Ata mārie and welcome to your short working week between Easter and Anzac weekends. Here’s a summary of the key stories from around the world overnight.
We start with the death of Pope Francis, aged 88, after an extended health battle. In developing news, he died of a stroke and heart failure, according to the Vatican doctor, Al Jazeera reported.
World leaders have paid their respects to the religious leader, including New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. “It is a time of great sorrow for all those who have admired Pope Francis’s compassion and humility.
“Pope Francis was the first Pope from the Southern Hemisphere. He will be remembered for his unwavering commitment to the vulnerable, to social justice, and to interfaith dialogue. My thoughts are with Roman Catholics and all those who mourn his death,” Luxon said.
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said Pope Francis expressed “deep compassion and an unwavering commitment” to social justice, inclusion, and the dignity of every person.
“He stood up for action on climate change, championed peace through his diplomacy, and advocated for the rights of migrants and refugees. His leadership challenged us all to build a fairer and more caring world,” Hipkins said.
Al Jazeera said Pope Francis was known as the ‘People's Pope’ and would be remembered for his defence of the most vulnerable people.
He had suffered various health setbacks during his 12-year papacy, with severe complications in recent weeks after double pneumonia. He made a brief final appearance in St Peter’s Square for the Vatican’s Easter Sunday Mass, wishing the crowds “Happy Easter”.
US President Donald Trump.
US vice-president JD Vance was one of the final people to meet Pope Francis the day before his death, the BBC reported. "My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him," Vance said. "I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill."
US President Donald Trump also paid his respects. "Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!"
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported Vance held trade talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday local time, in an attempt to avert Trump’s additional trade tariff hikes.
The White House said Modi and Vance made “significant progress” in negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement, and that the sides had finalised a roadmap for a possible deal.
The two leaders “called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward” after discussing regional and global security issues, the White House added.
Staying with trade, global delivery giant DHL Express is suspending deliveries to US consumers that are worth more than US$800 because of a "significant increase" in red tape after the introduction of Trump's new tariff regime, the BBC reported.
The delivery giant said business-to-business shipments would still go ahead but noted there could be delays.
The White House is set to clamp down on deliveries, especially items sent from China and Hong Kong. Shein and Temu warned they planned to increase prices because of changes in global trade rules and tariffs.
Meanwhile, China warned countries against striking economic deals with the US, increasing tension between the world’s largest economic superpowers, the ABC reported.
China’s Commerce Ministry said it would firmly oppose any country making a deal at its expense, and "will take countermeasures in a resolute and reciprocal manner”. Trump paused his reciprocal tariffs – apart from China – earlier this month.
On Wall Street, stocks fell again after Trump ramped up his attacks on Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, raising questions about the central bank’s independence, CNBC reported.
Earlier, the Dow Jones fell 3.1%, the S&P500 dropped 3.3%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq declined 3.6%.
Trump posted on social media that the US economy would slow unless Powell – who he referred to as “Mr. Too Late, a major loser” – lowered interest rates immediately.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
Back home, New Zealand has today announced it is extending military assistance and support for Ukraine in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
“We are extending our deployment of up to 100 New Zealand Defence Force personnel to train Ukrainian soldiers in the UK and throughout Europe, and provide intelligence, liaison, and logistics support through to December 2026,” Luxon said.
“Today’s announcement signals New Zealand’s ongoing commitment to Ukraine in the face of Russia’s aggression and brings the total value of New Zealand support to $152 million in financial assistance and in-kind support to Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, Luxon is in the UK and Türkiye this week, visiting London, Gallipoli, and Istanbul. “I am travelling to Gallipoli to honour the commitment and sacrifice of all New Zealand war veterans.”
