Foreign Affairs

NEW POPE ELECTION: CARDINALS HOLD LAST MASS BEFORE CONCLAVE Cardinals from five continents on Wednesday held a final mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican before sealing themselves away to elect a new pope to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. A total of 133 cardinal electors are expected to take part in the conclave, the voting process to …

UK TO RESTRICT VISA APPLICATIONS FROM NIGERIA, PAKISTAN As part of efforts to reform its immigration system, the United Kingdom could soon restrict visa applications from nationalities whose citizens are most likely to overstay their approved stays. First reported by the Times, the Home Office listed the affected countries as Pakistan, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka. The report noted that nationals …

ALL MOBILE PHONES TO BE DEACTIVATED AHEAD OF CONCLAVE TO ELECT A NEW POPE All mobile phone signals will be deactivated in the Vatican on Wednesday ahead of the highly secretive conclave to elect the next pope, Italian state media reported. The Vatican also plans to use signal jammers around the Sistine Chapel to prevent electronic surveillance or communication outside …

U.S. APPEAL COURT REJECTS TRUMP’S BID TO REVOKE THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS A federal appeals court on Monday rejected a request by President Donald Trump’s administration to allow it to revoke the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans living in the United States. The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to put …

15 POTENTIAL SUCCESSOR Of LATE POPE FRANCIS’ Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, due to a stroke and cardiac arrest at his residence in thew Domus Sanctae Marthae, Vatican City. His death concluded a 12-year papacy noted for its emphasis on humility, advocacy for social justice, and efforts to reform the Catholic Church. …

TEN COUNTRIES WITH MULTIPLE CAPITAL CITIES While most countries have just one capital city, a few around the world take a different approach, splitting national duties across two or even three capital cities. Whether for historical, political, or logistical reasons, these nations have chosen to spread out their centers of power. From South Africa’s trio of capitals to Bolivia’s high-altitude …

FBI, DEA FAIL TO RELEASE TINUBU’S RECORD, SEEK 90-DAY EXTENSION The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have requested an additional 90 days from a United States District Court to produce investigative reports related to an alleged drug case involving President Bola Tinubu. This was contained in a joint status report filed with the US …

POPE FRANCIS (1936-2025) On the morning of Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, The Vatican announced the death of the 266th Pope, Pope Francis. Aged 88, he died after a lengthy battle with respiratory illness. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 17, 1936, the pontiff’s parents had fled their native Italy to escape the evils of Mussolini …

UNCERTAINTY AS FBI RELEASES TINUBU’S FILE TODAY There is a cloud of uncertainty in Nigeria as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is set to release long-awaited files today on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.Nigerian political art prints The anticipated release follows a ruling by Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., directing the FBI and the …

FINLAND BANS SMARTPHONES IN SCHOOLS Finnish Parliament voted on Tuesday to approve a law that restricts the use of mobile devices by pupils at primary and secondary schools. The new rules are expected to come into force after the summer break, in August. The law does not entirely ban the use of mobile phones at school, and their use will …