CNA938 Rewind - Holy smoke: Who will be the next pope?
Play
Cardinals will be voting for a new leader in the largest papal conclave in history, following the death of Pope Francis in April. To be pope, a candidate must secure a two-thirds majority or 89 votes. Susan Ng and Hairianto Diman look at the process of the conclave and the front runners with Professor Jonathan Tan, Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan Professor of Catholic Studies, Case Western Reserve University.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
EU to triple travel permit fee to US$23
BRUSSELS: The digital travel permit for foreigners to enter the European Union should cost €20 (US$23), almost triple the original planned fee, under a proposal published on Friday (Jul 18). The adjustment to the yet-to-be implemented ETIAS scheme for visa-exempt nationals comes as the European Commission seeks to boost its financial resources to fund an array of priorities from defence to agriculture. The change reflects inflation and additional operational costs, the commission said. "It will also bring the cost for a travel authorisation to the EU in line with similar travel authorisation programmes," the EU's top executive body said. Adopted in 2018, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) regulation originally envisaged a fee of €7. Britain's equivalent, known as ETA, comes with a £16 fee (US$21), while the United States' ESTA permit costs US$21. Obtainable online, the European Union's ETIAS permit will be required for the bloc's 27 countries with the exception of Ireland, as well as for Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The permit, valid for three years, will be required for non-EU nationals from countries whose citizens do not need a visa for short stays in Europe, such as Canada, Britain and the United States. Those aged under 18 or over 70 years will be exempt from the fee. Brussels said the scheme was created to identify security, irregular migration and other risks as well as to facilitate border crossing for regular travellers. But its implementation, which was supposed to go hand-in-hand with a new automated border check system, has suffered from delays. The European Parliament and member states have two months to review the new €20 fee, which will enter into effect as soon as ETIAS becomes operational - now expected for the last quarter of 2026. This week the commission proposed a boosted €2 trillion long-term budget for 2028-2034, which has already upset some of the EU countries that will have to chip in most of the money. As part of the blueprint, which is subject to negotiation, Brussels said it will seek to raise about €58 billion a year collecting money directly through measures like its carbon border tax and a levy on electronic waste.
CNA
3 days ago
- CNA
Russian lawmakers say 'security threat' WhatsApp should prepare to leave Russia
MOSCOW :WhatsApp should prepare to leave the Russian market, a lawmaker who regulates the IT sector said on Friday, warning that the messaging app owned by Meta Platforms was likely to be put on a list of restricted software. President Vladimir Putin last month signed a law authorising the development of a state-backed messaging app integrated with government services, as Russia strives to reduce its dependence on platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram. Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of the lower house of parliament's information technology committee, said in a statement on Telegram that the state-backed app, MAX, could gain market share if WhatsApp - used by 68 per cent of Russians daily - left. "It's time for WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market," Gorelkin said, adding that Meta is designated as an extremist organisation in Russia. The company's Facebook and Instagram social media platforms have been banned in Russia since 2022, when Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Russian lawmakers this week approved sweeping legal amendments, proposing fines of up to 5,000 roubles ($63) for anyone searching for material online that the government deems extremist - which includes not just the likes of Instagram and Facebook, but many opposition politicians and activists. The move drew criticism, including from some Kremlin backers such as Margarita Simonyan, a state media executive who said journalists would be unable to investigate activities of opposition groups such as the Anti-Corruption Fund of late opposition figure Alexei Navalny. NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT Anton Nemkin, a member of the parliament's IT committee, said WhatsApp's fate in Russia was now predetermined. "The presence of such a service in Russia's digital space is, in fact, a legal breach of national security," the TASS news agency quoted Nemkin as saying. Asked if WhatsApp might leave Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said all services must abide by Russian law. Russia has long sought to establish what it calls digital sovereignty by promoting home-grown services. Critics have voiced concerns that Russia's new state-backed messaging app may track its users' activities and have suggested Russia could slow WhatsApp's speeds to encourage downloads. Alphabet's YouTube has seen its audience in Russia drop sharply in the last year to fewer than 10 million daily users from more than 40 million in mid-2024, as slower download speeds have made it harder for people to access. The Kremlin this week published a list of instructions from Putin, including an order to introduce additional restrictions on the use in Russia of software, including communication services, produced in "unfriendly countries" that have imposed sanctions against Russia. Putin gave a deadline of September 1. Gorelkin, referring to Putin's order, said WhatsApp was likely to be among those communication services restricted. Shares in state-controlled technology company VK, which is developing homegrown digital services like VK Video, a rival to YouTube, climbed 1.9 per cent on Friday.
CNA
3 days ago
- CNA
Russian lawmaker says WhatsApp is a security threat and should prepare to leave the Russian market
MOSCOW :WhatsApp should prepare to leave the Russian market, a lawmaker who regulates the IT sector said on Friday, warning that the messaging app owned by Meta Platforms is very likely to be put on a list of restricted software. Russian President Vladimir Putin last month signed a law authorising the development of a state-backed messaging app integrated with government services, as Moscow strives to reduce its dependence on platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of the lower house of parliament's information technology committee, said in a statement on Telegram that the state-backed app, MAX, could gain market share should WhatsApp, used by 68 per cent of Russians each day, leave. "It's time for WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market," Gorelkin said, noting that Meta is designated as an extremist organisation in Russia. The company's Facebook and Instagram social media platforms have been banned in Russia since 2022 when Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT Anton Nemkin, a member of the parliament's IT committee, said WhatsApp's fate in Russia was predetermined. "The presence of such a service in Russia's digital space is, in fact, a legal breach of national security," the TASS news agency quoted Nemkin as saying. Asked if WhatsApp might leave Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said all services must abide by Russian law. Russia has long sought to establish what it calls digital sovereignty by promoting home-grown services. Its push to replace foreign tech platforms became more urgent as some Western companies pulled out of the Russian market after 2022. The Kremlin this week published a list of instructions from Putin, including an order to introduce additional restrictions on the use in Russia of software, including communication services, produced in so-called "unfriendly countries" that have imposed sanctions against Russia. Putin gave a deadline of September 1. Gorelkin, referring to Putin's order, said WhatsApp was likely to be among those communication services restricted. Gorelkin said he expected Telegram, founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov, to avoid being banned, provided it complies with Russian law.
