Pope Leo recovering from surgery after lung cancer diagnosis | First Thing

Vatican says operation on US-born head of Roman Catholic church was ‘successful’. Plus, after six decades in the US, Joni Mitchell has become a citizen Don’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up here Good morning. Pope Leo XIV, the head of the 1.4 billion-strong Roman C

Vatican says operation on US-born head of Roman Catholic church was ‘successful’. Plus, after six decades in the US, Joni Mitchell has become a citizen Don’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up here Good morning.

Pope Leo XIV, the head of the 1.4 billion-strong Roman Catholic church, has been diagnosed with lung cancer . The Vatican made the announcement after Leo, 71, the first US-born leader to assume the role, underwent an operation and had the lower lobe of his right lung removed. A statement said the surgery was “successful, on schedule and as planned”.

The Vatican said Leo had “now returned to his room” after the operation. All of his appointments have been cancelled until 20 October. The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, a practising Catholic who has met the pope, said he and his wife were “united in prayers” for Leo after the diagnosis.

What is the latest in Trump’s legal battle with the BBC? The BBC is asking a federal judge in Florida to force Donald Trump to sit for a deposition as part of the president’s $10bn defamation lawsuit against the British broadcaster. The president has so far declined to set a date to appear.

“Plaintiff chose to file this lawsuit and, in doing so, he accepted the obligations of civil litigation,” the BBC’s motion reads. “The BBC therefore asks the court to compel plaintiff to confirm a date.” Continue reading...