Former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States was selected Thursday by the papal conclave to succeed Pope Francis and lead the Roman Catholic Church. The new pontiff, who has taken the name Leo XIV, is the first American pope. But what else do we know about him?

Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago on Sept. 14, 1955. His father, Louis Marius Prevost, a school administrator and World War II naval veteran, was of French and Italian descent; his mother, Mildred Martinez, descended from Creole people of color in New Orleans. In addition to English, the new pope speaks Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese; he can read Latin and German.

Prevost is an Augustinian, meaning he belongs to a Catholic order known for its commitment to community and sharing. He is the first Augustinian pope, according to the Vatican.

Pope Leo's rise through the Catholic Church

Prevost attended secondary school at an Augustinian seminary and officially joined the order in 1977, when he was 22. In between, he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics at Villanova University. Five years later, Prevost was awarded a Master of Divinity degree from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and he traveled to the Augustinian College of Saint Monica in Rome to be ordained. Prevost later received a doctorate in canon law from Rome’s Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Prevost went on to spend much of his adult life abroad. While preparing his doctoral thesis, he was sent to the Augustinian mission in Chulucanas, Piura, Peru. He returned to Peru in 1988 and spent the next 10 years leading the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo; he also taught canon law, served as an ecclesiastical judge, and led his own congregation. He eventually became a naturalized citizen there.

From 1999 to 2014, Prevost worked in Chicago, where he first led the city’s Augustinian Province and then served two six-year terms as head of the Augustinians. Like other cardinals, he has been criticized for his dealings there with priests accused of sexual abuse.

Prevost returned to Peru in 2014; Pope Francis soon named him bishop. Until Francis’s death, Prevost “held one of the most influential Vatican posts, running the office that selects and manages bishops globally,” according to the New York Times.

What kind of pope will Leo be?

In his first remarks after being chosen as the new pontiff Thursday, Pope Leo outlined his vision for the Catholic Church.

"We have to seek together to be a missionary church. A church that builds bridges and dialogue," he said, according to an English translation of his remarks, which were mostly in Italian. He also called on people to "show our charity" to others "and be in dialogue with love."

Leo paid tribute to the late Pope Francis as well, saying, "Let us keep in our ears the weak voice of Pope Francis that blesses Rome. The Pope who blessed Rome, gave his blessing to the entire world that morning of Easter. Allow me to follow up on that blessing. God loves us. God loves everyone. Evil will not prevail."

The fact that Leo, like Francis, hails from the Americas — and spent decades in Francis’s native South America — suggests a degree of continuity. The conventional wisdom ahead of this week’s conclave was that an American would not be chosen as pontiff. Does this mean Leo will champion greater inclusion and openness to change, like his predecessor?

The earliest clues suggest he might.

What are Leo's political views?

While “often described as reserved and discreet,” according to the Times — a stylistic departure from the more gregarious Francis — Leo named himself after Pope Leo XIII, a turn-of-the-20th-century modernizer. Leo XIII was known as the “Social Pope” and the "Pope of the Workers” for his writings on social justice, fair wages, safe labor conditions and trade unions.

Along similar lines, Prevost resurfaced on X in February of this year — after a long absence — to repost an opinion column from the National Catholic Reporter about how Vice President “JD Vance is wrong” because “Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others.”

The column criticized Vance for interpreting a medieval concept known as ordo amoris to mean that “you love your family and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens, and then after that, prioritize the rest of the world.”

“A lot of the far left has completely inverted that,” Vance complained in January.

Yet the column insists that “Jesus never speaks of love as something to be rationed. He speaks of love as abundance — a table where there is enough for everyone.”

This is “what the gospel asks of all of us on immigration,” Prevost wrote on X when he later reposted another story critical of the Trump administration's treatment of migrants.

Most recently, in April, Prevost shared an X postthat questioned the Trump administration's deportation of Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a notorious prison in El Salvador.

"Do you not see the suffering?" the post read, quoting the story it linked to. "Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?”

Prevost joined X (then Twitter) in 2011. Throughout Trump's first term, he shared tweets

On the other hand, it’s unclear whether Prevost (now Leo) will be as accepting of LGBTQ Catholics as Francis was. In a 2012 address to bishops, he lamented that Western media and culture had fostered “sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the Gospel,” citing the “homosexual lifestyle” and “alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children.”

Since then, he has been quiet on the subject.

Yahoo News

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has confirmed that Nigeria has fully repaid the $3.4 billion emergency loan it received in 2020 to cushion the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the sharp decline in global oil prices. The financing, provided under the IMF’s Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI), was disbursed in April 2020 to help Africa’s largest oil producer address severe balance of payments needs during the global crisis.

In a statement released on Thursday, IMF resident representative to Nigeria, Christian Ebeke, said that as of April 30, 2025, the country had completed repayment of the facility. The IMF’s data shows the loan was repaid in tranches of SDR 613.62 million in 2023, SDR 1.22 billion in 2024, and SDR 613.62 million in 2025.

However, Nigeria will continue to make annual payments of approximately $30 million in Special Drawing Rights (SDR) charges. These charges, which represent the cost of borrowing from the IMF, are calculated based on the difference between Nigeria’s current SDR holdings and its cumulative SDR allocation.

The IMF explained that the charges are levied at the SDR interest rate, which is updated weekly, and will continue until Nigeria’s SDR holdings (currently SDR 3.164 billion or $4.3 billion) match its total allocation (SDR 4.027 billion or $5.5 billion).

Despite the full repayment of the principal loan, Nigeria’s foreign debt servicing costs remain high. According to the Debt Management Office, the country spent $4.66 billion on external debt servicing in 2024, including $1.63 billion paid to the IMF.

Israel says it intercepted missile fired from Yemen; Houthis claim responsibility

Israel's military said on Saturday it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen and Houthi forces claimed responsibility for the attack, the third of its kind by the Iran-aligned group in 24 hours.

The Israeli military said sirens were activated in a number of areas in Israel after the missile was launched. No casualties or serious damage have been reported from the missile salvoes.

The claim of responsibility, announced by the Houthis' military spokesperson, came amid an intensification of U.S. airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

In March, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered large-scale strikes against the Houthis to reduce their capabilities and deter them from targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

The deadly strikes on the group have been the biggest U.S. military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office in January.

The Houthis say their attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping are in solidarity with the Palestinians in the war between Hamas militants and Israel in Gaza.

The group pledged to expand its range of targets in Israel in retaliation for a renewed Israeli offensive in Gaza launched in mid-March, breaking a two-month-old ceasefire after the mediated talks on terms for extending it broke down.

Reuters

The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, ruffled presidential feathers on Monday when he said in a speech during the 20thAnniversary dinner of the financial services company, Chapel Hill Denham, that Nigerians were better off in 1960 than they are today.

The Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, immediately disagreed, saying that Adesina used a narrow, perhaps one of the most contested metrics, to measure the country’s progress. Both Adesina and Onanuga were right and wrong.

What’s in a measure?

Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the most common measure of the size of an economy, measures the size of goods and services produced by that economy in a given period, usually annually.

For nearly 10 years after Nigeria rebased its economy in 2014 by including swathes of the economy previously excluded from the calculation, mainly IT, telecoms, and music, the country ranked as Africa’s largest economy.

We walked with a swagger and a spring in our steps. Until recently, when the tide turned and Nigeria slipped to number four, behind South Africa, Egypt and Algeria, any argument about the adequacy of GDP as an accurate measure of economic well-being would have been dismissed, especially in official circles.

One-handed economists

Yet, the GDP is accurate in what it measures, irrespective of Onanuga’s discomfort. Of course, economists, never one-handed as Harry Truman famously said, may disagree on the best model. Still, they have yet to find a more precise measure of a country's total goods and services, a rough guide to economic status, than the GDP.

What Adesina did in his lecture, “Reimagining Nigeria by 2050,” was not only to compare Nigeria’s GDP in 1960 with what it currently is, but also to put that side by side with the performance of South Korea, which was at roughly the same position as Nigeria 65 years ago.

What he didn’t do, by the way, was to re-imagine what Nigeria’s GDP might have been today if he kept his promise as Nigeria’s Agriculture minister between 2011 and 2015, to popularise “cassava bread!”

GDP vs GDP per capita

The GDP per capita of all seven countries Adesina citedin his lecture were African, from Ghana ($2,260) to Botswana ($7,820), compared with Nigeria’s ($1,596). It’s not unusual that whereas Nigeria’s economy is thefourth largest on the continent, its GDP per capita is lower than Ghana’s, for example.

While the GDP measures the total volume of goods and services produced, GDP per capita divides the volume by the population. Regarding manufacturing, a key GDP component, Adesina mentioned Malaysia and Vietnam, which started in the same place as Nigeria, but have left us far behind. These examples are uncomfortable, but true.

The GDP is measured in the currency of the country in question, but converted to US dollars when comparing the value of the goods and services produced between or among nations. That means after the naira devaluation by 250 percent, for example, Nigeria’s GDP ranking was bound to fall.

Low or high?

Are there countries with relatively high GDP per capita and yet a low standard of living? Yes. Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, for example, have relatively high GDPs due to oil wealth and small populations, but score low on most quality of life indicators because of poor governance and weak institutions.

And vice versa, low-GDP countries like Costa Rica and Portugal have a higher standard of living because of strong social programmes, good education and safety measures. Yet of the 20 countries with the highest GDP by the IMF 2025 projections, there is none with rampant poverty.  

Beyond measure

Onanuga was right to contest the use of the GDP, because, to modify Albert Einstein, some things count that cannot be counted by the GDP – things like health, education, equality, governance, trust, and the quality of life. Onanuga listed a few things in his rejoinder, such as road infrastructure, which he said Adesina’s paper had omitted.

It did not. It emphasised GDP as a measure of performance, and we may disagree with the adequacy of this metric. However, the paper also strongly argued that aggressive and well-thought-out investment in infrastructure such as power, health, agriculture, seaports, and airports with a clear and transparent governance structure can guarantee Nigeria a secure future.

Are you better off?

With two years to the next general elections, I understand Onanuga’s concern that a portrayal of Nigeria’s long-gone past as better than its present is politically fraught. Elections have been lost and won on the fundamental question: Are you better off than you were four years ago?

However, Adesina’s views about Nigeria in 1960 will not matter to voters in two years because they will not hold the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu accountable for the time when Nigeria’s population was around 45 million and each of its three main regions enjoyed relative autonomy. Nor will they hold Tinubu responsible for 2050 because he would not be in office then.

In two years, Nigerians will ask themselves if their lives have improved in the last four years of the Tinubu government. It’s a question that strips economics of its jargon, whether GDP or HDI, and goes straight to bread-and-butter issues.

In the long run…

If President Joe Biden’s claim of a better life for Americans, even though essentially statistically correct, was insufficient to save him, then the Tinubu administration must roll up its sleeves.

GDP or not, Onanuga’s rejoinder will not avert the question of whether Nigerians feel better off. This government's difficult decisions in the last two years should have been taken decades ago. The consequences of these decisions, however, especially the removal of the petrol subsidy and floating the exchange rate, not to mention the insecurity, have made many worse off.

Of course, Abuja can argue that the hardship is global andthat the temporary difficulties will produce a better future. But as economists say, in the long run, we’re all dead.

Living it!

For the government to be rewarded for the courage of its tough decisions, the public, especially voters, does not need to be reminded that they now have more phone lines or road networks as a measure of progress. Many more must be able to live above the current misery of begging to recharge their phones, to pay fare for unsafe roads, or ransom for loved ones.

Nigerians are poorer today, not because comparative GDP figures from 1960 tell them, or because a more robust indicator could have made any difference. They live it.

The currency has been devalued by 250 percent in two years, the value of savings has depleted, the cost of essential services has risen by 113 percent, and the cost of borrowing has increased from 18.5 percent in 2023 to 27.5 percent because of the crowding-out effect.

White cat, black cat

Whatever the indicators, this is the reality Nigerians are living, the story Tinubu was voted to change. Governors are getting more money and should account for it. Still,with more of them defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the party will have much more to answer for what it is doing to lessen the collective misery. Also, the significant issues in the macroeconomy(primarily inflation) and security are squarely on the Federal Government’s plate.

There’s still some time to fix things, but like DengXiaoping said about dealing with an emergency, it’s not the colour or description of the economic indicator that matters, as long as the cat of our current misery catches mice.

** Ishiekwene is the Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP and author of the book, Writing for Media and Monetising It

Ultra-processed foods are getting a lot of attention. Research links them to cancer, heart disease, inflammation, cognitive decline, and diabetes. Meanwhile U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his cohort warn against the dangers of foods with more than five ingredients—Kennedy himself has claimed “highly chemically processed foods” are the chief culprit behind an epidemic of chronic disease in the U.S.

But new research suggests that in addition to chronic disease, ultra-processed foods may be driving premature deaths. A recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is significantly linked to increased premature deaths (between ages 30 and 69).

Analyzing data from eight countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, U.K., and U.S.), researchers found that each 10% rise in UPFs’ proportion of total caloric intake raised all-cause mortality risk by 3%. In countries with the highest UPF consumption—like the U.S.—up to 14% of premature deaths are attributable to UPFs, according to the study. For instance, researchers found that in 2018, 124,000 premature deaths in the U.S. were due to the consumption of UPFs.

“UPFs affect health beyond the individual impact of high content of…sodium, trans fats, and sugar because of the changes in the foods during industrial processing and the use of artificial ingredients, including colorants, artificial flavors and sweeteners, emulsifiers, and many other additives and processing aids,” said lead investigator of the study Eduardo Augusto Fernandes Nilson. “So assessing deaths from all-causes associated with UPF consumption allows an overall estimate of the effect of industrial food processing on health.”

4 ultra-processed foods to avoid

Ultra-processed foods are commonly defined under a classification known as NOVA, defining them as containing additives and undergoing significant alterations from their natural state. They tend to be calorie-dense, low in nutrients, and often have long shelf lives.

While this study didn’t look at individual foods’ impact on premature death and mortality risk, another study from last year did. Those researchers found that the following foods were linked with the highest all-cause mortality risk:

• Processed meat
• Sugary and artificially sweetened beverages
• Dairy-based desserts
• Ultra-processed breakfast foods like sugary cereal

In that study, researchers found that participants whose diets contained the highest proportion of UPFs had a 4% higher risk of all-cause mortality, as well as an 8% higher risk of mortality from neurodegenerative diseases, compared to those who ate the least ultra-processed food.

Fortune

Economist and political activist, Pat Utomi has assumed a formal opposition role with the formation of a “shadow government” to serve as critique of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The move is coming weeks after the opposition coalition announced by former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

The top economist-turned politician described the new coalition as a “national emergency response” launched virtually under the banner of the Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government.

Peopled by individuals across opposition parties, the don said the new movement would serve as a credible opposition to the APC-led administration.

According to him, the decision became inevitable to save Nigeria’s democracy following the gale of defections that has hit opposition drifting the country into a one-party state.

He said the new group will leverage on their experiences, expertise and learnings to regularly scrutinise government actions, identify policy failures, and propose alternative solutions in key areas.

The initiative, he noted, would focus on the country’s economy, education, healthcare, infrastructure, law and order, and constitutional reforms of the present government.

According to Utomi, human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, will lead the Ombudsman and Good Governance portfolio while the Policy Delivery Unit, will have Oghene Momoh, Cheta Nwanze, Daniel Ikuonobe, Halima Ahmed, David Okonkwo, and Obi Ajuga.

Other experts and professionals that will form the shadow cabinet include Mani Ahmad, Peter Oyewole, Omano Edigheji, Adefolusade Adebayo, Peter Agadah and Sadiq Gombe,

The list also has Chibuzor Nwachukwu, Salvation Alibor, Bilkisu Magoro, Victor Tubo, Charles Odibo, Otive Igbuzor, Eunice Atuejide, Gbenga Ajayi, Mani Ahmad, Peter Oyewole, and Omano Edigheji.

Sidi Ali, Ibrahim Abdukarim, Adenike Oriola, Promise Adewusi, Ukachukwu Awuzie, Ambrose Obimma, Rwang Pam, Kingsley Anedo, Auwal Aliyu, Ghazali Ado, Nana Kazaure, Aisha Yesufu, Charles Gilbert, and Olujimi Akiboh also made the list.

The group is expected to meet weekly to analyse public policy and recommend reforms with emphasis on integrity and transparency, which he said are lacking under the current administration.

He said, “The recent spate of defections to the APC provides further evidence that all is not well with democracy in Nigeria.

“The imperative is that if a genuine opposition does not courageously identify the performance failures of incumbents, offer options, and influence culture in a counter direction, it will be complicit in subverting the will of the people.”

“This shadow team must also address issues of ethics, transparency, and integrity, which continue to challenge this government at every turn.

“Nothing is more urgent than tackling the rising poverty across the country. Multinationals are shutting down, and millions are unemployed. The exit of two companies recently illustrate how poorly thought-out policies have tanked the economy.”

He further accused the government of using broad consensus among politicians as a cover for poor planning.

“Making propaganda of most leaders being in agreement on removing the petroleum subsidy was to cover up policy errors of how to remove it without further structural damage to the economy”, he stated.

On the issue of security reform, Utomi advocated for decentralised policing and argued that communities should be empowered to maintain their own security infrastructure through a layered approach involving local forces, state police, and a Federal National Guard.

“Policing for me is a local function. We will travel further if we get the communities to have their own armed and well-trained police forces, which will be layered with state police and the Federal National Guard,” he said, adding that corruption and centralisation have contributed to the resistance against such reforms.

Speaking on its membership, Utomi noted that it includes a range of professionals and public figures drawn from across the opposition. He said the team would operate not only as a think tank but also as a policy watchdog, offering credible alternatives to government decisions.

Daily Trust