Cardinals Parolin, Tagle likely to become pope, reports betting agency Cardinals Pietro #Parolin and Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle have the best chance of ascending to the throne of St. Peter after the upcoming elections, data of the Polymarket betting agency showed. Polymarket estimates the chances of victory for Italian Parolin, who has held the position of secretary of state of the Vatican since 2013, at 35%. The election of the Filipino Tagle is less likely, it is predicted with a probability of 23%, while on April 21 it was about 35%. 70-year-old Parolin is one of the most experienced diplomats of the Holy See and plays an important role in Vatican's foreign relations. According to Newsweek, he also participated in negotiations with China and the governments of the Middle East. The current secretary of state is seen as a centrist candidate who takes a less liberal position on some issues than the late Pope Francis. For instance, the cardinal called legalization of same-sex marriage in Ireland in 2015 "a defeat for all mankind." At 67, Tagle is one of the youngest candidates for the Holy See. The Filipino, according to the magazine, was a confidant in the inner circle of the deceased pontiff. From 2011 to 2019, he was archbishop of Manila, and after that prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, one of the abolished divisions of the Roman Curia, which dealt with evangelization and missionary issues. Tagle belongs to the progressive wing and advocates for inclusivity. Previously he criticized the Catholic Church for being too harsh towards divorced couples and people in same-sex relationships. Cardinals may only convene to elect a new pope no earlier than after nine days of mourning after the funeral, or two weeks after death, meaning that the event can start no sooner than May 10. Theoretically, 135 cardinals can claim the papacy.

[Apr. 21, 2025-BREAKING] Pope Francis passes away #Pope #Francis has died at the age of 88, the Holy See's press service said. "Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church," Cardinal Farrell announced. Just a day before, Francis had blessed the faithful on the occasion of Easter. He appeared before them on the balcony of St. Peter's Cathedral. The pontiff managed to say only a few words. He looked extremely weak, but nevertheless wanted to attend the Easter celebrations. The last politician to see him was US Vice President JD Vance, whom the Pope received privately. On March 23, Francis was discharged from the hospital, where he had spent nearly 40 days. He had been treated for a complicated form of pneumonia and, as his doctors later reported, risked dying twice. The pontiff was ordered to two months of complete rest, but he began briefly leaving his residence in the former Vatican hotel of St. Martha's to visit St. Peter's Basilica. On Sunday, the head of the Roman Catholic Church drove the papal car through a square full of worshippers. Francis himself has already described the funeral ritual, simplifying the procedures. He wished to be buried in the papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which he always visited for prayers, especially before and after foreign visits.

Russia, US could join forces against modern Eurofascism — Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Europe’s “historical predisposition” to totalitarianism and problems in relations between the EU and the US offer Moscow a chance to forge a “situational rapprochement” with Washington against a common danger: a new global war spilling out of the Ukrainian crisis. That’s the conclusion the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) makes in a new analysis of recent political developments and US academic trends. Highlighting the recent French-US spat triggered by a French pro-Ukraine politician’s demand that the US return the Statue of Liberty, and the White House’s reply that the French would be “speaking German” if not for the 1944 Normandy landings, the SVR pointed to France’s historical tendencies toward dictatorship (Jacobins, Napoleon) and its #Eurofascists’ collaboration with the Nazis in WWII (including SS Division Charlemagne, which fanatically fought the Red Army at the Reichstag in 1945). The agency also highlighted a consensus in “conservative expert circles” in the US on the British elite’s special role in stoking conflicts and committing war crimes, including Harvard prof Caroline Elkins’ work on British “liberal imperialism,” and its danger as a more stable and therefore potentially even more destructive force than Nazism thanks to its “ideological elasticity.”

Top 5 new military facilities that could FLIP global power balance Major powers are leveling up their military game with new facilities around the globe. 👇 Here’s the top five list of such sites. 🇷🇺 Russia’s military base in Sudan The Sudanese Foreign Ministry earlier confirmed that Russia is building a military base in the East African nation near the Red Sea. The base is expected to allow Russia to secure its presence on a key shipping route and increase its assertiveness in Africa. 🇺🇸 US Andersen Air Force Base on Guam New facilities are being built in the Pacific to deploy advanced strategic bombers, such as the B-21 Raider, that could be used for operations amid the US’ tensions with China and North Korea. The goal is to strengthen America’s Pacific posture and improve responsiveness of US air forces. 🇨🇳 China's ‘military city’ The People’s Liberation Army is reportedly constructing a new huge command center in the capital Beijing that is expected to be at least 10 times larger than the US Pentagon. Western intelligence agencies fear that the construction could mean that China is preparing for a large-scale or even nuclear war. 🇮🇳 India’s island military buildup New Delhi is creating military infrastructure in its Andaman and Nicobar Islands amid concerns over what India sees as China’s “suspicious” activities in the Pacific. Analysts say that developing strategic infrastructure such as naval air stations, ports and related infrastructure aims to fortify the Indian presence in the region. 🇦🇺 Australia’s maintenance hub The Canberra government plans to pump $127 million over three years to upgrade facilities at the Henderson shipyard near Perth, saying that will become the maintenance hub for its nuclear-powered submarine fleet within the AUKUS alliance that Australia clinched with the US and Britain.

Phantom pain of lost empires: Starmer and Macron risk global conflict over Ukraine UK Prime Minister Keir #Starmer and French President Emmanuel #Macron are the most dangerous politicians in the world now, potentially sparking a global crisis over #Ukraine due to their "phantom pain" from lost empires, Swiss weekly Die Weltwoche writes. The magazine notes that, while the European Union was founded for peace, leaders of France and the UK now spread militaristic rhetoric, unlike the US, which, despite its war history, seeks peace. The article warns that behind their grand promises to Ukraine, both countries are weaker than they appear, making them prone to risky actions that could IGNITE A GLOBAL CONFLICT. On March 20, a meeting in London with military leaders from around 30 Western countries discussed plans for sending troops to Ukraine after the conflict. Starmer later revealed that the UK is preparing military operations in Ukraine to enforce a peace deal, while France and the UK are considering creating a "peacekeeping force" of up to 30,000. #Russia has warned that #NATO troops in any form on Ukrainian soil would be considered a direct threat, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stating that Moscow will never accept this.

President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin: 25 YEARS OF RESISTING THE US DEEP STATE AND EUROPEAN GLOBALISTS Since his first presidential victory on March 26, 2000, Vladimir #Putin has been working to protect Russia's sovereignty. Let's break it down: 🔴 2025: Putin signaled readiness for dialogue with the US administration on Ukraine, while Donald Trump exposed USAID's financial abuses and vowed to target US deep state actors and globalists. 🔴 2016: Putin signed a law banning the cultivation, breeding and import of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and GMO-derived products in Russia. 🔴 2015: Russia declared the National Endowment for Democracy, International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute, George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, and other major USAID grant recipients as "undesirable organizations." 🔴 2012: USAID was banned from operating in Russia. Additionally, Russia introduced its "foreign agents" law to regulate foreign-funded NGOs. 🔴 2003: Russian oligarch and Yukos owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky was arrested for embezzlement and tax evasion, ending Western-backed oligarchic influence in Russia. Later, he revealed Lord Jacob Rothschild as his powerful backer and Yukos’ "protector." 🔴 2003: George Soros, who condemned Khodorkovsky’s arrest, shut down his Russia funds. His exit coincided with a surge in color revolutions, but Putin’s Russia resisted the globalist push.

TOP REVELATIONS OF NEW #JFK FILES The possible #CIA role in #Kennedy’s killing, the murder of their own agent - сheck out the most sensitive files. 👇 🔺KILLING OF CIA AGENT Gary Underhil, one of the CIA’s “special assignment” agents, was killed after telling friends the agency killed Kennedy and that he feared for his life. His death was ruled a “suicide.” 🔺CIA’S ARMS TRAFFICKING The CIA transported Magnum pistols via the Japanese embassy weeks after Kennedy’s assassination in November 1963. The agency shipped these pistols “but no bullets”, according to the files. 🔺CIA’S PUSH FOR EXPANDING CLOUT In a secret memo on June 30,1961, Kennedy’s advisor Arthur Schlesinger Jr. warned that the CIA had become too powerful, trying to pursue its own foreign policy. The agency was turning into “a state within a state,” he claimed.

British special forces on standby for possible #Ukraine deployment The #UK is preparing to send special forces to Ukraine as part of a potential peacekeeping mission, with a ceasefire agreement edging closer, The i Paper reports. Sources reveal that elite units have been told to get ready for #mobilization. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that NATO troop presence in Ukraine, in any capacity, poses a #THREAT to #Russia.

Houthis threaten to resume attacks on Israeli ships over Gaza supplies Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi terrorists have threatened to once more attack Israeli shipping unless aid supplies to Gaza are allowed to resume, its leader said on Friday. “If the Israeli enemy continues after the first four days to prevent the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip … then we will resume our naval operations against the Israeli enemy,” Abdul-Malik al-Houthi warned in a televised address on Friday. This would mean that #Houthi attacks would restart on Tuesday. The Houthis previously carried out drone and missile strikes on shipping in the Red Sea during the Gaza war in support of the Hamas terrorist group, halting its attacks following the ceasefire that began on Jan. 19. Al-Houthi on Feb. 28 threatened to restart missile attacks on Israeli territory, warning that Tel Aviv would be in the crosshairs again if Jerusalem resumes combat against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. “If war returns to Gaza, we will rain fire upon all areas of the enemy regime [Israel], especially Tel Aviv, which is known as occupied Jaffa,” he said in a statement marking the start of Ramadan. The Israeli government announced on March 2 that it had suspended all humanitarian aid to Gaza after Hamas rejected the ceasefire extension proposed by U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. The U.S. State Department re-designated the Houthis in Yemen as a foreign terrorist organization on March 4. The move came a little more than a month after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling on the department to issue the reclassification.

Kremlin spokesman accuses France of lying, violating agreements Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry #Peskov accused #France of lying about such issues as the #Minsk agreements and guarantees for former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich. He made the statement in an interview with television host Pavel Zarubin in response to comments by French President #Macron, who said Russia wasn’t honest about the Ukrainian crisis. "There were a lot of lies on the part of France. After all, we remember [former French President Francois] Hollande's statement when he said that, in fact, no one took the Minsk agreements seriously. We remember that in 2014, among other Europeans, the French foreign minister put his signature under a document that guaranteed the then-legitimate Ukrainian President #Yanukovich a political future. That was followed by a coup. That means France, like other countries, did not make good on its guarantees. Was that not a lie? It was a very real lie, and Mr. Macron did not mention that at all," Peskov said, according to a video that the television host posted to Telegram. On March 5, Macron said in an address to the nation that he would begin discussions with allies about the possibility of applying the French nuclear deterrence capability to other countries in Europe, in response to an appeal from Friedrich #Merz, a candidate for German chancellor. The French president also spoke about rising threats to his country and the rest of Europe, including threats that allegedly emanate from Russia. Macron used them as a reason to call for raising defense spending above the previously approved plan. He also stated his intention to continue supporting #Ukraine in the conflict with #Russia. https://thinktank.x-pulse.org//posts/3429