Pope Leo XIV, 71, said he will have surgery this week to remove a nodule in his lung. Chris Livesay has the latest in Rome.
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BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD deskManchester City remains the only team with a perfect record in the Premier League, after they crushed Liverpool 3-0 on Sunday evening. Enzo Maresca’s men travelled to Anfield looking to maintain their grip at the top of the table. City were also desperate to put off-the-field issues behind them and concentrate on football. They endured a torrid first half against Liverpool, but the game turned on its head after Ryan Gravenberch was shown a second yellow card. Almost immediately, Erling Haaland smashed City in front, before Jeremy Doku curled in a spectacular second goal. Rayan Cherki then produced a bit of individual magic to add a third. City are now on 18 points, three more than Arsenal at the summit. EPL table: Man City go three points clear with 3-0 thrashing of Liverpool
BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD deskPope Leo XIV has announced that he will undergo surgery to remove a nodule found in his lung, assuring the faithful that it was detected at an early stage. Speaking during his weekly Angelus address at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, the 71-year-old pontiff said recent medical tests had revealed the lump. “During recent medical checks, a nodule on my lung was found. It was detected at a very early stage and is very localised,” he told pilgrims. He said doctors had advised that it be removed and that he had accepted their recommendation. “The doctors believe it would be right to intervene and so, following their advice, I have decided to have the operation to remove it. The operation is already planned in the coming days,” the Pope said. Shortly after his announcement, the Vatican press office disclosed that the Pope was expected to need about one week to recover after the procedure. Born in Chicago, Leo became the first American pope in 2025 following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. Francis had spent several weeks at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where pontiffs traditionally receive treatment. Leo, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected head of the Catholic Church, which has about 1.4 billion members, on May 8, 2025. Since taking office, he has gradually established his own style of papacy. Though more reserved than Francis, he has spoken out on major global issues, ranging from armed conflicts to artificial intelligence. His recent criticism of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February drew international attention. The Pope described President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iran as “truly unacceptable” and called on Americans to press their lawmakers to pursue peace. Trump fired back, calling the
BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD deskThe presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has raised concerns over the appointment of two persons of Yoruba ethnicity to head two key departments of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Atiku disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, demanding explanations for the appointments of Mrs Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi and Dr Lawrence Bayode as heads of the Electoral Operations and Voter Registry Department, and the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department, respectively. This comes amid reports that Adeyemi-Showunmi was recently appointed to replace Magaji Gum, while Bayode serves as head of the ICT Department. Both are critical departments of the electoral body. Reacting, Atiku said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must keep his hands off the country’s electoral body ahead of the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the polls must be free and fair. According to Atiku, the Tinubu administration should publish the criteria used for Adeyemi-Showunmi’s appointment. He said Nigerian voters would not accept a stolen election on January 16, 2027. “These departments are at the heart of election administration. INEC must explain these decisions, publish the criteria applied and show that every appointment and redeployment followed due process, was based on merit and was free from political interference. Nigerians will not accept vague assurances on matters this serious,” he said. Atiku also demanded clarification from INEC over reports concerning the production of election materials, calling on the commission to disclose details of the companies involved and the safeguards put in place. “These reports demand urgent and unequivocal answer