies has fluctuated following the tariff announcement, and percentage change to individual share
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However, calls for clarity on tariffs remain, with the companies’ AI ambitions dependent on removing uncertainty ahead of the enormous capital expenditure required with complex hardware dependencies and the availability of cross-border talent.
The companies fell by a combined $3.4 trillion after their peak in late 2024.
BUSINESS: Magnificent Seven tech stocks regain $1.5tn (Graphic)
GN46939 Graphic shows how the value of the seven companies has fluctuated following the tariff announcement, and percentage change to individual share
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ENERGY: Clean sources supply 40% of electricity (Graphic)
April 9, 2025 -- Record renewables growth led by solar helped push clean power past 40% of global electricity in 2024, but heatwave-related demand spikes also led to an increase in fossil-fuel generation.
According to the Ember Global Electricity review 2025, over 40% of the world’s electricity was generated without burning fossil fuels, driven by a huge growth in solar power installations.
Although fossil fuel generation also increased due to temperature-related demand, e.g. for cooling, over 75% of the demand growth between 2023 and 2024 was met by renewable energy - solar, wind, hydro, bioeneergy. More than 40% of demand growth was met by solar power.
ENERGY: Clean sources supply 40% of electricity (Graphic)
GN46937 Graphic shows how growth of solar has powered clean energy expansion.
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According to the Ember Global Electricity review 2025, over 40% of the world’s electricity was generated without burning fossil fuels, driven by a huge growth in solar power installations.
Although fossil fuel generation also increased due to temperature-related demand, e.g. for cooling, over 75% of the demand growth between 2023 and 2024 was met by renewable energy - solar, wind, hydro, bioeneergy. More than 40% of demand growth was met by solar power.
ENERGY: Clean sources supply 40% of electricity (Graphic)
GN46937 Graphic shows how growth of solar has powered clean energy expansion.
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CONFLICT: Chinese troops captured in Ukraine (Graphic)
April 9, 2025 -- Ukrainian forces have captured two Chinese nationals who were fighting for the Russian army in eastern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
He said on Tuesday that intelligence suggested the number of Chinese soldiers in Russia’s army was “much higher than two”.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Chinese troops fighting on Ukrainian territory “puts into question China's declared stance for peace” and added that their envoy in Kyiv was summoned for an explanation.
It is the first official allegation from Ukraine that China is supplying Russia with manpower. Russia declined to comment on Zelensky’s revelation on Wednesday.
However, China’s foreign ministry said it was “verifying the relevant situation with the Ukrainian side”, but that it had consistently urged Chinese nationals to steer clear of any armed conflicts.
It added that Kyiv’s accusation that more Chinese citizens were involved in the fighting was “groundless”, the BBC said.
CONFLICT: Chinese troops captured in Ukraine (Graphic)
GN46938 Graphic shows details of Ukraine’s alleged capture of Chinese troops.
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He said on Tuesday that intelligence suggested the number of Chinese soldiers in Russia’s army was “much higher than two”.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Chinese troops fighting on Ukrainian territory “puts into question China's declared stance for peace” and added that their envoy in Kyiv was summoned for an explanation.
It is the first official allegation from Ukraine that China is supplying Russia with manpower. Russia declined to comment on Zelensky’s revelation on Wednesday.
However, China’s foreign ministry said it was “verifying the relevant situation with the Ukrainian side”, but that it had consistently urged Chinese nationals to steer clear of any armed conflicts.
It added that Kyiv’s accusation that more Chinese citizens were involved in the fighting was “groundless”, the BBC said.
CONFLICT: Chinese troops captured in Ukraine (Graphic)
GN46938 Graphic shows details of Ukraine’s alleged capture of Chinese troops.
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TRADE: Trump tariffs take effect (Graphic)
April 9, 2025 -- The highest U.S. tariffs in more than a hundred years came into force on Wednesday, including 104% on Chinese goods as well as further levies on around 60 countries.
The import duties come after a 10% baseline tariff for most U.S. trading partners took effect Saturday. Asian countries are facing the brunt of the measures, with Cambodia and Vietnam facing 49% and 46% charges, respectively. Imports from the European Union will be taxed at a 20% rate.
“The tariffs are on and the money is pouring in at a level that we’ve never seen before, and it’s going to be great for us. It’s going to be great for other countries. We’ve been ripped off and abused by countries for many years,” Trump said Tuesday at a White House event, according to Bloomberg.
TRADE: Trump tariffs take effect (Graphic)
GN46936 Graphic shows U.S. average tariff rates since 1790.
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The import duties come after a 10% baseline tariff for most U.S. trading partners took effect Saturday. Asian countries are facing the brunt of the measures, with Cambodia and Vietnam facing 49% and 46% charges, respectively. Imports from the European Union will be taxed at a 20% rate.
“The tariffs are on and the money is pouring in at a level that we’ve never seen before, and it’s going to be great for us. It’s going to be great for other countries. We’ve been ripped off and abused by countries for many years,” Trump said Tuesday at a White House event, according to Bloomberg.
TRADE: Trump tariffs take effect (Graphic)
GN46936 Graphic shows U.S. average tariff rates since 1790.
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POLITICS: Liberals get Trump bounce in Canada polls (Graphic)
April 8, 2025 -- Installing Mark Carney as leader – and U.S. President Trump’s threats to Canadian sovereignty – have revitalised a Liberal Party that was heading for election defeat just weeks ago under Justin Trudeau.
The Liberals are now heavily favoured to win an outright majority in the Federal elections which will take place on April 28, having been over 20 points behind in the polls as recently as January.
However, when Trump began imposed punitive tariffs on Canada, threatening the economy, and suggested the country should become the 51st state of the U.S., Canadians rallied to the man they felt would best stand up to American threats, former Bank of England governor Carney.
POLITICS: Liberals get Trump bounce in Canada polls (Graphic)
GN46933 Graphic shows surveys of Canadian voting preferences.
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The Liberals are now heavily favoured to win an outright majority in the Federal elections which will take place on April 28, having been over 20 points behind in the polls as recently as January.
However, when Trump began imposed punitive tariffs on Canada, threatening the economy, and suggested the country should become the 51st state of the U.S., Canadians rallied to the man they felt would best stand up to American threats, former Bank of England governor Carney.
POLITICS: Liberals get Trump bounce in Canada polls (Graphic)
GN46933 Graphic shows surveys of Canadian voting preferences.
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TRADE: Trump’s tariffs (Graphic)
April 3, 2025 -- Donald Trump launches an assault on the global trade order, imposing a barrage of tariffs on U.S. imports in a move that compounds fears over the world economy’s health.
Trump said he will impose a 10% universal tariff on all imported foreign goods in addition to “reciprocal tariffs” on a few dozen countries, charging additional duties onto countries that Trump claims have “cheated” America.
The 10% universal tariff will go into effect on April 5, while the reciprocal tariffs will begin on April 9.
The 10% baseline rate does not apply to Canada and Mexico, since they have already been targeted during Trump's presidency.
Tariffs on China, the world’s biggest goods exporter, will rise to more than 54% after Trump imposed a further 34 per cent duty on top of 20% levies he placed on the Asian nation this year.
The EU will face total tariffs as high as 20%, while imports from Japan – one of Washington’s closest allies – will face tariffs of 24%.
TRADE: Trump’s tariffs (Graphic)
GN46925 Graphic maps the imports tariffs announced and charts of the top U.S. trading partners.
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Trump said he will impose a 10% universal tariff on all imported foreign goods in addition to “reciprocal tariffs” on a few dozen countries, charging additional duties onto countries that Trump claims have “cheated” America.
The 10% universal tariff will go into effect on April 5, while the reciprocal tariffs will begin on April 9.
The 10% baseline rate does not apply to Canada and Mexico, since they have already been targeted during Trump's presidency.
Tariffs on China, the world’s biggest goods exporter, will rise to more than 54% after Trump imposed a further 34 per cent duty on top of 20% levies he placed on the Asian nation this year.
The EU will face total tariffs as high as 20%, while imports from Japan – one of Washington’s closest allies – will face tariffs of 24%.
TRADE: Trump’s tariffs (Graphic)
GN46925 Graphic maps the imports tariffs announced and charts of the top U.S. trading partners.
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BUSINESS: Tesla sales tank amid Musk backlash (Graphic)
April 2, 2025 -- Tesla’s Q1 2025 deliveries are down 13% on the previous quarter, shipping 336,681 vehicles instead of the forecast 390,000 – its worst showing since 2022.
Tesla’s Q1 2025 deliveries are down 13% on the previous quarter, shipping 336,681 vehicles instead of the forecast 390,000 – its worst showing since 2022.
The figures reflect lost output from retooling factories to build the newly redesigned Model Y electric car, but also growing hatred for Elon Musk’s involvement in far-right politics, not just in the U.S., but around the world.
Hundreds of demonstrations are set to take place at global Tesla locations this year, orchestrated by the “Tesla Takedown” protest movement.
BUSINESS: Tesla sales tank amid Musk backlash (Graphic)
GN46922 Graphic charts recent Tesla quarterly vehicles deliveries.
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Tesla’s Q1 2025 deliveries are down 13% on the previous quarter, shipping 336,681 vehicles instead of the forecast 390,000 – its worst showing since 2022.
The figures reflect lost output from retooling factories to build the newly redesigned Model Y electric car, but also growing hatred for Elon Musk’s involvement in far-right politics, not just in the U.S., but around the world.
Hundreds of demonstrations are set to take place at global Tesla locations this year, orchestrated by the “Tesla Takedown” protest movement.
BUSINESS: Tesla sales tank amid Musk backlash (Graphic)
GN46922 Graphic charts recent Tesla quarterly vehicles deliveries.
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TRADE: The U.S. trade deficit by country (Graphic)
April 2, 2025 -- As President Trump attempts to equalise tariff rates between the U.S. and major trading partners, the scale of deficit the U.S. encounters differs wildly from nation to nation.
As President Trump weighs up how to equalise tariff rates between the U.S. and major trading partners, the scale of deficit, and to a lesser extent surplus, that the U.S. encounters differs wildly from nation to nation.
In the 10 weeks since Trump took office for a second term, he’s imposed new 20% duties on all imports from China, restored 25% duties on steel and aluminium, and is due to hit Mexico and Canada with 25% tariffs that were delayed for a month.
TRADE: The U.S. trade deficit by country (Graphic)
GN46918 Graphic charts U.S. goods trade deficit or surplus by major trading partners.
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As President Trump weighs up how to equalise tariff rates between the U.S. and major trading partners, the scale of deficit, and to a lesser extent surplus, that the U.S. encounters differs wildly from nation to nation.
In the 10 weeks since Trump took office for a second term, he’s imposed new 20% duties on all imports from China, restored 25% duties on steel and aluminium, and is due to hit Mexico and Canada with 25% tariffs that were delayed for a month.
TRADE: The U.S. trade deficit by country (Graphic)
GN46918 Graphic charts U.S. goods trade deficit or surplus by major trading partners.
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SCIENCE: Future Circular Collider (Graphic)
April 2, 2025 -- Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s biggest particle accelerator, have revealed plans for a much larger successor, the Future Circular Collider, which aims to solve the remaining enigmas of physics.
The plans for the Future Circular Collider (FCC) – a nearly 91-kilometre loop along the French-Swiss border and beneath Lake Geneva – were published on April 1, finalising details for a project nearly a decade in the making at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.
The FCC will be nearly three times the circumference of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and twice as deep.
The project is projected to cost around $16 billion and is expected to begin in the mid-2040s, pending approval from CERN’s 24 member countries (all European, except for Israel) in 2028.
The greatest achievement of the LHC was the 2012 detection of the Higgs Boson, a crucial piece of the Standard Model puzzle that helps explain fundamental forces in the universe. However, since then, its ambition to uncover two of physics’ greatest mysteries – dark matter and dark energy – has remained unfulfilled. The FCC could play a key role in that pursuit.
While the project is extraordinarily ambitious, it is also highly controversial – many scientists fear that the FCC could monopolise funding for subatomic physics for decades, leaving other promising research areas underfunded.
SCIENCE: Future Circular Collider (Graphic)
GN46916 Graphic shows the location of the two colliders and the relative size and depths of the two.
(107mm wide by 157mm deep) View graphic
The plans for the Future Circular Collider (FCC) – a nearly 91-kilometre loop along the French-Swiss border and beneath Lake Geneva – were published on April 1, finalising details for a project nearly a decade in the making at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.
The FCC will be nearly three times the circumference of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and twice as deep.
The project is projected to cost around $16 billion and is expected to begin in the mid-2040s, pending approval from CERN’s 24 member countries (all European, except for Israel) in 2028.
The greatest achievement of the LHC was the 2012 detection of the Higgs Boson, a crucial piece of the Standard Model puzzle that helps explain fundamental forces in the universe. However, since then, its ambition to uncover two of physics’ greatest mysteries – dark matter and dark energy – has remained unfulfilled. The FCC could play a key role in that pursuit.
While the project is extraordinarily ambitious, it is also highly controversial – many scientists fear that the FCC could monopolise funding for subatomic physics for decades, leaving other promising research areas underfunded.
SCIENCE: Future Circular Collider (Graphic)
GN46916 Graphic shows the location of the two colliders and the relative size and depths of the two.
(107mm wide by 157mm deep) View graphic
WORLD AGENDA: April 2025 (Graphic)
April 1-30, 2025 -- Events in April include Trump’s threat of imposing “reciprocal” tariffs on U.S. trading partners and elections in Canada, Ecuador, and Gabon. Expo 2025 begins in Osaka, Venice doubles its tax on tourists, the U.S. celebrates the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolutionary War, and the climbing season begins on Mount Everest.
Apr 2, U.S.: Global markets brace for further instability if President Donald Trump follows through on his threats to impose “reciprocal” tariffs on U.S. trading partners or, reverses or delays the decision.
Apr 12, Gabon: Military leader Brice Oligui Nguema stands in a presidential election meant to transfer power to civilians. Critics argue that the new constitution and electoral code favour his bid after he seized power in a 2023 coup.
Apr 13, Ecuador: Hard-right incumbent President Daniel Noboa and left-wing challenger Luisa González to runoff in a presidential election seen as an assessment of Noboa’s iron fist approach to tackling gang violence.
Apr 13, Japan: Expo 2025 begins with the theme of “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”. It takes place on Yumeshima “Dream Island”, an artificial landmass in Osaka Bay.
Apr 18, Italy: Venice is to double its tax on day-trippers and last-minute visitors to €10 as the city deals with overtourism. The new pilot system – to run until May 4 – will then continue every weekend until the end of July.
Apr 19, U.S.: The nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolutionary War, with the battles of Concord and Lexington. A year later the Declaration of Independence was signed.
Apr 28, Canada: New Prime Minister Mark Carney faces Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, in a snap election amid a trade war with the U.S.
April, Nepal: As the climbing season begins on Mount Everest, drones will be used for the first time to carry supplies up and rubbish down to try to reduce waste left on the mountain.
WORLD AGENDA: April 2025 (Graphic)
GN46871 Graphic shows selected news events in April 2025.
(163mm wide by 187mm deep) View graphic
Apr 2, U.S.: Global markets brace for further instability if President Donald Trump follows through on his threats to impose “reciprocal” tariffs on U.S. trading partners or, reverses or delays the decision.
Apr 12, Gabon: Military leader Brice Oligui Nguema stands in a presidential election meant to transfer power to civilians. Critics argue that the new constitution and electoral code favour his bid after he seized power in a 2023 coup.
Apr 13, Ecuador: Hard-right incumbent President Daniel Noboa and left-wing challenger Luisa González to runoff in a presidential election seen as an assessment of Noboa’s iron fist approach to tackling gang violence.
Apr 13, Japan: Expo 2025 begins with the theme of “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”. It takes place on Yumeshima “Dream Island”, an artificial landmass in Osaka Bay.
Apr 18, Italy: Venice is to double its tax on day-trippers and last-minute visitors to €10 as the city deals with overtourism. The new pilot system – to run until May 4 – will then continue every weekend until the end of July.
Apr 19, U.S.: The nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolutionary War, with the battles of Concord and Lexington. A year later the Declaration of Independence was signed.
Apr 28, Canada: New Prime Minister Mark Carney faces Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, in a snap election amid a trade war with the U.S.
April, Nepal: As the climbing season begins on Mount Everest, drones will be used for the first time to carry supplies up and rubbish down to try to reduce waste left on the mountain.
WORLD AGENDA: April 2025 (Graphic)
GN46871 Graphic shows selected news events in April 2025.
(163mm wide by 187mm deep) View graphic
CRIME: El Salvador’s mega-prison (Graphic)
March 20, 2025 -- The U.S. has sent hundreds of migrants to El Salvador to be held without trial in a controversial supermax prison, known for its harsh conditions.
The CECOT (Centre for the Confinement of Terrorism), is a maximum security jail that opened in February 2023 with capacity for 40,000 inmates.
The prison, built by the Salvadoran government to imprison members of the country’s main gangs, is part of the highly popular hardline security policy of President Nayib Bukele, who calls himself the “world’s coolest dictator”.
On March 15, the Trump administration deported 261 individuals to El Salvador.
Many human rights organisations have condemned conditions in Salvadoran prisons, particularly CECOT, citing reports of abuses such as torture, inmate deaths, and large-scale trials, according to Reuters.
Last year, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressed concerns about overcrowding in the CECOT, citing a study that found inmates had an average 0.60 square metres of space. The Red Cross recommends 3.4 sq m per prisoner as the international standard.
CRIME: El Salvador’s mega-prison (Graphic)
GN46863 Graphic shows facts about the CECOT mega-prison.
(107mm wide by 160mm deep) View graphic
The CECOT (Centre for the Confinement of Terrorism), is a maximum security jail that opened in February 2023 with capacity for 40,000 inmates.
The prison, built by the Salvadoran government to imprison members of the country’s main gangs, is part of the highly popular hardline security policy of President Nayib Bukele, who calls himself the “world’s coolest dictator”.
On March 15, the Trump administration deported 261 individuals to El Salvador.
Many human rights organisations have condemned conditions in Salvadoran prisons, particularly CECOT, citing reports of abuses such as torture, inmate deaths, and large-scale trials, according to Reuters.
Last year, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressed concerns about overcrowding in the CECOT, citing a study that found inmates had an average 0.60 square metres of space. The Red Cross recommends 3.4 sq m per prisoner as the international standard.
CRIME: El Salvador’s mega-prison (Graphic)
GN46863 Graphic shows facts about the CECOT mega-prison.
(107mm wide by 160mm deep) View graphic
RELIGION: In search of St Peter (Graphic)
March 6, 2025 -- In keeping with the tone of his entire papacy, Francis, the 266th pope since St Peter, has left instructions for a simpler funeral – and burial away from the iconic site of Jesus’ apostle’s crucifixion by the Roman emperor, Nero.
The Apostle Peter is venerated as the first Pope and the Basilica was built over the spot where he was crucified by the Roman Emperor Nero in the first century AD. In the 1940s, archaeological excavations under the Papal altar uncovered a sealed niche containing bones which were later identified as those of a sturdy 1st-century male in his mid-60s, wrapped in fabric dating from 4th century, possibly the bones of the Apostle.
Pope Francis will be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore on the other side of the Tiber River in Rome. The last pope to break with tradition in this way was Leo XIII in 1903, who was buried in the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano.
RELIGION: In search of St Peter (Graphic)
GN46828 Graphic shows St Peter's Basilica, and the crypts beneath where most previous popes have been buried.
(163mm wide by 232mm deep) View graphic
The Apostle Peter is venerated as the first Pope and the Basilica was built over the spot where he was crucified by the Roman Emperor Nero in the first century AD. In the 1940s, archaeological excavations under the Papal altar uncovered a sealed niche containing bones which were later identified as those of a sturdy 1st-century male in his mid-60s, wrapped in fabric dating from 4th century, possibly the bones of the Apostle.
Pope Francis will be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore on the other side of the Tiber River in Rome. The last pope to break with tradition in this way was Leo XIII in 1903, who was buried in the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano.
RELIGION: In search of St Peter (Graphic)
GN46828 Graphic shows St Peter's Basilica, and the crypts beneath where most previous popes have been buried.
(163mm wide by 232mm deep) View graphic
MARITIME: Titan submersible disaster (Graphic)
September 23, 2024 -- The Titan experimental submersible that imploded on a voyage to the wreck of the Titanic, killing all five people aboard, malfunctioned days before its final dive, a public inquiry has heard.
Two former directors of OceanGate, the company behind the Titan submersible, told a U.S. Coast Guard inquiry that the company could have prevented the tragedy.
The inquiry is hearing two weeks of evidence into the deadly implosion of the experimental submersible in June 2023.
OceanGate’s former scientific director, Steven Ross, said that just days before its final mission, a malfunction with a ballast tank valve caused the vessel to adopt a 45-degree-inversion with its back bow facing upward.
Ross said the incident had caused passengers to “tumble about,” leaving one passenger “hanging upside down” and others clinging on.
Ross added that he did not know whether OceanGate had inspected the Titan’s hull for damage after the incident.
Former OceanGate’s Director of Marine Operations, David Lochridge, labelled the submersible unsafe in 2018.
“The whole idea behind the company was to make money,” said Lochridge. Each of the four passengers paid $125,000. “There was very little in the way of science.”
“Stockton liked to do things on the cheap,” Lochridge testified, referring to OceanGate’s CEO and founder, Stockton Rush.
The bodies of the sub’s five occupants -- Sulaiman Dawood, 19, his business tycoon father, Shahzada, 48, British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58, famed Titanic explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, and Stockton Rush, 61 -- are unlikely to be recovered.
MARITIME: Titan submersible disaster (Graphic)
GN46305 Graphic shows evidence from ongoing U.S. Coast Guard inquiry.
(107mm by 162mm deep) View graphic
Two former directors of OceanGate, the company behind the Titan submersible, told a U.S. Coast Guard inquiry that the company could have prevented the tragedy.
The inquiry is hearing two weeks of evidence into the deadly implosion of the experimental submersible in June 2023.
OceanGate’s former scientific director, Steven Ross, said that just days before its final mission, a malfunction with a ballast tank valve caused the vessel to adopt a 45-degree-inversion with its back bow facing upward.
Ross said the incident had caused passengers to “tumble about,” leaving one passenger “hanging upside down” and others clinging on.
Ross added that he did not know whether OceanGate had inspected the Titan’s hull for damage after the incident.
Former OceanGate’s Director of Marine Operations, David Lochridge, labelled the submersible unsafe in 2018.
“The whole idea behind the company was to make money,” said Lochridge. Each of the four passengers paid $125,000. “There was very little in the way of science.”
“Stockton liked to do things on the cheap,” Lochridge testified, referring to OceanGate’s CEO and founder, Stockton Rush.
The bodies of the sub’s five occupants -- Sulaiman Dawood, 19, his business tycoon father, Shahzada, 48, British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58, famed Titanic explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, and Stockton Rush, 61 -- are unlikely to be recovered.
MARITIME: Titan submersible disaster (Graphic)
GN46305 Graphic shows evidence from ongoing U.S. Coast Guard inquiry.
(107mm by 162mm deep) View graphic
RELIGION: Pope visits Southeast Asia (Graphic)
September 2-13, 2024 -- Pope Francis takes the longest tour of his 11-year papacy, visiting four island nations in an ambitious trip that will test the strength of the 87-year-old Catholic Church leader.
Over 12 days, Francis will travel nearly 33,000km to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.
In each of the four countries, the pope will hold official meetings with political authorities, diplomats, and local Catholics. He will also lead outdoor celebrations of the Catholic Mass in all four countries, Reuters reports.
Catholic officials broadly see Asia as fertile ground to expand the faith, which has experienced decline in Western countries.
Francis will be the third pope to visit Indonesia. The trip was originally planned for 2020 but was called off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
RELIGION: Pope visits Southeast Asia (Graphic)
GN46229 Graphic shows Pope Francis’ itinerary.
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Over 12 days, Francis will travel nearly 33,000km to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.
In each of the four countries, the pope will hold official meetings with political authorities, diplomats, and local Catholics. He will also lead outdoor celebrations of the Catholic Mass in all four countries, Reuters reports.
Catholic officials broadly see Asia as fertile ground to expand the faith, which has experienced decline in Western countries.
Francis will be the third pope to visit Indonesia. The trip was originally planned for 2020 but was called off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
RELIGION: Pope visits Southeast Asia (Graphic)
GN46229 Graphic shows Pope Francis’ itinerary.
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RELIGION: Pope visits Portugal (Graphic)
August 2, 2023 -- Pope Francis arrived in Lisbon on Wednesday to start a five-day visit centred around World Youth Day, a global gathering of young Catholics.
The 86-year-old Francis is making his first trip since intestinal surgery in June and uses a wheelchair and cane.
In Lisbon, huge stages have been set up, screens installed and posters with Francis’ face plastered across the city.
The event in Portugal, which is about 80% Catholic, comes less than six months after a report by a Portuguese commission said at least 4,815 minors were sexually abused by clergy – mostly priests – over seven decades.
Francis is expected to meet privately with abuse victims.
Francis will also visit Fatima, the town north of Lisbon where the Church believes that the Virgin Mary appeared to three poor shepherd children in 1917, Reuters said.
RELIGION: Pope visits Portugal (Graphic)
GN44668 Graphic shows Pope Francis’ itinerary.
(107mm by 160mm deep) View graphic
The 86-year-old Francis is making his first trip since intestinal surgery in June and uses a wheelchair and cane.
In Lisbon, huge stages have been set up, screens installed and posters with Francis’ face plastered across the city.
The event in Portugal, which is about 80% Catholic, comes less than six months after a report by a Portuguese commission said at least 4,815 minors were sexually abused by clergy – mostly priests – over seven decades.
Francis is expected to meet privately with abuse victims.
Francis will also visit Fatima, the town north of Lisbon where the Church believes that the Virgin Mary appeared to three poor shepherd children in 1917, Reuters said.
RELIGION: Pope visits Portugal (Graphic)
GN44668 Graphic shows Pope Francis’ itinerary.
(107mm by 160mm deep) View graphic
RELIGION: Pope visits Hungary (Graphic)
April 28-30, 2023 -- Pope Francis’ visit to Hungary is likely to be dominated by the war in Ukraine and his meeting with nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose views often clash with the pontiff's own.
Viktor Orbá’s stance on migration, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and LGBTQ+ rights, contrasts with
the Pope's attitude of acceptance, and support for Kyiv.
Five months before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the pope made a seven-hour stopover in Budapest for an international religious event, during which he promised to return to the predominantly secular country where 39 percent of the population is Catholic.
His trip is bringing Francis the closest he has traveled to the conflict in Ukraine.
Unlike other EU leaders, Mr Orban has refused to back military aid for Kyiv and maintained relations with Russia's Vladimir Putin.
Francis is the second pope to visit Hungary, after John Paul II made trips in 1991 and 1996.
RELIGION: Pope visits Hungary (Graphic)
GN44223 Graphic shows itinerary for Pope Francis’ trip to Hungary.
(107mm wide by 117mm deep) View graphic
Viktor Orbá’s stance on migration, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and LGBTQ+ rights, contrasts with
the Pope's attitude of acceptance, and support for Kyiv.
Five months before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the pope made a seven-hour stopover in Budapest for an international religious event, during which he promised to return to the predominantly secular country where 39 percent of the population is Catholic.
His trip is bringing Francis the closest he has traveled to the conflict in Ukraine.
Unlike other EU leaders, Mr Orban has refused to back military aid for Kyiv and maintained relations with Russia's Vladimir Putin.
Francis is the second pope to visit Hungary, after John Paul II made trips in 1991 and 1996.
RELIGION: Pope visits Hungary (Graphic)
GN44223 Graphic shows itinerary for Pope Francis’ trip to Hungary.
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RELIGION: Pope Francis decade (1) (Graphic UPDATED Mar 9)
March 9, 2023 -- In his ten years on the chair of St Peter -- and as head of the nearly 1.38 billion-member Roman Catholic Church -- Pope Francis has sought to position the church firmly in the modern world.
Less than a fortnight after Pope Benedict XVI shocked the world by becoming the first pope in 600 years to resign from office, 76-year-old Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, was elected as a successor to St Peter.
The head of the Catholic Church took the name Francis from St Francis of Assisi -- “Il Poverello” -- a man of poverty, peace and love.
Francis abandoned the papal palace to live in a smaller Vatican guest house. He washed the feet of prisoners on Holy Thursday, commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus Christ. He built showers for the homeless in Rome.
In early 2014, Francis announced he wanted to travel the world as a regular Argentine and not a privileged citizen of Vatican City. Francis has visited 60 states, covering almost 410,000 km (255,000 miles).
Talking to The Catholic Weekly, Rev Professor Gerard Kelly from the Catholic Institute of Sydney, Australia, said throughout his papacy, Francis has positioned the church firmly in the modern world.
In 2013, he published his landmark encyclical “Lumen Fidei” (Light of Faith) on the importance of the Christian faith, partly written by Pope Benedict.
In 2015, he released “Laudato Si” (Praised Be), which called for urgent action on climate change, while his 2020’s “Fratelli Tutti” (Brothers All) tackled the need to support each other through the challenges of the Covid pandemic.
RELIGION: Pope Francis decade (1) (Graphic UPDATED Mar 9)
GN44020 Graphic shows Pope Francis’ 10 years in numbers.
(107mm by 145mm deep)
Less than a fortnight after Pope Benedict XVI shocked the world by becoming the first pope in 600 years to resign from office, 76-year-old Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, was elected as a successor to St Peter.
The head of the Catholic Church took the name Francis from St Francis of Assisi -- “Il Poverello” -- a man of poverty, peace and love.
Francis abandoned the papal palace to live in a smaller Vatican guest house. He washed the feet of prisoners on Holy Thursday, commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus Christ. He built showers for the homeless in Rome.
In early 2014, Francis announced he wanted to travel the world as a regular Argentine and not a privileged citizen of Vatican City. Francis has visited 60 states, covering almost 410,000 km (255,000 miles).
Talking to The Catholic Weekly, Rev Professor Gerard Kelly from the Catholic Institute of Sydney, Australia, said throughout his papacy, Francis has positioned the church firmly in the modern world.
In 2013, he published his landmark encyclical “Lumen Fidei” (Light of Faith) on the importance of the Christian faith, partly written by Pope Benedict.
In 2015, he released “Laudato Si” (Praised Be), which called for urgent action on climate change, while his 2020’s “Fratelli Tutti” (Brothers All) tackled the need to support each other through the challenges of the Covid pandemic.
RELIGION: Pope Francis decade (1) (Graphic UPDATED Mar 9)
GN44020 Graphic shows Pope Francis’ 10 years in numbers.
(107mm by 145mm deep)
RELIGION: Pope visits war-torn African countries (Graphic)
January 31 - February 5, 2023 -- Pope Francis visits the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, delivering a message of peace and reconciliation to two sub-Saharan nations plagued by conflict.
The 86-year-old pontiff will visit the DR Congo from January 31 to February 3 and then spend two days in South Sudan before returning to the Vatican.
The pope will first travel to Kinshasa, where he will meet with the country’s authorities and victims of the conflict in the eastern part of the country. Then he will fly to Juba, the capital of South Sudan, on February 3.
For the South Sudan leg, the leader of the world's nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics will be joined by his Anglican counterpart, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and by the Church of Scotland Moderator – an unprecedented joint foreign trip by the three religious leaders.
Pope Francis was scheduled to visit the two countries in July 2022 but had to cancel because of a persistent knee ailment.
The original itinerary included a stop in the city of Goma. But the stop to the capital of the North Kivu province has been scrapped due to a flare-up in fighting between the Congolese troops and the M23 rebel group.
RELIGION: Pope visits war-torn African countries (Graphic)
GN43854 Graphic shows itinerary for Pope Francis’ trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
(107mm wide by 139mm deep) View graphic
The 86-year-old pontiff will visit the DR Congo from January 31 to February 3 and then spend two days in South Sudan before returning to the Vatican.
The pope will first travel to Kinshasa, where he will meet with the country’s authorities and victims of the conflict in the eastern part of the country. Then he will fly to Juba, the capital of South Sudan, on February 3.
For the South Sudan leg, the leader of the world's nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics will be joined by his Anglican counterpart, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and by the Church of Scotland Moderator – an unprecedented joint foreign trip by the three religious leaders.
Pope Francis was scheduled to visit the two countries in July 2022 but had to cancel because of a persistent knee ailment.
The original itinerary included a stop in the city of Goma. But the stop to the capital of the North Kivu province has been scrapped due to a flare-up in fighting between the Congolese troops and the M23 rebel group.
RELIGION: Pope visits war-torn African countries (Graphic)
GN43854 Graphic shows itinerary for Pope Francis’ trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
(107mm wide by 139mm deep) View graphic
VATICAN: Funeral of Pope Benedict XVI (Graphic)
January 5, 2023 -- Pope Francis will preside over a papal funeral of Benedict XVI, with some adaptations as he was not a reigning pope leaving behind a “sede vacante” or empty throne.
“The liturgical celebration follows the model of a funeral service for a supreme pontiff, broadly speaking,” said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office. It will include some new elements given the originality of the situation, and exclude others which are reserved for a reigning pontiff, such as the final prayers offered by representatives of the Eastern Catholic churches, with whom the Pope is in communion.
At the end of the Requiem Mass, Benedict XVI will be taken to the Vatican grottoes beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, where his cypress casket will be placed inside a zinc coffin, which in turn will be placed inside a wooden case and buried in the tomb formerly occupied by John Paul II until his beatification in 2011.
VATICAN: Funeral of Pope Benedict XVI (Graphic)
GN43732 Graphic shows isometric view of St Peter’s church and location of Benedict XVI’s tomb in the Vatican grotto.
(107mm wide by 165mm deep) View graphic
“The liturgical celebration follows the model of a funeral service for a supreme pontiff, broadly speaking,” said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office. It will include some new elements given the originality of the situation, and exclude others which are reserved for a reigning pontiff, such as the final prayers offered by representatives of the Eastern Catholic churches, with whom the Pope is in communion.
At the end of the Requiem Mass, Benedict XVI will be taken to the Vatican grottoes beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, where his cypress casket will be placed inside a zinc coffin, which in turn will be placed inside a wooden case and buried in the tomb formerly occupied by John Paul II until his beatification in 2011.
VATICAN: Funeral of Pope Benedict XVI (Graphic)
GN43732 Graphic shows isometric view of St Peter’s church and location of Benedict XVI’s tomb in the Vatican grotto.
(107mm wide by 165mm deep) View graphic
RELIGION: Pope hopes for “healing” trip to Canada (Graphic)
July 24-30, 2022 -- Pope Francis is to apologise for the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s indigenous school system that subjected many children to physical and sexual abuse.
Pope Francis says his upcoming trip to Canada will be a “pilgrimage of penance” that he hopes will help heal wounds made by the Church’s abusive role in trying to erase indigenous cultures in state-sanctioned schools.
Between 1831 and 1996, around 150,000 children were taken from their homes, with many subjected to abuse, rape and malnutrition in what Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls a “cultural genocide”.
The 85-year-old pontiff will visit Edmonton, Maskwacis, Lac Ste. Anne, Quebec, and Iqaluit near the arctic circle – saying two Masses and delivering nine homilies and addresses.
The trip, which had been in doubt due to the Pope’s recent knee fracture, will run from July 24-30, 2022.
RELIGION: Pope hopes for “healing” trip to Canada (Graphic)
GN42991 Graphic shows itinerary for Pope Francis’ trip to Canada.
(107mm by 172mm deep) View graphic
Pope Francis says his upcoming trip to Canada will be a “pilgrimage of penance” that he hopes will help heal wounds made by the Church’s abusive role in trying to erase indigenous cultures in state-sanctioned schools.
Between 1831 and 1996, around 150,000 children were taken from their homes, with many subjected to abuse, rape and malnutrition in what Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls a “cultural genocide”.
The 85-year-old pontiff will visit Edmonton, Maskwacis, Lac Ste. Anne, Quebec, and Iqaluit near the arctic circle – saying two Masses and delivering nine homilies and addresses.
The trip, which had been in doubt due to the Pope’s recent knee fracture, will run from July 24-30, 2022.
RELIGION: Pope hopes for “healing” trip to Canada (Graphic)
GN42991 Graphic shows itinerary for Pope Francis’ trip to Canada.
(107mm by 172mm deep) View graphic
MIDEAST: Pope planning historic Iraq visit (Graphic)
March 5-8, 2021 -- Pope Francis is set to make a four-day trip to Iraq, marking the first time that a pope has ever visited the country. It will be his first foreign visit since the coronavirus pandemic struck the world.
The 84-year-old pontiff, who has been vaccinated against Covid-19, intends to go ahead with the March 5-8 visit despite the pandemic and lingering security concerns, AP said.
Francis’ main reason for the trip to Iraq is to encourage the country’s Christians, who faced decades of discrimination by Iraq’s Muslims before being persecuted by the so-called Islamic State (IS) group starting in 2014.
The slow return of displaced Christians to northern Iraq since the territory was liberated from IS in 2017 remains a contentious issue. Few Christian families have returned but the Vatican has been encouraging those who fled to come back and ensure a continued Christian presence in the area that dates from the time of Christ.
MIDEAST: Pope planning historic Iraq visit (Graphic)
GN41077 Graphic shows Pope Francis’ planned itinerary for his trip to Iraq.
(107mm by 150mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital)) View graphic
The 84-year-old pontiff, who has been vaccinated against Covid-19, intends to go ahead with the March 5-8 visit despite the pandemic and lingering security concerns, AP said.
Francis’ main reason for the trip to Iraq is to encourage the country’s Christians, who faced decades of discrimination by Iraq’s Muslims before being persecuted by the so-called Islamic State (IS) group starting in 2014.
The slow return of displaced Christians to northern Iraq since the territory was liberated from IS in 2017 remains a contentious issue. Few Christian families have returned but the Vatican has been encouraging those who fled to come back and ensure a continued Christian presence in the area that dates from the time of Christ.
MIDEAST: Pope planning historic Iraq visit (Graphic)
GN41077 Graphic shows Pope Francis’ planned itinerary for his trip to Iraq.
(107mm by 150mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital)) View graphic
VE DAY 75: Fall of Nazi Germany WWII (1) (Graphic)
May 8, 2020 -- 75th anniversary of VE Day, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe following the defeat of Nazi Germany.
The Covid-19 pandemic decimated plans for the parades, flyovers and memorials that would have taken place on the landmark 75th Victory in Europe (VE) Day. Spectator-free TV observances will replace the big commemorations, which appear likely to be merged with events in August and September marking the 75th VJ Day (Victory over Japan) Day, when World War II finally came to an end.
VE Day commemorates the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allied forces on May 8, 1945, which ended the war in Europe. Few veterans of the conflict are left to participate in reunions that usually take place on the milestones, and the 75th VE Day might have been the last significant opportunity to honour them.
Russia traditionally marks its victory over the Nazis on May 9, but President Vladimir Putin’s vast 75th Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square has also had to be postponed because of the coronavirus crisis.
VE DAY 75: Fall of Nazi Germany WWII (1) (Graphic)
GN33013 Graphic shows timeline of the downfall of the Third Reich.
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The Covid-19 pandemic decimated plans for the parades, flyovers and memorials that would have taken place on the landmark 75th Victory in Europe (VE) Day. Spectator-free TV observances will replace the big commemorations, which appear likely to be merged with events in August and September marking the 75th VJ Day (Victory over Japan) Day, when World War II finally came to an end.
VE Day commemorates the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allied forces on May 8, 1945, which ended the war in Europe. Few veterans of the conflict are left to participate in reunions that usually take place on the milestones, and the 75th VE Day might have been the last significant opportunity to honour them.
Russia traditionally marks its victory over the Nazis on May 9, but President Vladimir Putin’s vast 75th Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square has also had to be postponed because of the coronavirus crisis.
VE DAY 75: Fall of Nazi Germany WWII (1) (Graphic)
GN33013 Graphic shows timeline of the downfall of the Third Reich.
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RELIGION: Pope Francis visits Thailand, Japan (Graphic)
November 19-26, 2019 -- Pope Francis is expected to use his fourth visit to Asia to speak out against poverty and human trafficking in Thailand and reiterate his opposition to nuclear weapons in Japan.
The Pope called for a nuclear weapons ban in his 2015 speech to the United Nations General Assembly.
His other Asian visits took him to South Korea in 2014, Sri Lanka and the Philippines in 2015, and Myanmar and Bangladesh in 2017.
In Bangkok he will meet King Maha Vajiralongkorn at Amphorn Royal Palace and government figures and religious leaders who include Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch. Meetings with Catholic leaders and young people are on his itinerary, and there will be a Mass in the National Stadium.
In Japan, his route takes in Tokyo, then the cities destroyed by United States atom bombs at the end of World War II, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A meeting with victims of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster in 2011, which followed a magnitude-9 earthquake and catastrophic tsunami in March 2011, is included on his itinerary.
RELIGION: Pope Francis visits Thailand, Japan (Graphic)
GN39715 Graphic shows itinerary of Pope’s Francis trip to Asia.
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The Pope called for a nuclear weapons ban in his 2015 speech to the United Nations General Assembly.
His other Asian visits took him to South Korea in 2014, Sri Lanka and the Philippines in 2015, and Myanmar and Bangladesh in 2017.
In Bangkok he will meet King Maha Vajiralongkorn at Amphorn Royal Palace and government figures and religious leaders who include Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch. Meetings with Catholic leaders and young people are on his itinerary, and there will be a Mass in the National Stadium.
In Japan, his route takes in Tokyo, then the cities destroyed by United States atom bombs at the end of World War II, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A meeting with victims of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster in 2011, which followed a magnitude-9 earthquake and catastrophic tsunami in March 2011, is included on his itinerary.
RELIGION: Pope Francis visits Thailand, Japan (Graphic)
GN39715 Graphic shows itinerary of Pope’s Francis trip to Asia.
(107mm wide by 120mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital)) View graphic
PANAMA: Pope leads XXXIV World Youth Day (Graphic)
January 22-27, 2019 -- Pope Francis is attending World Youth Day in Panama, from Jan 23-27 – an international event focused on Catholic religious faith and youth.
Vatican City, Nov 21, 2018 (Catholic News Agency)
Pope Francis will visit the small Central American country of Panama in January for World Youth Day, an international gathering of young people which was begun by Pope St. John Paul II in 1985. Ordinarily held sometime in the summer months, in 2019 it will take place Jan. 22-27, to avoid Panama’s rainy season.
In 2019, the theme for World Youth Day is Mary’s fiat from the Gospel of Luke: “I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
In his message in anticipation of the event, Francis said there are many young people, both believers and non-believers, who have the desire to do something good for others, especially for the suffering.
“This is a strength in young people, a strength that all of you possess. It is a strength that can change the world,” he underlined.
Mary, under the title of Santa Maria la Antigua, has been an important figure in the Catholic Church in Panama for centuries. She was officially declared the country’s patroness under that title by the bishops’ conference in 2000.
Pope Francis will be in Panama for World Youth Day from Jan. 23-Jan. 27, 2019. After a 14-hour flight, he will land in Panama for the official welcoming ceremony at the airport Jan. 23.
The next morning, the pope will meet with Panama’s president Juan Carlos Varela, followed by a meeting with authorities, the diplomatic corps, and other representatives of Panamanian society.
The same day he will meet with the bishops of Central America. The official opening of World Youth Day at Santa Maria La Antigua field will take place that afternoon.
Friday, January 25, the pope’s schedule will begin with the celebration of a penitential liturgy with young detainees at a juvenile detention centre and in the afternoon, he will lead the Way of the Cross for the young people of World Youth Day in Santa Maria La Antigua field.
The next day will begin with Mass with local priests, consecrated, and members of lay movements. At this Mass there will be a dedication of the altar of the Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria la Antigua.
That day Pope Francis will eat lunch with the seminarians of the Major Seminary of San Jose, followed by a prayer vigil with youth in St John Paul II Field in Metro Park.
His final day, Sunday, Jan. 27, Francis will celebrate Mass for World Youth Day at 8 a.m. in the same park as the prior evening’s prayer vigil.
He will afterward visit a home for the needy, called “Good Samaritan House,” where he will lead the Angelus. His final speech will be in a meeting with the volunteers of World Youth Day in the Rommel Fernandez stadium before departing Panama for Rome, where he should arrive shortly before noon Jan. 29.
Pope Francis will give a total of seven speeches, three homilies, and one Angelus during the five days he is in Panama.
By Hannah Brockhaus (CNA)
PANAMA: Pope leads XXXIV World Youth Day (Graphic)
GN38708 Graphic shows the full itinerary for Pope Francis during World Youth Day, with maps locating the places he will visit.
(107mm by mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital)) View graphic
Vatican City, Nov 21, 2018 (Catholic News Agency)
Pope Francis will visit the small Central American country of Panama in January for World Youth Day, an international gathering of young people which was begun by Pope St. John Paul II in 1985. Ordinarily held sometime in the summer months, in 2019 it will take place Jan. 22-27, to avoid Panama’s rainy season.
In 2019, the theme for World Youth Day is Mary’s fiat from the Gospel of Luke: “I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
In his message in anticipation of the event, Francis said there are many young people, both believers and non-believers, who have the desire to do something good for others, especially for the suffering.
“This is a strength in young people, a strength that all of you possess. It is a strength that can change the world,” he underlined.
Mary, under the title of Santa Maria la Antigua, has been an important figure in the Catholic Church in Panama for centuries. She was officially declared the country’s patroness under that title by the bishops’ conference in 2000.
Pope Francis will be in Panama for World Youth Day from Jan. 23-Jan. 27, 2019. After a 14-hour flight, he will land in Panama for the official welcoming ceremony at the airport Jan. 23.
The next morning, the pope will meet with Panama’s president Juan Carlos Varela, followed by a meeting with authorities, the diplomatic corps, and other representatives of Panamanian society.
The same day he will meet with the bishops of Central America. The official opening of World Youth Day at Santa Maria La Antigua field will take place that afternoon.
Friday, January 25, the pope’s schedule will begin with the celebration of a penitential liturgy with young detainees at a juvenile detention centre and in the afternoon, he will lead the Way of the Cross for the young people of World Youth Day in Santa Maria La Antigua field.
The next day will begin with Mass with local priests, consecrated, and members of lay movements. At this Mass there will be a dedication of the altar of the Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria la Antigua.
That day Pope Francis will eat lunch with the seminarians of the Major Seminary of San Jose, followed by a prayer vigil with youth in St John Paul II Field in Metro Park.
His final day, Sunday, Jan. 27, Francis will celebrate Mass for World Youth Day at 8 a.m. in the same park as the prior evening’s prayer vigil.
He will afterward visit a home for the needy, called “Good Samaritan House,” where he will lead the Angelus. His final speech will be in a meeting with the volunteers of World Youth Day in the Rommel Fernandez stadium before departing Panama for Rome, where he should arrive shortly before noon Jan. 29.
Pope Francis will give a total of seven speeches, three homilies, and one Angelus during the five days he is in Panama.
By Hannah Brockhaus (CNA)
PANAMA: Pope leads XXXIV World Youth Day (Graphic)
GN38708 Graphic shows the full itinerary for Pope Francis during World Youth Day, with maps locating the places he will visit.
(107mm by mm deep (print) and 2-screen responsive graphic (digital)) View graphic