Pope Francis has died aged 88, the Vatican says. The first Latin American to lead the Roman Catholic Church, he died at 07:35 local time on Easter Monday.

Mourners are gathering in St Peter's Square, where there is a sense of shock and sadness, people are seen crying in the street on their way.

President Yoweri Museveni has called on African leaders to address the long-standing strategic bottlenecks hindering the continent's socio-economic transformation.

Speaking at the 8th African Leadership Forum, Museveni emphasized that Africa cannot achieve sustainable development without undergoing economic and ideological transformation.

 He highlighted the importance of ideology, stating that African armies need a clear mission and ideology to function effectively, unlike Western armies that defend specific interests.The President also emphasized the need for value addition to Africa's raw materials, citing coffee and iron ore as examples.

He noted that exporting raw materials without adding value is a strategic bottleneck, and that Africa must develop its manufacturing sector to create jobs and wealth. Additionally, Museveni stressed the importance of regional market expansion.

Former President Jakaya Kikwete called on African leaders to take bold, practical steps towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and praised Uganda for hosting the forum.  

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja highlighted Uganda's progress in achieving the SDGs, with 26.1% of targets on track and 54.2% showing limited progress. Uganda has made significant strides in achieving the SDGs, with notable progress in increasing access to safe drinking water and reducing poverty.

Heathrow Airport in London, UK will be closed all day Friday after a fire at a nearby electrical substation that supplies it with power.

Heathrow, the world's second-busiest airport, warns of "significant disruption" over the coming days and tells passengers not to travel "under any circumstances" until it reopens.

Protests have erupted in Turkey after authorities detained the mayor of Istanbul, just days before he was due to be selected as a presidential candidate.

Ekrem Imamoglu, from the secular Republican People's Party (CHP), is seen as one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's strongest political rivals.