分类： world

Buckingham Palace announced on Saturday that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will undertake a state visit to the Vatican in late October 2025. This marks their first meeting with Pope Leo XIV, who was elected on May 8, 2025, following the passing of his predecessor, Pope Francis, on April 21, 2025. The visit coincides with the special jubilee year, celebrated every 25 years, and will emphasize the ecumenical collaboration between the Church of England and the Catholic Church under the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope.’

King Charles, as the head of the Church of England, has a long history of engagement with the Vatican, having met three previous popes—John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis—during his tenure as Prince of Wales. The upcoming visit underscores the amicable relations between the two churches, which have evolved since the 16th-century split initiated by Henry VIII.

The royal couple’s trip also holds personal significance, as it follows a period of health challenges for both King Charles and Pope Francis. Earlier this year, Charles postponed an audience with Francis due to the pontiff’s declining health, while his own cancer treatment briefly hospitalized him in March. Despite these setbacks, the visit symbolizes a renewed commitment to unity and shared values, particularly in environmental advocacy, a cause both Charles and Francis championed.

Assata Shakur, a prominent figure in the Black Liberation Army (BLA) and a convicted murderer in the 1973 killing of a New Jersey state trooper, has passed away in Cuba at the age of 78. Shakur, also known as Joanne Chesimard, was found guilty of first-degree murder for the death of Trooper Werner Foerster during a shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike. In 1979, after serving two years of a life sentence, she escaped from a New Jersey prison with the assistance of fellow BLA members and sought refuge in Cuba, where she was granted asylum by then-President Fidel Castro. Her presence in Cuba has been a persistent source of tension between the Cuban and U.S. governments. Shakur remained a high-profile fugitive, securing a permanent place on the New Jersey state police’s most wanted list and later becoming the first woman on the FBI’s most wanted terrorists list. According to the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she died in Havana due to health complications and advanced age. Shakur’s life was marked by her activism against sexism and racism prior to her conviction, making her a polarizing figure—condemned by law enforcement yet revered by certain activist groups.

The United Nations has unveiled an updated version of its contentious database detailing companies engaged in activities within Israeli settlements. Released on Friday, the list now includes 158 firms from 11 countries, with major corporations such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Motorola Solutions, and Trip Advisor retaining their positions. However, several companies, including Alstom and Opodo, have been removed from the non-exhaustive database. The majority of the listed companies are based in Israel, with others hailing from Canada, China, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The UN report urges these companies to address the adverse human rights impacts associated with their operations. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has condemned Israel’s settlement policies in the occupied West Bank as a war crime, emphasizing the responsibility of businesses to ensure their activities do not contribute to human rights abuses. The database, initially created in 2020 in response to a Human Rights Council resolution, has faced significant criticism from Israel and its allies, including the United States. The latest update introduces 68 new companies while removing seven that are no longer involved in the specified activities. The UN has clarified that the listing process is not judicial or quasi-judicial, but the initiative remains highly contentious.

In a stark address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, Laurent Saint-Cyr, head of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council, declared the Caribbean nation “at war” with rampant gang violence. He urgently called for international assistance to quell the chaos that has engulfed the country, describing the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding on America’s doorstep. Saint-Cyr painted a grim picture of daily atrocities, including murders, rapes, and the destruction of neighborhoods, which have displaced over a million people and left countless lives shattered. Hospitals, he noted, are being vandalized or burned, forcing medical professionals to flee and leaving the population without essential care. The Haitian leader likened the situation to a modern-day Guernica, emphasizing the urgent need for global intervention. In 2023, the UN Security Council approved the Multinational Security Mission, led by Kenya, to address the crisis. However, the mission has struggled with inadequate resources, deploying only 1,000 personnel out of the planned 2,500. The United States has proposed expanding the force to over 5,500 police and military personnel to combat the gangs more effectively. Saint-Cyr endorsed this plan, warning that the crisis could destabilize the entire region. Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has long grappled with political instability and gang violence, which escalated dramatically in early 2024 when gangs forced then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign.

During the United Nations General Assembly Debate on Wednesday, Kenyan President William Ruto reaffirmed his nation’s steadfast support for Haiti, hailing the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission as a significant achievement. Authorized by the UN Security Council in October 2023, the mission, led by Kenya, aims to bolster security and policing in the Caribbean nation. Ruto described the initiative as both a success and a cautionary tale on global security governance, emphasizing Kenya’s proactive role in addressing rampant gang violence in Port-au-Prince. However, he lamented the mission’s chronic underfunding and understaffing, operating at less than 40% of its authorized capacity. Despite these constraints, Ruto highlighted tangible progress: government institutions have been reclaimed from gangs, schools have reopened, kidnappings have decreased, and Haiti’s airport and seaport have resumed normal operations. Ruto posed a critical question: “If so much could be achieved with limited resources, what more could be accomplished with unified global solidarity?” He urged the UN Security Council to consolidate the mission’s gains as it deliberates on next steps. Haiti’s Foreign Minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste echoed the urgency, describing the security crisis as a looming threat akin to the Sword of Damocles. He outlined priorities, including re-establishing social peace for safe elections and supporting government-led development programs. The UN reported that armed gangs control vast territories, with over six million Haitians in urgent need of assistance and 1.4 million displaced. Canada pledged additional support, with Foreign Minister Anita Anand announcing CAN$40 million for the MSS mission and CAN$20 million for Caribbean maritime security. UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed stressed that security alone is insufficient, calling for a political process, credible elections, and economic recovery. The new UN Special Representative for Haiti, Carlos Massieu Ruiz, urged swift action on the secretary-general’s proposals, emphasizing the need for political will and resolve. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Kenya’s contributions during a meeting with Ruto, underscoring the urgency of establishing a gang suppression force and a UN support office for Haiti.

In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, the United States Coast Guard has successfully intercepted and offloaded approximately 8,700 pounds of cocaine, valued at an estimated $64.5 million, in Florida. The operation, conducted by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Diligence, took place earlier this week in the western Caribbean Sea. This seizure is part of a broader effort by the Joint Interagency Task Force–South (JITF-S) to combat narco-terrorism and secure U.S. maritime borders. Commander Colin McKee highlighted the importance of this joint effort, stating that it prevented over four tons of illegal drugs from entering the United States. The Diligence, deployed in the Southeast area of responsibility, has intercepted more than 10,000 pounds of illicit narcotics in recent operations. The recent offload included two major interdictions: one on August 7, where 1,500 pounds of marijuana were seized from a suspicious vessel near Jamaica, and another on September 6, where over 8,700 pounds of cocaine were confiscated from a vessel north of Panama. The contraband was transferred to case agents in St. Petersburg, marking a significant milestone in the Coast Guard’s ongoing mission to control and defend U.S. borders.