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King Charles to Proceed with Vatican Visit Despite Pope Francis’s Health Concerns

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by Ashraf Oluwatobiloba, Kaduna.

Britain’s King Charles III will continue with his planned state visit to the Vatican in early April, despite Pope Francis’s ongoing battle with pneumonia. Buckingham Palace confirmed on Tuesday that the visit, which is scheduled for April 8, will go ahead as planned. King Charles, the head of the Church of England, will meet with his Catholic counterpart, Pope Francis, provided that the pontiff’s health permits it.

A Buckingham Palace source expressed well wishes for Pope Francis’s recovery, stating, “Our hopes and prayers are with Pope Francis for his health to improve and allow the visit to take place.” The pope, who is 88 years old, has been hospitalized for over a month at Rome’s Gemelli hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs. King Charles had previously written to the pope to offer his support during this time.

Charles will be accompanied by his wife, Camilla, on this official visit to Italy and the Holy See, which will take place from April 7 to April 10. This will mark King Charles’s first visit to both Italy and the Vatican as the reigning monarch. After his meeting with Pope Francis, the king is scheduled to meet with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella. Notably, King Charles will become the first British monarch to address a sitting of the Italian parliament during this trip.

The king’s upcoming visit comes after his health struggles in 2024, including a cancer diagnosis revealed in February. Despite these challenges, the 76-year-old monarch resumed his international travels in October.

King Charles’s last visit to the Vatican took place in 2019, where he also met Pope Francis. His upcoming visit holds significant historical context, given the long history of the Church of England’s split from the Roman Catholic Church during the reign of King Henry VIII in the 16th century.

The Palace has expressed hopes for Pope Francis’s swift recovery so that the visit can take place as planned, with the king eager to strengthen ties between the British monarchy and the Vatican.

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Foreign

BREAKING: Trump Orders Investigation into Reported Christian Killings in Nigeria

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By: Fabian Apechihin

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has directed lawmakers to launch an immediate investigation into reports of widespread killings of Christians in Nigeria, describing the situation as a “Christian genocide.”

In a statement released Friday evening via his Truth Social platform, Trump expressed grave concern over the violence, blaming radical Islamist groups for what he called a “mass slaughter.”

“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” he wrote.

The U.S. President announced that he is designating Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing alarming figures of killings within the country compared to global totals.

“When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria — something must be done! I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter and report back to me,” Trump stated.

He added that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening,” pledging that his administration remains ready “to protect Christian populations around the world.”

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Defence/Security

Polish MEP Raises Alarm Over Killings of Christians in Nigeria

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By: Fabian Apechihin

Polish Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Dominik Tarczyński, has once again drawn global attention to what he described as the ongoing persecution and killings of Christians in Nigeria.

In a post on his verified 𝕏 account on Monday, Tarczyński shared an image of a blood-stained Nigerian flag alongside a viral video showing a pastor conducting a burial ceremony for victims of violence.

In the video, the pastor lamented the frequent killings, saying:

“We are tired of performing burial every day, and they expect us to remain silent. It has become an order, and the Nigerian government came out to deny the massacre, saying there is no genocide of Christians in Nigeria. United Nations, you’re watching me. The American Parliament is aware of what we are doing now. My special request is to President Trump to save our lives in Nigeria. They are killing more Christians. If they say they kill Muslims, the Muslims are killed by who? Muslims are killed by Muslims.”

Tarczyński’s post quickly went viral, sparking widespread reactions and renewed calls for the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to combat banditry and terrorism.

However, the Federal Government has repeatedly rejected claims of a religiously targeted genocide. In a recent statement, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described such allegations as “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive.”

Idris maintained that Nigeria’s security challenges are complex and not driven by religious motives, warning that framing the fight against terrorism as an anti-Christian campaign could deepen existing social and religious divides.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting all Nigerians, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and called on international partners and media outlets to “refrain from narratives that distort the country’s security realities.”

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Foreign

Two Dead After Cargo Plane Skids Off Hong Kong Runway Into Sea

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By: Fabian Apechihin

Two airport security officers were killed early Monday after a cargo plane skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport, struck their patrol vehicle, and plunged into the sea.

The incident involved Emirates flight EK9788, a Boeing 747 arriving from Dubai around 03:50 local time (19:50 GMT Sunday). The aircraft veered off the north runway, crashed through perimeter fencing, and collided with the patrol vehicle, pushing it into the water. Both occupants of the vehicle died, while the plane’s four crew members survived.

According to officials, the plane ended up partially submerged, making it one of Hong Kong Airport’s deadliest aviation accidents in years. Two other runways remain operational as investigations continue.

Airport operations executive director Steven Yiu said the patrol vehicle had been travelling on a service road outside the runway’s perimeter at a “safe distance” when the plane suddenly turned off course.
“Normally, the plane is not supposed to turn towards the sea,” Yiu said during a press briefing. He emphasized that the patrol car “definitely did not enter the runway” and that the aircraft had not sent a distress signal before landing.

Divers later recovered the bodies of the victims—two men aged 30 and 41—about five meters from the shore and seven meters underwater. One was confirmed dead at the scene, and the other died in hospital.

Hong Kong’s transport bureau expressed condolences to the victims’ families, describing the event as “deeply saddening.”

Emirates confirmed the accident, saying the cargo plane “sustained damage on landing in Hong Kong.” The airline noted there was no cargo onboard and that the aircraft had been wet-leased—meaning operated with crew and insurance—from Turkish carrier ACT Airlines.

Firefighters reached the scene within two minutes, rescuing all four crew members who had escaped via the aircraft’s emergency slides. Photos from the crash site show the plane broken in half, with part of its fuselage submerged in water.

Authorities are now searching for the plane’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders (“black boxes”). A police spokesperson said criminal investigations have not been ruled out.

The affected runway will remain closed pending the outcome of the investigation. At least 11 incoming cargo flights were cancelled on Monday, according to airport authorities.

This is only the second fatal aviation accident at Hong Kong International Airport since it relocated to Chek Lap Kok in 1998. The previous one occurred in 1999, when a China Airlines jet crash-landed during a typhoon, killing three people.

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