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Pope Leo XVI celebrated a Mass in Rome with LGBTQ+ groups participating, emphasizing dignity and inclusion. He met with Jesuit advocate James Martin, reaffirming support for LGBTQ+ acceptance. The pope is also expected to visit Lebanon by December, continuing his focus on peace and dialogue in the Middle East.
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On October 23, 2025, King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV prayed together in the Sistine Chapel, marking the first joint worship between an English monarch and a Catholic pope since 1534. The ecumenical service, emphasizing environmental conservation, symbolizes a historic rapprochement between the Church of England and the Catholic Church after nearly five centuries of separation.
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The Vatican celebrated the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, a document that redefined Catholic-Jewish relations, amid rising antisemitism linked to the Gaza conflict. Leaders reaffirmed condemnation of antisemitism and emphasized ongoing dialogue, despite tensions caused by recent comments on Israel and Gaza.
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On 29 October 2025, Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan was re-elected with nearly 98% of the vote amid widespread allegations of electoral fraud and repression. Opposition parties were barred, key leaders jailed, and protests erupted nationwide, resulting in hundreds to possibly thousands of deaths amid a government crackdown, internet blackout, and curfews. International observers condemned the election as neither free nor fair.
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Between November 21-23, 2025, armed bandits abducted over 250 students and 12 teachers from St. Mary's Catholic School in Niger State, Nigeria. This follows a recent kidnapping of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State. Nigerian security forces, including military and local hunters, are actively searching for the victims amid escalating insecurity in northern Nigeria. President Bola Tinubu postponed foreign trips to address the crisis.
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A referendum in Slovenia has rejected a law legalising assisted dying, with about 53% voting against. The law, approved in July, would have allowed terminally ill patients to end their lives under specific conditions. The suspension of the law will last at least one year, following a campaign backed by the Catholic Church and conservative groups.