ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Tuesday with, including the death of Pope Francis, US President Donald Trump optimistic about a Russia and Ukraine deal, and Israeli army killing a dozen Palestinians in Gaza.

TOP STORIES

• Pope Francis dies at 88

Pope Francis died at age 88 the Vatican announced on Monday.

The head of the Catholic Church died of a stroke followed by a coma and heart failure, the Vatican announced on Monday.

“The cause of Pope Francis' death has been identified as a stroke, followed by a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse,” Vatican doctor Andrea Arcangeli said in the death certificate.

Francis was born in Buenos Aires on Dec. 17, 1936, to Italian immigrant parents. Over a decade into his papacy, Pope Francis remained a figure of admiration and controversy.

He sought to reform the Vatican’s bureaucracy, tackle corruption, and address some of the Church’s most pressing challenges.

• Trump says there is 'very good chance' of Russia-Ukraine deal this week

US President Donald Trump said Monday there is a “very good chance” that Russia and Ukraine could reach a deal this week to end the over three-year-long war.

“There is a very good chance,” Trump told a reporter when asked if he thinks Moscow and Kyiv could reach an agreement this week.

"We had very good meetings on Ukraine, Russia," he added.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday said his country will analyze proposals on а moratorium between Moscow and Kyiv on strikes against civilian infrastructure in each other’s countries.

• Israeli army kills 24 Palestinians in strikes across Gaza

The Israeli army killed at least 24 Palestinians in fresh strikes targeting homes and tents across the Gaza Strip on Monday as it continued its deadly assault on the enclave, medics said.

Five people were killed and several others injured when fighter jets struck a tent for displaced people in central Gaza City, said a medical source.

Two more people were injured in a drone strike on a group of civilians in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, the source added.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa, citing medical sources, said a Palestinian man and his wife were killed in an Israeli strike on their tent in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

An Israeli warplane also struck a home in Khan Younis, killing five people and injuring several others. Two more people were killed in another attack in the same city, Wafa said.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday expressed his condolences over the death of Pope Francis, saying that he is "deeply saddened."
• A group of protesters chained themselves on Monday to the campus gates of US' Columbia University, demanding the release of two Palestinian student activists.
• Israel’s opposition labeled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “danger to national security” Monday, following a letter from Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to the Supreme Court addressing his attempted dismissal, according to Israeli media.
• The Committee to Protect Journalists has issued a safety advisory for international journalists planning to travel to or from the US, warning of potential entry restrictions, device searches and prolonged questioning under anticipated changes to US immigration policy.
• At least 33 civilians were killed and dozens injured in artillery shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State in western Sudan, the army said Monday.
• Türkiye’s President Erdogan on Monday said that the country has become one of the only 11 countries that can produce its own communication satellites.
• The Israeli military raided several areas of the occupied West Bank late Monday, wounding four Palestinians with live ammunition, including two children, and beating another child and a young man, according to Palestinian sources.
• Harvard University sued the Trump administration Monday after the federal government canceled more than $2 billion in funding for the elite school.
• The UN on Monday warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Syria amid severe funding shortages that have disrupted essential aid operations.
• The World Health Organization said on Monday that the cholera outbreak in Angola has now affected 17 out of the country's 21 provinces.
• US Vice President JD Vance on Monday discussed trade pact with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, against the backdrop of negotiations for a bilateral trade pact.

SPORTS

• Football matches postponed in Italy and Argentina after Pope Francis' death

First-division football matches in Italy and Argentina were postponed Monday following the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88.

In Italy, Serie A officials delayed four matches originally scheduled for Easter Monday. Torino were set to face Udinese, Cagliari were to meet Fiorentina, Genoa were to host Lazio, and Parma were scheduled to play Juventus. These fixtures will now take place Wednesday.

Similarly, in Argentina, three games were postponed to Tuesday: Tigre vs. Belgrano, Argentinos Juniors vs. Barracas Central, and Independiente Rivadavia vs. Aldosivi.

• Kendrick Nunn named EuroLeague’s Most Valuable Player

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard Kendrick Nunn was named Monday the Most Valuable Player of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague regular season.

The 29-year-old American “had an unforgettable regular season, breaking points records and ensuring his team has a chance to go back-to-back,” the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague wrote on X.

Nunn averaged 21.1 points, 4.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game in the men’s basketball club competition, with a performance index rating of 20.3.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• US stocks end in the red as Trump steps up criticism of Fed chair

US stocks ended sharply lower Monday as President Trump doubled down on his criticism of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

Markets turned negative amid concerns over the independence of the Fed as uncertainty arising from the protectionist trade policy pursued by Trump continued.

Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the US economy may slow unless "Mr. Too Late, a major loser, lowers interest rates," referring to Powell.

• UN plans to provide $1.3B in aid to Syria

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is hoping to provide $1.3 billion in aid to Syria over three years, including infrastructure rebuilding and digital start-ups support, Gulf Times reported on Sunday.

UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Assistant Administrator Abdullah al-Dardari said in a press statement during his visit to Syria's capital of Damascus that these investments constitute a "global public good."

He stated that establishing social protection programs and introducing artificial intelligence may be helpful, adding that it would be essential to get funding from a variety of sources, such as the World Bank, the IMF, and many countries in the region.