When the Vatican announced on Easter Monday that Pope Francis had passed on at the age of 88, the Catholic Church entered a period known as sede vacante, which is Latin for “the seat being vacant”, the period between the death or resignation of a pope until the election of the next pontiff.

At this critical juncture, the temporary mantle of administrative leadership over the Vatican falls on the Cardinal Camerlengo, who holds the fort until the College of Cardinals elects a new pontiff in a conclave.

In 2019, Pope Francis nominated Irish-American Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell as camerlengo.

The 77-year-old camerlengo serves as the interim administrator of the Vatican City State and the Holy See, managing temporal affairs to ensure continuity and order during the interregnum.

Cardinal Farrell’s duties as camerlengo include:

Certifying the pope’s death: Farrell officially confirmed Pope Francis’ death at 7:35 AM on Easter Monday, April 21, in the presence of Vatican officials, including the head of the Vatican’s health department. He oversaw the drafting of the death certificate, a formal step to initiate the sede vacante.

Sealing the papal residences: In a symbolic gesture to mark the end of Francis’ pontificate, the camerlengo presided over the sealing of the Papal Apartment in the Apostolic Palace and Francis’ residence at Casa Santa Marta, where the pontiff chose to live instead of the traditional papal quarters. This act, historically intended to prevent looting, underscores the formal closure of the pontificate.

Mourning and funeral rites: The camerlengo, alongside a team of three assisting cardinals, is responsible for coordinating the nine-day mourning period (novendiales) and the funeral, scheduled for Saturday, April 26.. The pope’s body will be placed in a single wooden coffin and moved to St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing starting on Wednesday, April 23.

Preparing for the conclave: The camerlengo will oversee logistical preparations for the papal conclave, expected to begin 15 to 20 days after Pope Francis’ death, possibly May 6–11. This includes arranging accommodations for the 135 cardinal electors under 80, who will gather in the Sistine Chapel to vote.

Managing Vatican finances and administration: During the interregnum, the camerlengo administers the Vatican’s temporal affairs, ensuring financial and operational stability. He also destroys the late pope’s Fisherman’s Ring, a signet used for official documents, in the presence of the College of Cardinals, symbolising the end of Francis’ authority.

Who is Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the acting head of the Vatican?

Cardinal Kevin Farrell and other Vatican officials announce the death of Pope Francis in a video statement from the Vatican on 21 April.

When the world learned of Pope Francis’ death on Monday morning, an Irish-American cardinal, little known in the wider world, was the one to break the news.

After announcing that the pope had “returned to the home of the Father”, Irish-American Cardinal Kevin Farrell took on one of his biggest roles yet: the “camerlengo”, or the person who runs the Vatican after the death or resignation of a pope.

Pope Francis nominated the cardinal for the role in 2019. The cardinal will remain in the position during the “Apostolica Sedes Vacans”, the period between the death or resignation of a pope until the election of the next pontiff.
He also will play an important role in the centuries-old ceremonies to mourn Pope Francis.

Born in 1947 in Dublin, Farrell attended the University of Salamanca in Spain and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, according to the Vatican.

He held roles in churches around the world, serving as a chaplain at the University of Monterrey in Mexico as well as at a parish in Bethesda, Maryland.

All told, the 77-year-old spent more than 30 years working for churches in the US.
Farrell was appointed Bishop of Dallas in 2007 until Pope Francis asked him in 2016 to serve as the leader of the Vatican’s new department responsible for the pastoral care of families, raising him to the rank of cardinal.

Years after naming him as camerlengo, in 2023, Francis chose Farrell as president of the Supreme Court of Vatican City State. He was also named president of the Commission for Confidential Matters.

As camerlengo, Cardinal Farrell will be tasked with making arrangements for the conclave, the process through which the next pontiff is selected.

Technically, a camerlengo can become pope, as has happened twice in history: Gioacchino Pecci (Pope Leo XIII) in 1878 and Eugenio Pacelli (Pope Pius XII) in 1939.

The cardinal also will preside over the certification of Francis’s death, laying his body into the coffin. After that, the cardinal is expected to lead a procession moving the pope’s body from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta to St Peter’s Basilica.

The ceremony could take place as soon as Wednesday morning, according to the Vatican.

The UK government on March 19, 2025 announced higher visa fees across all categories

Come April, and travelling or studying in the United Kingdom will become costlier for travelers..

The UK government on March 19, 2025 announced higher visa fees across all categories, including student and visitor visas, as well as electronic travel authorisations. The changes will take effect from April 9, 2025.

Visitor and ETA fees see steep rise

For those that require a visitor visa to enter the UK. That fee is going up by ten per cent — from $149 to $164. For travellers from visa-exempt countries, the cost of the electronic travel authorisation (ETA) will rise from $12 to $20 — an increase of 60 per cent.

The new ETA pricing will come into effect earlier, starting April 2, 2025.

An ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) is a pre-arrival requirement for visa-exempt nationals. It’s not a visa but works in a similar way, allowing UK authorities to carry out security checks before a traveller arrives.

Visit visas:

Short-term (up to 6 months): Currently £115; increasing to £127—a rise of £12.
Long-term (up to 2 years): Currently £432; increasing to £475—a rise of £43.
Long-term (up to 5 years): Currently £771; increasing to £848—a rise of £77.
Long-term (up to 10 years): Currently £963; increasing to £1,059—a rise of £96.

Student visas and educational travel affected

Fees for student visas will also increase. The main applicants and their dependants will now have to pay £524 ($677), up from £490 ($633). This also applies to child students.

Short-term study visas for those enrolled in English language courses longer than six months but under 11 months are increasing from $258 to $276 — a rise of $18.

Emma English, Executive Director of the British Educational Travel Association (BETA), raised concerns about the hikes.

“The government’s post-Brexit policy of requiring international school groups to use passports instead of ID cards has already resulted in a decline in group visits. Increasing the cost of the ETA adds another barrier, exacerbating the sector’s challenges. Youth travellers are valuable for their economic contribution and for fostering long-term international connections and cultural understanding,” said Emma English, Executive Director of the British Educational Travel Association in a statement.

Study visas:
Student (main applicant and dependants): Currently £490; increasing to £524—a rise of £34.
Child student: Currently £490; increasing to £524—a rise of £34.
Short-term student (studying English language for more than 6 months but not more than 11 months): Currently £200; increasing to £214—a rise of £14.

Work visa increases vary by category

The UK’s Home Office data shows that Health and Care Worker visas will see the sharpest jump — up 28.2 per cent. The fee will increase from $367 to $470.

Skilled Worker – Shortage Occupation visas are also seeing a substantial rise of 26.3 per cent, reaching £470.

Other increases include:

Temporary Work visas: Up 3.9 per cent, now $38 more than before
Innovator Founder (main applicant and dependants): Currently £1,191; increasing to £1,274—a rise of £83.
Start-up (main applicant and dependants): Currently £435; increasing to £465—a rise of £30.
Minister of Religion visa: Up 5.6 per cent

Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain):
Main applicants and dependants: Currently £2,885; increasing to £3,029—a rise of £144.

Business Standard

A fire tore through an overcrowded nightclub packed with mostly young people in North Macedonia early Sunday, killing 59 people, apparently after on-stage fireworks at a hip-hop concert set the venue ablaze, authorities said.

Some 155 people who were injured in the inferno had been taken to hospitals across the country, 22 of them in critical condition, officials said. Some of the more serious cases were taken to hospitals in other European countries.

Interior Minister Pance Toskovski said that more than 20 wounded and three of those killed in the fire were minors.

“At the time of the event around 500 people were inside, while 250 tickets were sold,” he said.

The blaze started in the Club Pulse in the eastern town of Kocani, which was packed with mostly young fans attending a concert by a popular hip-hop duo called DNK.

“The fire started around 2:30 am (0130 GMT), the sparklers that were on stage ignited the styrofoam on the ceiling. I heard an explosion and the roof collapsed,” one young person who was inside for the concert told local media.

“We all rushed to get out, we all ran towards one door that was for both entry and exit,” they were quoted as saying.

Another, a young woman waiting outside a hospital in the capital Skopje for a friend being treated for burns, said: “Initially we didn’t believe there was a fire. Then there was huge panic in the crowd and a stampede to get out.”

The fire was probably caused by pyrotechnic devices “used for lighting effects at the concert,” said Toskovski, who visited the scene with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski.

“Sparks caught the ceiling, which was made of easily flammable material, after which the fire rapidly spread across the whole discotheque, creating thick smoke,” Toskovski said.

At a later press conference Toskovski said that the authorities were investigating whether “corruption” and “bribery” were linked to the deadly nightclub fire.

“This company does not have a legal license for work,” he said, referring to the club.

“This license, as many other things in Macedonia in the past, is connected with bribery and corruption. In this case, those involved in illegal issuance of license have names and will be held responsible,” he added.

More than 20 people were under investigation over the blaze, 15 of whom were in police custody, while others were in hospital, he said.

Among the suspects are the two members of the band, an owner of the club and organisers, among others.

A former director of the rescue services and a state secretary at the economy ministry were among those detained, he said.

The head of the Kocani hospital, Kristina Serafimovska, told media that “most of the dead unfortunately suffered injuries from the stampede that occurred in the panic while trying to exit”.

“Seventy of the patients have burns and carbon monoxide poisoning,” she said.

One of the members of the DNK duo that had performed, Vladimir Blazev, had burns to his face and needed assistance breathing, his sister told local media outlets.

– ‘Very sad day’ –

“This is a difficult and very sad day” for the country, Mickoski wrote on his Facebook account. “The loss of so many young lives is irreparable, and the grief of their families, their loved ones and their friends is immeasurable.”

The government proclaimed a seven-day mourning period and ordered flags lowered.

“A decision will also be made on an urgent and extraordinary inspection of all nightclubs, discotheques and restaurants that organise parties,” the government said in a statement.

Pope Francis sent prayers to the victims and survivors and wished “the families of the dead, mostly young people, the expression of his deep condolence,” the Vatican said in a message addressed to the bishop of Skopje, Kiro Stojanov.

Videos posted on social networks and shot before the fire showed there were “stage fountains” set up — a type of indoor fireworks used during performances.

Other videos published by media showed huge flames emerging from the building, a two-storey white structure in Kocani, a town with 30,000 residents.

An AFP photographer in the town saw military medical vehicles arrive to reinforce staff at the local hospital tending to some of the injured.

As the day unfolded, the leaders of neighbouring countries sent condolences.

Many of the patients in serious condition were transferred to other countries like Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Turkey.

The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said on X that she was “deeply saddened about the tragic fire” and that “the EU shares the grief and pain of the people of North Macedonia”. (AFP)