ACTUAL NEWS: Weekly Recap 🇨🇦 Edition
- Olga Nesterova
- 12 hours ago
- 6 min read
April 26th, 2025
MOMENTS OF THE WEEK
Pope Francis Funeral Coverage
Before the Funeral
French nun Sister Genevieve Jeanningros, a longtime friend of Pope Francis, was permitted to break protocol and stand in an area traditionally reserved for male Catholic Church leaders as she mourned the late pope.
Over a quarter of a million people from all walks of life gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday to bid a final farewell to Pope Francis at his Requiem Mass.
The solemn liturgy was presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, joined by around 250 Cardinals, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, priests, religious, and lay faithful.
In his homily, Cardinal Re reflected on the remarkable and intense 12 years of Pope Francis' Petrine Ministry, highlighting his deep love for the Church, his closeness to the people, and his spontaneous, heartfelt actions—right until the end.
Political Presence at the Funeral
Canada was represented at Pope Francis' funeral by Governor General Mary Simon and her husband, Whit Fraser, who led the Canadian delegation. They were joined by the Speaker of the Senate, the Honourable Raymonde Gagné. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced their attendance ahead of the funeral, which took place at St. Peter’s Basilica.
For Governor General Mary Simon, Canada’s first Indigenous governor general, attending the funeral of Pope Francis was a deeply personal moment. Speaking from Rome, Simon reflected on the late pope’s legacy, saying she thought of "his trip to Canada and how he inspired her and others to continue to be compassionate and understanding and respectful, because that was his way of life." She described the ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica as "extremely powerful," noting it felt like "a time in history that stopped, while the world was moving on, to recognize this man that has done so much for humanity."
U.S. President Donald Trump, wearing blue in defiance of the Vatican’s pre-communicated dress code, attended the funeral. Melania Trump, dressed in black, appeared notably somber.
Trump was seen texting, then sleeping during the ceremony.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy entered to a round of applause.
Former President Joe Biden received a warm reception; Dr. Jill Biden shared that she has retired from teaching.
Behind the Scenes: Political Moves
French President Emmanuel Macron organized a brief meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump.
"While in Rome, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a private one-on-one meeting inside a marble-lined Vatican basilica, attempting to revive faltering diplomatic efforts to end Russia's war on Ukraine."
Trump later tweeted.. this.
Watch the deeds, not the tweets.
President Zelenskyy also met with President Macron, and Prime Ministers Starmer and Meloni.
Separately, President Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed during a brief exchange at the funeral to meet again at a later date, according to her spokesperson.
Returning to the Reason They Were There
Pope Francis' coffin was officially entombed.
The final resting place of the pope is now the Basilica of St. Mary Major in central Rome. Hundreds of thousands lined the streets to witness the procession as his coffin was transported from the Vatican to the Basilica.
Pope Francis becomes the first pontiff in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican, with his entombment kept private, allowing those closest to him a final moment of farewell.
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
April 23, 1851 – Canada’s first official postage stamp, the three-penny beaver, is issued.
April 24, 1779 – The North West Company is formed in Montreal to compete with the Hudson’s Bay Company in the fur trade.
April 24, 1928 – The Supreme Court rules that women are not persons, and therefore are not eligible to sit in Senate. The government later amends the British North America Act to allow women to enter Senate.
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THE LATEST WORLD NEWS
China has seized Vietnam’s Sand Cay in the South China Sea, according to the Financial Times. Chinese forces occupied the uninhabited island, which had hosted Vietnamese military posts and a fishing station, and raised the PRC flag.
The U.S. has rejected Russia’s demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
This comes after the U.S. had earlier conceded to Russian demands by recognizing Crimea as Russian territory and pressuring Ukraine to relinquish its mineral resources and occupied regions—moves that were not well received in London at the Coalition of the Willing meeting. Trump later posted "VLADIMIR, STOP" on social media after Russia killed civilians in Ukraine. As always: watch the deeds, not the tweets.
Ukrainian CBRNE sensors detect traces of the Novichok nerve agent on the battlefield.
Source: Former drone pilot for the Ukrainian military.
On April 26, 1986, Moscow’s reckless experiment at Chornobyl scarred humanity. Decades later, Russia has once again chosen destruction over life.
Interpol is investigating a Russian company for human trafficking related to African workers forced to labor in a drone factory in Tatarstan.
Putin claims "full control" over the Kursk region, congratulating his exhausted troops and North Korean mercenaries for "crushing imaginary neo-Nazis."
Earlier this week:
Lavrov praised Trump for his "understanding" of Russia.
U.S. real estate developer Steven Witkoff held a three-hour meeting with Putin at the Kremlin.
Ukrainian authorities detained a Russian cargo ship carrying 5,000 tons of stolen Ukrainian wheat from the port of Sevastopol (occupied Crimea) at the end of 2024. The crew was arrested in the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that American military and commercial ships should be allowed to pass freely through the Panama and Suez Canals."I've asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately address and formalize this situation," Trump posted on Truth Social.
At the same time, global policymakers gathered in Washington and quietly expressed relief that the U.S.-led global economic order—established over the past 80 years—had not yet collapsed despite Trump's increasingly isolationist approach.
Other developments:
Iran and the United States have agreed to continue nuclear talks next week. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi expressed "extreme caution" about the prospects of success.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described early trade discussions with Japan and South Korea as "productive," according to a Treasury statement released Friday. In a readout following a bilateral meeting with Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato, Bessent "welcomed the strong start" to the new trade discussions.
South Korea trade fact-check
In a separate meeting, Bessent urged Asian Development Bank President Masato Kanda to take concrete steps toward ending loans to China. He also emphasized the need for an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy and discussed financing for civilian nuclear energy projects.
Please find the detailed news summary in the Daily Briefing
MEME OF THE WEEK
NEWS CLIPS
Mark Carney points out what's at stake for Canada
The Economist endorses Mark Carney as the next PM
Rutte: NATO members need to up their defense budget to 3% instead of 2%
Von der Leyen: Ukraine’s sovereignty is non negotiable
POSTS OF THE WEEK
ELECTION UPDATE
P.S. PLEASE VOTE!
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