In a historic and politically charged moment at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, shook hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska as his inaugural Mass drew to a close.
But the gesture was more than ceremonial. In his first global address, Pope Leo XIV vowed to make “every effort” to help end the war in Ukraine and later condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying people had been “reduced to famine.”
World leaders—including U.S. Vice President JD Vance, UK Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney—looked on as faith and geopolitics collided in St. Peter’s Square.
Is the new pope signaling a bold new era of Vatican diplomacy? Can faith intervene where politics has failed?
#PopeLeoXIV #Zelensky #Vatican2025 #PapalInauguration #UkraineWar #GazaCrisis #CatholicChurch #FaithAndPolitics #FirstAmericanPope #JDVance #StPetersSquare #VaticanNews #WorldLeaders #PopeAndPeace #HumanitarianCrisis #ReligionAndGeopolitics
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Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner confirmed that the government has secured the raw materials needed to keep Scunthorpe steel plant going. It comes as the government stepped in over the weekend to take it over from Chinese company Jingye after it threatened to shut down one of the furnaces today. "We've got the raw materials, they've been paid for and we're confident that the furnaces will continue to fire," Ms Rayner said. Report by Kennedyl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
The Prime Minister has claimed that people in the North of England have "long been underestimated", as he and Angela Rayner visited South Yorkshire to ramp up Labour's campaign ahead of next month's local elections in England. Report by Chahalb. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Kemi Badenoch has criticised the nationalisaton of rail services by the government. The Conservative party leader said: "This is yet another example of the unseriousness of the Labour party who do not have a plan. We need to get Britain growing again, that means investing in business and not nationalising it." Report by Kennedyl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman and three children died in a house fire in north-west London.
A 43-year-old woman, and one girl, aged 15, and two boys aged eight and four-years-old, died, in Tillett Close, Stonebridge, the Metropolitan Police said. Police had previously said the three children were all boys.
Their next-of-kin have been informed, the force added.
Report by Kennedyl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Tottenham Hotspur fans celebrate at the Europa League winners parade in North London. Tottenham won the Europa League final after beating Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao on Wednesday. Report by Gluszczykm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Tottenham fans welcomed home their Europa League winners back to North London on Friday evening. The Spurs supporters flocked onto the streets to witness the open-bus victory parade. Report by Kennedyl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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