President Biden calls for Congressional support after bridge collapse

Pope Francis calls predecessor Benedict a key transitional figure

Pope Francis has described his predecessor Benedict XVI as a transitional pope, saying he was the only possible candidate to follow the upheavals under former pope John Paul II.

Germany’s Joseph Ratzinger, who became pope Benedict, was the only candidate who could be pontiff at the time when a new pope was elected in 2005, said Francis, the current head of the Catholic Church in an extract from a book due to be published in Spanish on Wednesday.

“After the revolution of John Paul II, who was a dynamic, very active pontiff, who took the initiative, who travelled… We needed a pope who could maintain a healthy balance, a transitional pope,” said Francis, referring to the election of Ratzinger who became Benedict XVI.

In the papal election at that time, some cardinals sought to block Ratzinger’s election, Francis said in the book of by the Vatican correspondent of Spanish newspaper ABC.

At the time, the cardinals also brought his name into play but, “if they had chosen someone like me, someone who creates a lot of chaos, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything. At that time, it would have been impossible,” said Francis, in the book called “El Sucesor,” or The Successor.

Germany’s pope emeritus Benedict XVI, born as Joseph Ratzinger in Bavaria in 1927, was pope from 2005 until his unexpected resignation in 2013. He died in 2022.

He was succeeded by Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, in 2013.

Pope Francis pictured during the Holy Mass on Easter Sunday at the St. Peter's Square. Domenico Cippitelli/LPS via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa — Pope Francis pictured during the Holy Mass on Easter Sunday at the St. Peter’s Square. Domenico Cippitelli/LPS via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

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U.S. sends more weapons to Israel amid growing calls for cease-fire

The U.S. is sending a fresh round of bombs to Israel, two senior administration officials told NBC News, undermining the Biden administration’s public expressions of frustration at Israel’s conduct in the war and its own efforts at brokering a cease-fire.

The bombs are part of a weapons package that was approved for Israel years ago, but is only being fulfilled now — and includes more than 1,800 Mark 84 (MK84) 2,000-pound bombs and approximately 500 Mark 82 (MK82) 500-pound bombs, the officials said.

The delivery of the weapons package was first reported by The Washington Post.

The Mark 84 and 82 are dumb bombs that can be converted into precision-guided ones with the help of a guidance kit, which the U.S. has provided in the past.

Even with precision guidance, these bombs likely lead to civilian deaths, and it’s believed that Israel has used them in its campaign in Gaza.

“These are the bombs that can destroy entire blocks,” one senior administration official said of the MK84 bombs.

The delivery comes as U.S. officials said Israel has provided Washington with assurances that it is using American-supplied weapons within the laws of war.

Israel receives $3.8 billion in annual military assistance from the U.S., but there is growing criticism of Washington’s continued supply of weapons to Israel six months into the war amid international scrutiny of Israel’s military tactics in Gaza and a mounting civilian death toll.

Cease-fire negotiations are expected to resume between Israel and Hamas on Sunday in Egypt’s capital, Cairo, according to the country’s Al-Qahera television. However, a Hamas official told NBC News on Sunday the group will not attend. The Israeli prime minister’s office confirmed to NBC News the talks would resume “next week.” Any new deal would likely result in a lengthy pause in fighting in exchange for the release of some of the estimated 140 hostages still in Hamas captivity. Ongoing efforts by mediators have stalled, and there has been little indication since the last truce in November that the two sides have moved closer to a deal.

Last week, the United Nations Security Council passed a symbolic resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hamas after the U.S. abstained from the vote, drawing anger from Israel. It came after the U.S. vetoed several past resolutions calling for the end of hostilities.

While the Biden administration’s public frustration with how the Israeli government is handling the war appears to be growing, U.S. efforts to achieve a cease-fire will be overshadowed by the revelation that it continues to send Israel powerful bombs known to cause serious harm to the civilians.

In the nearly six months of fighting since the Oct. 7 attacks, more than 32,000 people have been killed in Gaza, with thousands more trapped under the rubble and presumed dead, according to Palestinian officials.

The fighting has destroyed hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure, displacing the vast majority of the enclave’s more than 2 million people. But Israel has maintained that there is no turning back until all of Hamas has been destroyed, and it has continued its military offensive in defiance of increasingly sharp demands for a cease-fire from global leaders and international organizations amid declining support for Israel’s war around the world.

Last week, the U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories determined that the hostilities have already reached the level of genocide.

The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday it was continuing with “precise operational activity” in the area of Gaza’s main hospital, which it says is being used as a Hamas hub. The Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City has been under an Israeli army raid for nearly two weeks, raising questions about the fate of civilians sheltering at the site. The IDF said Saturday it eliminated four senior Hamas operatives at the hospital.

Officials in Gaza said Saturday that the Al-Shifa operation has claimed 400 lives so far. NBC News was not able to verify this number and has reached out to the IDF for comment. The raid is also delaying a new mission to the hospital from the World Health Organization, its chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said Saturday, noting three prior missions had been denied.

“100 patients and 50 health workers are reportedly still inside the nonfunctional facility, with hostilities around it,” Tedros said on X. “We are extremely worried about their condition and safety.”

Gaza’s authorities said more than 1,000 homes in the vicinity of Al-Shifa have been targeted.

The Ajour family’s home behind the hospital was one of them, illustrating the civilian toll and calling into question the IDF’s claim that its attacks are targeted. The home was hit last week, killing seven. A small child was the only survivor, with more children feared to be buried in the rubble. Civil defense workers told NBC News they could not look for those trapped inside because there is no coordination with the Red Cross and the fighting in the area is too dangerous.

Hamas authorities in Gaza also accused Israel on Sunday of bombing the tents with displaced people and journalists inside the walls of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the Deir al-Balah area of central Gaza, resulting in deaths and injuries. The IDF said its aircraft struck an “operational Islamic Jihad command center” that operated from the courtyard of the hospital. NBC News geolocated footage showing the aftermath of the hit on the hospital courtyard, including medical personnel helping the wounded and at least one injured person lying on the ground, but is unable to independently confirm the conflicting accounts of the attack.

The hostilities continue to keep aid from reaching those in need inside Gaza. While trucks with desperately needed food continue to trickle in slowly at land crossings controlled by Israel, a second convoy of three ships and a barge with 400 tons of food and other supplies set sail from Cyprus this weekend. World Central Kitchen, the charity behind the operation, said there was enough food in the latest shipment to prepare more than 1 million meals. The organization’s first ship carrying the aid reached Gaza two weeks ago in the first such maritime delivery since the conflict broke out.

Palestinian health officials reported earlier this month that 27 children have died due to malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza, but the true death toll from starvation is likely to be significantly higher, the United Nations has warned, and it is set to rise. A report released by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification earlier this month said famine was imminent in northern Gaza and the famine threshold for acute food insecurity has already been far exceeded.

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Pope Francis delivers Easter Sunday address, amid concerns for his health, calls for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza

After the service, Francis took to his open-topped popemobile to greet crowds in the square and the avenue connecting St Peter’s to the River Tiber. The Vatican said about 60,000 people had turned up.

The address, delivered without incident or further indications of poor health, has helped to bolster the observations of those who have downplayed the significance of previous incidents.

“The pope’s decision to abandon the Palm Sunday homily seems to be a spiritual choice, not more,” Deborah Castellano Lubov, a Vatican analyst and contributor for NBC News, said. “It is clear to anyone watching Pope Francis in these years, he doesn’t make decisions based on what others think or what others tell him to do.”

“Concerns that it could be something more worrying, didn’t seem to have great foundations as Pope Francis certainly seemed to be able to recite his appeals at the end of the mass and circle around afterward greeting the enthusiastic crowds in St. Peter’s Square, before kicking off a grueling Holy Week at full speed,” Lubov said on Sunday, ahead of the pope’s Easter speech. On Saturday night, he presided over the Easter vigil, also without incident.

On Holy Thursday, the pope stuck to the schedule and washed the feet of twelve female inmates at Rebibbia prison in the outskirts of Rome, a tradition meant to emulate Jesus Christ’s washing of his disciples’ feet the night before he died.

Image: — Pope Francis arrives in a wheelchair in St. Peter’s Square at The Vatican for Easter Sunday mass.Andrew Medichini / AP

Due to his mobility problems, he was forced to sit on a wheelchair, but he was determined to carry out the tradition nevertheless, perhaps adding even more value to a ceremony meant to emphasize humility. He also became the first pontiff in history to wash the feet of only women on Holy Thursday.

But then, on Good Friday, the Vatican announced at the very last minute that the pope would not attend the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum “to preserve his health” for Saturday’s Vigil and Easter Sunday Mass. The pontiff, the Vatican said, would follow the event from Casa Santa Marta, his residence, leaving the white seat prepared for him at the Colosseum empty.

This is the second year in a row the pope has skipped the Way of the Cross. Last year he did not attend as he was discharged only a few days earlier from the hospital, where he was treated for bronchitis with intravenous antibiotics. But while his absence last year was announced with a few days’ notice, the sudden cancellation this year once again raised concerns.

Concerns about the pope’s declining health started in 2021, when he was rushed to the hospital to have part of his colon removed. Then in June 2023, he was once again admitted, without prior notice by the Vatican, for abdominal surgery to remove internal scar tissue.

His mobility problems worsened during the past year due to sciatica and severe knee pain. He began walking with a cane, and more recently has been using a wheelchair. In November, he pulled out three days before a scheduled trip to Dubai to attend COP28 due to a persistent lung inflammation.

The pope’s declining health sparked wild speculation on whether he will retire just as his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, did in 2013. But in a recently published autobiography, “Life: My Story Through history,” the pope said that, at least at present, there is “no risk” of him resigning. “I believe the pope’s ministry is for life.” Francis wrote. “I therefore see no justification for giving it up.”

Claudio Lavanga

Yuliya Talmazan and Reuters contributed.

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Aid official calls for increased global pressure on Israel to work with UN

Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), called for increased global pressure on Israel to work with the U.N.

In a Friday post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Lazzarini referenced a Thursday order from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to Israel to facilitate humanitarian aid getting into Gaza. The order also noted that there is no substitute for crossings via land for supplies.

“Member states should exert more pressure to implement the ICJ order,” Lazzarini said in his post. “Those who stopped funding UNRWA should reconsider their decision to allow the Agency to fulfill its mandate including help averting famine.”

Last week, Cindy McCain, executive director of the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP), said that there is an urgent need for food in Gaza amid the war occurring there.

“[O]ur obstacles are many,” McCain said in an interview on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports”. “We have to be cleared at every level, the Israelis block the — whether or not we’re cleared … drivers are cleared, we don’t have the access on the roads. We need clear, unfettered access to get in at scale, so we can feed the millions of people who are on the verge of famine.”

The ICJ’s order followed a plea from South Africa for the U.N. high court to do more after an earlier ruling from January has not bettered the current drastic humanitarian situation in Gaza. In their recent order, the ICJ said that Gaza’s situation has gone downhill since January.

“The Court observes with regret that, since then, the catastrophic living conditions of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have deteriorated further,” the ICJ said in the order, “in particular in view of the prolonged and widespread deprivation of food and other basic necessities to which the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been subjected.”

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President Biden calls for Congressional support after bridge collapse

President Biden calls for Congressional support after bridge collapse – CBS News

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President Joe Biden has made it clear that he wants the full support of Congress to help Baltimore recover from the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The state has already received $60 million in emergency relief funding.

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The U.S. welcomes the new Palestinian government following its repeated calls for political reform

JERUSALEM — The United States has welcomed the formation of a new Palestinian autonomy government, signaling it is accepting the revised Cabinet lineup as a step toward Palestinian political reform.

The Biden administration has called for “revitalizing” the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority in hopes that it can also administer the Gaza Strip once the Israel-Hamas war ends. The war erupted nearly six months ago, triggered by an Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel.

In a statement late Friday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the United States looks forward to working with the new group of ministers “to deliver on credible reforms.”

“A revitalized PA is essential to delivering results for the Palestinian people in both the West Bank and Gaza and establishing the conditions for stability in the broader region,” Miller said.

The Palestinian Authority administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It is headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has not faced an election in almost two decades.

The United States sees the Palestinian Authority as a key part of its preferred plans for post-war Gaza. But the authority has little popular support or legitimacy among Palestinians, with many viewing it as a subcontractor of the occupation because of its security cooperation with Israel in the West Bank.

Earlier this month, Abbas tapped Mohammad Mustafa, a U.S.-educated economist, as prime minister. On Thursday, Mustafa named his new lineup. It includes relatively unknown technocrats, but also Abbas’ interior minister and several members of the secular Fatah movement he leads. Several of the ministers are from Gaza, but it’s not clear if they are currently living there.

The Islamic militant group Hamas, a rival of Abbas, drove his security forces from Gaza in a 2007 takeover. The United States wants a reformed Palestinian Authority to return and administer Gaza, an idea that has been rejected by both Israel and Hamas.

A major challenge for the Palestinian Authority, should it be given a role in administering Gaza, will be reconstruction. Nearly six months of war has destroyed critical infrastructure including hospitals, schools and homes as well as roads, sewage systems and the electrical grid. Airstrikes and Israel’s ground offensive have left more than 32,000 Palestinians dead, according to local health authorities. The fighting has displaced over 80% of Gaza’s population and pushed hundreds of thousands to the brink of famine, the U.N. and international aid agencies say.

Israel has said it will maintain open-ended security control over Gaza and partner with Palestinians who are not affiliated with the Palestinian Authority or Hamas. It’s unclear who in Gaza would be willing to take on such a role.

Hamas has warned Palestinians in Gaza against cooperating with Israel to administer the territory, saying anyone who does will be treated as a collaborator, which is understood as a death threat. Hamas has rejected the formation of the new Palestinian government as illegitimate, calling instead for all Palestinian factions, including Fatah, to form a power-sharing government ahead of national elections, which have not taken place in 18 years.

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Olly Alexander Rejects Calls to Boycott Eurovision

Following calls for him to withdraw from and boycott the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s inclusion amid the ongoing war in Gaza, Olly Alexander explained why he will still be participating in the annual competition on Friday (March 29).

In a statement posted to his Instagram, Alexander responded to activist group Queers for Palestine, who wrote the singer an open letter asking him to withdraw from the contest. “I wholeheartedly support action being taken to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the return of all hostages and the safety and security of all civilians in Palestine and Israel,” he wrote. “I know some people will choose to boycott this year’s Eurovision and I understand and respect their decision.”

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The “Dizzy” singer continued, saying that he took “a lot of time to deliberate” over the correct course of action, and decided that withdrawing from Eurovision “wouldn’t bring us any closer to our shared goal.” Alexander said he and a number of other contestants spoke and decided that “by taking part we can use our platform to come together and call for peace.”

In its original open letter, Queers for Palestine applauded Alexander’s “vision of queer joy and abundance you’ve offered through your music, and share your belief in collective liberation for all,” then asked him to “heed the Palestinian call to withdraw from Eurovision … There can be no party with a state committing apartheid and genocide.”

Alexander also shared a statement from a collective of other Eurovision participants — signed by himself, Ireland’s Bambie Thug, Norway’s Gåte, Portugal’s Iolanda, San Marino’s Megara, Switzerland’s Nemo, Denmark’s Saba, Lithuania’s Silvester Belt and Finland’s Windows95Man — saying that they “stand in solidarity with the oppressed and communicate our heartfelt wish for peace, an immediate and lasting ceasefire and the safe return of all hostages.” They added that they felt “it is our duty to create and uphold this space, with a strong hope that it will inspire greater compassion and empathy.”

Queers for Palestine later responded to Alexander’s decision, saying that while they “welcome” responses from both the singer and his fellow contestants, they found both statements lacking. “When [Alexander et al] use that voice to downplay the genocide in Gaza by vaguely calling it a mere ‘situation,’ they misuse their power. When they choose to ignore the call for a boycott issued by the largest Palestinian coalition, in historic Palestine and in exile, they risk condescending to the people who are being occupied and massacred and are asking for our solidarity.”

This is not Alexander’s first time sharing his thoughts on the ongoing war in Gaza. Shortly before he was announced as a participant in Eurovision 2024, the singer signed an October 2023 open letter from LGBTQ activist group Voices4 London calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and calling out Israel as an “apartheid regime.” After Alexander was announced as the U.K.’s representative for the annual contest, a source for the Conservative Party spoke to The Daily Telegraph to criticize the BBC for choosing the singer as a representative for the U.K., calling the decision “either a massive oversight or sheer brass neck from the BBC.”

Read both of Olly Alexander’s full statements below:

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Eurovision Song Contest stars reject calls for Israel boycott

LONDON — A group of artists set to compete in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest said Friday they “do not feel comfortable being silent” in light of the ongoing Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip, but stopped short of heeding growing calls for a boycott of the music competition over Israel’s participation.

The joint statement — from the entrants who will represent Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Switzerland and the United Kingdom — comes a little more than a month before this year’s edition of the pop extravaganza in May. The competition is being held in the Swedish city of Malmo, which said earlier this month that it was prepared for possible protests.

The presence of Israel, which is competing with the song “Hurricane” by Eden Golan, has loomed over the buildup to the competition and fueled calls for the country to be kicked out of the contest. However, the European Broadcasting Union, which runs the event, has allowed Israel to participate after changing the title and lyrics of its entry, which were originally deemed to violate the contest’s rules about remaining nonpolitical.

“We want to begin by acknowledging the privilege of taking part in Eurovision. In light of the current situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and particularly in Gaza, and in Israel, we do not feel comfortable being silent,” the artists’ joint statement said. “It is important to us to stand in solidarity with the oppressed and communicate our heartfelt wish for peace, an immediate and lasting ceasefire, and the safe return of all hostages. We stand united against all forms of hate, including antisemitism and islamophobia.”

The statement added: “We firmly believe in the unifying power of music, enabling people to transcend differences and foster meaningful conversations and connections. We feel that it is our duty to create and uphold this space, with a strong hope that it will inspire greater compassion and empathy.”

The statement came a day after an open letter by a group of LGBTQ+ artists, musicians, writers and activists called on British entrant Olly Alexander to boycott the competition.

Alexander has had international success as part of the band Years & Years, and is among the most high-profile acts at this year’s competition. BBC, the United Kingdom’s public broadcaster, which chooses the British entry, distanced itself from the letter.

“These are the views of Olly Alexander. He is not speaking for the BBC,” it said in a statement.

The group of more than 450 artists and activists under the banner Queers for Palestine had posted the open letter Thursday saying “We ask you to heed the Palestinian call to withdraw from Eurovision.” The group accused the EBU of “providing cultural cover and endorsement for the catastrophic violence that Israel has unleashed on Palestinians.”

Alexander also posted his own response Friday to the Queers for Palestine letter. “As a participant I’ve taken a lot of time to deliberate over what to do and the options available to me. It is my current belief that removing myself from the contest wouldn’t bring us any closer to our shared goal,” he said.

Irish entry Bambie Thug, who uses they/them pronouns, added a further statement posted on their Instagram account, “As an Irish person with a shared history of occupation and a queer individual, I cannot and will not remain silent.”

Saying they were aware of calls to withdraw from the contest, Bambie Thug said that “stepping back now would mean one less pro-Palestinian voice at the contest. My heart and solidarity has and always will lie with the oppressed, and I remain committed to supporting and using my platform to raise awareness and advocate for change.”

The EBU said in a statement: “We understand that these artists wish to make their voices heard in a call for peace. All of us working on this year’s Eurovision Song Contest are mindful of the strong feelings and opinions surrounding the current conflict in the Middle East. We have all been impacted by the images, stories and the unquestionable pain suffered by those caught up in this devastating war.”

The Israeli broadcaster KAN declined to comment and the Israeli Culture and Sports Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News on Friday.

When announcing the revised Israeli entry earlier this month, a KAN spokesperson cited Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s desire to have the nation compete in Eurovision. “The president emphasized that at this time in particular, when those who hate us seek to push aside and boycott the state of Israel from every stage, Israel must sound its voice with pride and its head high and raise its flag in every world forum, especially this year.”

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Colombia expels Argentine diplomats after Milei calls Petro ‘terrorist’

Colombia ordered the expulsion of Argentine diplomats from their embassy in the Andean nation, Colombia’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday, citing “denigrating” comments by Argentine President Javier Milei about Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

In a recent interview with news channel CNN, which has not yet been aired in full, Milei called Petro a “terrorist,” “murderer” and “communist.”

“The Argentine president’s comments have deteriorated the trust of our nation, in addition to offending the dignity of President Petro, who was democratically elected,” the ministry said in a statement.

In January, Colombia recalled its ambassador to Argentina after similar comments from Milei.

Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, is a former member of the long-demobilized M-19 guerrilla movement.

Libertarian Milei also took swipes at other regional leaders in clips of the interview, including Mexico’s Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

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France’s Macron calls for new, ‘more responsible’ Mercosur trade deal

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday emphatically rejected the planned free trade agreement between the European Union and the South American economic alliance Mercosur in its current form during a visit to Brazil.

“As it stands, it is a very bad agreement. This agreement was negotiated 20 years ago. This is not what we want,” Macron said, speaking in São Paulo.

“Let’s negotiate a new, more responsible agreement that is oriented towards our goals and reality and that takes development, the climate and biodiversity into account,” Macron added.

The French leader is one of the harshest critics of the agreement in the EU.

At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) summit in December, Macron criticized the fact that European farmers and companies would have to adhere to strict requirements to reduce carbon emissions, while products from South America that are not produced according to the same rules would enter the EU tariff-free.

“I can’t ask our farmers, our industrialists in France but also everywhere in Europe to make efforts to apply new rules to decarbonize … and then say all of a sudden, ‘I’m removing all the tariffs to allow products to enter which do not apply these rules,'” Macron said in a speech at COP28 in Dubai.

France’s stance is at odds with the German government’s. During a meeting in Berlin in December, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva both pushed for a swift conclusion to negotiations on the agreement.

The deal between the EU and the Mercosur alliance – with its member states Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – would create one of the world’s largest free trade zones with more than 700 million inhabitants. Its main aim is to reduce customs duties and thus boost trade.

The EU has been in talks with Mercosur about the deal for 23 years. An agreement in principle reached in 2019 has not been implemented due to ongoing concerns, including rainforest protection.

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