Pope Francis Dies at 88

Pope Francis, renowned for his humility and commitment to building bridges across different backgrounds and faiths, has died at the age of 88, the Vatican announced. His funeral is scheduled for Saturday, April 26. The pontiff passed away on Monday after a period of declining health, which included an extended hospital stay earlier this year due to double pneumonia.

A number of world leaders are expected to attend the funeral, including former U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Prince William.

Meanwhile, a second cardinal eligible to vote in the upcoming conclave to elect the next pope has withdrawn due to health concerns. Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera, 79, will not travel to Rome for the funeral or participate in the conclave, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid confirmed to ABC News. Although still under the voting age limit of 80, his health has prevented his involvement.

Earlier this week, Cardinal Vinko Puljić also announced he would not take part in the conclave for similar health-related reasons, according to Italy’s ANSA news agency.

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Cardinal Cañizares Llovera is one of five voting-eligible cardinals from Spain. Of the 252 total members of the College of Cardinals, only 135 are under the age of 80 and thus eligible to vote. With these two cardinals stepping aside, 133 are now expected to cast ballots to elect the 267th pope.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. led the ceremonial turnover of 91 modern ambulances to the Northern Mindanao Region and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) yesterday, held at the Pelaez Sports Center in Cagayan de Oro City.

Of the total units, 85 were distributed to various municipalities and cities across Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, and Lanao del Sur. The remaining six units were allocated to the BARMM.

The turnover is part of a PHP 2.2 billion government initiative to acquire 1,000 ambulances for nationwide distribution, aimed at enhancing the emergency and disaster response capabilities of Local Government Units (LGUs).

These state-of-the-art Patient Transport Vehicles were provided through the Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program (MTVDP) of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

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Each ambulance is equipped with a stretcher, oxygen tank, and blood pressure monitor to ensure the safe and efficient transport of patients during emergencies.

Several areas in Mindanao were rocked by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake on Tuesday night, causing panic among residents and prompting precautionary safety checks across affected communities.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the earthquake struck at around 10:00 p.m., with the epicenter located near the province of Davao del Sur. The tremor was tectonic in origin and had a depth of focus of 15 kilometers.

Strong shaking was felt in various parts of Mindanao, including Davao City, General Santos, Cotabato, and nearby provinces. In some areas, the quake lasted several seconds and caused items to fall from shelves and power outages to occur briefly.

There were no immediate reports of major damage or casualties, but local disaster response units were quickly mobilized to assess the situation and ensure the safety of residents. Authorities have advised the public to remain vigilant as aftershocks are expected.

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Phivolcs reminded residents in quake-prone areas to review emergency preparedness plans and stay updated through official channels for any developments.

The earthquake serves as a reminder of the country’s vulnerability to seismic activity, as the Philippines lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where numerous earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur each year.

Source: PHIVOLCS

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