Cabinet line-up to have 9 new political office holders, includes 7 new faces
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AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
Pope Leo tells hundreds of thousands of young Catholics to build a more humane world, World News
ROME — Hundreds of thousands of young people filled a vast field on the outskirts of Rome on Saturday (Aug 2) to see Pope Leo, in the largest event yet of the new Catholic pontiff's tenure, as part of a special weekend aimed at energising Catholic youth. Young people from more than 146 countries, some wearing colourful bandanas to ward off the hot summer sun, were pressed against fences in the Tor Vergata field as Leo toured the crowd in his white popemobile in late afternoon. The pope, smiling broadly, waved, offered blessings and occasionally caught small stuffed animals and national flags thrown by the youth as he passed by. "Dear young people ... my prayer for you is that you may persevere in faith, with joy and courage," Leo said in remarks later to the crowd. "Seek justice in order to build a more humane world," he said. "Serve the poor, and so bear witness to the good that we would always like to receive from our neighbours." Many of the youth attending the event with Leo spent all day waiting in the field in heat approaching 30 degrees Celsius (86°F) to see the pope. Organisers were using water cannons to help cool down people in the crowd. "For me, it is an incredible emotion because I had never been to an event like this before," said Maya Remorini, from Italy's Tuscany region. She said her group had arrived around 5am (11am Singapore time) that morning. Many of the youth are expected to sleep in the field overnight, waiting for a second chance to see Leo on Sunday morning, when the pope is due to celebrate a Catholic mass. The weekend events are tied to the ongoing Catholic Holy Year, which the Vatican says has attracted some 17 million pilgrims to Rome since it started at the end of 2024. Leo, the first US-born pope, was elected on May 8 by the world's cardinals to replace the late Pope Francis. ALSO READ: Pope Leo calls for end to 'barbarity of war' after strike on Gaza church
CNA
9 hours ago
- CNA
EU condemns arrest of former Macau pro-democracy lawmaker
BRUSSELS: The European Union on Saturday (Aug 2) condemned Macau's arrest of former pro-democracy lawmaker Au Kam-san, saying it only heightened concerns about the "erosion of political pluralism" in the Chinese territory. Au is the first person to be arrested under the city's national security law. Authorities alleged on Thursday that the 68-year-old primary school teacher had ties to foreign groups endangering China. "This development adds to the existing concerns about the ongoing erosion of political pluralism and freedom of speech in the Macao Special Administrative Region," said European Union spokesperson Anitta Hipper in a statement. "The EU recalls that the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is a central element of the Macao Basic Law and 'one country, two systems'," set up in the former Portuguese colony. The territory near Hong Kong, known for its casinos, has retained its own legal system since China took it back from Portugal in 1999. The security law, which restricts political activity, was passed in 2009 but broadened in 2023. Au, a legislator up to 2021, has campaigned on social welfare, corruption and electoral reform.
CNA
9 hours ago
- CNA
India will continue to buy Russian oil, government sources say
NEW DELHI: India will continue to purchase oil from Russia, despite US President Donald Trump's threats of penalties, two Indian government sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. "These are long-term oil contracts," one of the sources said. "It is not so simple to just stop buying overnight." Trump last month indicated in a Truth Social post that India would face additional penalties for purchases of Russian arms and oil. On Friday (Aug 1), Trump told reporters that he had heard that India would no longer be buying oil from Russia. The New York Times on Saturday quoted two unnamed senior Indian officials as saying there had been no change in Indian government policy, with one official saying the government had "not given any direction to oil companies" to cut back imports from Russia. Reuters reported this week that Indian state refiners stopped buying Russian oil in the past week after discounts narrowed in July. "TIME-TESTED PARTNERSHIP" WITH RUSSIA "On our energy sourcing requirements ... we look at what is there available in the markets, what is there on offer, and also what is the prevailing global situation or circumstances," India's foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters during a regular briefing on Friday. Jaiswal added that India has a "steady and time-tested partnership" with Russia, and that New Delhi's relations with various countries stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country. The White House in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Indian refiners are pulling back from Russian crude as discounts shrink to their lowest since 2022, when Western sanctions were first imposed on Moscow, due to lower Russian exports and steady demand, sources said earlier this week. The country's state refiners - Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp and Mangalore Refinery Petrochemical Ltd - have not sought Russian crude in the past week or so, four sources familiar with the refiners' purchase plans told Reuters. 100% TARIFF THREAT On July 14, Trump threatened 100 per cent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow reaches a major peace deal with Ukraine. Russia is the top supplier to India, responsible for about 35 per cent of India's overall supplies. Russia continued to be the top oil supplier to India during the first six months of 2025, accounting for about 35 per cent of India's overall supplies, followed by Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. India, the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer, received about 1.75 million barrels per day of Russian oil in January-June this year, up 1 per cent from a year ago, according to data provided to Reuters by sources. Nayara Energy, a major buyer of Russian oil, was recently sanctioned by the European Union as the refinery is majority-owned by Russian entities, including oil major Rosneft. Last month, Reuters reported that Nayara's chief executive had resigned after the imposition of EU sanctions, and company veteran Sergey Denisov had been appointed as CEO.
