ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV will personally carry the wooden cross through all 14 stations of the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum on his first Good Friday as pontiff, marking the first time in decades that a pope carries the cross to every station.

“I think it will be an important sign because of what the pope represents, a spiritual leader in the world today, and for this voice, that everyone wants to hear, that says Christ still suffers,” Leo told reporters this week outside of the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo. “I carry all of this suffering in my prayer.”

John Paul II carried the cross for the entire procession from his first Good Friday as pontiff in 1979 until his hip surgery in 1995, when he carried it just part of the way, according to AP reports at the time.

For the first two years of his papacy, Benedict XVI carried the cross for the first station inside the Colosseum, then followed other bearers in the procession that ends on a platform on the Palatine Hill.

Pope Francis never carried the cross, but participated in the procession until his health worsened. He died after a long illness last year on Easter Monday, which fell on April 21.

Pope John Paul II was just 58 when he became pope, and was known as a hiker and outdoorsman. His two successors were in their late 70s when they began their papacies, and Francis was missing part of a lung due to a pulmonary infection as a young man.

At 70, Leo is physically fit and an avid tennis player and swimmer. Before becoming pope, Leo would work out regularly at a gym near the Vatican, with a plan befitting a man in his early 50s, according to his former trainer.

Crowds are expected to gather outside of the Colosseum for the Way of the Cross, which commemorates the final hours of Jesus’ life, from his death sentence to taking up the cross to his crucifixion, death and burial. The procession ends outside the Colosseum atop the Palatine Hill.

The meditations, which are read aloud at each station, were composed by the Rev. Francesco Patton, who was custos (or custodian) of the Holy Land 2016-25, charged, among other things, with looking after sacred sites

“The Way of the Cross is not intended for those who lead a pristinely pious or abstractly recollected life,” Patton wrote in his introduction. “Instead, it is the exercise of one who knows that faith, hope and charity must be incarnated in the real world.”

On Holy Saturday, the pontiff will preside over Easter vigil rites at St. Peter’s Square and lead Roman Catholics into Christianity’s most joyous celebration marking Christ’s resurrection.

On Easter Sunday, the pope will celebrate an open-air Mass in St. Peter’s Square before delivering his Easter message and offer the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing to the city (of Rome) and the world.

North Yorkshire Police are appealing for information after a moped was stolen from a York city centre car park earlier this week.

The theft took place from Esplanade Car Park in West Esplanade between 12:30pm and 7:30pm on Wednesday (April 1).

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The moped is a black Kymco Agility 50 with the registration number CE69 OYM; it was fitted with a black top box at the time of the theft.

“If you have any information regarding this theft or if you see or believe you have seen this vehicle since it was stolen, then we would like to hear from you,” said a spokesperson for the force.

If you have any information, you can contact North Yorkshire Police by calling 101, send information through the online reporting tool, or you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Please quote job reference number 12260058104 when providing information.

A planning statement was prepared by MacMarshalls which argued that the site opposite 686 Chorley Road – which lies on the green belt – can be classed as grey belt.

They said the land was previously owned by Lancashire Electric Company and used as a car park and recreational area for their social club.

It even included a putting green and cricket pavilion behind the car park.

They said the area is currently used for storage and parking, including the siting of containers, “which has taken place over a long period of time”.

On one side are some newly built bungalows and on the other, a small business park.

They said permission was sought to build three houses on the land back in 1991 – though refused, they said, “there are no further details on the council’s website”.

Permission in principle which means there are no final or detailed plans, but MacMarshalls included “an indicative layout” to show the homes “can comfortably be accommodated on site, at an appropriate density”.

These include three two-storey three-bed homes and three two-storey two-bed homes.

Site plan of where the houses will be located (Image: TS Archdesign)

MacMarshalls said the grey belt definition is in place “to protect high performing green belt land” while recognising that some sites “no longer adequately serve green belt purposes”.

These purposes are threefold – to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas, to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another and to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns.

MacMarshalls said the guidance “also states that villages should not be considered large built-up areas”.

Though the site is currently not built on, they said it “has been in use for storage, including the siting of two containers, and parking”.

They said there are “clear, physical features surrounding it that could contain and restrict development” and it is “not near or adjacent to a large built-up area”.

The homes would not be out of place either, they said, arguing the indicative layout “shows a layout similar to that of the relatively recently constructed bungalows”.

MacMarshalls said the site “is very modest in size” and “is a significant distance from any two towns” – and “is not within or adjacent to an historic town.

They said this means it qualifies as grey belt and residents will have until April 21 to respond to the consultation.

On Thursday (April 2), CEO Michael O’Leary urged those who are yet to book a trip abroad for the warmer months of the year, whether flying with Ryanair or other airlines, to do so “now”.

Speaking to ITV News Economics Editor Joel Hills, he “strongly” advised: “There’s no doubt that bookings for lots of people who would have planned to go to the Gulf or fly with Gulf carriers longer haul, are all now rebooking to go to Portugal, France, Italy, Greece, European spots.

“Accommodation prices are rising, air fares are rising into peak summer, I would book your summer holidays now, as quickly as you can”.

Update… pic.twitter.com/reCYMc0RLo

— Ryanair (@Ryanair) March 31, 2026

Ryanair boss warns of flight cancellations due to jet fuel prices

However, Michael also highlighted that if the Middle East war carries on over the next few months, a percentage of flights may be cancelled due the cost of jet fuel.

It comes as oil prices, which have a significant effect on the cost of wholesale fuel, have soared in response to Iran’s stranglehold on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The RAC said the average price of a litre of diesel at UK forecourts on Wednesday (April 1) was 184.2p, up 29% since the war started on February 28.

Average petrol prices have reached 153.7p per litre, a rise of 16% over the same period.

In conversation with ITV ’s Joel, Michael explained that “we are all facing an unknown scenario” if the war continues into May or June, and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for the “next 60 to 90 days”.

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He continued: “We are certainly looking at maybe having to cancel 5%, 10% of flights through maybe May, June and July.

“The message from the airline industry is the sooner this war is over, the better, and the sooner we get oil supplies moving again, the better.”

Regarding which flights and routes that would “likely” be cancelled first if a difficult decision had to be made, Michael said: “Airlines won’t have that flexibility to choose routes, we have aircraft that are based at 95% of airports across Europe.

“We’ll have to cancel routes at whichever airport, where the fuel companies advise us, we are short of Jet A1 [fuel], say Malaga Airport or we’re short of Jet A1 at Athens Airport, it’ll be those kind of decisions.

“We’ll get very little notice, we’ll be told I think within five or seven days’ notice, so we will then, we’ll look around and we’ll be trying to ground one or two aircraft and minimise the inconvenience for customers.

“But it’s going to be difficult, it’s going to be challenging.”

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UK airline cancels flights due to ‘huge rise in the global cost of fuel’

Michael’s aviation travel update comes shortly after UK airline Skybus has ceased all flights between Newquay Airport and London Gatwick from today (April 3) partly due to the “huge rise in the global cost of fuel”.

In a statement published by multiple news outlets, including ITV , Skybus managing director Jonathan Hinkles said: “The huge rise in the global cost of fuel following the conflict in the Gulf, coupled with a significant drop in new passenger bookings since mid-February’s announcement of the planned closure of the PSO air route, forms an insurmountable barrier to the service continuing through April and May.

“At a time of great economic uncertainty and steps being taken to conserve energy worldwide, it is neither environmentally nor economically sound for us to continue flying with vastly reduced passenger numbers.”

The last flight operated on Thursday (April 2) and all passengers who have had upcoming journeys cancelled will be refunded, according to the airline.

Newsquest has contacted Skybus for comment.

Are you worried about any upcoming flights being cancelled due to the current fuel concerns? Let us know in the comments below.

President Donald Trump reportedly demanded that his seat be moved at the Supreme Court so he could sit directly in front of the court’s justices during his unprecedented visit to the court to witness the oral arguments in his birthright citizenship case this week.

Trump became the first president to attend a Supreme Court oral argument, a move that many critics took to be a naked attempt to intimidate the court into ruling in his favor. Early in his second term, Trump issued an executive order challenging the 14th Amendment, which establishes that anyone born on U.S. soil is a U.S. citizen.

ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero told MSNOW that Trump was initially seated at the end of the first row of seats, but Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told the court’s security that the president wanted to be moved to the center, where he would face the justices.

“Then it was clear that he was endeavoring to put his thumb on the scale,” Romero said. ““He was endeavoring to glower at the justices to kind of intimidate them, almost defy them to rule against him.”

Romero said that rather than appearing intimidating, Trump spent the hearing fidgeting in his chair. He said after ACLU Legal Director Cecilia Wang began making her opening arguments that the president “started getting restless” and that his “shoulders slumped a little bit.”

He said Trump left the courtroom approximately 10 or 15 minutes into Wang’s opening argument.

Romero said the court did fall quiet when Trump entered, but he added that his presence didn’t seem to throw the justices.

Trump was clearly not happy with what he saw during his time at the court.

“We are the only Country in the World STUPID enough to allow ‘Birthright’ Citizenship!” he raged on Truth Social after he left.

Trump complained about the Supreme Court again during a private Easter event with MAGA religious figures later the same day.

“Republicans, judges, and justices,” Trump said. “They always want to show that they’re independent.”

He continued: “‘I don’t care if Trump appointed me, I don’t care, if it doesn’t make any difference to me. I’m voting against him!” Trump complained.

He said people within the named groups defy him because “they want to show their independence, you know. Stupid people.”

Trump’s ranting continued on Thursday, when he called the Supreme Court a “KANGAROO COURT!!!” on Truth Social.

During the hearing, Justice John Roberts noted that Trump’s executive order focused on the citizenship of the parents rather than the citizenship of the individual born in the U.S. and said it would be extremely difficult to actually enforce Trump’s order.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Trump appointee, questioned the practicality of the president’s order.

“How would it work?” she asked. “How would you adjudicate these cases? You’re not going to know at the time of birth whether they have the intent to stay or not, including U.S. citizens, by the way.”

‘Britain is paying the price for a crisis it did not cause – this time in the Middle East – while a privileged few cash in’

Each global shock has become another excuse to squeeze the public

Britain is once again paying the price for a crisis it did not cause, while a privileged few cash in.

As war tensions grip the Middle East, energy giants are enjoying a grotesque windfall, their paper fortunes swelling by tens of millions. Meanwhile, ordinary families face soaring fuel, food and energy bills.

Drivers are being rinsed at the pumps. Households are bracing for yet another brutal hike. And all the while, those at the top shrug and call it “inescapable”.

It isn’t. It is a choice – a system that allows profiteering in the shadow of conflict. We’ve been here before. Each global shock becomes another excuse to squeeze the public while shareholders celebrate.

Ministers cannot sit on their hands. Windfall taxes must be tightened, loopholes closed, and excess profits clawed back. Because when war creates winners who are already wealthy, something has gone very wrong indeed.

Reform would drag Britain back to the bad old days

Business Secretary Peter Kyle is right, Reform UK would happily drag Britain back to the bad old days.

Their nostalgia for a supposed golden age ignores the grim reality: low pay, no protections and workers left on their own. That’s exactly what these new laws are designed to end.

From day-one sick pay to stronger parental rights, the Employment Rights Act is a long-overdue reset that puts fairness ahead of exploitation.

And plans to scrap zero-hours contracts and ban fire and rehire cannot come soon enough. Predictably, Reform and its allies are kicking up a fuss.

But progress always unsettles those who benefit from the status quo. The choice couldn’t be clearer: a modern, fair economy – or a backward slide to a Britain that failed working people.

World Cup ticket prices are pushing aside hard working supporters

FIFA isn’t just out of touch; it is exploiting fans’ devotion. Charging £8,333 for a World Cup final ticket is daylight robbery. Hardworking supporters are priced out and pushed aside.

This isn’t football’s global celebration anymore; it’s a corporate racket, lining pockets, and FIFA is killing the beautiful game.

The incident occurred around 1.40pm, resulting in the road being temporarily closed by police.

Police stated the crash resulted in no serious injuries but the cyclist was taken to hospital.

A GMP spokesperson said: “At around 1.40pm today, officers responded to reports of a collision between a car and a cyclist on Chorley New Road, Bolton.

“The cyclist was subsequently taken to hospital with non life-threatening or changing injuries.”

The incident occurred at the eastern tip of Chorley New Road, near the junction with Chorley Old Road.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that the driver has been reported for ‘driving without due care’.

The cyclist was taken to hospital as a precaution and it is understood the expectation is that the injuries sustained are not serious.

The road has since fully reopened to drivers and pedestrians, and no delays are to be expected.

Race Across the World has returned for its sixth series

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Race Across the World has made its highly anticipated return to BBC One for its sixth series. Five new teams have set off on the gruelling challenge of racing one another more than 12,000km across Europe and Asia.

Each pair must cover the vast distance on a tight budget, with the prospect of winning £20,000 driving them forward. Despite it being only the opening episode, one contestant swiftly captured viewers’ attention.

A host of fans taking to social media to voice their concerns abouthypnotherapist Margo, 59, from Liverpool. She is competing alongside her brother-in-law Mark, a 66 year old retired architect from London, reports the Mirror.

Taking to X, viewers at home were quick to share their feelings, with one posting: “Margo already getting on my nerves….she’s been everywhere!!” A third remarked: “Margo is driving me mad already and it’s only been on for 10 mins.”

A third speculated about her teammate: “I’m sure Mark is rushing as fast as he can so can escape Margo. Might end up a week earlier than every other team.”

Nevertheless, she won over a number of viewers within moments of her first appearance on the show, with one person observing: “Margo is such a vibe already I love her.”

Another viewer remarked: “Love all the couples in #RaceAcrossTheWorld but have a soft spot for Margo. She is an absolute ray of sunshine.”

Margo and Mark were inspired to take part in the programme following the care they provided for her sister, his wife, before her death. The five competing pairs must travel from Palermo, on the island of Sicily, all the way to the remote village of Hatgal, situated on the shores of Lake Hövsgöl in northern Mongolia.

Among the contestants are childhood friends Jo and Kush, both 19, a college student and a gap-year student respectively, hailing from Liverpool, who are the youngest pairing in the race. Also in the running are Manchester-based siblings Katie, 21, and Harrison, 23, an account manager and finance assistant, who revealed they grew up across 14 different homes throughout their childhood.

Representing Northern Ireland are junior doctor Molly, 23, and her father Andrew, a 54-year-old geography teacher, who are joining forces to take on the challenge.

Rounding out the field are London-based cousins Puja, 31, a doctor, and Roshni, a 32-year-old software engineer, who are both firmly set on taking the winning title.

Four people have died after a plane smashed into a restaurant and went up in a ball of flames in Brazil.

Firefighters have confirmed the pilot is among the victims along with three other people travelling on the light aircraft, including a couple.

The dramatic accident happened just after 10.30am local time this morning as the Piper Malibu descended on approach to Capao da Canoa Airport in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.

The restaurant in a built-up residential area was still closed at the time of the crash, limiting the number of people hit on the ground.

There were no immediate reports of any casualties on the ground, although the astonishing footage of the crash showed a man on foot appearing to run for his life as he saw the plane come down and another couple sprinting away from the scene as they too came close to being hit.

Footage from the scene showed flames leaping from the top of the building the plane hit and a black plume of smoke rising high into the air.

Local reports said it had collided with a pole near the end of the runway before crashing. It had flown in from Sao Paulo.

Locals living in houses near the restaurant were evacuated to safety.
Rio Grande do Sul state governor Eduardo Leite said on X: ‘I have been following, since the very first moments, together with the security forces, the full mobilisation in responding to the incident involving the crash of a small aircraft in Capao da Canoa, unfortunately with confirmed fatalities.

‘The accident area has already been evacuated by Civil Defence.’

The horror plane crash occurred less than 24 hours after four people died when a light aircraft smashed nose-first into a field near an industrial estate close to the city of Puebla in central Mexico.

The spokesperson for the Civil Defence service, Sabrina Rimas, said: ‘We managed to immediately evacuate the people from the properties next door, so all the residents left without injuries.

‘This aircraft crashed into a restaurant that was closed, and next to it we have a shop that was also closed.

‘Firefighters were mobilised immediately and the first teams arrived shortly afterwards to tackle the blaze.

‘The Military Brigade also arrived soon after and secured the area for the safety of passers-by.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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Nuchi Nashoba grew up looking at a photograph of her great-grandfather Ben Carterby inside her grandmother’s Oklahoma home. But, she didn’t know much about the man in the frame other than that he was a World War I veteran.

It wasn’t until 1989 — when Nashoba was in her late 20s — that she learned a deep secret about her ancestor.

Carterby was one of the Choctaw code talkers — a group of 19 Native American soldiers who used their language to transmit encrypted messages to the Allies during campaigns in northern France. The soldiers were sworn to secrecy and hid details of their service from families for decades.

Over the past 20 years, Nashoba has led advocacy efforts to spotlight the group’s hidden legacy as president of the Choctaw Code Talkers Association. Now, the soldiers’ contributions are recognized in Fort Worth through a new plaque at the city’s Veterans Memorial Park.

The Choctaw Code Talker Historical Marker was unveiled during an April 1 ceremony hosted by the Oklahoma tribe, the Texas Historical Commission and the city’s parks and recreation department. Several descendants of the Native soldiers attended.

“Seeing the marker really brings me a lot of joy,” Nashoba said. “This is what preserves the history for generations to come.”

Choctaw code talkers’ ties to Fort Worth

Members of the Choctaw code talkers were men who volunteered to fight for the U.S. in World War I at a time when Native Americans were not recognized as citizens. Indigenous communities wouldn’t receive citizenship until 1924.

While in the battlefields in France, some of these men were overheard speaking their Choctaw language and were trained to use their words as “code.” They were placed on front lines and command posts so that messages could be transmitted to headquarters.

The soldiers shared words like “tanampo chito” for artillery and “tvshka” for warriors, according to the historical marker. The Germans famously failed to decipher these Choctaw transmissions within 24 hours throughout the war.

The Choctaw group is widely considered to be the first Native American code talkers to serve in the U.S. military. Their work paved the way for the Navajo code talkers during World War II.

“Their story is a testament to the resilience and patriotism of the Choctaw Nation,” Col. Brent Kemp, commander of the 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the National Guard, said at the unveiling. “Their ingenuity and bravery reminds us of the power of cultural heritage and the importance of preserving Indigenous languages.”

The Native American soldiers were in the 36th Infantry Division at Camp Bowie, a westside training site for more than 100,000 soldiers during World War I.

Council member Macy Hill, who represents Camp Bowie, said it was only fitting for Fort Worth to honor the legacy of the code talkers since they walked on the site’s grounds.

“This is where the Choctaw code talkers were initially trained and where they will forever be remembered,” she said.

Descendants carry the torch

As Ta’Na Alexander — the great-great-granddaughter of Carterby — watched the marker’s unveiling in Fort Worth, she couldn’t help but feel proud that her family’s history is slowly spreading across the U.S.

“It’s pretty monumental to realize that more people are starting to recognize the significant part of these men who were sworn to secrecy,” said Alexander, who is Nashoba’s daughter. “This marker connects the past to the future.”

She credits her mother’s leadership for widespread education about the work of Native soldiers.

Last May, the Choctaw Code Talkers Association led the charge to place a bronze sculpture honoring the group at the Choctaw Cultural Center in southern Oklahoma. The artwork depicts three soldiers in the middle of battle.

The organization also advocated for 23 Oklahoma bridges to be renamed after the code talkers and other Native veterans.

The Fort Worth marker was the group’s first venture into Texas, Nashoba said. The group is exploring other statewide recognitions, she added.

For now, Alexander invites Fort Worth residents to stroll through the memorial park to learn that her ancestors’ stories aren’t just about being Native. They’re about what it means to be American, she said.

“You might not be Native or Choctaw, but what we do share in common is that we have the right to vote,” she said. “We have a voice. We have a freedom that exists here that doesn’t exist anywhere else.”

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The Fort Worth Report’s arts and culture coverage is supported in part by the Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation and the Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust. At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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This story was originally published by Fort Worth Report and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.