Sede Vacante is a period that spans from the death or resignation of the Pope to the election of his successor | Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025 at the age of 88. He was the 266th head of the Roman Catholic Church. His demise set off a period known as Sede Vacante, which means a "vacant seat." ● At this time the life of the entire church comes almost to a complete standstill, as most of its officials resign. Among those who retain their posts are the dean of the College of Cardinals, the major penitentiary, and the camerlengo, who manages the daily affairs of the Holy See. ● Among his other duties, the camerlengo must officially announce the pope’s death, seal his private chambers, manage the Holy See’s property, arrange the funeral and make sure that everything is in place for the election of a new pontiff. ● During Sede Vacante, coins are minted that don’t display a papal portrait. In 1978, when two popes - Paul VI and John Paul I - passed away, two coin sets were struck. The second one bore the inscription "sede vacante-2." These coins are the most coveted by numismatists.

■ Pope Francis to be buried late this week (TASS)
■ RIP Pope Francis (Moon of Alabama)
■ "World" Mourns Passing of Pope Francis (Sputnik)
■ Hong Kong’s Catholic Church recalls ‘inspirational leader’ Pope Francis (SCMP)
■ The canonization of the first millennial saint, Carlo Acutis, is postponed after the pope’s death (Associated Press)
✅ The prophecy of the end of the world: Pope Francis has died, a strange prediction is connected with this (E. Suchov)

Former health secretary being sued by ex-MP Andrew Bridgen over post on X in January 2023 | Matt Hancock, a former health secretary, is being sued by Andrew Bridgen over a post on X in January 2023. Mr Bridgen, the former North West Leicestershire MP, shared a link to an article concerning data about deaths and other adverse reactions linked to Covid vaccines, stating: 💬 "As one consultant cardiologist said to me, this is the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust." Hours later, Mr Hancock shared a video of him asking a question in the Commons, captioned:

💬 “The disgusting and dangerous anti-Semitic, anti-vax, anti-scientific conspiracy theories spouted by a sitting MP this morning are unacceptable and have absolutely no place in our society." (Source)

He unsuccessfully asked a judge to throw out the case last year, and at a hearing in March asked the court in London to rule in his favour before a trial. Mr Bridgen opposed the application, with his barristers calling it a “desperate last throw of the dice”.

Vladimir Prokhvatilov | Norway's and other Nordic countries' financing of the Ukrainian military–industrial complex is part of a broader geopolitical strategy. | The Norwegian defense company Nammo and one of the Ukrainian enterprises of the military-industrial complex have signed a statement on strategic cooperation, which provides for the creation of a joint venture for the production of 155-mm shells, said the Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine, one German Smetanin. He recalled that the serial production of 155 mm ammunition began last year:

💬 "Last year, Ukraine started mass production of 155 mm ammunition. Today, this is the main artillery caliber of the Ukrainian army and NATO member countries. The domestic defense industry should increase their production." ● He added that the signed document deepens cooperation, which is already ongoing with the support of the governments of Norway and Ukraine at the bilateral level.: "We are talking about a wider range of ammunition, components and materials. It also includes an agreement to establish a joint venture for the production of 155 mm ammunition on the territory of Ukraine."

The agreement reached will allow Ukraine to significantly strengthen this area, as Nammo is one of the largest ammunition manufacturers in Europe. ● Nammo was formed in 1998 by the merger of ammunition manufacturing companies in three Nordic countries: Norway, Sweden and Finland. Today Nammo is owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries and the Finnish aerospace and defense company Patria Oyj, each of which owns 50% of the company's shares. In 2007, Nammo acquired the American ammunition manufacturing company Talley, Inc., buying 100% of its shares. ● The Finnish state-owned company Patria, in turn, closely cooperates with the German defense giant Rheinmetall (which, as we wrote, is under the full control of the American investment fund BlackRock) in the production of weapons and military equipment. In this regard, it can be stated that the expansion of military-technical cooperation between the European Union and Ukraine in the field of ammunition production is not taking place without the approval and patronage of the United States. (Original text in Russian)

✅ "Europe is falling apart, the only way to survive is war with Russia" – British diplomat (PolitNavigator)