An Italian cardinal who was convicted of embezzlement and fraud said on April 29 he will not take part in the secret conclave to elect the new pope that will be held beginning on May 7 in the Sistine Chapel following the death of Pope Francis.

The US and Ukraine have signed a deal over access to Ukraine's mineral resources - further solidifying President Donald Trump's backing in ceasefire talks with Russia. It comes as the US President appeared to turn on Putin after he was spotted chatting with Volodymyr Zelensky at Pope Francis' funeral - having a private talk about a potential peace deal to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin is open to peace in Ukraine and intense work is going on with the United States, but the conflict is so complicated that the rapid progress that Washington wants is difficult to achieve,

A senior Kremlin official says clinching a deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine “is far too complex to be done quickly.”