Huge crowds expected for second day of Pope Francis lying in state

Huge crowds expected for second day of Pope Francis lying in state
People queue to pay their respects to late Pope Francis as his body lies in state, on Via della Conciliazione, near the Vatican, in Rome, on April 23, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 24 April 2025
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Huge crowds expected for second day of Pope Francis lying in state

Huge crowds expected for second day of Pope Francis lying in state
  • Close to 20,000 people filtered past the Catholic leader’s coffin in the first eight hours of the lying in state
  • Pope Francis died on Monday after 12 years as head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics

VATICAN CITY: Huge crowds were expected on Thursday for a glimpse of Pope Francis’s body on the second day of public tributes, after St. Peter’s Basilica stayed open almost all night to accommodate the crowds.
Close to 20,000 people filtered past the Catholic leader’s red-lined wooden coffin in the first eight hours of the lying in state on Wednesday.
Instead of closing at midnight, it allowed people in until 5:30 a.m. (0330 GMT) on Thursday morning, before reopening at 7:00am, the Vatican said.
Italy is preparing a massive security operation for the funeral in front of St. Peter’s, with world leaders including US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky due to join hundreds of thousands of mourners.
Francis died on Monday after 12 years as head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, during which time he made a name for himself as a pope of the marginalized.
Mourners queued for up to four hours on Wednesday to say their goodbyes to Francis, who was dressed in his papal vestments – a red chasuble, white mitre and black shoes – and held a rosary.
Each mourner was ushered past the casket within seconds, many hurriedly catching the moment on their smartphones.
Argentine Federico Rueda, 46, said that despite the rush, he would not have missed the opportunity.
“It is worth missing out on other places to say goodbye to an Argentine: a very worthy pope,” he said as he stood proudly wearing the jersey of Argentina’s national football team, the current world champions.
Mexican Leobardo Guevara, 24, draped in his country’s flag, said he felt “a sense of peace” as he filed past the body of the first pope from the Americas.
Francis, an energetic reformer who became pope in 2013, died on Monday aged 88 after suffering a stroke.
His death at his residence in the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican came less than a month after he was released from five weeks in hospital with double pneumonia.
Francis’s casket was initially put on display for Vatican officials and clergy in the Santa Marta chapel, before being transferred to St. Peter’s Wednesday in a procession including cardinals, clergy and Swiss Guards.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was among those who paid respects on Wednesday, and scores of world leaders and dignitaries plan to attend the funeral.
They include Argentine President Javier Milei and Britain’s Prince William, although Russia – which has for centuries had icy ties with the Vatican – said it would send its culture minister.
Authorities, who expect up to 170 foreign delegations, have ramped up security for the funeral.
Italy’s civil protection agency estimates that “several hundred thousand” people will descend on Rome on what was already set to be a busy weekend due to a public holiday.
After the funeral, Francis’s coffin will be taken to his favorite church, Rome’s papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
His will requested that he be interred in the ground, his simple tomb marked with just one word: Franciscus.
Following that, all eyes will turn to the process to choose Francis’s successor.
Cardinals from around the world are returning to Rome for the conclave, which will begin no fewer than 15 days and no more than 20 days after a pope’s death.
Only those under the age of 80 – currently some 135 cardinals – are eligible to vote.
Cardinals have agreed that the traditional nine days of mourning for the pope, the so-called “novemdiales,” will begin on Saturday and conclude on May 4.
Another meeting of cardinals of all ages was set for Thursday at 9:00am (0700 GMT).
However, the Vatican brushed aside hopes of an announcement of the conclave date, insisting the focus is on the funeral.
At the time of his death, Francis was under doctors’ orders to rest for two months.
But the headstrong pope continued to make public appearances despite appearing tired and short of breath.
On Easter Sunday, one day before he died, he circled St. Peter’s Square in his popemobile to greet the crowds, stopping to kiss babies along the way.


Macron urges regional investment as Albania nears EU goal

Macron urges regional investment as Albania nears EU goal
Updated 21 sec ago
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Macron urges regional investment as Albania nears EU goal

Macron urges regional investment as Albania nears EU goal
“Here in Albania, clearly, you have the entry point in this region of Western Balkans,” Macron said
Albania entered talks to join the European Union in 2022

TIRANA: French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday invited foreign investors to come to “stable” Europe, including to Albania, which he sees obtaining EU entry in 2027.

Europe “is a stable and reliable place,” he told economic forum “Priority Europe,” organized by the Future Investment Initiative (FII) institute of advertising executive Richard Attias.

“And in this crazy world, don’t underestimate the strengths of such qualities,” Macron said at the Tirana event aimed at connecting European leaders and innovators with sovereign wealth funds and Middle East, Asia and US business leaders.

“Here in Albania, clearly, you have the entry point in this region of Western Balkans, but much more broadly it’s a key point in the Mediterranean place and Europe.

“And in two years to come, as now he has a clear mandate, he will join the EU,” added Macron, referring to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Albania entered talks to join the European Union in 2022 and Rama said that the process could conclude with the country joining in 2027 if all goes to plan. “That would be incredible,” said Rama in an interview with AFP.

The country of some three million is by far the most pro-EU in the Balkans. In 2024, 92 percent of those questioned in a poll said they would vote “yes” if a referendum were held on EU membership-compared to 40 percent in Serbia.

The challenges of meeting accession requirements remain sizeable, notably in terms of combating corruption.

Several ministers and several senior officials, former president Ilir Meta, and the mayor of Tirana — a close Rama associate — are currently in detention on suspicion of embezzlement.

Zelensky will attend Pope Leo’s inaugural Mass, Vatican says

Zelensky will attend Pope Leo’s inaugural Mass, Vatican says
Updated 6 min 25 sec ago
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Zelensky will attend Pope Leo’s inaugural Mass, Vatican says

Zelensky will attend Pope Leo’s inaugural Mass, Vatican says
  • Zelensky would be happy to meet other leaders on the sidelines of the inauguration
  • Rubio said he would discuss on Saturday efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine with Cardinal Matteo Zuppi

VATICAN CITY: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend the inaugural Mass of newly elected Pope Leo on Sunday, along with many other world leaders, the Vatican said.

The Mass in St. Peter’s Square will formally install Pope Leo, who was born in Chicago but lived for many years in Peru, as the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.

US Vice President JD Vance, who clashed fiercely with Zelensky in the White House in February, will lead the US delegation, which also includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Zelensky would be happy to meet other leaders on the sidelines of the inauguration, a top aide told Reuters this week. When he went to the Vatican for the funeral of Pope Francis on April 26, Zelensky held face-to-face talks with US President Donald Trump in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Rubio said he would discuss on Saturday efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine with Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who served as the late Pope Francis’ envoy for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

In remarks to reporters ahead of the meeting, the top US diplomat suggested the Vatican could be a venue to facilitate dialogue.

“I wouldn’t call it a broker, but it certainly is a place that I would think that both sides would be comfortable coming,” Rubio told reporters.

Among other leaders expected on Sunday are the presidents of Israel, Peru and Nigeria, the prime ministers of Italy, Canada and Australia, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula Von der Layen.

Many European royals will also be present, including Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia.
Russia will be represented by Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, the Vatican said.


Indian state honors ‘elephant whisperers’ from Oscar-winning documentary with special village

Indian state honors ‘elephant whisperers’ from Oscar-winning documentary with special village
Updated 43 min 28 sec ago
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Indian state honors ‘elephant whisperers’ from Oscar-winning documentary with special village

Indian state honors ‘elephant whisperers’ from Oscar-winning documentary with special village
  • In 2023, ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ became the first Indian documentary to win an Oscar
  • Indigenous communities have been integral as elephant caretakers in Asia

NEW DELHI: India’s elephant caretakers in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, whose roles were brought to global attention in an Oscar-winning documentary, were honored with a special village by the local government as part of an effort to recognize their dedication to the conservation of the mammals.

The story of a mahout couple in Tamil Nadu who devote themselves to caring for an orphaned baby elephant was central to “The Elephant Whisperers” film, which became the first Indian documentary to win an Oscar in 2023.

Since the documentary brought the role of the mahouts — a Hindi word for elephant caretakers — to the international spotlight, the Tamil Nadu government has been working to further empower and honor them.

On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated the Mahout Village at the state’s Theppakadu Elephant Camp. Dubbed the first of its kind, the special area comprises 44 houses for each of the mammals’ keepers and their families.

“The film ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ played an important part in building the houses for mahouts, there is no doubt about it,” Supriya Sahu, additional chief secretary for environment, climate change and forests in Tamil Nadu, told Arab News.

“We will make sure that the people, the indigenous community who take care of our elephants, are also suitably taken care of. That is the idea behind (this program). It’s a tribute to them.”

Built at a cost of about $670,000, the houses at Mahout Village use solar lights and fences, and were constructed in consultation with the mahouts. The area also comes with communal facilities, including a basketball court and a kids’ playground.

Mahouts have long been integral in wildlife conservation across many South and Southeast Asian countries.

India is home to some 30,000 Asian elephants, representing at least 60 percent of the species’ global population. Tamil Nadu itself is home to about 3,100 elephants.

With the buzz around “The Elephant Whisperers” following its Oscar win, Bomman and Bellie, the couple from the Kattunayakan tribal group who were featured in the film, had urged the government to consider building houses for the mahouts.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin interacts with mahout couple Bomman and Bellie on May 13, 2024 during the inauguration of Mahout Village at Theppakadu Elephant Camp. (M.K. Stalin/Facebook) 

“One good thing that has happened is the documentary brought attention to the indigenous people who have been taking care of elephants for generations,” Bomman told Arab News.

“The houses are really a recognition for those who have been taking care of elephants and helped in the preservation of nature.”

For C. Maari, a 52-year-old mahout, the Oscar-winning documentary helped show the possibility of human-wildlife coexistence.

“The documentary no doubt highlighted our issues and the world outside came to know that humans and animals understand each other, and can coexist together if we don’t intrude in each others’ space,” Maari told Arab News.

He is hopeful that the new housing will help his community better take care of the elephants.

“I am really happy that I got the house. Earlier, we used to live in a hut without any facilities inside the jungle. We used to struggle for basic amenities, like toilets and other facilities,” he said.

“For generations, we have been friends with elephants and we understand their needs. Both of us have been surviving together for generations and the houses are the recognition of our contribution in maintaining the animal world.”


Putin eases access to Russian citizenship for Georgian breakaway regions

Putin eases access to Russian citizenship for Georgian breakaway regions
Updated 17 May 2025
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Putin eases access to Russian citizenship for Georgian breakaway regions

Putin eases access to Russian citizenship for Georgian breakaway regions
  • Under the decree, applicants will no longer be required to permanently reside in Russia
  • Georgia and Russia have no diplomatic relations since the 2008 war

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed a decree simplifying access to Russian citizenship for people from two Georgian breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Under the decree, applicants will no longer be required to permanently reside in Russia to get citizenship, or prove their knowledge of the Russian language or culture.

Abkhazia and South Ossetia are recognized by most of the world as Georgian territory, but has been under de-facto Russian control since a brief 2008 war between Moscow and Tbilisi.

In Abkhazia, another pro-Russian president recently won an election after the previous one was ousted following tense protests over a bill giving Russians easier access to coastal property along the Black Sea.

Georgia and Russia have no diplomatic relations since the 2008 war, but critics accuse the current Georgian ruling party of being pro-Russian, and claim it came to power as a result of a rigged election.

Georgia, which shares a border with Russia, declined to join international financial and economic sanctions against Moscow over its Ukraine offensive, or to support Kyiv with military equipment.


Erdogan sees end in sight for US sanctions on Turkish defense sector

Erdogan sees end in sight for US sanctions on Turkish defense sector
Updated 17 May 2025
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Erdogan sees end in sight for US sanctions on Turkish defense sector

Erdogan sees end in sight for US sanctions on Turkish defense sector

ISTANBUL: Turkiye has seen an easing of US sanctions on its defense sector since Donald Trump became president, with steps toward ending the measure advancing quickly, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday.
“We can easily say that there is a softening in CAATSA,,” he told reporters while returning from a European summit, referring to US sanctions legislation.
In 2020, Washington imposed sanctions on Ankara over its purchase of an S-400 Russian surface-to-air missile defense system under a 2017 law known as CAATSA, which aims to limit Russia’s military influence.
The move soured ties between the two NATO member countries.
It also booted Turkiye out of its F-35 program, with Washington saying the presence of the S-400 would allow the Russians to collect information on the stealth jet’s capabilities.
Erdogan said Turkiye had raised the sanctions issue with Trump and his newly-appointed envoy to Ankara, Tom Barrack
“With my friend Trump taking office, we have achieved a more open, more constructive and more sincere communication on these issues,” Erdogan added, saying Turkiye valued “every positive step in this direction.”
“I believe we will overcome the CAATSA process much faster. As two great NATO allies, there should be no restrictions or obstacles in the field of defense between us,” he said.
Turkiye’s partnership with the United States was “of vital importance for the establishment of stability in our region and the world” he said.
In March, Erdogan spoke to Trump about the need to finalize a deal to let Turkiye buy US F-16 fighter planes and be readmitted to the development program for F-35 warplanes.
Turkiye has been seeking to modernize its airforce, and has been seeking to buy 40 Eurofighter Typhoons which are built by a four-nation consortium grouping Germany, Britain, Spain and Italy.