Vatican: a new pope is elected
08 May 2025
On 8 May Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955, was elected as the new head of the Catholic Church, becoming the first North American, American, and Peruvian pope. A member of the Order of Saint Augustine, he is also the first Augustinian pope in modern times. Prevost’s career included decades of service in Peru as a pastor, seminary educator, and diocesan official, before rising within his order’s global leadership. He later served as Bishop of Chiclayo and was made a cardinal in 2023, shortly before becoming Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops - a critical Vatican post. His wide linguistic fluency and diverse cultural experience positioned him as a bridge between the global North and South. His leadership will be closely watched for how he navigates past controversies and leads a Church increasingly shaped by voices from the global south.
On 8 May Pakistan claimed it shot down twelve Indian drones overnight amid escalating tensions following Indian airstrikes which have killed 31 people across Pakistan. General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, describing India’s actions as a ‘blatant act of aggression’, said the drone incursions had targeted major cities including Rawalpindi, where Pakistan’s military has its headquarters. Flights have been suspended in major cities of both nations, and a state of emergency declared in Pakistan’s Sindh region. India has not responded to the drone accusations but claimed its earlier strikes targeted terrorist infrastructure connected with the deadly militant attack in Kashmir on 22 April, even though Pakistan has denied involvement in it. Pakistan's prime minister has vowed revenge, while pressure builds on its army chief to respond. Both sides have exchanged shellfire along the contested Kashmir border. Iran has offered to mediate, as global concern mounts over the risk of broader conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
At least 33 Palestinians have been killed in two near-simultaneous Israeli airstrikes on a crowded restaurant and marketplace in Gaza City, according to medics and the Hamas-run health ministry. The Thailandy restaurant, operating as a community kitchen, and a busy market on al-Wahda street were struck, leaving horrific scenes of civilian casualties. Israel’s military said it was investigating the reports. Two days earlier, there were airstrikes on two schools serving displaced families, killing at least 48 people. Israel says it is expanding its military campaign against Hamas, aiming to eliminate the group and rescue the remaining 59 hostages. Critics warn that civilian infrastructure is being targeted and mass displacement and famine are imminent due to a blockade. Gaza’s Hamas-run government accuses Israel of war crimes. The UN has reiterated that Israel is responsible for ensuring access to food and medical aid, and cases of malnutrition are rising alarmingly: see With over 52,000 Gazans reported killed since October 2023, international pressure is growing to halt the violence and resume ceasefire negotiations.
Anthony Albanese has defied the ‘incumbency curse’, securing a historic landslide re-election for Australia’s Labour Party. At the start of the year polls had put Albanese's popularity at record lows, but he led a disciplined campaign focused on cost-of-living concerns, healthcare, housing, and reconciliation with Indigenous Australians. Voters rejected the opposition’s Trump-style campaign led by Peter Dutton, who lost his own seat amid policy missteps and failed attempts to rebrand. With Labour projected to gain 86 seats, and the conservative Liberal-National Coalition reduced to around 40, Albanese becomes the first Australian leader in over twenty years to win back-to-back elections. He now faces pressure to act boldly on climate change, Indigenous reconciliation, and economic reform. International leaders welcomed the result, but there are now questions about whether Labour will now use its strong mandate to pursue lasting change. The campaign’s tone and outcome suggest Australians have chosen stability over polarising rhetoric and disruption.
Over 18,500 Sudanese refugees have fled into eastern Chad in the past two weeks, following devastating attacks on the Zamzam displacement camp and the city of al-Fasher in Darfur. The 11 April assault by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) left at least 400 dead in Zamzam after months of starvation and siege. Eyewitnesses report widespread atrocities including executions, torture, and sexual violence. The RSF destroyed the camp’s only medical centre, killing nine aid workers, and burned large sections of the camp. Once home to 500,000 people, Zamzam is now nearly abandoned. Many fleeing refugees, including children and pregnant women, are severely malnourished and traumatised. Chad, already hosting 1.3 million refugees - nearly 800,000 from Sudan - is overwhelmed and struggling to provide adequate shelter, food, and medical care. UNHCR officials, fearing more suffering ahead as the humanitarian situation deteriorates rapidly, are calling for urgent international assistance and intervention.
Rwanda has confirmed it is in early discussions with the Trump administration about potentially receiving immigrants deported from the USA. Foreign minister Olivier Nduhungirehe stated the talks are ongoing but not finalised. The move follows US efforts to find foreign partners for deportations as part of Trump’s expansive immigration enforcement strategy, which includes invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act - granting the president wartime authority to deport noncitizens without due process. In April, the USA deported an Iraqi man accused of IS ties to Rwanda. Reports also suggest that migrants with criminal records might be sent to Rwanda or Libya. In 2022 Rwanda had agreed to accept asylum-seekers from the UK, but Keir Starmer’s government scrapped the deal due to legal and human rights concerns. A spokesperson for UNHCR has said: ‘People fleeing war, conflict and persecution deserve compassion and empathy. They should not be traded like commodities and transferred abroad for processing.’
Donald Trump’s administration has launched a voluntary ‘self-deportation’ initiative offering $1,000 to illegal immigrants who choose to leave the USA. Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem described it as a safer, more cost-effective alternative to forced removal. In addition to the cash incentive, the government will cover travel costs and provide return assistance via an app called CBP Home. Participants would be ‘deprioritised’ for detention and only receive the payout after their return is verified. The Department of Homeland Security highlighted the fiscal rationale: removing someone through standard procedures costs over $17,000. Trump, who made mass deportation central to his platform, argues this strategy fulfils his promises more economically. Critics, however, question its effectiveness and ethics. During his campaign, he repeatedly said that he planned to carry out ‘the largest deportation operation’ in American history, but so far the numbers have not matched his promises.
Amid public concern over his mental health, Justin Bieber has shared deeply personal reflections on Instagram about how God’s grace has transformed his life. The 31-year-old artist opened up about his past struggles with anxiety, fear of failure, and a relentless need to earn love and acceptance - feelings that left him restless and insecure. Bieber credited God’s grace with liberating him from those burdens, saying it shifted his identity from striving to belonging, from fear to trust. He described experiencing God’s love as being fully accepted, without shame or accusation. Emphasising that this love cannot be earned but only received, Bieber encouraged others to stay rooted in God’s internal work rather than external expectations. He warned against confusing pressure with the voice of Jesus, who leads gently, never with force. Fans and peers, including Bear Grylls, praised his openness. Bieber acknowledged past flaws and the pull of fame but expressed a desire to grow, serve, and advocate for love, truth, and equality.