The 88-year-old pontiff had been well aware of his fragile state and advanced age. As early as 2015, Pope Francis had expressed the desire to be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a fifth-century church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was so devoted to Mary and her basilica that after each of his more than 100 trips abroad, he would visit it after returning to Rome to pray and meditate.
I’m a specialist in Catholic liturgical history. In earlier centuries, papal funerals have been elaborate affairs, ceremonies befitting a Renaissance prince or other regal figure. But in recent years, the rites have been simplified. As Pope Francis has mandated, here are the steps that the ritual will follow.
First station: Preparation of the body
The funeral rites take place in three parts, called stations. The first takes place in the pope’s private chapel, after medical professionals have certified his death. Until recently, this stage had taken place at the pope’s bedside.
After the body lies in rest in the chapel, the cardinal serving as the pope’s camerlengo – the pope’s chief of staff – will make the arrangements for the funeral. He is also tasked with running the Vatican until a new pope is elected. The current camerlengo is Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, appointed by Francis in 2019.
As has been done for centuries, the camerlengo will formally call the deceased pope by the full name given to him when he was baptized as an infant – Jorge Mario Bergoglio. There are narratives or legends stating that, at this time, the pope was also tapped three times on the forehead with a small silver hammer. However, there is no documented proof that this was actually done in earlier centuries to verify a pope’s death.
Traditionally, another ancient rite will also take place after the declaration of the pope’s death: the defacing of the pope’s ring. Each pope wears a custom-made ring with an engraved image of a man fishing from a boat, hearkening back to the gospel of Matthew, where Jesus calls St. Peter a “fisher of men.” This Fisherman’s Ring, with the name of the current pope engraved over the image, could act as a seal on official documents. The camerlengo will break Francis’ ring and smash the seal with a hammer or other instrument to prevent any other person from using it.
The pope’s apartments will also be locked, with no one allowed to enter; traditionally, this was done to prevent looting.
Second station: Viewing the body
The deceased pope will be dressed in his simple white cassock and red vestments, then placed in a simple wooden coffin. This will be carried in procession to St. Peter’s Basilica, where the public viewing will take place for the next three days.
The pope’s body will be left in the plain, open casket during this viewing period in order to emphasize the pope’s humble role as a pastor, not a head of state. The earlier practice would have been to place the body on top of a tall raised platform, called a catafalque; this ended with the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI in 2022.
At Francis’ funeral, after the public viewing, a plain white cloth will be placed over the pope’s face as he lies in the oak coffin, a continuing part of papal funerals. But this will be the first time that only a single coffin will be used; it will likely contain a document describing his pontificate and a bag of coins from his pontificate as well.
The funeral Mass will then be celebrated at St. Peter’s, most likely inside because of the late winter weather, and there will likely be a crowd of believers outside, assembled on the plaza. The homily will reflect on the life and spirituality of the deceased pope; Francis himself preached at the funeral of his retired predecessor, Pope Benedict. And the future Pope Benedict, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, preached at the funeral of Pope St. John Paul II when Ratzinger was the leader, or the dean, of all senior church officials – what’s known as the College of Cardinals.
The current dean is 91-year-old Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, and it is unclear whether he will be able to continue this tradition due to his advanced age. Masses will continue to be said in Francis’ memory for nine days after his death – a period called the Novendialis. This ritual was inspired by an ancient Roman tradition prescribing a mourning period ending on the ninth day after a death.
Third station: Burial
Why does Pope Francis want to be buried in St. Mary Major and not in the Vatican?
Afterward, popes could be buried in a number of different locations, such as the Basilica of St. John Lateran – the official cathedral of Rome – or other churches in and around Rome. A few were even buried in France during the 14th century, when the papacy moved to the French border for political reasons.
Most popes are buried in the grottoes underneath St. Peter’s, and since Pope Leo XIII’s burial at St. John Lateran in 1903, every pope has been buried at St. Peter’s. According to Francis’ wishes, however, there will likely be a procession across Rome to Santa Maria Maggiore, including the hearse and cars carrying others who will attend this private ritual.
After a few final prayers and sprinkling of holy water, the coffin will be placed in its final location inside the church. Only later will the area be opened to the public for prayers and veneration.
After so many journeys from Rome to visit Catholic communities in countries across the globe, and so many visits to this basilica for prayer and meditation, it seems fitting that, at the end of his life’s journey, Francis would make one last trip to the church he loved so much to be laid to rest forever.
Joanne M. Pierce does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Cardinals attend Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, before they enter the conclave to decide who the next pope will be, on March 12, 2013, in Vatican City.Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Image
With the death of Pope Francis, attention now turns to the selection of his successor. The next pope will be chosen in what is called a “conclave,” a Latin word meaning “a room that can be locked up,” or, more simply, “a closed room.”
Members of the College of Cardinals will cast their votes behind the closed and locked doors of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, famous for its ceiling frescoes painted by Michelangelo. Distinguished by their scarlet robes, cardinals are chosen by each pope to elect future popes. A cardinal must be under the age of 80 to be eligible to vote in the conclave. Of the 252 members of the College of Cardinals, 138 are currently eligible to elect the new pope.
As a scholar of global Catholicism, I am especially interested in how this will be the most diverse conclave in the history of the Catholic Church.
For many centuries, the College of Cardinals was dominated by Europeans – Italians, in particular. In fact, the first time a non-European cardinal actually cast a ballot in a conclave was only in the 20th century, when Baltimore’s archbishop, James Gibbons, voted in the 1903 papal election. Now, the College of Cardinals has members from over 90 countries, with Francis having appointed nearly 80% of them.
Before the conclave, the College of Cardinals will meet in what are called “general congregations” to discuss issues facing the church. These general congregations will also be an opportunity for new cardinals and those from distant geographical locations to get to know their fellow cardinals.
This can be a time for politicking. In times past, the politicking was rumored to include bribes for votes, as was alleged in the election of Alexander VI, a Borgia pope, in 1492. Nowadays, it is considered to be bad form – and bad luck – for a cardinal to lobby for himself as a candidate. Buying votes by giving money or favors to cardinals is called “simony” and is against church law.
Two to three weeks after the papal funeral, the conclave will begin. The cardinals will first make a procession to the Sistine Chapel, where electronic jamming devices will have been set up to prevent eavesdropping and Wi-Fi and cellphone use. As they file into the chapel, the cardinals will sing, in Latin, the hymn “Come Holy Spirit.” They will then vow on a book of the Gospels to keep the conclave proceedings secret.
After these rituals, the Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations will say out loud, in Latin, “Extra Omnes,” which means “Everyone Out.” The doors of the Sistine Chapter will then be locked, and the conclave will begin.
Francis pledging to uphold the vow of secrecy.
The voting process
The cardinals electing the pope will be seated in order of rank.
When the cardinals have assembled, nine will be chosen at random to run the election, with three of them being “scrutinizers” who will examine the ballots and read them aloud.
After writing down the name of their chosen candidate, the cardinals will bring their ballots to the front of the chapel and place them on a plate that is set on top of an urn in front of the scrutinizers. Using the plate to drop their ballot into the urn, they will say, “I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.”
A new pope is elected by a two-thirds majority. If this majority is not reached during the first ballot, the ballots will be burned in a stove. Black smoke rising through the Sistine Chapel’s chimney will signal to the outside world that the election is still ongoing, a tradition that began with the election of Benedict XV in 1914. Chemical additives are used to make sure the smoke is black because during the election of John Paul II, there was confusion over the smoke’s color.
Following the first day – and on the days thereafter – there will be up to four ballots a day if a two-thirds majority is not reached. Both Benedict XVI and Francis were elected after relatively few ballots: four in the case of Benedict; five with Francis. According to rules set by Benedict, if a new pope is not chosen after 13 days, there will be a day of prayer and reflection. Then the election will be between the top two candidates, one of whom must receive a two-thirds majority.
But regardless of the time frame, a new pope will be chosen. Once a candidate receives enough votes, he is asked, “Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?” By saying “Accepto,” or “I accept,” he becomes the new leader of the Catholic Church. This time, the ballots will be burned to create white smoke that will tell the world that the conclave has ended and that a new pope has been chosen.
Immediately after being elected, the new pope decides on his name, as Jorge Maria Bergoglio did when he was the first pope to choose the name Francis. The choice of a name – especially one of an immediate predecessor – often indicates the direction of the new pope’s pontificate. In Francis’ case, his name honored St. Francis of Assisi, a 13th century mystic known for his simplicity and love for nature.
The so-called Room of Tears.
The new pope is then led to the “Room of Tears.” In this chamber, off the Sistine Chapel, he will have moments to reflect on the burdens of his position, which have often brought new popes to tears. He will put on a white cassock and other signs of his office. His election will be announced from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
When Francis was announced as pope.
From the balcony, the new pope will greet the crowd below and deliver his first blessing to the world. A new pontificate will have begun.
Mathew Schmalz is Roman Catholic and a political independent.
Scots must act now to protect our democracy and shared values from the rise of the far right.
Since becoming your First Minister I have made it my business to bring people together.
There is a lot that I want to achieve for Scotland – whether that’s eradicating the scourge of child poverty, improving public services like our NHS, raising living standards, or facing the climate emergency head-on.
I know we have all the ingredients we need to be a thriving country, and I want us to pull together. Fundamentally I want to build a Scotland that faces the future with confidence, where everyone feels they have a stake, and where we have the powers we need to reach our potential.
But it’s not hard to see why, for many, the future doesn’t currently feel so bright. We have been living through a global pandemic and are experiencing an unprecedented squeeze on living standards. It feels like society is becoming ever more polarised, and the world around us ever more uncertain.
There have always been those who seek to exploit such fear and anxiety to sow hatred, to demonise minority groups, to spread disinformation and even undermine democracy itself.
None of this anxiety is unique to Scotland. The far right is on the rise across the West – we must not sit back and assume it cannot happen here.
Many organisations across Scotland are on the front line of protecting the rights of individuals, building community cohesion and improving democratic participation – be that our faith groups, trade unions, universities, or charitable organisations.
I want us to pool their knowledge, so this week I will bring them together at a gathering in Glasgow to chart a way forward.
Alongside other political leaders, I want to strengthen our democratic society.
How do we – together – combat inequality and discrimination? How can we tackle disinformation? How do we enhance trust in politics and increase accountability? And how do we improve participation in democracy.
This gathering is the start of an ongoing discussion and I hope it marks a turning point.
It is about us collectively making a stand, reminding ourselves of who we are, and reaffirming that there is far more that unites us than divides us.
If we don’t act now to protect our democracy, and our shared values, then I think we will regret that in the years to come. That’s why I will be bringing people together in Glasgow this week.
Easter reminds us of the triumph of light over darkness
I hope you have all had a peaceful holiday weekend and I am so grateful to everyone who worked to keep us all safe and supported during that time.
The core message of Easter is precious to me – it is about the triumph of light over darkness. In world events in 2025, feeling that light can overcome darkness is perhaps more important than ever.
But it also matters in our individual lives. We can all face tough times. I do. And the feeling that light will overcome darkness helps me, and I hope helps you, to deal with tough times.
Over Easter, it was good to be able to spend some more time than I normally can as First Minister with my family.
During the school holidays, Matthew has added golf to the sports he is keen to play. He already enjoys tennis, cricket and hockey. So – I suppose you could say – golf is just another sport with a club and a ball.
Elizabeth and I watched with admiration as Matthew picked it all up.
It was a reminder to me that in all the comings and goings of political life, nothing is more reassuring than seeing your child happy and thriving.
This article was first published in the Daily Record on the 21st of April 2025.
Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry
PAUL CULLIVER:
Julie Collins is the federal Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness and joins you on the line. Good afternoon to you, Minister.
JULIE COLLINS:
Good afternoon, Paul, and to your listeners this afternoon.
CULLIVER:
What’s getting done in Lake Mac?
COLLINS:
Well, it was great to be with the local member Sharon Claydon this morning to be able to announce and open 10 new social housing homes, and to announce another 9 that will be built and another 9 that have already been refurbished. This is from the Social Housing Accelerator Fund, money that we have provided to the NSW Government. And what today was about was about a partnership between 3 tiers of government – local government, state government and federal government – to get more homes on the ground more quickly. And that’s what we need to see more of right around the country. And obviously, our Social Housing Accelerator was $2 billion that we provided to states and territories around 12 months ago now, and is part of our $32 billion Homes for Australia plan.
CULLIVER:
So, what will these social housing dwellings be used for? Who will be able to access these houses?
COLLINS:
Well, they’ll be people off the social housing waiting list and as I’ve said, there’s already been 9 refurbishments and they will be getting people in them. The homes that we stood in front of today, I understand there’ll be a handover today from the builders and people will be in those homes within weeks. And in terms of the new announcement for the ones at Wallsend, they’ll be under construction very soon and should be complete by the middle of next year, and have new tenants in them by the second half of next year. So, moving very quickly and this is obviously just the start of what we’re doing with our housing investments. We also will have the first round of our Housing Australia Future Fund and the National Housing Accord being announced later this year, around the end of August. But of course, those funds, particularly the Housing Australia Future Fund, was held up in the Senate by more than 6 months by the Liberal and the Greens senators. So, it is later than we had hoped, but we are going as quickly as we can to get as many homes on the ground as fast as we can.
CULLIVER:
Well, indeed. So, we’re talking about, you know, roughly 20 new homes here in totality. And obviously they are a benefit to the people that they will now house. But people might hear that and go, ‘9, 10 extra houses – it’s not making that much of a dent’.
COLLINS:
Well, we’re announcing homes like this all over the country though, and they will start to make a dent. And, of course, they are part of our ambitious shared national housing target to reach 1.2 million homes across the country. And these are homes of every type, not just social homes. We’re talking about homes to buy, homes for people to rent and, of course, social and affordable housing, as well as of course we know we need more transitional housing for women and children fleeing family violence, as well particularly. And we are building all of the above as fast as we can, working with other tiers of government. We had a historic agreement through National Cabinet in August last year, whereby the states committed to planning, zoning, land release reforms that will be very significant. And indeed, the Grattan Institute has said that our supply plan to add more homes could save renters around $32 billion. So, they are significant reforms. We’ve already seen the NSW Government move to do some of that planning and zoning reform, and they’re making great progress. But it’s only by having all tiers of government working together, working with community housing providers, working with the construction sector, that we’re actually going to be able to meet our shared national ambitious target of 1.2 million homes. We’re ambitious because we need to be, Paul, because we know we don’t have enough homes in Australia. We haven’t had enough homes for a long time. After a decade of neglect under the former government, we’ve got a lot of work to do and that’s what we’re getting on and doing, which is what you saw today.
CULLIVER:
Well, speaking of that ambitious plan, Oxford Economics yesterday released a report, Building in Australia. Their forecast says that you’re going to achieve 960,000 new homes will be built between now and 2029, compared to that target of 1.2 million, so falling short by over 200,000. Do you think they’ve got that modelling right?
COLLINS:
Well, of course what we want to do is we want to change things, which is what our $32 billion Homes for Australia plan is about. And if we see the states and the territories do the planning reforms that they’ve agreed to, if you see investments coming from other tiers of government, if you see 3 tiers of government working together, if we get more institutional investment, if we’re all working together with our shoulder to the wheel, we will get much closer to that. It is ambitious because it needs to be, Paul. We need a bit of ambition. We don’t have enough homes, and we haven’t for a long time. When you look at the number of homes that Australia has, particularly compared to the OECD average, we don’t have enough homes and we haven’t had enough homes for a long time. So, we need to get a good pipeline of homes and that’s what our work is all about.
CULLIVER:
Ok. But given that report yesterday by Oxford Economics, they’re basically saying, as it stands, what the Labor government is doing and in concert with state governments and councils as well, we’re going to fall short. So, do you need to do more? Do you need to do something different?
COLLINS:
Well, what you saw was us adding to our agenda in the last Budget with a further $6 billion, working as part of our $32 billion Homes for Australia plan. Since we’ve come to office now, we’ve announced $32 billion in new housing initiatives. We’ve had the significant National Cabinet agreement do a range of planning and zoning reforms, as I’ve said. We expect that this will make a big difference across the country. We are investing at every opportunity since we’ve come to government. We have announced new investments, and as I said, it’s not just our target. It’s a shared national target, working with other tiers of government, working with the sector to turn this around and to get more homes on the ground more quickly.
CULLIVER:
Your guest today is the federal Minister for Housing, Julie Collins. Of course, in the region today launching some of those new social housing dwellings that are being opened in our region, in Lake Macquarie. You are listening to ABC Newcastle. Paul Culliver with you. Of course, after the last week, we’ve been seeing a series of reporting and investigation over the CFMEU, the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union. Emerging allegations about criminal ties and the associated impact on what might be happening with government money there. The affiliation of the construction industry superfund Cbus, they have contribution to Labor’s affordable housing scheme. Some senators on the other side of the aisle saying that board members from the CFMEU contributing to Cbus should walk away. Indeed, Cbus should not be involved in that housing affordability fund. What is the status there in terms of CFMEU’s influence on those projects?
COLLINS:
Well, of course, we’ve said there’s zero tolerance for what the allegations and what we’ve seen in terms of the media reporting around what’s happening with the CFMEU. Zero tolerance. We have taken the strongest possible action. We’ve said we’re appointing an administrator through Fair Work. We are moving as quickly as we can and taking the strongest possible action we can. When it comes to Housing Australia and when it comes to housing across the country, what we’re focused on is getting housing on the ground as quickly as we can. We also, of course, want to make sure that we get value for taxpayer dollar and we want to make sure that we deal with some of the supply constraints around a shortage of labour, a shortage of materials. We’re investing more in Fee‑Free TAFE. We’re investing in a Future Made in Australia. We’re looking at modular and non‑traditional methods of construction to get homes up as quickly as we can. And we’re working, as I’ve said, right across government, but importantly with other tiers of government and with the sector to get these homes up as fast as we can.
CULLIVER:
Ok. Is it appropriate to have CFMEU representatives on the board of Cbus that are committing money to Labor’s Housing Australia Future Fund?
COLLINS:
Look, Cbus is an independent organisation and its board is a matter for that organisation. What I’m focused on is making sure that we do due diligence, that we get value for this Australian taxpayer as part of Housing Australia and our investments. That’s what we focused on – getting homes on the ground, getting the best value for dollar for the Australian taxpayer, and making sure that we get the homes up as quickly as we can, the right homes in the right places, including in regional cities like Newcastle.
CULLIVER:
All right. Should the Housing Australia Future Fund have money contributed to by a fund which has board members from the CFMEU?
COLLINS:
Well, the Housing Australia Future Fund at the moment has funds from the Australian taxpayer and that’s what we’re focused on, getting the returns for the Australian taxpayer to make sure that our investments are the best possible investments for the Australian taxpayer. We’re working incredibly hard, as I’ve said repeatedly, with other tiers of government, with the sector and the industry to get these homes up out of the ground as fast as we can.
CULLIVER:
Ok, but is the Future Fund going to accept funding from Cbus?
COLLINS:
Well, it doesn’t do that. Its contracts are with community housing providers. That’s how it works. The community housing providers and the state and territory governments, they are the people that have the contracts that get the homes built and that’s what we’re focused on.
CULLIVER:
Okay, does Cbus have any influence on what’s happening when it comes to the houses being built by the Fund?
COLLINS:
Absolutely not.
CULLIVER:
Okay, just finally, I want to talk about the emergence of deepfakes in domestic politics in Queensland. People might have seen this online. It’s doing the rounds on social media. Steven Miles, of course, the current Premier of Queensland. There’s been a deep fake turning up of him dancing. The LNP appears to have put this out just in the last hour. The ABC has reported that the ALP has previously actually published a clip of Peter Dutton the Opposition Leader created using generative artificial intelligence to its TikTok account. Do you think it’s appropriate to use generative AI to portray political actors doing things that they clearly did not?
COLLINS:
Some of the deepfake material is a really serious matter. I mean, I heard from one of my colleagues today who was at an inquiry into deepfake sexual material, which is a really serious issue. And obviously we are concerned about that. And we’re concerned about digitally created and altered particularly sexually explicit material that’s shared without consent that can be really damaging. And we’re looking at legislative legislation to make sure that people who share digitally created sexually explicit material without consent will be subject to serious criminal penalties. But we are concerned about the serious nature of some of the deepfakes, particularly on social media.
CULLIVER:
Was it appropriate for the Australian Labor Party TikTok to post, to post an AI generated video of Peter Dutton dancing?
COLLINS:
Well, I think that there’s a very big difference between something that is considered to be amusing or funny, as opposed to something that is really serious material. It is up to independent organisations such as the Queensland Electoral Commission or the Australian Electoral Commission in terms of electoral advertising about what is appropriate. But I think that there is a big difference between some of that material that you’re talking about.
CULLIVER:
Would you feel entirely comfortable if the opposition started posting deepfakes of you doing things that you hadn’t done?
COLLINS:
Look, as I said, I think that there’s a big difference between some of the really serious material that people have raised concerns about, and there is a difference between some of the electoral material. Some of it, of course, should not be put up. Some of it is a bit different, is intended to be humorous, and I think that there is a difference between the 2.
CULLIVER:
Would it be better to just ban all of it?
COLLINS:
Well, that is obviously something that could be considered. Certainly, I think the Queensland Electoral Commission will have a look in terms of the case in Queensland. You know, this sort of material, I think, is concerning. I think most Australians are concerned that this type of material is being produced. But as I said, I think there is a big difference between some of the material and some of this really serious material out there.
Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry
JEROME LAXALE:
I’m Jerome Laxale, the Member for Bennelong. It’s so great to welcome the Minister for Housing and the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the Assistant Minister Jenny McAllister. It’s so great to be here at a small business in Bennelong. These energy efficiency upgrades will make a difference. I’ve run a small business my whole life. And I know that each and every day you’re looking to make savings, you’re looking to reinvest in the business. To get a better outcome for the bottom line, but also for your customers. Investing in these energy efficiency upgrades will help small businesses right across the country. Round 2 being announced today builds on the back of Round 1, which was announced last year. And we had a great example, in Bennelong where a supermarket used these energy efficiency grants to install controllers on their refrigerants, which has reduced their power prices by 20 per cent to 30 per cent. By the government providing these grants, it gives small businesses incentives, to do the homework, and to invest in upgrades to their energy efficiency, reduces emissions and reduces power bills. This is exactly what this Albanese government was elected to deliver. And it’s so great that we have another business here in Bennelong that has applied, that has been successful. They’ll see the power prices go down; they’ll see their emissions go down – all from this incentive by the federal government. It gives me great pleasure to invite Minister McAllister, to talk about it a lot more. It’s a very exciting program and one that I’m proud to have been an advocate for.
SENATOR MCALLISTER:
Thanks very much, Jerome, for your warm welcome and for your tireless advocacy for the people of Bennelong. It’s a pleasure to be here with my friend and colleague, Minister Collins. And today to announce the second round of the Energy Efficiency Grants for Small and Medium Enterprises. Now, we know that over the last 10 years, electricity has literally been leaking out the doors and windows of Australian homes and businesses because too little government attention was paid to the opportunities afforded by energy efficiency. Small improvements to businesses can make a big difference in an ongoing way to the energy demands. Now here at The Governor in Jerome’s electorate of Bennelong, they understand that changes to the energy performance of this operation will help them with their overall business performance. They’ve already made the decision to put solar on the roof, but in addition to that, they are now seeking to install monitoring equipment on the refrigeration, switch over their hot water from gas to a much more efficient electric system, and do an overall energy audit, so that can also understand the future opportunities to improvements right here. Our grants will allow these kinds of activities to happen right across the country. So from Darwin down to Hobart, Sydney to Perth, we will assist more than 1,700 Australian small and medium sized businesses to improve their energy performance. Lighting, refrigeration, heating and cooling, all of these things can make a lasting and enduring difference to the bills paid by small businesses and help these businesses to thrive. There’s a lot of work to do. This area of policy was characterised by a decade of neglect. But we are up for this task, and it is my very great pleasure to announce these grants today. I might introduce the Small Business Minister, Minister Collins, to make a few additional remarks, about the work that we are doing [inaudible] to support the small business sector.
JULIE COLLINS:
Thanks, Jenny. It’s terrific to be here at The Governor Hotel, and I thank them for having us today and for their success in this energy efficiency grant. It’s also terrific, obviously, to be with my friend and local Member, Jerome. It’s terrific to visit Jerome’s electorate. And again, as my colleague said, he’s a terrific advocate for people in Bennelong here in New South Wales. And of course, my other friend and colleague, Minister McAllister, who’s doing a terrific job when it comes to climate and energy, and particularly in terms of helping small businesses improve their energy efficiency and put downward pressure on their energy bills. That is what we have been doing as a government supporting small businesses with targeted support in ways to support small businesses, but also put downward pressure on inflation. These grants are a prime example of the government supporting and investing with small businesses in their business so that they get the returns not just today, but over the long term. As we’ve heard from Minister McAllister and indeed from the local member, Jerome, these grants are incredibly popular because what they do is they get small businesses to think about their energy efficiency, and they’ve put downward pressure on their energy bills over the long term. They are, of course, from our government, supporting small businesses, as we’ve heard, the second round over $40 million going to 1,700 small businesses and medium‑sized enterprises across the country. We, of course, are supporting small businesses in other ways. What we saw in our last budget was our Small Business Budget Statement, which has got over $640 million in targeted support for small businesses.
Because we know while many small businesses are thriving, some small businesses are doing it tough, and we’re providing that targeted support. For things like our direct energy bill relief, up to $325 for around 1 million small businesses across the country. Our instant asset write‑off $20,000, for each asset for small businesses has been extended for this financial year as well as last. We have of course extended important programs to provide mental health and wellbeing for small businesses. To make sure that if they want to expand and grow their business or if they’re having some issues with their small businesses, they can get that targeted personal support for their business through financial counselling and advice. We, of course, are also leveling the playing field. We have got through the parliament legislation in relation to improving payment times for small businesses, again, to help small businesses with their cash flow. We’re reforming the franchising system to make sure that we have as a level playing field as we can get so that small businesses can compete with big businesses. We want to stay small businesses thrive in Australia, and that is what our small business target of support is all about. Labor is the party of supporting small businesses, and I look forward to continuing to work with colleagues like Minister McAllister to ensure that small businesses thrive right across the country.
JOURNALIST:
AEMO has flagged drops in energy supply for renewables throughout winter, with more gas needed to fill the gap. What is the plan if renewable output doesn’t improve?
COLLINS:
Look what we know is that renewables are the cheapest form of energy. AEMO supports what Labor is doing in terms of more renewables into the grid. What we also know is, is that the Liberal and National plan for nuclear will be too slow and too expensive when it comes to energy in Australia. What we’re doing here today is supporting small businesses to put downward pressure on their energy and to help them with their energy bills. And I’m happy to hand over to Minister McAllister to talk more about energy more generally. What I would say is that the alternative plan coming from Peter Dutton to go nuclear is too slow and too expensive, and our plan is being supported by AEMO to get more renewables into the system. Can I say, as a proud Tasmanian, we have a lot of renewables in Tasmania. We’ve been successfully net zero now for 8 out of the 9 last years. So it can be done.
MCALLISTER:
Thanks very much, Julie. Today we’ve received 2 reports from the market bodies indicating that renewables remain the lowest cost form of generation and are making an increasingly important contribution to the grid. Now, the reports also confirm the information that has been provided to successive governments over a very long period of time now – which is that more investment is required in generation capability to replace the aging coal‑fired power fleet that is coming to the end of its life.
Unfortunately, during the period of the last government under the Liberals, these warnings were ignored. Twenty-four coal fired power stations announced or brought forward their closure dates, and the response to this was zero from the previous government. We are acting and taking steps now to bring on the new, reliable renewables that are necessary to develop – to deliver affordable energy for Australians. Now Peter Dutton’s plan is in no way responsive to the information that’s in front of us.
Mr Dutton’s plan, apparently, is to have a conversation over the next term about nuclear with some communities, and then to wait until 2040 to deliver new generation capacity. We can’t wait that long. We need to get on with the job delivering the technologies that the experts tell us, are necessary to deliver an affordable and reliable power grid.
JOURNALIST:
The government has approved gas exploration licenses around Victoria and Tassie. How quickly do we need to get gas – that gas into the grid?
MCALLISTER:
We understand that the future of the Australian electricity market will be built on a range of technologies: renewables, like wind, solar, batteries, pumped hydro and of course, gas for those occasions when we need it as a backup. And what AEMO tells us is that looking to the future, we will see gas used less and less frequently, but when it’s used, it will be really important. It’s on that basis that we built the Future Gas Strategy. It’s important for Australians to think about where we are going to get the gas that we will need out ‘til 2050, but at the same time we retain focus on our core purpose, which is building out the new generation capability that is necessary to replace the aging coal‑fired generation. This is a task that has been completely ignored by the previous government, and it appears that in opposition they have not learned the lessons from the past. The current plan is to do something, perhaps in 2040. What happens between now and then is a complete mystery. And it’s time for Mr Dutton to front up and explain to Australians what the plan is between now and 2040, to meet the energy demands that the Australian economy requires.
VIENNA, Va., April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Castellum, Inc. (NYSE-American: CTM) (“Castellum” or “CTM”), a cybersecurity, electronic warfare, and software engineering services company focused on the federal government, announces that it has entered into an amendment to a letter agreement to, among other things, reduce the principal balance on two notes payable to Robert Eisiminger by $2 Million, leaving an aggregate principal balance owed of $4 million.
In addition, the parties agreed to extend the maturity date on the remaining note payable until December 15, 2027. The full terms and conditions of the amendment to the letter agreement with Mr. Eisiminger are expected to be disclosed in a Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission later today.
“De-levering our balance sheet and reducing our overall debt service load is a testament to our resilience and recent success. This strategic move will further fortify our ongoing performance,” states David Bell, Chief Financial Officer of Castellum.
“Our success in implementing our debt mitigation plans continues to bolster our healthy balance sheet and fuels our unwavering commitment to our organic growth strategy. We are well-positioned to make the right and timely investments to further strengthen our proven ability to win major prime contracts. This is another significant step in growing CTM better, stronger, and bigger for what’s most important to us: our people, mission customers, and shareholders,” states Glen Ives, Chief Executive Officer of Castellum.
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements represent the Company’s expectations or beliefs concerning future events and can generally be identified by the use of statements that include words such as “estimate,” “project,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “shooting to,” “intend,” “plan,” “foresee,” “likely,” “will,” “would,” “appears,” “goal,” “target” or similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s expectations for revenue growth and new customer opportunities, improvements to cost structure, and profitability. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s expectations for revenue growth and new customer opportunities and other customers, improvements to cost structure, and profitability.These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of the Company’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including, among others: the Company’s ability to compete against new and existing competitors; its ability to effectively integrate and grow its acquired companies; its ability to identify additional acquisition targets and close additional acquisitions; the impact on the Company’s revenue due to a delay in the U.S. Congress approving a federal budget, operating under a prolonged continuing resolution, government shutdown, or breach of the debt ceiling, as well as the imposition by the U.S. government of sequestration in the absence of an approved budget; the ability of the U.S. federal government to unilaterally cancel a contract with or without cause, and more specifically, the potential impact of the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization on government spending and terminating contracts for convenience. For a more detailed description of these and other risk factors, please refer to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) which can be viewed at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or future performance of the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. The Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements made in this release or in any of its SEC filings except as may be otherwise stated by the Company.
VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEXC, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, has announced that it will list Balance (EPT) on April 21, 2025 (UTC). To celebrate the listing, the platform has launched a series of events featuring a total reward of 6,000,000 EPT and 50,000 USDT for users.
Balance is an innovative Web3 platform that integrates AI and blockchain technologies to create immersive digital interaction experiences. Developed by the team behind E-PAL, the world’s largest game companion platform. Balance offers services such as Human Epal, AI Epal, AI-Driven Battle Report System, and more. These features effectively address key challenges in blockchain gaming, including security, scalability, and development efficiency.
$EPT is the native utility token of the Balance ecosystem, with a total supply of 10 billion tokens. It functions as the core medium powering payments, governance participation, and on-chain transactions across the platform, forming a highly synergistic and sustainable internal economy.
In celebration of the Balance (EPT) listing, MEXC is launching a series of events to offer users exclusive opportunities to earn generous rewards.
The key details are as follows:
Event 1: EPT Launchpool – Stake USDT, MX and EPT to Share 4,800,000 EPT Event Period: April 21, 2025, 12:00 – April 24, 2025, 10:00 (UTC) Users can stake USDT, MX, or EPT to earn valuable rewards through MEXC’s EPT Launchpool.
Event 2: Join Airdrop+ to Share 1,200,000 EPT & 50,000 USDT Bonus Event Period: April 21, 2025, 12:00 – May 1, 2025, 10:00 (UTC) Benefit 1: Deposit and share 960,000 EPT (New user exclusive) Benefit 2: Futures Challenge — Trade to share 50,000 USDT in Futures bonus (For all users) Benefit 3: Invite new users and share 240,000 EPT (For all users)
Event 3: Spread the Word & Win Event Period: April 21, 2025, 10:00 – April 27, 2025, 23:59 (UTC) Users who share the EPT events on social media during the event period can win extra rewards.
As a global exchange, MEXC drives innovation across emerging sectors such as Web3 gaming, AI, and DePIN by offering deep liquidity, streamlined market access, and performance-based incentive programs. The listing of EPT opens new investment avenues in the rapidly evolving AI-driven gaming space.
MEXC has established itself as a leading exchange by consistently offering users early access to high-potential crypto assets. In 2024 alone, the platform listed 2,376 new tokens, including 1,716 initial listings. According to the latest TokenInsight report, MEXC led the industry with 461 spot listings between November 1, 2024, and February 15, 2025. During this period, the exchange maintained a high listing frequency, consistently ranking among the top six platforms, demonstrating its agility in capturing emerging market trends. Looking ahead, MEXC remains committed to expanding its asset offerings and helping users seize timely opportunities in the fast-moving crypto market.
For full event details and participation rules, please visit here.
About MEXC Founded in 2018, MEXC is committed to being “Your Easiest Way to Crypto.” Serving over 36 million users across 170+ countries, MEXC is known for its broad selection of trending tokens, everyday airdrop opportunities, and low trading fees. Our user-friendly platform is designed to support both new traders and experienced investors, offering secure and efficient access to digital assets. MEXC prioritizes simplicity and innovation, making crypto trading more accessible and rewarding. MEXC Official Website｜ X ｜ Telegram ｜How to Sign Up on MEXC
Risk Disclaimer: The information provided in this article regarding cryptocurrencies does not constitute investment advice. Given the highly volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market, investors are encouraged to carefully assess market fluctuations, the fundamentals of projects, and potential financial risks before making any trading decisions.
Disclaimer:This press release is provided by MEXC. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.
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Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday, aged 88, the Vatican announced. The head of the Catholic Church had recently survived being hospitalised with a serious bout of double pneumonia.
Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.
There were many unusual aspects of Pope Francis’ papacy. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas (and the southern hemisphere), the first to choose the name “Francis” and the first to give a TED talk. He was also the first pope in more than 600 years to be elected following the resignation, rather than death, of his predecessor.
From the very start of his papacy, Francis seemed determined to do things differently and present the papacy in a new light. Even in thinking about his burial, he chose the unexpected: to be placed to rest not in the Vatican, but in the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome – the first pope to be buried there in more than 300 years.
Vatican News reported the late Pope Francis had requested his funeral rites be simplified.
“The renewed rite,” said Archbishop Diego Ravelli, “seeks to emphasise even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world.”
Straddling a line between “progressive” and “conservative”, Francis experienced tension with both sides. In doing so, his papacy shone a spotlight on what it means to be Catholic today.
The day before his death, Pope Francis made a brief appearance on Easter Sunday to bless the crowds at St Peter’s Square.
Between a rock and a hard place
Francis was deemed not progressive enough by some, yet far too progressive by others.
His apostolic exhortation (an official papal teaching on a particular issue or action) Amoris Laetitia, ignited great controversy for seemingly being (more) open to the question of whether people who have divorced and remarried may receive Eucharist.
He also disappointed progressive Catholics, many of whom hoped he would make stronger changes on issues such as the roles of women, married clergy, and the broader inclusion of LGBTQIA+ Catholics.
The reception of his exhortation Querida Amazonia was one such example. In this document, Francis did not endorse marriage for priests, despite bishops’ requests for this. He also did not allow the possibility of women being ordained as deacons to address a shortage of ordained ministers. His discerning spirit saw there was too much division and no clear consensus for change.
Francis was also openly critical of Germany’s controversial “Synodal Way” – a series of conferences with bishops and lay people – that advocated for positions contrary to Church teachings. Francis expressed concern on multiple occasions that this project was a threat to the unity of the Church.
At the same time, Francis was no stranger to controversy from the conservative side of the Church, receiving “dubia” or “theological doubts” over his teaching from some of his Cardinals. In 2023, he took the unusual step of responding to some of these doubts.
Impact on the Catholic Church
In many ways, the most striking thing about Francis was not his words or theology, but his style. He was a modest man, even foregoing the Apostolic Palace’s grand papal apartments to live in the Vatican’s simpler guest house.
He may well be remembered most for his simplicity of dress and habits, his welcoming and pastoral style and his wise spirit of discernment.
He is recognised as giving a clear witness to the life, love and joy of Jesus in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council – a point of major reform in modern Church history. This witness has translated into two major developments in Church teachings and life.
Love for our common home
The first of these relates to environmental teachings. In 2015, Francis released his ground-breaking encyclical, Laudato si’: On Care for Our Common Home. It expanded Catholic social teaching by giving a comprehensive account of how the environment reflects our God-given “common home”.
Consistent with recent popes such as Benedict XVI and John Paul II, Francis acknowledged climate change and its destructive impacts and causes. He summarised key scientific research to forcefully argue for an evidence-based approach to addressing humans’ impact on the environment.
He also made a pivotal and innovative contribution to the climate change debate by identifying the ethical and spiritual causes of environmental destruction.
Francis argued combating climate change relied on the “ecological conversion” of the human heart, so that people may recognise the God-given nature of our planet and the fundamental call to care for it. Without this conversion, pragmatic and political measures wouldn’t be able to counter the forces of consumerism, exploitation and selfishness.
Francis argued a new ethic and spirituality was needed. Specifically, he said Jesus’ way of love – for other people and all creation – is the transformative force that could bring sustainable change for the environment and cultivate fraternity among people (and especially with the poor).
Synodality: moving towards a Church that listens
Francis’s second major contribution, and one of the most significant aspects of his papacy, was his commitment to “synodality”. While there’s still confusion over what synodality actually means, and its potential for political distortion, it is above all a way of listening and discerning through openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
It involves hierarchy and lay people transparently and honestly discerning together, in service of the mission of the church. Synodality is as much about the process as the goal. This makes sense as Pope Francis was a Jesuit, an order focused on spreading Catholicism through spiritual formation and discernment.
Drawing on his rich Jesuit spirituality, Francis introduced a way of conversation centred on listening to the Holy Spirit and others, while seeking to cultivate friendship and wisdom.
With the conclusion of the second session of the Synod on Synodality in October 2024, it is too soon to assess its results. However, those who have been involved in synodal processes have reported back on their transformative potential.
Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge, explained how participating in the 2015 Synod “was an extraordinary experience [and] in some ways an awakening”.
Catholicism in the modern age
Francis’ papacy inspired both great joy and aspirations, as well as boiling anger and rejection. He laid bare the agonising fault lines within the Catholic community and struck at key issues of Catholic identity, triggering debate over what it means to be Catholic in the world today.
He leaves behind a Church that seems more divided than ever, with arguments, uncertainty and many questions rolling in his wake. But he has also provided a way for the Church to become more converted to Jesus’ way of love, through synodality and dialogue.
Francis showed us that holding labels such as “progressive” or “conservative” won’t enable the Church to live out Jesus’ mission of love – a mission he emphasised from the very beginning of his papacy.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
ACCRA, Ghana, April 21, 2025/APO Group/ —
African mining projects are increasingly incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline operations and meet ambitious production targets set by governments across the continent. As the mining industry undergoes a digital transformation, the upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) will highlight the pivotal role of AI and other digital tools in optimizing exploration and production processes, with a view to unlocking new mineral reserves, reducing costs and enhancing worker safety.
Botswana Diversifies Mineral Portfolio
In Botswana, Botswana Diamonds is expanding its mineral portfolio beyond diamonds with an AI-based nationwide exploration campaign launched in August 2024. By March 2025, the company identified potential deposits of besshi, greenstone, Mississippi Valley-type lead and zinc, SEDEX and platinum group metals (PGMs). To capitalize on these discoveries, Botswana Diamonds has applied for 11 new prospecting licenses. John Teeling, Chairman of Botswana Diamonds, stated: “During the initial analysis of the big database, it became clear that the AI technology could be used to identify other unknown minerals opportunities… Our analysis so far has identified a series of targets in copper cobalt, zinc and gold.”
KoBold Advances Zambia’s Critical Mineral Market
U.S.-based startup KoBold Metals is applying AI to enhance critical mineral exploration and mine development in Zambia. In January 2025, KoBold raised $537 million in new capital, bringing its total funding to $1 billion. The company is developing one of the world’s largest untapped copper basins in Zambia, with plans to produce 300,000 tons annually by 2030 from its $2 billion Mingomba Project. Additionally, KoBold Metals is exploring the Dumbwa Mine and Konkola West Project, contributing to Zambia’s goal of reaching 3 million tons of annual copper production by 2031.
Kilken Platinum Drives Mine Expansion
In South Africa, Kilken Platinum is utilizing AI to optimize operations at its Thabazimbi processing plant in Limpopo as part of an expansion plan to double PGM production to 83kgs per month. The project has already increased output to 40kgs in its initial phase. Dondo Mogajane, CEO of Kilken Platinum’s parent company Moti Group, emphasized that AI enables real-time tracking of production metrics and ensures strict adherence to safety protocols.
Beyond these projects, Rio Tinto subsidiary Richards Bay Minerals is employing AI for ore body modeling, equipment dispatch management and blast control at its mines in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Glencore is leveraging digital technology to streamline critical mineral exploration as part of its Phase 2 expansion at the KTO copper and cobalt project. AMW 2025 will feature high-level discussions focused on AI’s impact on industry growth, investment opportunities for technology providers and the broader economic benefits of digital transformation in mining.
African Mining Week serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2025 conference from October 1-3 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Stan Chu Ilo, Research Professor, World Christianity and African Studies, DePaul University
The death of Pope Francis in an Italian hospital on 21 April 2025 marks the end of a significant era for the Vatican and the global Catholic following of 1.3 billion faithful.
The first pope from the Americas and also the first to come from outside the west in the modern era, Pope Francis was elected leader of the Catholic church on 13 March 2013.
By the time the Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was elected pope in 2013 there was a general feeling that the Catholic church was reaching the end of an era. At the time, the church was beset by crises, from corruption to clerical sexual abuse.
Some of the challenges facing the church which the ageing Pope Benedict XVI could no longer handle included:
Moreover, the church was reeling from the revelation of papal secrets of his predecessor Pope Benedict by the papal butler. A book detailing these secrets portrayed the Vatican as a corrupt hotbed of jealousy, intrigue and underhanded factional fighting.
The revelations caused the church a great deal of embarrassment.
It meant therefore that Cardinal Bergoglio was elected by the Catholic cardinals with a mandate to clean up the church and reform the Vatican and its bureaucracy. He was to institute processes and procedures for transparency, accountability and renewal of the church and its structures, and address the lingering scandals of clerical abuse.
The Pope’s global legacy
Three key things defined his papal role and legacy.
First is concentrating on the core competence of the church: serving the poor and the marginalised. This is what the founder of the Christian religion, Jesus Christ, did.
Francis focused the Catholic church and the entire world on one mission: helping the poor, addressing global inequalities, speaking for the voiceless, and placing the attention of the world on those on the periphery.
He also chose to live simply, forsaking the pomp and pageantry of the papacy.
Secondly, he changed the way the Catholic church’s message is communicated. In his programmatic document, Evangelii Gaudium, he called the church to what he calls “missionary conversion”. His thinking was that everything that is done in the church must be about proclaiming the good news to a wounded and broken world.
His central message was that of mercy towards all, an end to wars, our common humanity and the closeness of God to those who suffer. The suffering in the world continues to grow because of injustice, greed, selfishness and pride. He also focused on symbols and simple style to press home his message, like celebrating mass at a wall that divides the United States and Mexico.
In 2015 he made a risky trip to Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, during a time of war and tension between the fighting factions of the Muslim Seleka and the Christian anti-balaka. He drove on the Popemobile with both the highest ranking Muslim cleric in the country and his Christian counterpart and visited both a Christian church and a mosque to press home the message of peace.
The third strategy was restructuring the church and reforming the Vatican bank.
He created the G8 (a representative council of cardinals from every part of the world) to advise him, calling the Catholic church to a synod for dialogue on every aspect of the life of the church. This effort was unprecedented.
He also overhauled the procedures for the synod of bishops, making it more participatory, and gave women and the non-ordained voting rights. He shook up the membership of the Vatican department that picks bishops to include women. He appointed the first woman (Sr Simone Brambilla) to lead a major Vatican department and to have a cardinal as her deputy. Another woman (Sr Raffaella Petrini) was named the first woman governor of the Vatican City State.
Pope Francis and Africa
The pontiff’s legacy will be keenly felt in Africa. Three things stand out.
First, he reflected the concerns of people on the continent with his message against imperialism, colonialism, exploitation of the poor by the rich, global inequality, neo-liberal capitalism and ecological injustice. Pope Francis became a voice for Africa. When he visited Kenya in 2015, he chose to visit the slums of Nairobi to proclaim the gospel of liberation to the forsaken of society. He called on African governments to guarantee for the poor and all citizens access to land, lodging and labour.
In a sense, Pope Francis embodied the message of decolonisation and was driven in part by the liberation theology that developed in Latin America. This theology tied religious faith with liberation of the people from structures of injustice and structural violence.
Secondly, he encouraged African Catholics to develop Africa’s own unique approach to pastoral life and addressing social issues in Africa. Particularly, Pope Francis believed in decentralisation and local processes in meeting local challenges. He said many times that it is not necessary that all problems in the church be solved by the pope at the Roman centre of the church.
In this way, he encouraged the growth and development of African priorities and cultural adaptation to the Catholic faith. He also encouraged greater transparency and accountability among African bishops and gave African Catholic universities and seminaries greater autonomy to develop their own educational priorities and programmes.
Thirdly, Pope Francis had a very deep connection to Africa’s young people. He encouraged and supported initiatives and programmes to strengthen the agency of young people, to give them hope and support their personal, spiritual and professional development. For the first time in history, on 1 November 2022, Pope Francis met virtually with more than 1,000 young Africans for an hour. I helped organise this meeting. He answered their questions and encouraged them to fight for what they believe.
A reformist agenda
The reforms of Pope Francis could be termed a movement – from a church of a few where priests and bishops and the pope call the shots to a church of the people of God where everyone’s voice matters and where everyone’s concerns and needs are catered to.
He quietly changed the tone of the message and the style of the leadership at the Vatican.
Granted, he did not substantially alter the content of that message, which is often seen as conservative, Eurocentric, and resistant to cultural pluralism and social change. But he constantly chipped away at its foundations through inclusion and an openness to hearing the voices of everyone, including those who do not agree with the church’s position. In doing this, he shifted the priorities and practices of the Catholic church regarding such core issues as power and authority.
Pope Francis opened the doors to the voices of the marginalised in the church — women, the poor, the LGBTQI+ community, and those who have disaffiliated from the church. Many African Catholics would love to see more African representation at the Vatican, and many of them also worry about the widening division in the church, particularly driven by cultural and ideological battles in the west that have nothing to do with the social and ecclesial context of Africa.
Why his papacy mattered
Pope Francis was the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, the first to choose the name Francis and the first to come from outside the west in the modern era. He chose the name Francis because he wanted to focus his papacy on the poor, emulating St Francis of Assisi.
In a sense, Pope Francis redefined what religion and spirituality mean for Catholicism. It’s not laying down and enforcing the law without mercy, it is caring for our neighbours and the Earth. This is the kind of religion the world needs today.
– Pope Francis: why his papacy mattered for Africa – and for the world’s poor and marginalised – https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-why-his-papacy-mattered-for-africa-and-for-the-worlds-poor-and-marginalised-251059
Statement from the Prime Minister following the death of Pope Francis
Statement from the Prime Minister following the death of Pope Francis
I join millions around the world in grieving the death of His Holiness Pope Francis.
His leadership in a complex and challenging time for the world and the church was courageous, yet always came from a place of deep humility.
Pope Francis was a pope for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten. He was close to the realities of human fragility, meeting Christians around the world facing war, famine, persecution and poverty. Yet he never lost hope of a better world.
That hope was as the heart of his papacy. His determination to visibly live out his faith inspired people across the world to see afresh the church’s teachings of mercy and charity.
With his death, we are reminded once more of his call to care for one another across different faiths, backgrounds, nations and beliefs.
My thoughts are with Catholics across the world, and the Roman Catholic church. May His Holiness Rest in Peace.
Schools for gifted children “Grow up with Vyshka” introduce children to modern trends in the development of science and technology, and provide an idea of the skills that are most in demand on the labor market. This is a meeting place for high school students, students, and teachers at the HSE, as well as representatives of large organizations and companies from the business sector.
To become a participant in any of the five summer schools, you need to pass a competitive selection: submit a motivation letter and an electronic portfolio, including certificates and diplomas of Olympiads that correspond to the profile of the school. The criteria for competitive selection are different in each school, but they are united by the main thing – the presence of a high school student’s motivation to study something new within the framework of the chosen subject area.
Participation in all schools is fee-based, prices will be published towards the end of April.
Economic School FEN – “Voronovo”
The school introduces the basics of macroeconomics and macroeconomic policy. It is held for the first time within the city limits of Moscow. Senior students will meet with invited speakers involved in the development and implementation of fiscal and monetary policy, and lectures by HSE professors. The school’s mentors are the best students of the Faculty of Economic Sciences.
Dates: June 18–22, 2025.
Venue: HSE Voronovo training center.
Participants: schoolchildren in grades 8–11 who are interested in economics and want to obtain an economics degree in the future.
Online applications for participation in the competitive selection will be accepted from 21.04.2025 to 21.05.2025.
Summarizing the results of the competitive selection: no later than 05/29/2025.
Ask the organizers a question: economicsschool@hse.ru.
Summer multidisciplinary school “Facets of Entrepreneurship”
During the ten days of the school, each participant will discover new facets of creativity, creation and management, and will understand in which area of entrepreneurship they would like to develop their project. The guys will have a busy program: meetings with representatives of large companies, lectures by teachers of the Higher School of Business, analysis and solution of business cases, teamwork, practice and experiments in product development, sports, creativity and, of course, just relaxing in nature. At the end of the program, everyone will be able to present their projects to investors and experts from partner companies.
Dates: July 1–11, 2025.
Location: Buran sanatorium, Moscow region.
Participants: schoolchildren who have completed grades 8–10.
Electronic portfolio submission period: from 21.04.2025 to 23.05.2025.
Publication of the results of the competitive selection: 03.06.2025.
A project for high school students interested in linguistics — the science of how language works. LLS participants will learn how to process language data using a computer, where linguistic expeditions go and how experiments with language are conducted, they will solve linguistic problems and discuss how language differs among different social groups. There will also be many intellectual games and warm-up conversations.
Dates: July 17–27, 2025.
Venue: HSE Voronovo training center.
Participants: schoolchildren who have completed 8th–10th grade and are interested in linguistics.
Acceptance of online applications from schoolchildren to participate in the competitive selection: from 01.04.2025 to 05.05.2025.
Summarizing the results of the competitive selection and announcement of candidates for participation: no later than 11.05.2025.
Ask the organizers a question: llsh-org@yandex.ru.
One of the largest HSE visiting schools for high school students. For one week in the summer, the kids will find themselves in the very center of the jurisprudence universe. They will hear lectures from practicing lawyers of large companies and leading HSE professors, have informal conversations with students of the Faculty of Law, and, of course, make many new friends.
Dates: August 1–8, 2025.
Venue: HSE Voronovo training center.
Participants: schoolchildren who have completed 8th–10th grades, who are interested in law or want to become lawyers.
Acceptance of online applications from schoolchildren to participate in the competitive selection: from 12.04.2025 to 31.05.2025.
Summarizing the results of the competitive selection and announcement of candidates for participation: no later than 12.06.2025.
LIFSH is a chance for high school students to temporarily find themselves in a dense environment of like-minded people interested in deep and attentive immersion in the humanities, in expanding their knowledge of history, philology and art history, in finding their interests. The experience gained in lectures and seminars will not only help in conducting their own scientific research, but will also be useful in Olympiads and other intellectual competitions.
Dates: August 12–19, 2025.
Venue: HSE Voronovo training center.
Participants: schoolchildren in grades 8–11 interested in history, art history, philology, cultural studies and related disciplines.
Acceptance of online applications from schoolchildren to participate in the competitive selection: from 10.03.2025 to 12.05.2025.
Summarizing the results of the competitive selection and announcement of candidates for participation: no later than 15.06.2025.
All information is published in the TG group LIFSH info and in the group in VKYou can also ask questions to the organizers there.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The 10th St. Petersburg International Economic Congress was held. The main topic was “Labor and the Transformation of Society: Knowledge, Creativity, Noonomics.” The event was organized by the S. Yu. Witte Institute for New Industrial Development together with the Free Economic Society of Russia with the participation of the Economics Section of the Social Sciences Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Department of Global Problems and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the assistance of the World Association of Political Economy and the International Union of Economists. This significant event brought together more than a thousand leading scientists, experts, and representatives of the business community from Russia and 12 countries, including China, India, Greece, Great Britain, Canada, Turkey, Austria, Hungary, and others.
At the plenary session, the Director of the Witte Institute of Industrial Development and the President of the Free Economic Society of Russia Sergei Bodrunov noted that over 10 years of work, SPEC has achieved significant results – both theoretical and practical, and has become a provider of scientific thought into practice. SPEC-2025 received numerous greetings from scientists, public and government figures: the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennady Krasnikov, the Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov, the head of the UN group in Russia Vladimir Kuznetsov, the President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin. They all emphasized the high importance of such events for uniting the country’s intellectual potential and expert discussion of fundamental problems of economic science, the development of practical mechanisms for solving pressing problems.
In his greeting to the participants of SPEC-2025, the rector of SPbPU and chairman of the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Rudskoy pointed out the importance of consolidating the efforts of the scientific and expert community to solve the problems of Russia’s socio-economic development.
“Traditionally, the congress brings together researchers from various fields – economists, sociologists, philosophers, lawyers, historians, education specialists and representatives of the exact sciences. Key issues of the global economy, social structure and problems of strategic development of Russia are discussed here. Today, the country faces difficult geopolitical tasks. The system of international relations and the structure of world economies are undergoing significant changes. In these conditions, it is especially important to develop theoretical and practical proposals for the transformation of national institutions, to consolidate the efforts of scientific communities in order to ensure the implementation of national development goals of the country,” Andrei Ivanovich noted.
The congress was attended by Abel Aganbegyan (Corresponding Member of the British Academy, Honorary Member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Vice President of the Russian Economic Society), Sergey Glazyev (current member of the Board for Integration and Macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Commission), Vladimir Okrepilov (member of the Presidium of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of St. Petersburg) and other renowned economists.
The forum participants discussed key challenges of our time — from personnel shortages and digital transformation to technological sovereignty and the development of the creative economy. Plenary sessions and round tables featured reports on innovations in the agricultural and industrial sectors, the prospects of artificial intelligence, strategic planning, and new approaches to macroeconomic modeling.
Polytechnic University was represented at the congress by the IPMET delegation consisting of representatives of the institute’s structural divisions. Our colleagues took an active part in the work of the forum. Some moderated sections, some made reports, and students had a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the latest research and discuss current issues with leading experts.
Director of the Higher School of Business Engineering Igor Ilyin not only acted as a moderator of the section “Structural, Technological and Digital Transformation of Industry in Russia”, but also presented a report on the implementation of digital technologies in the process architecture of enterprises and organizations. As part of SPEC-2025, Igor Vasilyevich headed the section, which brought together leading experts, representatives of industrial companies and scientists. The main focus of the section was on discussing current trends, challenges and prospects for digital transformation in Russian industry.
“Digital transformation is not just the introduction of new technologies, it is a change in the entire business logic, processes and approaches to management. And successful transformation requires a comprehensive approach, including both technological and organizational changes,” Igor Vasilyevich emphasized.
In his report, Igor Vasilyevich presented an analysis of modern digital technologies and their impact on the process architecture of enterprises. He focused in detail on such relevant areas as artificial intelligence, blockchain, digital twins, the Internet of Things (IoT) and confidential cloud computing. The practical examples presented in the report included cases from the medical and energy industries, which are being worked on within the framework of close cooperation between the Higher School of Business and the Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Research and Education on Technological and Economic Problems of Energy Transition (CIRETEC-GT) headed by Igor Vasilyevich and business partners of the Institute of Mechanics and Electronics and Telecommunications.
Teachers and students of the Higher School of Industrial Management also took an active part in the forum. Associate Professor Olga Ergunova and Senior Lecturer Andrey Somov made presentations. Also, student reports were presented by HSPM Master’s students Maria Belova and Diana Yakimenko, who demonstrated a high level of research training. The reports were presented in specialized sections devoted to the digitalization of the economy, intellectual work and the transformation of production and social practices.
The report by Marina Yanenko, professor at the Higher School of Service and Trade, presented an analysis of the impact of artificial intelligence on the process of market transformation, changes in business requirements for the knowledge and skills of specialists, and the emergence of new needs for the content of labor. Marina Borisovna noted that the growing availability of artificial intelligence makes it a key tool in a wide variety of economic sectors and formulated recommendations for improving competitive strategies in the labor market in the context of the development of artificial intelligence.
The Higher School of Engineering and Economics was represented by the Head of the Research Laboratory “Digital Economy of Industry” Professor Alexander Babkin, Professor Irina Rudskaya, Associate Professor Lyudmila Guzikova and Associate Professor Nikolai Dmitriev. Lyudmila Aleksandrovna participated as a moderator of the seminar “New and Old Challenges of the Russian Labor Market: Adaptation Strategies of Various Socio-Demographic Groups”, and also spoke at this seminar with a report on the topic “Implementation of the Principles of Noonomics in a Unified Interregional System of the Labor Market for Specialists with Higher Education”. Alexander Vasilyevich took part in the plenary session and also made a report on the topic: “Strategizing the Digital Transformation of the Intelligent Cyber-Social Industrial Ecosystem Based on Industry 6.0”, noting that in modern conditions, issues of developing strategic approaches to the integration of advanced technologies and the creation of sustainable, human-oriented production systems are relevant.
This year, representatives of the Department of Economic Theory of the IPMEiT took an active part in the work of the congress: Associate Professor Elena Milskaya, Associate Professor Anna Strizhak, Associate Professor Ekaterina Afonichkina, Associate Professor Olga Naumova, as well as 47 students in the areas of “Economic Security”, “Economic Statistics”, “Customs”.
“We really enjoyed the event, we learned a lot of new things, the ideas and topics of the speakers inspired us to study individual economic issues in detail. It was great that we could choose the literature ourselves and take it for study. I would also like to emphasize the relevance of each problem raised at the congress, this is what aroused special interest. It was interesting to listen to the reasoning of professors and prominent figures in economics. We thank the organizers and want to say a huge thank you to Elena Andreevna Milskaya, who gave us a chance to become participants in the congress. It is great that our educational program in macroeconomics goes beyond the university!” – noted student of group 3753801/40002 Yulia Arteyeva.
SPEC-2025 has once again confirmed its importance as a leading platform for discussing strategic challenges and opportunities in the knowledge economy. The participation of IPMET representatives in such a large-scale scientific event emphasizes the university’s sustainable aspiration for scientific leadership, integration into the expert community and the development of young scientists.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday, aged 88, the Vatican announced. The head of the Catholic Church had recently survived being hospitalised with a serious bout of double pneumonia.
Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.
There were many unusual aspects of Pope Francis’ papacy. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas (and the southern hemisphere), the first to choose the name “Francis” and the first to give a TED talk. He was also the first pope in more than 600 years to be elected following the resignation, rather than death, of his predecessor.
From the very start of his papacy, Francis seemed determined to do things differently and present the papacy in a new light. Even in thinking about his burial, he chose the unexpected: to be placed to rest not in the Vatican, but in the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome – the first pope to be buried there in more than 300 years.
Vatican News reported the late Pope Francis had requested his funeral rites be simplified.
“The renewed rite,” said Archbishop Diego Ravelli, “seeks to emphasise even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world.”
Straddling a line between “progressive” and “conservative”, Francis experienced tension with both sides. In doing so, his papacy shone a spotlight on what it means to be Catholic today.
The day before his death, Pope Francis made a brief appearance on Easter Sunday to bless the crowds at St Peter’s Square.
Between a rock and a hard place
Francis was deemed not progressive enough by some, yet far too progressive by others.
His apostolic exhortation (an official papal teaching on a particular issue or action) Amoris Laetitia, ignited great controversy for seemingly being (more) open to the question of whether people who have divorced and remarried may receive Eucharist.
He also disappointed progressive Catholics, many of whom hoped he would make stronger changes on issues such as the roles of women, married clergy, and the broader inclusion of LGBTQIA+ Catholics.
The reception of his exhortation Querida Amazonia was one such example. In this document, Francis did not endorse marriage for priests, despite bishops’ requests for this. He also did not allow the possibility of women being ordained as deacons to address a shortage of ordained ministers. His discerning spirit saw there was too much division and no clear consensus for change.
Francis was also openly critical of Germany’s controversial “Synodal Way” – a series of conferences with bishops and lay people – that advocated for positions contrary to Church teachings. Francis expressed concern on multiple occasions that this project was a threat to the unity of the Church.
At the same time, Francis was no stranger to controversy from the conservative side of the Church, receiving “dubia” or “theological doubts” over his teaching from some of his Cardinals. In 2023, he took the unusual step of responding to some of these doubts.
Impact on the Catholic Church
In many ways, the most striking thing about Francis was not his words or theology, but his style. He was a modest man, even foregoing the Apostolic Palace’s grand papal apartments to live in the Vatican’s simpler guest house.
He may well be remembered most for his simplicity of dress and habits, his welcoming and pastoral style and his wise spirit of discernment.
He is recognised as giving a clear witness to the life, love and joy of Jesus in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council – a point of major reform in modern Church history. This witness has translated into two major developments in Church teachings and life.
Love for our common home
The first of these relates to environmental teachings. In 2015, Francis released his ground-breaking encyclical, Laudato si’: On Care for Our Common Home. It expanded Catholic social teaching by giving a comprehensive account of how the environment reflects our God-given “common home”.
Consistent with recent popes such as Benedict XVI and John Paul II, Francis acknowledged climate change and its destructive impacts and causes. He summarised key scientific research to forcefully argue for an evidence-based approach to addressing humans’ impact on the environment.
He also made a pivotal and innovative contribution to the climate change debate by identifying the ethical and spiritual causes of environmental destruction.
Francis argued combating climate change relied on the “ecological conversion” of the human heart, so that people may recognise the God-given nature of our planet and the fundamental call to care for it. Without this conversion, pragmatic and political measures wouldn’t be able to counter the forces of consumerism, exploitation and selfishness.
Francis argued a new ethic and spirituality was needed. Specifically, he said Jesus’ way of love – for other people and all creation – is the transformative force that could bring sustainable change for the environment and cultivate fraternity among people (and especially with the poor).
Synodality: moving towards a Church that listens
Francis’s second major contribution, and one of the most significant aspects of his papacy, was his commitment to “synodality”. While there’s still confusion over what synodality actually means, and its potential for political distortion, it is above all a way of listening and discerning through openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
It involves hierarchy and lay people transparently and honestly discerning together, in service of the mission of the church. Synodality is as much about the process as the goal. This makes sense as Pope Francis was a Jesuit, an order focused on spreading Catholicism through spiritual formation and discernment.
Drawing on his rich Jesuit spirituality, Francis introduced a way of conversation centred on listening to the Holy Spirit and others, while seeking to cultivate friendship and wisdom.
With the conclusion of the second session of the Synod on Synodality in October 2024, it is too soon to assess its results. However, those who have been involved in synodal processes have reported back on their transformative potential.
Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge, explained how participating in the 2015 Synod “was an extraordinary experience [and] in some ways an awakening”.
Catholicism in the modern age
Francis’ papacy inspired both great joy and aspirations, as well as boiling anger and rejection. He laid bare the agonising fault lines within the Catholic community and struck at key issues of Catholic identity, triggering debate over what it means to be Catholic in the world today.
He leaves behind a Church that seems more divided than ever, with arguments, uncertainty and many questions rolling in his wake. But he has also provided a way for the Church to become more converted to Jesus’ way of love, through synodality and dialogue.
Francis showed us that holding labels such as “progressive” or “conservative” won’t enable the Church to live out Jesus’ mission of love – a mission he emphasised from the very beginning of his papacy.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
From the moment of his election in 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the man who became Pope Francis, proved himself to be unconventional.
Shedding much of the formality of previous papal elections, he appeared for the first time on the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica in a simple white cassock without the red ermine-trimmed cape, known as a mozzetta, traditionally worn on such occasions.
On his chest was the silver pectoral cross he had worn as archbishop of Buenos Aires, rather than the gold cross worn by previous popes. His early demonstrations of unconventionality went beyond his dress as he refused to live in the Apostolic Palace, residing primarily in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse.
He was a pope of other firsts.
He took the name, Francis, in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi, becoming the first uniquely named pope in over 1,000 years (the last being Pope Lando in 913). Many of his major teachings, known as “papal encyclicals”, echoed the wisdom of Saint Francis.
For instance, Laudato Si (Praise Be to You, 2015) and Fratelli Tutti (All Brothers and Sisters, 2020), concerning care for the planet and care for each other respectively, drew their inspiration from the saint.
“My roots are Italian, but I am Argentinian and Latin American,” he insisted in his recent autobiography. It was this background as the first pope from the southern hemisphere, and his upbringing in Argentina, that formed his role as a voice for those on the peripheries of society: migrants, the poor, victims of war and the helpless.
Such an approach also reflected a diverse new reality within the church. The majority of the 1.36 billion Catholics around the world live outside Europe and North America.
He made clear early on that representing this new reality was central to his papacy by making his first official papal visit outside of Rome to the island of Lampedusa in southern Italy, where many migrants and refugees fleeing warfare attempted to land as a route into Europe. Denouncing people trafficking and referring to the 2013 migrant shipwreck that killed over 300 people, Pope Francis would later describe the island as an “underwater cemetery for too, too many corpses”.
A modernising pope
Pope Francis was also the first pope to be formed entirely in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which brought about fundamental changes to how the Catholic church related to wider society and the “modern world”. This included the celebration of the Mass in vernacular languages, rather than exclusively Latin.
Such formation shaped his attitude on such topics as the role of women in the church, technology and AI, the ongoing ecological crisis and the relationship between Catholicism and other faiths.
While the pope had made clear his feelings that “Vatican II” had not yet been fully implemented, his adherence to its ethos has made him unpopular with Catholics who view the changes brought about by the council as misplaced.
In 2021, he imposed new restrictions on the use of the older Latin mass, which had been commonplace before the council, now requiring priests to have the permission of their bishop for such a celebration. This reversed the allowances of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who had permitted all priests to say Mass using the Roman Missal of 1962, without bishops permitting them.
The move was unpopular among many traditionalists who saw the pope as distancing himself from historical tradition. In response, the pope had criticised “those who seek to ‘safeguard the ashes’ of the past” rather than concerning themselves with the future growth and progress of the church.
In many ways, Pope Francis embodied a tension at the heart of Catholicism in the 21st century: too liberal for some Catholics and not liberal enough for others. As such, his attempts at reform necessarily became a fine balancing act. History will undoubtedly judge whether the right balance was struck.
His papacy was not without controversy. In May 2024 he apologised for using a derogatory term for gay men in a private meeting with Italian bishops, the remarks splashed on headlines around the world. The episode was particularly shocking as he had previously indicated a shift in the tone of the church’s attitude on issues such as blessings for same-sex couples.
In 2018, he admitted he made “grave errors” in his handling of clerical abuse cases in Chile. During a visit to the country, he had defended Bishop Juan Barros who stood accused of covering up sexual abuse. The pope cited a “lack of truthful and balanced information” and subsequently invited the victims to Rome to apologise.
The pope’s funeral and burial will continue his unconventionality. He will forgo the traditional three interlocking caskets of cypress, lead and oak, instead requesting a simple, zinc-lined wooden coffin.
He will also be the first pope to be buried outside the Vatican in over a century, asking instead to be buried at Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major. His funeral ceremony will also be simplified and shortened at his request.
Such will be the last act of an unconventional pope, for as he states in his autobiography, “the bishop of Rome is a pastor and a disciple, not a powerful man of this world”.
Liam Temple does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Celia Deane-Drummond, Professor of Theology, Director of Laudato Si’ Research Institute, Campion Hall, University of Oxford
Its mission is rooted in the pope’s religiously inspired vision of integral ecology – a multidisciplinary approach that addresses social and ecological issues of equality and climate breakdown.
Originating from Argentina, Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope, witnessed firsthand the destruction of the Amazon and the plight of South America’s poorest communities. His concern for justice for vulnerable communities and protection of the planet go hand in hand with his religious leadership.
In his first papal letter, Laudato Si’, he called for all people, not just Catholics, to pay more attention to the frailty of both our planet and its people. What we need is no less than a cultural revolution, he wrote. As a theologian, I recognise that he inspired significant change in three key ways.
1. At global climate summits
It’s no coincidence that Pope Francis released Laudato Si’ at a crucial moment in 2015 prior to the UN climate summit, Cop21, in Paris. A follow-up exhortation, or official statement, Laudate Deum, was released in October 2023, just before another UN climate summit, Cop28 in Dubai.
Did the decisions at these global meetings shift because of the influence of Pope Francis? Potentially, yes. In Laudate Deum, Pope Francis showed both encouragement and some frustration about the achievements of international agreements so far.
He berated the weakness of international politics and believes that Cop21 represented a “significant moment” because the agreement involved everyone.
After Cop21, he pointed out how most nations had failed to implement the Paris agreement which called for limiting the global temperature rise in this century to below 2°C. He also called out the lack of monitoring of those commitments and subsequent political inertia. He tried his best to use his prominent position to hold power to account.
Promoting a general moral awareness of the need to act in ecologically responsible ways, both in international politics and at the local level is something that previous popes, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI also did. But, Pope Francis’s efforts went beyond that, by connecting much more broadly with grassroots movements.
2. By advocating for Indigenous people
Cop28 marked the first time that close to 200 countries agreed to transition away from fossil fuels. Pope Francis’s interventions potentially helped shift the needle just a little in the desired direction.
His emphasis on listening to Indigenous people may have influenced these gatherings. Compared with previous global climate summits, Cop28 arguably opened up the opportunity to listen to the voices of Indigenous people.
However, Indigenous people were still disappointed by the outcomes of Cop28. Pope Francis’s lesser-known exhortation Querida Amazonia, which means “beloved Amazonia”, was published in February 2020.
This exhortation resulted from his conversations with Amazonian communities and helped put Indigenous perspectives on the map. Those perspectives helped shape Catholic social teaching in the encyclical Fratelli Tutti, which means “all brothers and sisters”, published on October 3 2020.
For many people living in developing countries where extractive industries such as oil and gas or mining are rife, destruction of land coincides with direct threats to life. Pope Francis advocated for Indigenous environmental defenders, many of whom have been inspired to act by their strong faith.
For example, Father Marcelo Pérez, an Indigenous priest living in Mexico, was murdered by drug dealers just after saying mass on October 23 2023 as part of the cost of defending the rights of his people and their land.
While 196 environmental defenders were killed globally in 2023, Pope Francis continued to advocate on behalf of the most marginalised people as well as the environment.
3. By inspiring activism
I’ve been speaking to religious climate activists from different church backgrounds in the UK as part of a multidisciplinary research project on religion, theology and climate change based at the University of Manchester. Most notably, when we asked more than 300 activists representing six different activist groups who most influenced them to get involved in climate action, 61% named Pope Francis as a key influencer.
On a larger scale, Laudato Si’ gave rise to the Laudato Si’ movement which coordinates climate activism across the globe. It has 900 Catholic organisations as well as 10,000 of what are known as Laudato Si’ “animators”, who are all ambassadors and leaders in their respective communities.
Our institute’s ecclesial affiliate, Tomás Insua, based in Assisi, Italy, originally helped pioneer this global Laudato Si’ movement. We host a number of ecumenical gatherings which bring together people from different denominations and hopefully motivate churchgoers to think and act in a more climate-conscious way.
Nobody knows who the next pope might be. Given the current turmoil in politics and shutting down of political will to address the climate emergency, we can only hope they will build on the legacy of Pope Francis and influence political change for the good, from the grassroots frontline right up to the highest global ambitions.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Celia Deane-Drummond does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Competition projects
From February 4 to June 30, SPbGASU is hosting a closed architectural competition, “SPbGASU History Museum and the Corner of Military Glory.” Third-year students majoring in “Architectural Environment Design” are participating in it.
The defense of the competition works took place at the “Growth Point” of SPbGASU on April 15. As the Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and member of the competition organizing committee Marina Malyutina noted at the opening of the meeting, the work done by the students is a contribution to their professional growth and to the development of our university.
The contestants presented projects for updating the interior and design code of the SPbGASU History Museum, as well as the Corner of Military Glory, located on the balustrade. An important condition was to include exhibition equipment for placing the “Book of Glory” in the interior.
The Book of Glory was created for the 40th anniversary of the Great Victory. It is a massive metal frame filled with sheets of paper with biographies. The weight of the book is about 20-30 kg. Its creation was preceded by lengthy work on searching and collecting information about students, teachers, and university employees who went to the front and did not return from the war. The university archive contains two thick folders with responses to letters that employees sent to different parts of the country in search of relatives, fellow soldiers, and friends who had at least some information about the deceased. The result of this painstaking work was the Book of Glory, which contains a brief biographical note about each soldier.
The authors’ collective, which included Natalia Rylova, Polina Buklinova and Irina Sherstneva, proposed dividing the balustrade into five zones and connecting them with a bridge. According to the project, the balustrade will house a recreation area, an exhibition space, a coworking space, a stage and a Corner of Military Glory, the creation of which was inspired by military paraphernalia.
The museum has a storage area, a workspace for employees, and a multifunctional space for visitors. The authors protected the banners stored in the museum from light and mechanical damage with glass.
In their project, Darya Antipina, Anastasia Gancheva and Anastasia Perlina sought not to overload the already small museum space, but to place a large amount of information there, to make the exhibition modern and focused on the younger generation. The route through the museum is designed in such a way that visitors can consistently follow the history of the university and not miss anything. In addition, the authors developed several exhibition stands and a vertical projector, which will help guides supplement their story with video material.
“When developing the Corner of Military Glory, we faced completely different challenges: we had to rethink the historical interiors and breathe new ideas into them, creating a single functional space. We moved the Corner of Military Glory to the left balustrade, making it the main accent there. And on the right balustrade, we placed an amphitheater. Our concept is based on a single module, which allows us to set a design code for the entire space. And the highlight of our project is modular transformed furniture, thanks to which you can quickly change the scenario for using the room,” said Daria Antipina.
Polina Ryabova, Arina Savelyeva and Anna Merzlyakova developed the identity (a set of elements in a single style that make the brand recognizable), based on associations related to the old name of the university – LISI, and also using current trends in design. The patterns they created can be used on furniture, in the development of posters and infographics.
Upon entering the museum from the staircase, guests are greeted by a blue portal, which seems to invite them to look inside. The visitor puts on a helmet, thus immersing themselves in the professional theme of the museum. Introductory exhibitions introduce the early history of the university. Interesting elements include a media dome for demonstrating video footage, a blue corridor with authentic exhibits, and a large stand dedicated to the post-war years and famous graduates. The corridor leads to the cinema space. The final element of the museum space is a map of the surrounding university buildings. There are work spaces for a large number of students on the balustrade, and soft amphitheaters and chain poufs will make you feel comfortable and cozy. Transformable furniture makes the space mobile – coworking, an exhibition, or a buffet can be organized here.
Symmetry and straight lines are at the core of the project by Ekaterina Kochergina and Alena Radkova. The designers sought to preserve history and support the existing classicism, while making it more modern and attractive to students. Their goal was to give the memory corner the appearance of a full-fledged separate space, while not competing in its function with the balustrade room, where a coworking space for students is organized.
The balustrade space has two functions: a memorial and a recreation and work area for students. These two zones are separated from each other by partitions imitating a rock made of art concrete. The boards with the names of the heroes have been replaced by a wall of memory made of art concrete, the entire area of which is engraved with the names of the deceased.
A large role in the interior design is played by the combination of natural materials: the accent table is made of solid wood with a glass block base, the imitation rock is made of art concrete, large-sized porcelain tiles are used, and the entire composition is complemented by greenery, which looks especially lively against the background of the artificial rock. At the end of the table there is a living tree, similar to the one that decorates the main entrance of SPbGASU.
The museum also features symmetry, straight lines, and a clear division of space. The accent material is glass block, from which the columns and the base of the information stand are made. On one of the walls there are niches in the form of illuminated circles, inside which interactive screens are placed.
Since the Book of Glory is quite old and fragile, the authors of the project decided to place its contents in a different way. The structure consists of cells, each of which contains a hinged plaque. On one side is a portrait of the hero, on the other – his biography, achievements and awards. Visitors will be able to approach and turn these plaques over. The book itself is displayed under glass in front of the exhibit. Another accent element is the black aluminum perforation on the ceiling with an asymmetrical pattern. To avoid overlapping with events on the balustrade and to improve functional zoning, Sofia Dolgova moved the Corner of Military Glory to another part of the balustrade. In the project, it is adjacent to the exhibition space.
“The main task in the design was to fence off the memorial area. Thus, a kind of parallelepiped was created – part of the stand for the “Book of Glory”. The upper part is blind, finished with textured plaster. The lower part is glass, so that you can see the book itself and the far part of the exhibition. Thus, a visual connection is created that arouses interest in the exhibition, but at the same time, clear zoning is physically preserved. In this case, the lighting plays the role of navigation. Climbing the steps, we find ourselves in the exhibition area. Two key elements are the stand with the “Book of Glory” and the memorial plaques. What looks like a parallelepiped from the balustrade side, from the memorial side turns into a kind of niche, a portal. Here is a stand with a book and above it a screen where the contents of the book are broadcast (scanned sheets with information about students, teachers, employees of the university),” explained Sofia Dolgova.
The main concept of the museum space in Sophia’s project is the connection between the past, present and future. The corridor is the first place we find ourselves when entering the museum, it kind of greets us and makes the first impression of the space. The light strips gradually increase towards the entrance to the museum, creating a reverse perspective effect, slightly distorting the proportions of the room and creating a wow effect.
“A modern museum is interactive. And in this project, this was demonstrated not only in the use of media screens and modern technologies, but also in the configuration of the stands themselves. Stands of various shapes force visitors to look at exhibits from different angles and interact with them in different ways, which enhances the impression,” the author said.
To ensure human interaction with the museum, Artem Lopatinsky included cabinets with pull-out shelves in the interior, where exhibits are located. The more valuable ones are covered with plexiglass. The stands located near the window openings are very easy to study due to natural light. It is also easy to place information on them due to the mesh material they are made of. At the end of the exhibition hall, there is an exposition with bricks. There is another zone in the museum, which can serve as both an extension of the exhibition space and a hall for methodological activities. This space is transformed by accent sliding partitions. Here, there is a large multimedia screen, a podium and exhibition stands located opposite the entrance to the hall.
On the left side of the balustrade there are recreation areas for students, buffets are also held here, and the rest of the time there is a coworking space. On the right balustrade there are temporary exhibitions, the rest of the time there is also a coworking space. This is where the Corner of Military Glory is located. It is separated from the rest of the balustrade space during student and other events by an installation made of bent steel sheets. The Book of Glory is integrated into the installation, and the impression is created of pages of memory flying out of the book. Two lighting scenarios are provided – with an emphasis on the memorial and with an emphasis on the art object.
The pixel became the main visual image in the project by Polina Tambova, Sergey Klechkovsky and Aslan Osmanov. The team of authors had three reasons for this. Firstly, a modern museum is an interactive, playful space, the theme of pixels refers us to this. Secondly, a pixel is a symbol of scientific and technological progress. Thirdly, a pixel is an analogue of a brick in the digital space.
At the entrance to the museum space, the designers placed a visual accent – a book of memory and an inviting inscription. Light was let into the dark and cramped corridor through windows in the museum space and in the office. The main space of the museum was divided into two zones: exhibition and interactive. They symbolize the past and the future. The accent of the exhibition zone is a tree, referring to the Canadian maple in front of the main entrance to the university. Glass cubes hover around it, inside which are objects of memory. A tactile cabinet serves as a partition – a moment between the past and the future, which can be felt with the touch of fingers. The authors are sure: the interactive zone is necessary to bring new life to the museum, to create an opportunity for holding thematic events. The walls exhibit the works of modern architects. The balustrade clearly shows classical proportions, which the authors wanted to emphasize. At the same time, it was important for them to make the interior modern, corresponding to the general style of the university. Since the university does not have enough work space, coworking can be equipped on both balustrades.
Different usage scenarios are proposed for the two balustrades: the western balustrade is closer to the dining room, so it can accommodate a buffet, or this space can be freed up for rehearsals before the “Golden Faculty” or “Macaroni Builder”; the eastern balustrade can be adapted for temporary exhibitions or small lectures.
“The memorial plaques were moved from the western balustrade to the eastern one to avoid a conflict between the zones, and a photo zone with the university’s slogan was created in their place. The memorial zone was separated from the public areas by a glass installation with lighting. This will preserve the solemn spirit and create a visual barrier between the memorial zone and the place for work and rest. We preserved the memorial plaques and also supplemented the composition with a blank book, the information on which will be projected from above. This is a way to make information from the “Book of Glory” accessible to everyone, while preserving the original documents in the museum. All aspects of our project are formed according to this principle: we wanted to preserve the existing images and meanings in a new form,” said Sergey Klechkovsky.
Yana Kiseleva visually expanded the museum corridor, added air and lightness by replacing blind doors with transparent glass ones and part of the wall with stained glass. In the main area of the exhibition hall, one of the walls is equipped with aliminocomposite panels inclined at different angles, the most convenient for the human eye to perceive – this is the “life line of SPbGASU”. The author preserved the exposition dedicated to the first rector of the university, developed fractional and glass exhibition stands located along the walls and in the middle part of the space without creating visual noise. In the center of the interactive zone, she placed an interactive table with touch screens for independent study and selection of the necessary information by students. The best projects of graduates with additional space for models are presented in the niche of the far wall.
“From the museum, you can get almost directly through the rector’s building to the upper balustrade of the university, in one of the parts of which the Corner of Military Glory of SPbGASU is located. I decided to move the memorial zone to the adjacent part of the balustrade to avoid a functional conflict with the space for buffets/banquets. The Corner of Military Glory is located on the stage, its central part is reserved for a stand with the “Book of Glory”, separated from the main room by interactive screens, in the niche of the far wall there are preserved memorial plaques with carved names of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, on the sides there are areas for additional glass stands. The leading materials are strict monumental textures, emphasizing the historical and cultural value of the memorial,” said Yana.
Head of the Department of Architectural Environment Design and member of the competition’s organizing committee Maria Granstrem noted the excellent work of her department’s staff – Associate Professor Yan Korzhempo, senior lecturers Marina Khramova and Dmitry Fleisher. It was under their guidance that the students developed their competition projects.
Marina Malyutina thanked the students for their work, noting their talent and potential. According to Marina Viktorovna, the task was difficult, but the students found interesting solutions. These solutions can be combined to get what the customer, the university, needs.
The competition jury will announce the finalists after April 23. All ideas will be taken into account when designing the interiors of SPbGASU.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland
Statement by TUV leader and North Antrim MP Jim Allister:
“Few things illustrate the moral bankruptcy of Republicanism than its actions around Easter. While the world remembers the sacrifice of Calvary and the resurrection – where the sinless Son of God laid down His life for humanity – Sinn Fein choose to celebrate and glorify those who went out to murder the innocent.
“This is graphically illustrated by the actions of the self styled First Minister for all today who chose to address a commemoration of those thankfully taken out by the SAS at Clonoe in 1992.
“One has only to take a moment to reflect on what East Tyrone IRA did in the area – including the murder of 30 people prior to the SAS ambush – to see how morally repugnant this event was. The would be killers commemorated by Ms O’Neill were returning from an attack on a police station with the most powerful of weapons and were still on “active service” when they met real soldiers. Tellingly, one of the wounded terrorists received assistance at the scene from the security forces – something IRA killers never provided to their innocent victims.
“Today’s event was a reminder of Sinn Féin’s unfitness for government and should again cause Unionists who sustain them in office to reflect on the nature of those they sit with around the Executive table.”
What you need to know: Leaders across the nation, from elected officials to representatives from the business community, are praising California’s efforts to challenge President Trump’s authority to unilaterally enact tariffs.
SACRAMENTO – This week, Governor Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a joint lawsuit against the Trump administration. The lawsuit seeks to end President Trump’s tariff chaos, which has created havoc on the economy, destabilized the stock and bond markets and caused hundreds of billions of dollars in losses, and inflicted higher costs for consumers and businesses. These harms will only continue to grow, as President Trump’s tariffs are projected to shrink the U.S. economy by $100 billion annually.
State leaders
Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire: “President Trump’s last trade war cost America’s ag industry $27 billion. This time around, California’s farmers and families across the state are getting hit even harder. The Golden State is the nation’s largest importer and second largest exporter, the largest manufacturing state, and the 5th largest economy in the world. Republicans in Congress are simply sitting on their hands as the President burns the economy down. Too much is at stake, which is why the Governor and the Attorney General’s action is so important.”
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas: “Trump’s tariffs are the single largest tax increase in our lifetime, and they’re jamming Californians with higher prices on groceries, medicine and cars. This is why we enacted a legal defense fund: to fight Republican policies that harm taxpayers. We’re protecting our residents — and all American families — from unlawful economic chaos.”
Retail and business leaders
Jennifer Barrera, President and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce: “CalChamber has long supported a free trade agenda that fosters economic growth and job creation, including advocacy on lowering or eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers for businesses. Protectionist measures, such as tariffs, disrupt global supply chains and raise costs on businesses, which are ultimately reflected through higher consumer prices or limited choices on products. As Californians grapple with rising costs and worry about daily pocketbook issues, additional tariffs will only further exacerbate the affordability crisis that millions are facing and will have dire consequences on the California economy.”
Rachel Michelin, President and CEO of the California Retailers Association: “Retailers across California—large and small—are navigating an unprecedented level of uncertainty due to these tariffs. For small businesses in particular, the volatility is devastating. Many neighborhood retailers simply do not have the resources to absorb these additional costs or quickly pivot supply chains forcing them to either raise prices or risk going out of business altogether. This is not sustainable for our communities or California’s economy and the current environment makes it nearly impossible to plan for the future. While we recognize the federal government’s goal of strengthening American industry, we urge all leaders to consider the real-world impact on our state’s businesses and families. California’s retailers stand ready to work with the Governor and Attorney General to find solutions that support growth, stability, and prosperity for all Californians.”
Rodney Fong, CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce: “These tariffs are having a devastating downstream impact on San Francisco’s economy — especially our small businesses that rely on global supply chains and export markets to survive. From rising costs on imported goods to sudden disruptions in inventory and operations, our local entrepreneurs are bearing the brunt of an unpredictable trade policy. We support the state’s efforts to restore certainty and stability to the economic environment our businesses depend on.”
Jason Pagiou, President and CEO of the Asian Business Association of San Diego: “As President and CEO of the Asian Business Association, we want to thank Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta for their continued leadership in protecting working families and small businesses across California. Our latest survey shows that economic pressure isn’t just theoretical — it’s showing up in rent, grocery bills, and the rising costs of essentials.”
Shipping and logistics leaders
Martha Miller, Executive Director of the California Association of Port Authorities (CAPA): “California is home to the most productive goods movement system in the Nation, moving cargo to every corner of the country and supporting millions of jobs. As the primary trade gateway with Asia, our state’s ports are among the first to experience the impacts that tariffs, retaliatory tariffs, and trade uncertainty creates across the global supply chain. We support the Governor’s leadership to mitigate the impacts of these tariffs on American consumers, workers, and businesses.”
Mike Jacob, President of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA): “No state has more private and public dollars invested in their seaports, logistics infrastructure, and freight transportation sector than California, and, as a result, no state has more jobs, more economic activity, more public financing, and more state and local tax revenues at risk of being a casualty in a global trade war than California. We applaud the leadership of the Governor and Attorney General to defend our private and public investments in the largest, most productive, and most environmentally advanced maritime gateways in the Western Hemisphere.”
City leaders
Rex Richardson, Mayor of Long Beach: “Governor Newsom’s announcement of California’s lawsuit represents a critical opportunity to pause and evaluate the real-world impacts of these sweeping tariff changes. Here in Long Beach—home to the nation’s busiest container port—we’re already projecting a 20% drop in cargo volume in the second half of the year. That’s not just a local issue. Trade through the Port of Long Beach supports 2.6 million jobs across the country. Sudden shifts in trade policy, without robust dialogue or congressional oversight, risk long-term harm to our economy and to working families nationwide. It’s time for a more thoughtful and inclusive approach to shaping U.S. trade policy.”
Victor Gordo, Mayor of Pasadena: “In Pasadena, we’re focused on building back a strong, resilient economy. We’re investing in our small businesses, we’re encouraging job development, and we’re laying the groundwork for long-term growth. But these federal tariffs jeopardize all of that. They drive up costs, create uncertainty, and threaten the progress we’ve worked so hard to achieve. That’s why I stand with Governor Newsom in challenging these policies—because cities like ours can’t afford to pay the price for decisions that are short-sighted and out of step with our local needs.”
Larry Agran, Mayor of Irvine: “I appreciate the leadership that Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta are providing in challenging the legality of the Trump Tariffs. Other states need to follow California’s lead. If these tariffs are fully implemented, the effects will be devastating here in Irvine – many thousands of jobs lost, and sharp rises in prices of food, clothing, cars and other goods and services. Evictions and worsening homelessness will inevitably follow. We simply can’t let any of this happen. – Larry Agran, Mayor of Irvine.”
Kevin Jenkins, Interim Mayor of Oakland: “Oakland is grateful for the steadfast leadership of Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta in standing up to the Trump administration’s sweeping tariff proposals. These actions pose a serious threat to California’s economy, including the Port of Oakland and our small businesses, and jeopardize thousands of jobs tied to trade and commerce.”
Matt Mahan, Mayor of San Jose: “Silicon Valley’s success story is built on the free movement of people, ideas, and goods as well as laws that protect those freedoms from arbitrary restrictions. Our companies and communities succeed when we can export their innovative and essential products all over the world.”
Raj Salwan, Mayor of Fremont: “Fremont is the advanced manufacturing capital of Silicon Valley. With the largest manufacturing base in California, we are home to over 900 manufacturers powering industries from semiconductors and artificial intelligence to American-made electric vehicles. Tariffs threaten the global supply chains that sustain our local economy and jeopardize tens of thousands of local jobs. We are hearing directly from our manufacturers that untenable cost increases for key components and growing policy uncertainty around tariffs are leading them to re-evaluate their expansion plans or US operations entirely. Fremont is a shining example of re-shoring U.S. manufacturing and indiscriminate tariffs run completely counter to this stated policy goal. We are deeply concerned for our collective prosperity if these taxes being levied against our businesses and families are not reversed.”
Anna Velazquez, Mayor of Soledad: “The Trump administration tariffs will have a devastating impact to our working families. Soledad is a working class community and our residents will have to endure paying more for everyday household goods, groceries, fruits and vegetables as a result of tariffs that do not address our current inflation and fail to provide an economic plan that supports our working class community. We need a viable economic plan that provides relief to families that are already working hard to stretch their dollars.”
County leaders
Leticia Perez, Chair of the Kern County Board of Supervisors: “Tariffs will cause harmful impacts to Kern County families and small businesses. Families are already dealing with rising costs- they do not deserve this additional strain and uncertainty. I commend Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta for standing up to protect working families and small businesses across California.”
Doug Chaffee, Chair of Orange County Board of Supervisors: “Orange County is home to one of the most dynamic and diverse economies in the nation — from advanced manufacturing and biomedical innovation to world-class tourism and global trade. The Trump administration’s harmful tariff policies will disrupt supply chains, drive up costs, and put local jobs at risk. I fully support Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta’s efforts to defend California’s economy and protect the hardworking businesses and families that keep Orange County thriving.”
Mani Grewal, Stanislaus County Supervisor: “As a farmer and businessman, I understand the critical role that agriculture and trade play in our region’s economy. In Stanislaus County, where agriculture is a cornerstone of our livelihood, the uncertainty and financial strain caused by these tariffs hit particularly hard. Farmers and businesses need certainty and a sense of finality to operate best for their customers and the larger community. We must work to strengthen our agricultural community with policies that support economic wellbeing, not hinder it.”
Terra Lawson-Remer, Acting Chair of San Diego County Board of Supervisors: “These tariffs aren’t just a political talking point—they’re a direct hit on working families here in San Diego. They raise the cost of everyday goods, threaten local jobs, and destabilize the very industries that sustain our economy and fund critical County services. I’m proud to stand with Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta as California becomes the first state to take legal action against this reckless overreach. We need trade policies that lift up American businesses and workers—not ones that punch holes in family budgets and County revenues alike.”
Recent news
Apr 18, 2025
News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that he has granted 16 pardons and 9 commutations. The Governor granted a posthumous pardon to Sergeant Richard Allen Penry, an Army Veteran who received the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest…
Apr 18, 2025
News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Brian Kaplun, of San Francisco, has been appointed Deputy Secretary for Policy and Strategic Planning at the Health and Human Services Agency. Kaplun held several roles at the United…
Apr 18, 2025
News What you need to know: Governor Gavin Newsom’s Administration continues to make significant investments in protecting California’s communities from the threat of climate change and extreme weather conditions with groundbreaking of a $1.95 billion flood protection…
What you need to know: Governor Gavin Newsom’s Administration continues to make significant investments in protecting California’s communities from the threat of climate change and extreme weather conditions with groundbreaking of a $1.95 billion flood protection project.
STOCKTON – California, along with federal and local partners, today broke ground in Stockton on a critical infrastructure project that will improve flood protection for tens of thousands of Californians and billions of dollars in property in the Central Valley.
The groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of construction for the Tenmile Slough levee project in Stockton. It is a critical component of the larger Lower San Joaquin River Project, a $1.95 billion project funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the California Department of Water Resources, and the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency. Once completed, the project will provide improved flood protection for 122,000 residents and $28.7 billion in property along the San Joaquin River for the North and Central Stockton Area.
“Investing in California’s water infrastructure benefits us all. I am grateful for the partnership here from the federal government to help us prepare our communities for extreme weather caused by climate change and prevent future disasters.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
The Tenmile Slough levee segment is rated as the most critically deficient in the Central Valley levee system. Following historic flooding in 1997, DWR and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board identified significant flood risk in the San Joaquin River Basin. Federal, state and local partners worked together to evaluate and design the necessary improvements to respond to these risks.
The Lower San Joaquin River Project is a crucial part of the system-wide flood risk reduction effort outlined in the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan, which provides a comprehensive framework for improving flood protection in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins. This project represents a critical milestone in efforts to protect urban communities, one of many focus areas of the Plan.
“Protecting the people and economy of San Joaquin County from the devastation of extreme flooding is enormously important. Projects like this pay for themselves many times over as shifts between extreme wet and dry conditions become more common,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “California is committed to making these investments in flood infrastructure across the state to adapt to our new climate reality.”
The Lower San Joaquin River Project is just one of several major flood control projects in the state that collectively represent billions of dollars of new and improved infrastructure to protect communities, including:
The Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, a $600 million project that will improve flood protection for the communities of Pajaro and Watsonville. The State will cover all non-federal costs, approximately $210 million.
The American River Common Features Project, a $1.85 billion project that will improve flood protection for the greater Sacramento area and over 660,000 people.
The recently completed Yuba Basin ($440 million) and Sutter Basin ($320 million) flood projects that reduced flood risk for 135,000 people.
The Governor, in partnership with the Legislature, has invested a total of $560 million over the past two state budgets to support flood response and projects to protect communities from future flooding.
“Levees play a vitally important role in safeguarding Delta communities, farmland, and water supplies,” said Senator Jerry McNerney (SD-5). “Yet many of the Delta’s 1,100 miles of levees need repair or reinforcement to protect against flooding due to climate change,” said Sen. Jerry McNerney, whose 5th Senate District includes the heart of the Delta region. “The Tenmile Slough levee project in Stockton is an essential step in fortifying our aging levee system, and I thank Governor Newsom, the California Department of Water Resources, the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their support of and contribution to this crucial project.”
“Today marks a major milestone for the City of Stockton and our entire region. The start of construction on the Tenmile Slough levee is essential to delivering the flood protection our community needs and deserves,” said Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (AD-13). “This pivotal step reflects our long-term commitment to public safety, climate resilience, and infrastructure investment. I’m proud to represent this district and to show what’s possible through strong federal, state, and local partnerships. This is what progress looks like: smart, united, forward-thinking investments that safeguard our communities and build a stronger future. We’re one step closer to delivering the safety and security our residents depend on.”
This project is a key part of Governor Newsom’s build more, faster agenda, delivering infrastructure upgrades and thousands of jobs across the state. Find projects building your community at build.ca.gov.
Press Releases, Recent News
Recent news
Apr 18, 2025
News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the availability of four $50,000 rewards for information leading to unsolved cases in San Mateo, San Diego, Kings, and Sonoma counties. Today’s rewards involve the following cases:Hillsborough (San…
Apr 17, 2025
News What you need to know: DOGE’s actions to dismantle AmeriCorps threaten vulnerable Californians, disaster response and recovery, and economic opportunities. California is suing — and ramping up efforts to recruit for the state’s service corps program. SACRAMENTO…
Apr 17, 2025
News What you need to know: Governor Newsom has made the recovery of Los Angeles his highest priority – directing a whole-of-government response to support communities and survivors. LOS ANGELES – On the 100 day milestone since the Eaton and Palisades fires ignited,…
Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the availability of four $50,000 rewards for information leading to unsolved cases in San Mateo, San Diego, Kings, and Sonoma counties.
Today’s rewards involve the following cases:
Hillsborough (San Mateo County) – Hillsborough Police Officer: Governor Newsom is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the attempted murder of a Hillsborough police officer. The officer’s name is not being released to preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigation. On February 22, 2025 at around 3:49 p.m., the officer was ambushed and shot on the property of the Hillsborough Police Department Station at 1600 Floribunda Avenue. The Hillsborough Police Department has exhausted all investigative leads and requested that a reward be offered to encourage anyone with information about this attempted murder to contact Corporal Josh Wang at 650-375-7470. Anonymous tips can be submitted to theHillsborough Police Department tips email.
La Mesa (San Diego County) – Corneilius Brown: Governor Newsom is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the murder of Corneilius Brown. On April 24, 2021, 22-year-old Brown was fatally shot in the doorway of his apartment in La Mesa. The La Mesa Police Department has exhausted all investigative leads and requested that a reward be offered to encourage anyone with information about this murder to contact Detective Royce Culp at 619-667-7533. Anonymous tips can be submitted toSan Diego County Crime Stoppers.
Lemoore (Kings County) – Scott Jeff: Governor Newsom is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the murder of Scott Jeff. On March 25, 2022, 52-year-old Jeff was fatally shot on the Santa Rosa Rancheria reservation in Lemoore. The King’s County Sheriff’s Office has exhausted all investigative leads and requested that a reward be offered to encourage anyone with information about this murder to contact Sergeant Chris Martin at 559-852-2886. Anonymous tips can be submitted byemailor calling 559-852-4554.
Petaluma (Sonoma County) – Georgia Moses: Governor Newsom is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the murder of Georgia Moses. On August 22, 1997, 12-year-old Moses was found next to the Highway 101 southbound on-ramp at Petaluma Boulevard South after she went missing from her home in Petaluma. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office has exhausted all investigative leads and requested that a reward be offered to encourage anyone with information about this murder to contact the Sonoma County Cold Case Unit byemailor calling 707-565-2727. Anonymous tips can be submitted to theSonoma County Sheriff’s Office.
Governor’s rewards for unsolved cases
UnderCalifornia law, law enforcement agencies may ask the Governor to issue rewards in specified unsolved cases where they have exhausted all investigative leads, to encourage individuals with information about the crimes to come forward. Public assistance is vital to law enforcement, and rewards may encourage the public cooperation needed to apprehend those who have committed serious offenses.
More information on the Governor’s Reward Program can be found here.
Recent news
Apr 17, 2025
News What you need to know: DOGE’s actions to dismantle AmeriCorps threaten vulnerable Californians, disaster response and recovery, and economic opportunities. California is suing — and ramping up efforts to recruit for the state’s service corps program. SACRAMENTO…
Apr 17, 2025
News What you need to know: Governor Newsom has made the recovery of Los Angeles his highest priority – directing a whole-of-government response to support communities and survivors. LOS ANGELES – On the 100 day milestone since the Eaton and Palisades fires ignited,…
Apr 17, 2025
News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring April 2025, as Arab American Heritage Month. The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONThe Arab American community, comprising over 20 nationalities…
The death of Pope Francis in an Italian hospital on 21 April 2025 marks the end of a significant era for the Vatican and the global Catholic following of 1.3 billion faithful.
The first pope from the Americas and also the first to come from outside the west in the modern era, Pope Francis was elected leader of the Catholic church on 13 March 2013.
By the time the Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was elected pope in 2013 there was a general feeling that the Catholic church was reaching the end of an era. At the time, the church was beset by crises, from corruption to clerical sexual abuse.
Some of the challenges facing the church which the ageing Pope Benedict XVI could no longer handle included:
the confusion created in the English-speaking world with the translation of the New Roman missal into English.
Moreover, the church was reeling from the revelation of papal secrets of his predecessor Pope Benedict by the papal butler. A book detailing these secrets portrayed the Vatican as a corrupt hotbed of jealousy, intrigue and underhanded factional fighting.
The revelations caused the church a great deal of embarrassment.
It meant therefore that Cardinal Bergoglio was elected by the Catholic cardinals with a mandate to clean up the church and reform the Vatican and its bureaucracy. He was to institute processes and procedures for transparency, accountability and renewal of the church and its structures, and address the lingering scandals of clerical abuse.
The Pope’s global legacy
Three key things defined his papal role and legacy.
First is concentrating on the core competence of the church: serving the poor and the marginalised. This is what the founder of the Christian religion, Jesus Christ, did.
Francis focused the Catholic church and the entire world on one mission: helping the poor, addressing global inequalities, speaking for the voiceless, and placing the attention of the world on those on the periphery.
He also chose to live simply, forsaking the pomp and pageantry of the papacy.
Secondly, he changed the way the Catholic church’s message is communicated. In his programmatic document, Evangelii Gaudium, he called the church to what he calls “missionary conversion”. His thinking was that everything that is done in the church must be about proclaiming the good news to a wounded and broken world.
His central message was that of mercy towards all, an end to wars, our common humanity and the closeness of God to those who suffer. The suffering in the world continues to grow because of injustice, greed, selfishness and pride. He also focused on symbols and simple style to press home his message, like celebrating mass at a wall that divides the United States and Mexico.
In 2015 he made a risky trip to Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, during a time of war and tension between the fighting factions of the Muslim Seleka and the Christian anti-balaka. He drove on the Popemobile with both the highest ranking Muslim cleric in the country and his Christian counterpart and visited both a Christian church and a mosque to press home the message of peace.
The third strategy was restructuring the church and reforming the Vatican bank.
He created the G8 (a representative council of cardinals from every part of the world) to advise him, calling the Catholic church to a synod for dialogue on every aspect of the life of the church. This effort was unprecedented.
He also overhauled the procedures for the synod of bishops, making it more participatory, and gave women and the non-ordained voting rights. He shook up the membership of the Vatican department that picks bishops to include women. He appointed the first woman (Sr Simone Brambilla) to lead a major Vatican department and to have a cardinal as her deputy. Another woman (Sr Raffaella Petrini) was named the first woman governor of the Vatican City State.
Pope Francis and Africa
The pontiff’s legacy will be keenly felt in Africa. Three things stand out.
First, he reflected the concerns of people on the continent with his message against imperialism, colonialism, exploitation of the poor by the rich, global inequality, neo-liberal capitalism and ecological injustice. Pope Francis became a voice for Africa. When he visited Kenya in 2015, he chose to visit the slums of Nairobi to proclaim the gospel of liberation to the forsaken of society. He called on African governments to guarantee for the poor and all citizens access to land, lodging and labour.
In a sense, Pope Francis embodied the message of decolonisation and was driven in part by the liberation theology that developed in Latin America. This theology tied religious faith with liberation of the people from structures of injustice and structural violence.
Secondly, he encouraged African Catholics to develop Africa’s own unique approach to pastoral life and addressing social issues in Africa. Particularly, Pope Francis believed in decentralisation and local processes in meeting local challenges. He said many times that it is not necessary that all problems in the church be solved by the pope at the Roman centre of the church.
In this way, he encouraged the growth and development of African priorities and cultural adaptation to the Catholic faith. He also encouraged greater transparency and accountability among African bishops and gave African Catholic universities and seminaries greater autonomy to develop their own educational priorities and programmes.
Thirdly, Pope Francis had a very deep connection to Africa’s young people. He encouraged and supported initiatives and programmes to strengthen the agency of young people, to give them hope and support their personal, spiritual and professional development. For the first time in history, on 1 November 2022, Pope Francis met virtually with more than 1,000 young Africans for an hour. I helped organise this meeting. He answered their questions and encouraged them to fight for what they believe.
A reformist agenda
The reforms of Pope Francis could be termed a movement – from a church of a few where priests and bishops and the pope call the shots to a church of the people of God where everyone’s voice matters and where everyone’s concerns and needs are catered to.
He quietly changed the tone of the message and the style of the leadership at the Vatican.
Granted, he did not substantially alter the content of that message, which is often seen as conservative, Eurocentric, and resistant to cultural pluralism and social change. But he constantly chipped away at its foundations through inclusion and an openness to hearing the voices of everyone, including those who do not agree with the church’s position. In doing this, he shifted the priorities and practices of the Catholic church regarding such core issues as power and authority.
Pope Francis opened the doors to the voices of the marginalised in the church — women, the poor, the LGBTQI+ community, and those who have disaffiliated from the church. Many African Catholics would love to see more African representation at the Vatican, and many of them also worry about the widening division in the church, particularly driven by cultural and ideological battles in the west that have nothing to do with the social and ecclesial context of Africa.
Why his papacy mattered
Pope Francis was the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, the first to choose the name Francis and the first to come from outside the west in the modern era. He chose the name Francis because he wanted to focus his papacy on the poor, emulating St Francis of Assisi.
In a sense, Pope Francis redefined what religion and spirituality mean for Catholicism. It’s not laying down and enforcing the law without mercy, it is caring for our neighbours and the Earth. This is the kind of religion the world needs today.
Stan Chu Ilo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The sentencing on 19 April of 40 individuals, including prominent political opposition figures, lawyers, and human rights defenders, to harsh prison terms ranging between 13 and 66 years after being convicted of trumped-up charges by the Tunis Court of First Instance is an alarming sign of the extent to which the authorities will go in their clampdown on peaceful dissent in the country.
“The verdict is a travesty of justice and illustrates the authorities’ complete disregard for Tunisia’s international human rights obligations and the rule of law,” said Erika Guevara Rosas, Senior Director for Research, Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns at Amnesty International said:
“These individuals have been convicted solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights. Their trial has been riddled with procedural violations and a blatant disregard of minimum defense rights and was based on unsubstantiated charges.
Instead of silencing critics with politically motivated prosecutions, the authorities should immediately and unconditionally release all those detained solely for peacefully exercising their human rights. Tunisia’s authorities should immediately quash the unjust convictions and sentences.
“No one should be punished for the peaceful exercise of their human rights.”
Among the 40 individuals targeted in this trial, six opposition political figures – Jaouhar Ben Mbarek, Khayyam Turki, Issam Chebbi, Ghazi Chaouachi, Ridha Belhaj, and Abdelhamid Jelassi – have been in arbitrary detention since the investigation started in February 2023.
The rest of the defendants have also been sentenced, including several individuals who had been placed in were in detention in relation to other politically motivated cases — such as senior opposition figures Noureddine Bhiri, Sahbi Atig, and Said Ferjani from the former ruling Ennahdha party. Others, like Riadh Chaibi and Ahmed Nejib Chebbi remain free but were convicted in absentia. The case also targets prominent human rights defenders Kamel Jendoubi, Ayachi Hammami, and Bochra Bel Haj Hmida, as well as businessmen and private media shareholders.
“The deterioration of judicial independence in Tunisia is deeply concerning and the executive authorities’ increasing abuse of the justice system and interference in the administration of justice fundamentally undermines the fair trial rights of defendants and the rule of law,” said Erika Guevara Rosas.
“It is crucial that the Tunisian authorities uphold their international human rights obligations, including the rights to freedom of expression and association. They must cease the targeting of political opponents, human rights defenders, and critics.”
The harsh sentences handed down at dawn on 19 April ranged between 13 and 66 years in prison, according to the first deputy public prosecutor at the anti-terrorism judicial unit.
The trial, which has been marred by procedural flaws, a lack of due process, saw its first session on 4 March 2025 without detainees present and has been adjourned to 11 April then 18 April. The Bar Association had previously received notification from the court that terrorism trials in March and April would proceed with detainees attending online from prison, vaguely citing the existence of a “real danger”. This decision was challenged by the detainees and their defense team, who argued for their right to be present in court. The detainees declared their refusal to participate in the trial online and insisted on being physically present.
On 30 March 2025, Jaouhar Ben Mbarek started a hunger strike to protest the online hearings of the trial. On 8 April 2025, the five remaining detainees also announced a hunger strike for similar reasons. Senior Ennahdha official Said Ferjani, sentenced to 13 years in prison in February 2025 in a separate case, began a hunger strike on 10 April to protest against the “biased and non-neutral judicial treatment” of this case.
During the initial hearing, the court inaccurately stated that the detainees had refused to participate in the trial, omitting to mention their demand to be brought physically before the court. Lawyers present contested this, clarifying that their clients had only refused to participate remotely. Requests to postpone the trial until the detainees could be physically present and arguments highlighting the arbitrariness of their prolonged detention – exceeding the legal limit of 14 months under Tunisian law – were ignored by the court, which adjourned the session and later announced the trial would resume on 11 April without addressing these concerns.
During the court hearing on 11 April, some journalists from Tunisian and foreign media were prevented from accessing the court room. The National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) denounced the authorities actions. Some observers from civil society groups, including Amnesty International in Tunisia were also banned from entering the court room.
The investigation against the detainees has relied on questionable evidence, including phone messages discussing meetings with diplomats and other foreign nationals, as well as internal communications regarding the possibility of peaceful opposition to what they termed President Saied’s “coup.”
Background:
Between 11 and 25 February 2023, the “counterterrorism” police brigade arrested the six named political opposition figures based on spurious charges under the Tunisian Penal Code and the 2015-26 “counterterrorism” Law, including “conspiracy against state security” and attempting to “change the nature of the State,” charges that can carry the death penalty. Two other prominent opposition figures, Lazhar Akremi and Chaima Issa, were also arrested in February 2023 before being released on bail with restrictive conditions in July 2023 after six months of arbitrary detention.
Used to prosecuting civilians, Uganda’s military courts help entrench repression ahead of the 2026 elections.
Uganda is gearing up for general elections in January 2026 – the seventh since President Yoweri Museveni came to power in 1986. As in the lead-up to previous polls, repression is on the rise. This time, however, it has extended beyond Uganda’s own borders.
On November 16, 2024, opposition politician Kizza Besigye and his aide Obeid Lutale were abducted in Nairobi, Kenya. Four days later, they resurfaced in Uganda’s capital Kampala arraigned in a military court on security charges. Rendered to Uganda, in clear violation of international laws prohibiting extraordinary rendition and due process, the two civilians faced military justice.
Outraged by this militarisation of justice, Besigye and Lutale attracted a 40-strong defence team led by Martha Karua, Kenya’s former minister of justice.
If the state antics were intended to silence dissenting voices, they have done just the opposite. Far from dissuading others from speaking up, these trials have sparked a national conversation on human rights and the role of the military.
Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Museveni’s son, has regularly commented on Besigye’s case on X. Widely seen as a potential successor to his ageing father, Kainerugaba heads a political pressure group, the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), despite legislation currently prohibiting serving military officers from involvement in partisan politics.
If the state antics were intended to silence dissenting voices, they have done just the opposite. Far from dissuading others from speaking up, these trials have sparked a national conversation on human rights and the role of the military.
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa
Since 2016, Uganda’s Supreme Court had delayed ruling on a case, brought by Michael Kabaziguruka, a former member of parliament, challenging the trial of civilians before military courts. Kabaziguruka, who was accused of treason, argued that his trial in a military tribunal violated fair trial rights. As a civilian, he contended he was not subject to military law. Besigye and Lutale’s case gave renewed impetus to this.
On January 31, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that trying civilians in military courts is unconstitutional, ordering that all ongoing or pending criminal trials involving civilians must immediately stop and be transferred to ordinary courts.
Despite this ruling, President Museveni and his son have vowed to continue using military courts in civilian trials. Besigye went on hunger strike for 10 days in protest against delays in transferring his case to an ordinary court. The case has now become a litmus test for Uganda’s military justice system ahead of the 2026 elections.
Besigye and Lutale are not the only opposition politicians to face military justice. Tens of supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP), led by Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, have been convicted by military courts for various offences. These include wearing NUP’s trademark red berets and other party attire that authorities claimed resembled military uniforms, despite their distinct differences. Numerous lesser-known political activists are facing charges in military courts, too.
Over 1,000 civilians have been prosecuted in Uganda’s military courts since 2002 for offences such as murder and armed robbery.
Military trials of civilians flout international and regional standards. They open possibilities of a flurry of human rights violations, including coerced confessions, opaque processes, unfair trials and executions.
Tigere Chagutah
For context, in 2005, the state amended the UPDF Act to create a legal framework which allowed the military to try civilians in military courts. It was no coincidence that these amendments happened as the military was trying civilians arrested between 2001 and 2004, including Kizza Besigye.
Military trials of civilians flout international and regional standards. They open possibilities of a flurry of human rights violations, including coerced confessions, opaque processes, unfair trials and executions.
Trying civilians in military courts violates Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the 2001 Principles and Guidelines on Fair Trial and Legal Assistance in Africa. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the region’s premier human rights body, has long condemned their practice in Uganda.
Opposition to military justice has not just come from the usual quarters. Religious leaders expressed concern about Besigye’s continued detention after the Supreme Court ruling, as did Anita Among, speaker of Uganda’s Parliament and member of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), who remarked: “Injustice to anyone is injustice to everybody. Today it is happening to Dr Besigye, tomorrow it will happen to any one of us”.
Following the court order and widespread outcry, Besigye and Lutale were transferred to a civilian court on February 21. Besigye called off his hunger strike. They remain in detention, as does their lawyer. However, their transfer without release, in a process begun by an illegality, remains flawed. Despite the transfer of their case, scores of more civilians have their cases still pending before military courts, with little hope that they will be transferred to civilian courts.
For this reason, 11 groups including Amnesty Kenya, the Pan-African Lawyers Union, the Law Society of Kenya, the Kenya Human Rights Commission and Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) call for their immediate release.
As Uganda approaches elections, it is evident that the military courts are now a tool in President Museveni’s shed for use to silence dissent. It is time for Uganda to heed the Supreme Court ruling – for now though, military justice is on trial, too.
On my first day in offshore detention, I was given a number. Benham Satah became FRT009 — or Foxtrot Romeo Tango Zero Zero Nine, as the guards would use the military alphabet. It was one of the many ways they treated us like criminals or prisoners of war.
When I fled Iran in 2013, I never imagined I would end up on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. I risked my life to get from Indonesia to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean. When you need to flee, you grab the first opportunity you get — and this boat was mine.
Europe’s nations have proposed establishing refugee ‘return hubs’ in third-party countries outside their jurisdiction for failed asylum seekers. But they should think twice.
After four days at sea, we finally saw dry land. But my relief turned to horror as the guards were already there, waiting to detain us. And after 25 days in detention there, we were then handcuffed, dragged on to a plane by four giant security guards. They wouldn’t tell us where we were heading.
It felt like we were being kidnapped.
When we finally arrived in Papua New Guinea, they took us to the Lombrum military compound, where we were detained in 3-square-meter rooms, each with a bunk bed and a third camp bed. There was just enough space to lie down.
Then, I was transferred to my final destination of Manus Island — the detention camp for men only. We were over 500 in a facility that was built for 200. There were LGBTQ+ individuals, unaccompanied children, vulnerable people left alone with no real protection to survive in a dangerous environment.
It was so hot in the camp. The only reprieve came in the evenings, when the temperature would drop slightly. And even though we were surrounded by the ocean, with the camp just meters from the shore, I never actually heard the lapping of waves — the generator clattered like a helicopter day and night, drowning out the sea.
It smelled so bad there. The Australian caseworkers admitted they wouldn’t even bring an animal to the camp. There were 10 toilets and 10 showers for 500 people, and this caused problems every day. The rubbish was left to sweat and ferment in the tropical heat. They would set off smoke bombs to kill mosquitos. The whole camp stank of chemicals. Despite this, all these years later, I still have malaria in my blood.
There were 14 deaths recorded in the years I was on Manus Island. I still see their faces — especially my roommate’s, Reza Barati. He was murdered before my eyes, while in the custody of the Australian government. [According to eyewitness reports, Barati was beaten to death by guards and other contractors.]
People died of preventable deaths there. Everyone suffered from mental or physical health problems. The only treatment we received was paracetamol and water. I remember Hamid (whose name has been changed to protect his identity). He never received proper treatment, as there was no doctor in the medical center here. They amputated both his legs in the capital, Port Moresby. He died from septicemia.
But we weren’t just denied treatment on Manus, those in charge were also inexplicably reckless with vaccinations. I was an interpreter for a friend, FRT001, who came on the same boat as me. I witnessed him receive 60 vaccines in under a month. We tried to stop them, but if you refused a vaccine, they would call the Emergency Response Team.
My friend was eventually sent back to Iran where he died not long after.
Ukrainian refugees are protected by the French government — every refugee should be treated that way.
People would self-immolate with petrol in detention. We were beaten. At times the violence was extreme, and you could be assaulted for no reason. When a packet of cigarettes can guarantee your safety, you understand how cheap human life can be.
With offshore detention, the Australian government paid Nauru and Papua New Guinea to do its dirty work. There was no law there, and they could do what they wanted without fear of the courts. We were denied access to lawyers. We were out of sight, out of mind — exactly as was intended.
I tried to take my life several times on Manus, and the memories still give me nightmares. I lost almost seven years of my youth in detention. Those are days I will never get back. I still take a lot of tablets just to get through the day.
Everyone I know who went through this “offshore detention” scheme has since been diagnosed with PTSD. I think we need a new term for what we experienced, like Manus disease or offshore detention syndrome. Even people who just spent a month there are still suffering.
Not knowing when you’ll leave — it’s worse than any prison sentence. It destroys your mental health.
Nowadays, I work with the Salvation Army, and volunteer to help Ukrainians in France who fled Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian refugees are protected by the French government — every refugee should be treated that way. They should be given a chance to live and build a future. I also provide support and counseling for people on Manus Island and those who left but are still suffering.
I still have my own struggles with depression and mental health, but helping others in my situation lifts me up.
It was torture what the government did to us. They were saying it was deterrence, but it never worked. It hasn’t stopped people from trying to get to Australia to seek protection because they have no choice. Instead, it has become a stain on Australian history.
I hope no European country ever adopts this policy.
Benham Satah coordinated this piece with Amnesty International.
Prime Minister Schoof of the Kingdom of the Netherlands met with Prime Minister Ishiba of Japan on April 21st in Tokyo. During their meeting they agreed, whilst commemorating the 425 year history of bilateral relations between the Netherlands and Japan, to set their priorities for cooperation in the following years in a shared Action plan.
The Action Plan is supplementary to the existing Strategic Partnership Agreement for Sustainable Peace and Prosperity agreed upon between the Netherlands and Japan in November 2015.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses 17th Civil Services Day The policies we are working on today, the decisions we are making, are going to shape the future of the next thousand years: PM
India’s aspirational society – youth, farmers, women – their dreams are soaring to unprecedented heights,To fulfil these extraordinary aspirations, extraordinary speed is essential: PM
Real progress does not mean small changes but full-scale impact; Clean water in every home, quality education for every child, financial access for every entrepreneur and benefits of digital economy for every village, this is Holistic Development: PM
Quality in governance is determined by how deeply schemes reach the people and their real impact on the ground: PM
In the past 10 years, India has moved beyond incremental change to witness impactful transformation: PM
India is setting new benchmarks in governance, transparency and innovation: PM
The approach of ‘Janbhagidari’ turned the G20 into a people’s movement and the world acknowledged,India is not just participating, it is leading: PM
In the age of technology, governance is not about managing systems, it is about multiplying possibilities: PM
We have to increase the competence of civil servants so that we can prepare a future-ready civil service; That is why I consider both Mission Karmayogi and Civil Service Capacity Building Programme very important: PM
Posted On: 21 APR 2025 1:14PM by PIB Delhi
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed Civil Servants on the occasion of 17th Civil Services Day at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi today. He also conferred the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister congratulated everyone on the occasion of Civil Services Day and highlighted the significance of this year’s celebration, as it marks the 75th year of the Constitution and the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Recounting Sardar Patel’s iconic statement on April 21, 1947, where he referred to civil servants as the ‘Steel Frame of India’, Shri Modi emphasized Patel’s vision of a bureaucracy that upholds discipline, honesty, and democratic values, serving the nation with utmost dedication. He underscored the relevance of Sardar Patel’s ideals in the context of India’s resolve to become a Viksit Bharat and paid a heartfelt tribute to Sardar Patel’s vision and legacy.
Reflecting on his earlier statement from the Red Fort, emphasizing the need to strengthen the foundation of India for the next thousand years, Shri Modi noted that 25 years have already passed in this millennium, marking the 25th year of the new century and the new millennium. “The policies we are working on today, the decisions we are making, are going to shape the future of the next thousand years”, he highlighted. Quoting ancient scriptures, he said just as a chariot cannot move with a single wheel, success cannot be achieved solely by relying on fate without effort. Underscoring the importance of collective effort and determination in achieving the goal of a developed India, he urged everyone to work tirelessly, every day and every moment, towards this shared vision.
Mentioning the rapid changes occurring globally, noting how even within families, interactions with younger generations can make one feel outdated due to the fast pace of change, the Prime Minister highlighted the swift evolution of gadgets every two to three years and how children are growing up amidst these transformations. He emphasized that India’s bureaucracy, work processes, and policymaking cannot operate on outdated frameworks. He remarked on the significant transformation initiated in 2014, describing it as a grand endeavor to adapt to the fast-paced changes. He highlighted the aspirations of India’s society, youth, farmers, and women, stating that their dreams have reached unprecedented heights and stressed the need for extraordinary speed to fulfill these extraordinary aspirations. The Prime Minister outlined India’s ambitious goals for the coming years, including energy security, clean energy, advancements in sports, and achievements in space exploration, emphasizing the importance of raising India’s flag high in every sector. Underscoring the immense responsibility on civil servants to ensure that India becomes the world’s third-largest economy at the earliest, he urged them to prevent any delays in achieving this critical objective.
Expressing happiness over the theme of this year’s Civil Services Day, ‘Holistic Development of India’, Shri Modi emphasized that this is not just a theme but a commitment and a promise to the people of the nation. “Holistic development of India means ensuring that no village, no family, and no citizen is left behind”, he stressed, remarking that true progress is not about small changes but about achieving a full-scale impact. He outlined the vision of holistic development, which includes clean water for every household, quality education for every child, financial access for every entrepreneur, and the benefits of the digital economy for every village. He highlighted that quality in governance is not determined by the mere launch of schemes but by how deeply these schemes reach the people and their real impact. The Prime Minister noted the visible impact in districts like Rajkot, Gomati, Tinsukia, Koraput, and Kupwara, where significant progress has been made, from increasing school attendance to adopting solar power. He congratulated the districts and individuals associated with these initiatives, acknowledging their excellent work and the awards received by several districts.
Highlighting that over the past 10 years, India has progressed from incremental change to impactful transformation, the Prime Minister emphasized that the country’s governance model is now focused on Next Generation Reforms, leveraging technology and innovative practices to bridge the gap between the government and citizens. He noted that the impact of these reforms is evident in rural, urban, and remote areas alike. He remarked on the success of Aspirational Districts and emphasized the equally remarkable achievements of Aspirational Blocks. He recalled that the program was launched in January 2023 and has shown unprecedented results in just two years, highlighting significant progress in indicators such as health, nutrition, social development, and basic infrastructure across these blocks. Citing examples of transformational changes, he said that in the Peeplu Block of Tonk district, Rajasthan, measurement efficiency for children in Anganwadi centers increased from 20% to over 99%, while in the Jagdishpur Block of Bhagalpur, Bihar, registration of pregnant women during the first trimester surged from 25% to over 90%. He further added that in the Marwah Block of Jammu & Kashmir, institutional deliveries rose from 30% to 100% and in the Gurdih Block of Jharkhand, tap water connections grew from 18% to 100%. He emphasized that these are not just statistics but evidence of the government’s resolve for last-mile delivery. “With the right intent, planning, and execution, transformation is possible even in remote areas”, he added.
Underlining India’s achievements over the past decade, emphasizing transformative changes and the nation’s attainment of new heights, Shri Modi remarked, “India is now recognized not merely for its growth but for setting new benchmarks in governance, transparency, and innovation”. He identified India’s G20 Presidency as a significant example of these advancements, noting that, for the first time in G20’s history, over 200 meetings were held across more than 60 cities, creating a broad and inclusive footprint. He underscored how the approach of public participation transformed the G20 into a people’s movement. “The world has acknowledged India’s leadership; India is not just participating, it is leading”, he affirmed.
The Prime Minister highlighted the growing discussions around government efficiency, emphasizing that India is 10-11 years ahead of other nations in this regard. He remarked on the efforts made over the past 11 years to eliminate delays, introduce new processes, and reduce turnaround time through technology. He noted that over 40,000 compliances have been removed, and more than 3,400 legal provisions have been decriminalized to promote ease of business. He recalled the resistance faced during these reforms, with critics questioning the need for such changes. However, he emphasized that the government did not succumb to pressure, asserting that new approaches are essential for achieving new results. He further highlighted the improvement in India’s Ease of Doing Business Rankings as a result of these efforts and noted the global enthusiasm for investing in India. The Prime Minister urged the need to capitalize on this opportunity by eliminating red tape at the state, district, and block levels to achieve set goals effectively.
“The successes of the past 10-11 years have laid a strong foundation for a developed India”, said Shri Modi, remarking that the nation is now beginning to construct the grand edifice of a developed India on this solid base but acknowledged the significant challenges ahead. He noted that India has become the most populous country in the world, emphasizing the prioritization of saturation in basic amenities. He urged a strong focus on last-mile delivery to ensure inclusivity in development. He highlighted the evolving needs and aspirations of the citizens, remarking that the Civil Service must adapt to contemporary challenges to remain relevant. Shri Modi stressed the need for setting new benchmarks, moving beyond comparisons with previous benchmarks. He urged measuring progress against the vision for a developed India by 2047, examining whether the current pace of achieving goals in every sector is adequate, and accelerating efforts wherever necessary. He underscored the advancements in technology available today and called for leveraging its power. Highlighting the accomplishments of the past decade, Shri Modi mentioned the construction of 4 crore houses for the poor, with a target of building 3 crore more, connecting over 12 crore rural households to tap water within 5-6 years, with the aim of ensuring every village household has a tap connection soon. He further mentioned the building of over 11 crore toilets for the underprivileged in the past 10 years, while targeting new goals in waste management and providing free treatment up to ₹5 lakh for millions of underprivileged individuals. Shri Modi emphasized the need for renewed commitments to improve nutrition for citizens and declared that the ultimate goal must be 100% coverage and 100% impact. He highlighted that this approach has lifted 25 crore people out of poverty in the past decade and expressed confidence that it will lead to a poverty-free India.
Reflecting on the past role of bureaucracy as a regulator that controlled the pace of industrialization and entrepreneurship, the Prime Minister emphasized that the nation has moved beyond this mindset and is now fostering an environment that promotes enterprise among citizens and helps them overcome barriers. “Civil Services must transform into an enabler, expanding its role from merely being the keeper of rule books to becoming a facilitator of growth”, he said. Citing the example of the MSME sector, he highlighted the importance of Mission Manufacturing and how the success of this mission is heavily reliant on MSMEs. The Prime Minister pointed out that amidst global changes, MSMEs, startups, and young entrepreneurs in India have an unprecedented opportunity. He stressed the necessity of becoming more competitive in the global supply chain and noted that MSMEs face competition not just from smaller entrepreneurs but also globally. He remarked that if a small country provides better ease of compliances to its industries, it could outpace Indian startups. Thus, he emphasized the need for India to continuously evaluate its position in global best practices. The Prime Minister asserted that while the goal of Indian industries is to create globally best products, the goal of India’s bureaucracy must be to provide the world’s best ease of compliance environment.
Emphasising the need for civil servants to acquire skills that not only help them understand technology but also enable its use for smart and inclusive governance, Shri Modi remarked, “In the age of technology, governance is not about managing systems; it is about multiplying possibilities.” He stressed the importance of becoming tech-savvy to make policies and schemes more efficient and accessible through technology. He highlighted the need for expertise in data-driven decision-making to ensure accurate policy design and implementation. Observing the rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Physics, predicting a forthcoming revolution in technology that will surpass the digital and information age, Shri Modi urged civil servants to prepare for this technological revolution to deliver the best services and fulfill citizens’ aspirations. Underscoring the importance of enhancing the capabilities of civil servants to build a future-ready civil service, he highlighted the significance of Mission Karmayogi and the Civil Service Capacity Building Program in achieving this goal.
The Prime Minister stressed the need to closely monitor global challenges in rapidly changing times, highlighting that food, water, and energy security remain major issues, particularly for the Global South, where ongoing conflicts are exacerbating difficulties, impacting daily lives and livelihoods. He further stressed the importance of understanding the growing interconnection between domestic and external factors. He identified climate change, natural disasters, pandemics, and cybercrime threats as critical areas requiring proactive action, urging India to stay ten steps ahead in addressing these challenges. He underlined the need to develop localized strategies and build resilience to effectively tackle these emerging global issues.
Reiterating the concept of “Panch Pran” introduced from the Red Fort, emphasizing the resolve for a developed India, liberation from the mindset of servitude, pride in heritage, the power of unity, and the honest fulfillment of duties, Shri Modi remarked that civil servants are the key carriers of these principles. He stated, “Every time you prioritize integrity over convenience, innovation over inertia, or service over status, you propel the nation forward.” He expressed his complete trust in the civil servants. Addressing young officers embarking on their professional journeys, he highlighted the societal contributions to individual success. He remarked that everyone seeks to give back to society in their own capacity. He emphasized the privilege civil servants have in being able to contribute significantly to society, urging them to make the most of this opportunity provided by the nation and its people.
The Prime Minister emphasized the need to reimagine reforms for civil servants, calling for an accelerated pace and expanded scale of reforms across sectors. He highlighted key areas such as infrastructure, renewable energy goals, internal security, terminating corruption, social welfare schemes, and targets related to sports and the Olympics, urging the implementation of new reforms in every domain. He remarked that the achievements so far must be surpassed manifold, setting higher benchmarks for progress. The Prime Minister stressed the importance of human judgment in a technology-driven world, urging civil servants to remain sensitive, listen to the voices of the underprivileged, understand their struggles, and prioritize resolving their issues. Concluding his address, he invoked the principle of “Nagrik Devo Bhava,” likening it to the ethos of “Atithi Devo Bhava,” and called on civil servants to see themselves not just as administrators but as architects of a developed India, fulfilling their responsibilities with dedication and compassion.
Union Minister of State for Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh, Principal Secretary – 2 to Prime Minister, Shri Shaktikanta Das, Cabinet Secretary, Shri T V Somanathan and Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances, Shri V Srinivas were present on the occasion.
Background
Prime Minister has always encouraged Civil Servants across India to dedicate themselves to the cause of citizens, be committed to public service and strive towards excellence in their work. This year, 16 awards were given by the Prime Minister in the categories of Holistic Development of Districts, Aspirational Blocks Programme and Innovation to civil servants. They were recognised for work done for the welfare of common citizens through this.
India’s aspirational society – youth, farmers, women – their dreams are soaring to unprecedented heights.
Historic Women Representation in Civil Services: Dr. Jitendra Singh Hails Largest-Ever Representation of 74 Women IAS Officers in a Batch of 180, Nearly 41 Percent Union Minister Interacts with IAS Officer Trainees of 2023 batch; Highlights India’s Administrative Transformation and Vision for Viksit Bharat @ 2047
Interaction was part of the ongoing Assistant Secretary programme, wherein the IAS Officer Trainees are attached to 46 Central Ministries for a period of 8 weeks
This batch of IAS officers is not only the youngest and most diverse—but also the most representative of New India’s aspirations: Dr. Singh
Posted On: 20 APR 2025 4:47PM by PIB Delhi
In a thought-provoking and motivating interaction with the Officer Trainees (OTs) of the 2023 IAS batch, Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space hailed the largest women representation in the history of Indian Administrative Services, with 74 women officers, making up 41 percent of the current batch of 180 officers.
The interaction was part of the ongoing Assistant Secretary programme, wherein the IAS Officer Trainees are attached to 46 Central Ministries for a period of 8 weeks from April 1 to May 30, 2025, giving them early exposure to policy formulation and the workings of the Central Government.
Dr. Jitendra Singh attributed this landmark development to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, under whose tenure women-led initiatives have gained unprecedented momentum. “The Prime Minister has always been a champion of women empowerment. This record representation is a testament to his unwavering support for inclusive and progressive governance,” the Minister said.
The Minister reflected on the inception of the Assistant Secretary Programme in 2015, calling it Prime Minister Modi’s brainchild to give young officers real-time governance exposure at the beginning of their careers. “The programme has brought a resurgence of confidence among officers. During the pandemic, many of these officers performed remarkably when called upon for district-level crisis management,” Dr. Jitendra Singh added.
As the initiative marks its 10th anniversary, Dr. Jitendra Singh noted its outstanding impact on nurturing capable and confident civil servants. He also celebrated the democratisation of Civil Services, with increasing representation from states like Punjab, Haryana, and the North-East, regions that earlier saw fewer selections.
The Minister took pride in the academic and professional diversity of the batch, mentioning that 99 officers hail from engineering backgrounds, along with many from medicine and other technical fields. “For years, I wondered why technocrats joined the civil services. But now, I realize the technical nature of flagship Government programmes—from Digital India to Smart Cities—makes their presence a national asset,” he said.
Dr. Jitendra Singh praised the young average age (22–26 years) of the batch, which provides a long-span career trajectory to contribute to the nation. He urged the officers to stay technologically ahead and make full use of the iGOT Karmayogi platform, a digital learning ecosystem offering continuously updated capacity-building modules.
“You are fortunate to be in the best of times, when India is rapidly moving towards becoming Viksit Bharat @2047,” he emphasized.
In an open-floor dialogue with the young officers, Dr. Jitendra Singh expressed support for a more dynamic and flexible civil service ecosystem, where officers may be allowed to gain exposure outside government for a few years and return as domain specialists—a model that he termed “a win-win for both the officer and the government.”
On the issue of bridging the digital divide, the Minister called technology a great leveller, citing examples like the Swamitva Mission, which eliminates the need for revenue officials by leveraging drone-based property mapping. “This has democratised access to land records and decentralised service delivery at the grassroots,” he said.
Dr. Jitendra Singh also stressed the importance of grievance redressal mechanisms, urging the trainees to study the CPGRAMS platform, which he described as a global benchmark. “Nearly 26 lakh grievances have been disposed of with a 98% resolution rate, most within 13 days,” he shared.
Yet, he reminded the officers that human intelligence and empathy must complement technology. “Despite resolving grievances technically, many citizens still feel emotionally dissatisfied. That’s why we have created a ‘human desk’ to provide emotional closure, proving that governance is not just administrative but deeply human,” he remarked.
In a moving exchange, one of the Officer Trainees quoted Dr. Singh’s past speech “One retires from service, not from citizenship.” Responding to this, Dr. Singh spoke about initiatives to involve retired civil servants through a Digital Repository of Expertise, allowing India to harness their knowledge. He also highlighted the Anubhav Awards, which encourage retiring officers to document their experiences for the benefit of future generations.
As the interaction concluded, Dr. Jitendra Singh urged the young civil servants to uphold the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and service, aligning their efforts with the spirit of Antyodaya—working for the last man standing.
“This batch of IAS officers is not only the youngest and most diverse—but also the most representative of New India’s aspirations. Let your work reflect the hopes of a billion people.” said Dr. Jitendra Singh.
“The road to reform is undeniable complex,” Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reform, Tareq AlBanai said, emphasizing “steady and meaningful steps” are taken “with continued constructive engagement, growing convergences around principles of transparency, inclusivity and accountability, and the momentum generated by the Pact for the Future.”
Kuwaiti Ambassador AlBanai spoke to reporters today (17 Apr) as the Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Council. He spoke on the status of the negotiations taking place in the UN General Assembly.
Ambassador AlBanai said, “The Pack to the Future recognizes the centrality of a reformed Security Council in strengthening multilateralism and restoring trust in global governance.”
“Notably, the Pack includes the most progressive and concrete commitment to Security Council reform since the 1960s. It aims to enhance the Council’s effectiveness and representativeness with a particular emphasis on addressing the historical injustice against Africa,” he added.
The Chair of the negotiation group highlighted that the session of Security Council reform within the packet outlines three key actions.
He explained, “The first action addresses areas of convergence and parameters for reform, such as improving the representation of underrepresented and unrepresented regions and groups, including Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean.”
“It also calls for intensified efforts to find agreement on the issue of categories of membership,” Ambassador AlBanai added.
The second action focuses on the IGN process itself, he said, “encouraging the submission of additional models with a view toward developing and consolidated models in the future.”
The Chair of the negotiation group added that the third action proposes interim concrete measures to enhance the Council’s capacity to maintain international peace and security in the meantime, “including the full implementation and adherence of article 273 and all provisions of the UN Charter as they relate to decision making processes in the Council.”
The Kuwaiti Ambassador encouraged all Member States and negotiating groups to put forward new proposals or update to existing ones.
“The spirit of reform requires both courage and creativity, and the active engagement of all delegations remains essential as we work to find consensus on core elements of the Security Council reform,” he concluded.
