Czech President Petr Pavel today condemned what he described as the United States exerting much greater pressure on Ukraine than on Russia, and stated that U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to negotiate peace at any cost, regardless of how much it may cost Ukraine and Europe.

“What is currently on the table suggests more of an effort to reach any kind of peace agreement so that Donald Trump can declare that he managed to broker peace, regardless of how favorable it will be for Ukraine and what consequences it will have for Europe,” said the Czech president during a visit to the Hradec Králové Region in the east of the country.

He criticized Trump and his team for exerting far greater pressure on Ukraine and warned that if Russia emerges from the war strengthened and convinced that aggression pays off, Europe can expect to be “subscribed” to similar problems in the future.

“From the beginning, I have held the position that compromise is necessary for peace. But it should not be an ultimatum to Ukraine or a reward for the aggressor. The peace that is agreed upon should be as fair as possible to Ukraine,” Pavel stated.

The President of the Czech Republic also warned that even if a peace agreement includes some territorial concessions, those should not be permanent.

“If certain territorial concessions are agreed upon, they could be accepted only as a temporary solution, not as a permanent legal recognition of the situation where occupied territories become legitimately Russian,” Pavel said.

He announced that he would meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Three Seas Initiative summit in Warsaw early next week to discuss a possible peace compromise acceptable to Ukraine and the need for ammunition and weapons.

The United States is ready to propose that Europe recognize Crimea as Russian when officials meet on Wednesday in London to discuss a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, the Russian agency TASS reported today, citing The Washington Post and its sources.

According to the report, the proposal will be part of a possible peace agreement, and Washington will also suggest freezing the current front line.

The newspaper states that the U.S. presented its proposals to Ukraine last week in Paris. These include Washington formally recognizing Crimea as Russian territory and eventually lifting sanctions on Russia under a future agreement. In return, Moscow would end hostilities in Ukraine at a time when the Russian military has momentum on the battlefield and significant advantages, TASS reports.

The Ukrainian delegation interpreted the proposal as “Washington’s final offer before considering withdrawing from the peace process,” TASS cites The Washington Post as reporting.

French, British, and German negotiators are expected to insist that any agreement include “security guarantees and post-war reconstruction programs, possibly partially funded by frozen Russian assets,” the newspaper notes.

European and Ukrainian officials have privately acknowledged that it is unlikely Kyiv will regain control of the Russian-held territories anytime soon, the report states.

According to Bloomberg, Washington presented preliminary proposals for a Ukrainian solution to its allies during a meeting between the Kyiv delegation and representatives of Western countries in Paris on April 17. These include abandoning talks on Ukraine’s NATO aspirations and easing sanctions on Russia.

The proposals also foresee Russia retaining control over all territories it currently controls.

Pope Francis, in his will composed on June 29, 2022, expressed his wish for his final resting place to be the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, it was announced this evening in the Vatican.

“Feeling the twilight of my earthly life approaching, and with firm hope in eternal life, I wish to express my final desires solely regarding the place of my burial. Throughout my life, and during my priestly and episcopal ministry, I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary. For this reason, I ask that my mortal remains rest – awaiting the day of the Resurrection – in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major,” reads the Pope’s will.

I wish for my final earthly journey to conclude precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary, where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of each apostolic journey, confidentially entrusting my intentions to the Immaculate Mother and giving thanks for her gentle and maternal care, wrote Pope Francis.

He specifically requested how his tomb should be prepared: “in a burial niche in the side aisle between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the basilica.”

“The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without special ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus,” is the Pope’s final wish.

“The funeral preparation costs will be covered by a sum provided by a benefactor, which I arranged to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. I have given the necessary instructions regarding this to Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, the extraordinary commissioner of the Liberian Basilica,” Vatican News reported from the Pope’s will.

“May the Lord grant a worthy reward to all those who loved me and who continue to pray for me. The suffering that marked the final part of my life I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and for brotherhood among nations,” the Pope stated in his will composed on June 29, 2022.

The death of Pope Francis, announced this morning, has sparked speculation about his successor, who will be known when white smoke appears from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel following a complex and secretive election process.

Given the nature of the cardinal appointments made by Pope Francis during his reign, it is expected that the new pope will also be from outside Europe, and that he will be another progressive, opposing the conservative wing of the Roman Catholic Church, according to Reuters.

Among the potential candidates for the new pope are the Archbishop of Marseille Jean-Marc Aveline (66) from France, Cardinal Péter Erdő (72) from Hungary, Cardinal Mario Grech (68) from Malta, Cardinal Pietro Parolin (70) from Italy, Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle (67) from the Philippines, Cardinal Joseph Tobin (72) from Newark, USA, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Turkson (76) originally from Ghana, and the Archbishop of Bologna Matteo Maria Zuppi (69)…

The election process will take place after Pope Francis is buried, and the new leader will be elected by secret ballot by members of the conclave, which may only include cardinals under the age of 80 following the death or resignation of a pope.

Until a new pope is chosen, the College of Cardinals governs the Roman Catholic Church.

The complex voting process will reveal whether the current cardinals, most of whom were appointed by Pope Francis, believe that his embrace of liberal social values and progressive reform agenda has gone too far, or whether a period of retreat is needed.

The cardinals will determine the date for the start of the conclave once they begin arriving in Rome over the coming days.

After the funeral ceremony for the pope and once everything has been prepared for the conclave at both general and special meetings of the cardinals, they gather on a set day—no earlier than the 14th and no later than the 20th day after the pope’s death—for Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. That same afternoon, they gather in the Chapel of St. Paul in the Apostolic Palace and proceed in a solemn procession to the Sistine Chapel, where the election takes place in strict secrecy.

The cardinals vote for their preferred candidate until a winner is determined—a process that can take several days, or even months.

The only clue as to how the voting is proceeding is the smoke that rises twice daily from the burning of the cardinals’ ballots. Black smoke means a negative outcome, while white smoke will be the sign that a new pope has been elected.

After the white smoke rises, the new pope usually appears within an hour on the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

A senior cardinal participating in the conclave will announce the decision with the words: “Habemus Papam” (We have a pope), and then introduce the new leader by his chosen papal name.

The Catholic Church currently has 252 cardinals, of whom 138 are under the age of 80 and therefore eligible to vote. As many as 109 of the voting cardinals were appointed by Pope Francis, 22 by his predecessor Benedict, and five by Pope John Paul II.

Cardinals are “created” during ceremonies known as consistories, during which they receive

The reasons for these price increases are primarily climate change.

In March, German consumers had to pay 16.7 percent more for chocolate than in the same month last year, according to the German Federal Statistical Office.

The most significant price increase was recorded for chocolate (+25 percent).

However, prices for other chocolate products also rose noticeably (+11.1 percent), reports Deutsche Welle.

“In contrast, there was an uneven development in the prices of confectionery and pastry products,” the statisticians revealed. These products became 3.1 percent more expensive in March overall. This primarily refers to the prices of pralines and boxed chocolates. On the other hand, there was a slight decrease in the prices of chewing gum, gummy candies, and similar products. By comparison, food prices as a whole rose by three percent during the same period, according to Poslovni Dnevnik.

Mid-term comparisons also clearly show that last year, chocolate was 40 percent more expensive than in 2020. Classic chocolate became 32 percent more expensive, while other chocolate products saw a price increase of as much as 46 percent. Prices of sweets in general rose by 29 percent during that mid-term period, and eggs by as much as 38.5 percent. Over those four years, food prices overall increased by 33 percent.

The reasons for these price increases are primarily climate change. Poor harvests have affected cocoa prices in recent years. Periods of drought alternate with heavy rainfall, especially in the agricultural regions of West Africa. Cocoa trees are increasingly susceptible to pest infestations, which thrive and spread rapidly under such weather conditions.

Earlier this week, the West African country Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa producer, warned of the risk of crop failure due to excessive rainfall. The harvest season in that country lasts from April to September. Forecasts indicate a risk of heavy rains, which threaten not only the quantity of crops but also the quality. This, in turn, means another price increase on the global market.

Thousands of Americans took to the streets of New York and other major cities today, on the second day of protests against President Donald Trump, held two weeks apart.

“No king in America” and “Resist tyranny” could be seen on signs at the protests in New York, alongside images of the U.S. president with Hitler-style mustaches.

The demonstrators are particularly condemning the White House’s anti-immigration policy, at a time when the country’s Supreme Court has suspended the deportation of immigrants based on the 1798 “Alien Enemies” Act.

“Immigrants are welcome here,” chanted the protesters gathered in front of the public library in the largest U.S. city, not far from the famous Trump Tower.

Protesters also gathered today in front of the White House in Washington, although in smaller numbers than during the previous demonstrations on Saturday, April 5, when tens of thousands of people took to the streets.

Protests were also reported in front of Tesla car stores, a brand owned by Elon Musk, the billionaire whom Trump tasked with drastically reducing the public administration.

The demonstrations are organized by a group called 50501, a number that represents 50 demonstrations in 50 U.S. states leading to a single movement – against the Republican president.

The movement represents “a rapid, decentralized response to the anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration and its plutocratic allies,” according to the group’s website.

The organization has scheduled around 400 demonstrations throughout the day.

It is difficult to get accurate figures on the number of participants, as many police departments refuse to provide estimates, reports Agence France-Presse.

The bodies of two people who had been reported missing during the storm in northern Italy were found today, firefighters reported, bringing the death toll in that area to three.

The body of a 64-year-old man and his 33-year-old son, whose car was swept away by the flood, were found near Vicenza in the northeastern region of Veneto. The president of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, expressed condolences to the woman who lost her husband and son, calling it an "unimaginable tragedy."

The two had signed up as volunteers and were on their way to assist in rescue operations when the accident occurred.

On Thursday, a 90-year-old man was found in his flooded home in Piedmont, in the northwest of the country.

Northern Italy, along with the French and Swiss Alps, was hit by heavy rainfall on Thursday, which turned into snow at higher altitudes, leading to numerous road blockages caused by landslides and floods.

Dozens of people had to be evacuated from flooded areas, sometimes with their domestic animals. In the Aosta Valley, around 5,000 families were left without power on Thursday evening, according to the local electricity provider.

Footage from Agence France-Presse shows streets covered in mud in Monteu da Po, Piedmont, a small town where firefighters found the body of the 90-year-old man yesterday.

Footage from other areas in the region shows streets covered in debris and sludge.

Spot gold has surpassed the magical threshold of $3,300 per ounce for the first time.

The precious metal has extended its gains and has just reached $3,307 per ounce, marking a 2.4 percent increase on the day, as investors rush to invest in "safe havens."

Trump's trade war shows no signs of easing after the president ordered potential tariffs and an investigation into critical minerals, semiconductors, and pharmaceutical products, prompting a renewed shift toward safe havens such as gold, said the head of strategy at Saxo Bank, Ole Hansen.

Financial firm ANZ has today raised its year-end gold price forecast to $3,600 per ounce and its six-month forecast to $3,500.