Headline
Pope Leo XIV Outlines A Path For A Modern Church That Follows Francis’ Steps
The new pope said he would be guided by a key document that his predecessor wrote listing the church’s priorities, including a “loving care for the least and the rejected.”
On Saturday, the pope said that advances in artificial intelligence would “pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor.”
In his first formal address to Roman Catholic cardinals, Pope Leo XIV on Saturday said he would continue the work of Pope Francis in steering the church in a more missionary direction, with greater cooperation among church leaders and a closeness to the marginalized.
Leo said he was committed to following a path of modernization and cited a major document that Francis issued in 2013. From that document, Leo highlighted multiple objectives, including “growth in collegiality,” “popular piety,” a “loving care for the least and the rejected,” and “courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world.”
“Francis masterfully and concretely set it forth,” Leo said, referring to the document, called “Evangelii Gaudium.”
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The new pope also explained the choice of his name. The previous pope with his name, Leo XIII, issued a document called the “Rerum Novarum,” known in English as “Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor,” in the late 19th century in which he emphasized the church’s right to make assertions about social issues as they related to moral questions.
The document “addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution,” Leo explained.
Now, the pope added, another industrial revolution was taking place in the field of artificial intelligence. That, he said, would “pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor.”
The church, he said, “offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response.”
The reference to Francis’ document was not the only endorsement that the new pope gave of his predecessor. Francis, Leo noted, was a “humble servant of God and of his brothers and sisters” who gave an “example of complete dedication to service and to sober simplicity of life.”
After the pope’s address, some of the cardinals also made speeches. Dominik Duka, a cardinal from Prague, said the subject of some of the speeches was the theme of “synodality” — referring to the process of dialogue between church leaders and lay people that was one of Pope Francis’ signature legacies.
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Cardinal Duka said there had also been mention of the Vatican’s relationship with China. During his papacy, Francis made a deal with Beijing in the hopes of bolstering the church’s presence there.
The cardinals appeared to have noted the message about maintaining the direction set by Francis’ papacy.
As he exited the meeting, Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo of Venezuela said the pope “spoke about the continuity of the pontificate of Francis and then he asked some questions to us.” Those questions were “mostly about the formation of priests and bishops,” the cardinal added.
On his way out of the meeting, Cardinal Sean Brady of Ireland said Leo was in the process of “greeting everybody now, which is very nice.”
On Saturday, after the meeting, Leo made an unannounced visit to Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano, an Augustinian sanctuary outside Rome. A cheering crowd greeted him as he exited the passenger’s seat of a black minivan. Residents of the town leaned out of windows to take a picture of the pope as Leo shook hands and waved to those gathered.
Later on, he paid a visit to St. Mary Major, where Pope Francis is buried. He stood in front of his predecessor’s simple marble tomb. Before kneeling in front of it in prayer, he laid a white rose on it.
(New York Times)
Headline
Strait Of Hormuz: Pakistan Thanks Trump For Pausing ‘Project Freedom’
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed gratitude to United States President Donald Trump for temporarily pausing ‘Project Freedom’, an initiative to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement posted on X, Sharif thanked Trump for pausing the “Project Freedom” mission, praising him for his courageous leadership and timely announcement.
According to him, Trump’s decision was made in response to requests from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other brotherly countries.
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He added that the pause would go a long way towards advancing regional peace, stability and reconciliation during the sensitive period.
“Pakistan remains firmly committed to supporting all efforts that promote restraint and a peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy.
“We are very hopeful that the current momentum will lead to a lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability for the region and beyond,” Sharif said.
Headline
FG Summons S. African Envoy Over Rising Xenophobic Attacks On Nigerians
The Federal Government has summoned the Acting High Commissioner of South Africa in Abuja over renewed concerns about xenophobic attacks and protests targeting foreign nationals, including Nigerians, living in that country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the envoy is expected at its headquarters on Monday, May 4, 2026, for a high-level engagement aimed at addressing the growing tension and safeguarding bilateral relations between both countries.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the spokesperson for the Ministry, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said Nigeria would formally express its “profound concern” over recent developments in South Africa, particularly reports of harassment, violence, and destruction of property belonging to foreign nationals.
According to the ministry, the meeting will focus on ongoing demonstrations by various groups in South Africa and documented cases of attacks on Nigerians and their businesses in parts of the country.
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“The objective of this engagement is to formally convey the Nigerian Government’s profound concern regarding recent events that have the potential to impact the established cordial relations between Nigeria and South Africa,” the statement read.
It added that discussions would also address ongoing demonstrations by various groups within South Africa and documented instances of mistreatment of Nigerian citizens and attacks on their businesses.
The ministry acknowledged growing anger among Nigerians over reports of xenophobic violence but urged restraint, stressing that diplomatic engagement remained the preferred channel for resolution.
It assured Nigerians that the Federal Government was actively engaging South African authorities to ensure the protection of its citizens abroad.
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“The Ministry is aware of the growing discontent among Nigerians concerning the treatment of their nationals in South Africa. Nevertheless, it implores the Nigerian public to remain calm and reiterates the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting the rights and well-being of Nigerian citizens residing in South Africa,” the statement added.
The latest diplomatic move comes amid renewed reports of xenophobic tensions in parts of South Africa, where foreign-owned businesses have occasionally been targeted during protests linked to unemployment and economic hardship.
South Africa has a history of xenophobic violence dating back to 2008, with subsequent flare-ups in 2015 and 2019, when mobs attacked migrants, looted shops, and displaced thousands of foreign nationals across several provinces.
In past incidents, Nigerians and other African nationals were among those affected, prompting strong diplomatic reactions from Abuja and calls for stronger protection of foreign communities.
While South African authorities have repeatedly condemned such attacks and deployed security forces to restore order during outbreaks of violence, concerns have persisted over recurring hostility in some communities.
Headline
Mississippi Man ‘Kills Mother, Flushes Her Remains Down Toilet’
A 29-year-old Mississippi man, Zachary Lavel Jackson Jr., has been charged with multiple offences, including first-degree murder, over the death of his mother, Lana Brown Bradley, after deputies responded to her Natchez home on April 4 following a missing person report from relatives.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to Bradley’s residence after her oldest son was unable to reach her the previous day.
Jackson was initially identified as a family member before investigators confirmed he was her son.
Sheriff Travis Patten described the case as deeply disturbing.“This is by far the most heinous crime that I’ve ever witnessed in my entire life. We weren’t out there that day; this was one of those things when we walked up.
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“This was one of those cases that you will never, ever forget in your life. This is the type of case that follows you home,” Patten told WJTV.
According to the sheriff, deputies noticed signs of a recent cleanup when they arrived at the home.
“As soon as they walked in the house, they could just see where somebody had been cleaning up, and they could smell chemicals all throughout the house.
“Floor was extremely slippery. And the older son said that this is just unusual for the youngest son to be cleaning up the house like that,” Patten explained.
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Jackson, the youngest son, was found in a bathroom, where deputies allegedly made a discovery that became central to the investigation.
“I can say what was in the toilet, and it was her flesh. He chopped her up in pieces and dismembered her in a way that whoever came looking for her would have to do their due diligence to find her, and that’s just what we did,” the sheriff said.
Authorities said Jackson allegedly placed parts of his mother’s body in a suitcase and attempted to dispose of other remains.
Jackson faces charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, mayhem and tampering with evidence.
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Investigators said Bradley, a retired teacher, had recently sought to evict her son from the home. Patten, citing family interviews, said Jackson was believed to be mentally unstable but also noted that his actions appeared deliberate.
“He had threatened her the day before because she was looking to have him evicted from the home.
“She was in the process of doing so and had just gone to court the day before to have him removed from the home,” Patten explained.
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