International
Pope Francis for burial tomorrow (Saturday)
A nine-day mourning period will then begin.
Image: Getty images
The funeral of Pope Francis will take place on Saturday, in front of St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
BBC reports that the preparations have begun for the conclave, the process by which cardinals will elect the next Pope.
What will happen at the Pope’s funeral?
The Pope’s body is lying in state inside St Peter’s Basilica.
Tens of thousands of mourners have queued to say a final goodbye before his funeral takes place on Saturday, at 10:00 local time (09:00 BST).
Papal funerals have historically been very elaborate, but the instructions set out by Francis are much simpler.
He will be the first Pope in more than a century not to be buried inside the Vatican. Instead, he will be laid to rest in Rome’s Basilica of St Mary Major.
Francis asked to be buried in a simple wooden casket lined with zinc – unlike his predecessors, who were buried in three nesting coffins made of cypress, lead and oak.
The service will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals. Patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, and priests from across the globe will also take part.
After a concluding prayer formally entrusting the Pope to God, the pontiff’s body will be moved to St Mary Major for the burial.
A nine-day mourning period will then begin.
Dozens of world leaders and thousands of worshippers will be at the funeral.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and French President Emmanuel Macron have said they will attend, as has Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, Francis’s home country.
The Prince of Wales will represent King Charles.
International
‘Up to our people’ to pick leader, Zelenskyy responds to Trump’s pledge for new elections in Ukraine
Russia and Ukraine are locked in a long-range aerial war while their armies remain largely deadlocked on the front line, more than four and a half years after Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday his country could hold elections if Russia agreed to a 60-day total ceasefire, pushing back against US counterpart Donald Trump’s call for Ukraine to pick a new leader.
“First of all, with all respect to President Trump, it’s up to our society, up to our people to choose one or another leader”, Zelenskyy told ABC News in a televised interview, a day after Trump said Ukraine needed a new president who would agree to end the war.
Zelenskyy said he told Trump’s team that if they really wanted Ukraine to hold elections, “please tell Putin to give us two months, 60 days of total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organise elections”.
“We want peace, we are ready for a ceasefire, we are ready to begin with any kind of steps of de-escalation”, Zelenskyy told ABC in a TV interview.
“And if the Russians want us not to attack their diesel, their refineries, etc., we are asking President Trump to give them a signal not to attack the energy infrastructure of Ukraine”.
Russia and Ukraine are locked in a long-range aerial war while their armies remain largely deadlocked on the front line, more than four and a half years after Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
Euro News
International
Time for Ukraine to get a new president’, says Trump
“It’s time for Ukraine to get a new president” he told reporters.
US President Donald Trump has called for new leadership in Ukraine, criticising President Volodymyr Zelensky for striking Russian oil refineries.
“It’s time for Ukraine to get a new president” he told reporters.
On Friday Trump announced a deal with Moscow to import Russian diesel, a deal Zelensky described as “a gift” to President Putin.
BBC.
International
Japan beer giants raided over alleged price-fixing cartel
Asahi, Kirin and Sapporo all saw their share price fall after news of the investigation broke on Wednesday. Suntory’s beer business is not publicly-listed.
Image credit: BBC| GETTY Images
Japanese officials have raided the country’s biggest beer makers over allegations they worked together to raise the price of their beverages.
Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin and Suntory Spirits confirmed to the BBC that their premises had been searched by the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC), adding that they would fully cooperate with the regulator.
The four firms dominate Japan’s beer market, with their drinks a common sight in supermarkets and convenience stores across the country.
Asahi, Kirin and Sapporo all saw their share price fall after news of the investigation broke on Wednesday. Suntory’s beer business is not publicly-listed.
“I do not deny that an investigation is being conducted today, but I’d like to refrain from commenting on the details as a preliminary review is underway,” JFTC Secretary General Iwanari Hiroo said, according to local media.
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