Headline

All To Know Ahead Of Conclave To Elect New Pope

Published

1 year ago

April 29, 2025

Cardinals from around the world will meet under Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel on May 7 to elect a new leader of the Catholic Church after Pope Francis’s death.

Dating back to the Middle Ages — when the idea of sovereigns being elected was somewhat revolutionary — the gathering, known as a conclave, has an air of mystery about it, as all participants are sworn to secrecy for life.

Here is what we know about the process:

•⁠ ⁠Where and when –

On Monday May 5, two days before the conclave, officials and staff taking part in the conclave will gather at 5:30 pm (1530 GMT) to sign an oath of secrecy.

The day itself, Wednesday May 7, will begin with a special mass at 10:00 am in St Peter’s Basilica.

The conclave begins at 4:30 pm following a prayer in the Vatican’s Pauline Chapel.

Cardinals will walk in procession to the Sistine Chapel before taking their oath of secrecy.

The conclave will last until a new pontiff is elected.

Cardinals wear different garments depending on whether they are from the Latin or Eastern churches.

Those in the Latin Church will don a “red robe with sash, rochet, mozzetta, pectoral cross with red and gold cord, ring, zucchetto (cap) and biretta”, while those in the Eastern Church wear their “own choir dress”, the Vatican said.

Each cardinal will wear an accreditation badge around his neck to help identify them as electors.

While it took almost three years to appoint Pope Gregory X in the 13th century — the longest conclave to date — modern gatherings are usually a matter of days.

Both Francis and his predecessor, Benedict XVI, were elected after two days of voting.

•⁠ ⁠Who takes part –

Only 133 of the Church’s 252 cardinals are expected to take part in the conclave, as only those aged under 80 are eligible to vote for a new pope.

There are 135 eligible voters but the Vatican announced on Tuesday that two cardinals had dropped out for health reasons.

The archdiocese of Valencia in Spain confirmed to AFP that its archbishop emeritus, Cardinal Antonio Canizares was one of those who would not attend.

Most of those — around 80 percent — allowed to vote were appointed by Francis. They hail from all corners of the globe, with many from under-represented regions.

•⁠ ⁠Secrecy and security –

The word conclave comes from the Latin for “with key”, a reference to the lockdown imposed on cardinals during the conclave.

Their deliberations are held in the strictest secrecy on pain of instant excommunication. Smartphones and any internet access are off-limits and cardinals cannot read newspapers, listen to the radio or watch TV.

The cardinals stay in the Santa Marta residence at the Vatican until they elect a new pope.

Any contact with the outside world is permitted only for “grave and urgent reasons”, which need to be confirmed by a panel of four peers.

Only cardinal electors are allowed to be present during the actual voting, although others including doctors, clerical assistants and housekeeping staff are authorised to enter at different times.

•⁠ ⁠How voting unfolds –

Cardinals hold four ballots a day — two each in the morning and afternoon — until one candidate wins two-thirds of the votes, currently 89 ballots.

At the end of each session, the ballots are burned in a special stove. With the addition of chemicals, the stove’s chimney stack emits black smoke if no one has been elected, or white smoke if there is a new pope.

If no new pope is elected after three days, cardinals take a break and hold a day of prayer and talks.

Any single Catholic adult male can be elected pope, although in practice it is almost always one of the cardinals.

Sick cardinals are allowed to cast their ballots from their beds within the Vatican.

•⁠ ⁠What happens next –

The winning candidate is asked by the Dean of Cardinals if he accepts the pontificate and, if the answer is ‘yes’, what name he chooses as pontiff.

He then retreats to a room known as the Room of Tears to put on the papal garb — three sizes of which have been left there in advance.

The new leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics then comes out onto a balcony overlooking the crowds in St Peter’s Square as a senior cardinal cries: “Habemus Papam” (We have a pope)!

AFP

Headline

Woman Passes Out After Receiving 100 Strokes Of Cane

Published

4 days ago

May 24, 2026

Editor

A woman has passed out after she and her partner were each flogged 100 times in public for engaging in sex outside marriage under strict Sharia laws in Indonesia’s Aceh province.

The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, was later carried away after the punishment was carried out in Banda Aceh, located at the northern tip of Sumatra island on Thursday.

A masked official dressed in brown robes administered the caning before members of the public who gathered to witness the punishment.

Her partner was also seen wincing in pain while receiving the lashes.

The pair were among several individuals punished for violating Sharia regulations in the province.

Authorities from the Banda Aceh Sharia Court and the Prosecutor’s Office handed down punishments ranging from 25 to 100 lashes for offences including extramarital sex allegedly arranged through online applications.

Aceh remains the only province in Muslim-majority Indonesia operating under Sharia law, where unmarried couples are prohibited from having sexual relations.

Caning is commonly used in the province as punishment for offences such as gambling, alcohol consumption, same-sex relations and sex outside marriage.

Under Aceh’s Sharia regulations, child rape offenders face some of the harshest penalties, including up to 200 strokes of the cane, a prison sentence of as long as 200 months or fines equivalent to two kilograms of gold.

The punishments are usually carried out publicly as a way of shaming offenders in addition to inflicting physical pain.

Such canings are often conducted outside mosques or in open public spaces, with residents watching and taking photographs during the exercise.

Human rights organisations have continued to condemn the practice, arguing that it causes emotional trauma and violates international human rights standards.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly criticised the punishments, saying they conflict with Indonesia’s constitution and global legal obligations.

Amnesty said in a statement: “Caning contravenes Indonesia’s constitution and is in clear violation of international human rights law and standards.

‘It constitutes a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and can amount to torture in violation of the UN Convention against Torture and other international covenants, to which Indonesia is a State Party.’”

Despite the criticism, local authorities have defended the punishments as part of Aceh’s religious and cultural identity, insisting they serve as a deterrent against immoral behaviour.

Earlier in January, another couple in the province reportedly received 140 lashes each after being found guilty of drinking alcohol and engaging in sex outside marriage.

(Daily Mail)

Headline

Senegal’s President Sacks Prime Minister After Months-long Feud

Published

4 days ago

May 24, 2026

Editor

Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has sacked Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government following months of rising political tension between the two former allies.

The decision was announced in a surprise decree read on national television by a presidential aide, stating that Faye had “ended the duties” of Sonko and “consequently those of the ministers and secretaries of state who are members of the government”.

Sonko, who remains a highly influential figure among Senegal’s youth, responded on social media, saying he would “sleep with a light heart”.

The political fallout comes at a time of growing economic strain in the country, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) putting Senegal’s public debt at 132% of its GDP.

His removal followed a tense parliamentary session on Tuesday, where Sonko openly criticised President Faye’s handling of the debt situation.

The development is striking given that Faye’s rise to power was largely tied to Sonko’s popularity and political backing.

Sonko would almost certainly have contested the presidency himself in 2024, but was barred from the race due to a defamation conviction. Instead, he threw his support behind Faye, rallying voters with the slogan “Diomaye is Sonko, Sonko is Diomaye”.

The alliance helped unseat former President Macky Sall in a dramatic electoral victory, despite both men having been released from prison only days before the vote.

Tensions between the two leaders had been building for months, with Faye reportedly accusing Sonko of excessive dominance within the ruling Pastef party, while Sonko accused the president of weak leadership and failing to defend him against critics.

(BBC News)

Headline

Six Nigerians Arrested In Thailand Over AI-Powered Romance Scam

Published

4 days ago

May 24, 2026

Editor

Six Nigerian nationals have been arrested by the Thailand Police Force for allegedly operating an AI-powered deepfake romance scam syndicate from a luxury condominium along the Chao Phraya River in Nonthaburi Province, following a cocaine trafficking investigation that exposed their activities.

Thai authorities said the operation began after police arrested a Nigerian suspect identified as Patrick and three associates in April over alleged drug trafficking offences. During the raid, officers reportedly seized assets valued at about 2.5 million baht.

Investigators said financial transactions linked to the suspects led them to several foreign nationals living in a high-end riverside condominium near Phra Nangklao Bridge in Nonthaburi. Police discovered that many of the occupants were staying in groups of five or six per apartment under student visas despite not being enrolled in any educational institution or engaged in lawful employment.

According to Thai police, officers executed search warrants on three condominium units on May 22. The suspects allegedly refused to open their doors, forcing authorities to break into the apartments.

Videos circulating on X captured the moment police officers forcefully gained entry into one of the apartments before arresting the suspects.

During the operation, one suspect reportedly attempted to escape by climbing over a balcony, while another was found hiding on the bathroom floor while allegedly sending warning messages to occupants in neighbouring units.

Police recovered 18 mobile phones, three laptop computers and three bank passbooks from the apartments. Authorities said some of the phones were still logged into active conversations with victims at the time of the raid.

Investigators alleged that the syndicate specialised in romance scams targeting older Thai women by using AI-generated faces and manipulated video calls to create fake online identities.

The suspects allegedly posed as pilots, United States military officers, doctors and engineers to gain the trust of victims before requesting money under false pretences.

Police said the fraudsters typically claimed that valuable packages or gifts sent to victims had been withheld by customs officials and required payment of clearance fees before release.

Authorities also said they recovered scripts for sexually explicit conversations allegedly used to emotionally manipulate victims into transferring funds. Investigators claimed the group relied heavily on artificial intelligence technology to generate realistic Western faces for fake video interactions.

Thai police said all six suspects are currently facing preliminary charges bordering on illegal association and immigration overstay, while additional fraud and romance scam charges are expected to follow as investigations continue.