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Meet The 5 Oldest Cardinals In 2025 Conclave

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L-R: Cardinal Robert Sarah, Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko, Cardinal Carlos Osoro Sierra, Cardinal Joseph Coutts and Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe. (Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA; Romanuspontifex, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Cardinals aged 80 and above are ineligible to vote in a papal conclave. Of the 135 cardinals originally eligible for the 2025 conclave, 15 are 79 years old—some just weeks away from the age limit. However, with Cardinal Antonio Cañizares of Spain stepping aside due to health reasons, the total number of electors now stands at 134.

The age restriction for electors was introduced by Pope Paul VI in the 1970s and reaffirmed by Pope John Paul II in the 1996 apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis.

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Among those participating, the five oldest cardinals eligible to vote hail from Spain, Guinea, Poland, Pakistan and England, according to Catholic News Agency.

Here’s a closer look at these senior members of the 2025 conclave:

READ ALSO: 10 Cardinals Who Might Succeed Pope Francis

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Cardinal Carlos Osoro Sierra – Spain

Born: May 16, 1945

Cardinal Osoro Sierra, the retired archbishop of Madrid, is known for his pastoral style and dedication to Catholic education. Previously archbishop of Valencia and Oviedo, he was appointed to Madrid by Pope Francis in 2014 and created a cardinal in 2016. His episcopal motto, “Per Christum et cum ipso et in ipso,” translates to “Through him and with him and in him.”

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Cardinal Robert Sarah – Guinea

Born: June 15, 1945

A prominent figure in the Vatican, Cardinal Sarah has served under three popes in key curial roles, including prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship. He became an archbishop at age 34 and strongly advocated for traditional liturgy. Fluent in French, Italian, and English, Sarah also participated in the 2013 conclave and is seen by some as a potential candidate for the papacy.

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Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko – Poland

Born: July 4, 1945

READ ALSO: Cardinal Sentenced To 5.5 Years In Vatican Fraud Trial

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Cardinal Ryłko, a long-serving Vatican official, was a close collaborator of Pope John Paul II and led the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Ordained by Cardinal Karol Wojtyła before he became pope, Ryłko was made a cardinal in 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI. He played a role in shaping lay ministry initiatives and is fluent in Polish, Italian, English, and German.

Cardinal Joseph Coutts – Pakistan

Born: July 21, 1945

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A trailblazer for the Catholic Church in Pakistan, Cardinal Coutts served as archbishop of Karachi and is only the second cardinal from his country. He has been deeply engaged in interfaith dialogue and was present at the 2019 signing of the Document on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi. He speaks multiple languages, including English, Urdu, Italian, and Punjabi.

Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe – England

Born: August 22, 1945

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A respected theologian and former master of the Dominican Order, Cardinal Radcliffe has had a global impact as a preacher and retreat leader. He previously taught theology at Oxford and was recently asked by Pope Francis to lead spiritual meditations for the Synod on Synodality. His episcopal motto, “Vos Autem Dixi Amicos,” means “I have called you friends” (John 15:15).

 

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9 Most-requested Documents For Work Visas

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Planning to work abroad? Whether you’re heading to Canada, the UK, Germany, Australia, or the UAE, securing a work visa is a critical step and the process often comes with a long list of required documents.

While specifics vary by country, most immigration offices demand a core set of paperwork before granting a work visa. Here’s a breakdown of the most commonly requested documents:

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1. Valid Passport

Your passport must typically have at least six months’ validity beyond your intended stay. Some countries require blank visa pages as well, so double-check the requirements.

2. Job Offer Letter

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This is one of the most important documents in your visa application. It must come from a verified employer or government-approved sponsor. The letter should include details such as your job title, salary, and terms of employment.

READ ALSO:Fashion Designers, IT Specialists: UK Opens Door To Foreign Talents With New Visa Rules

3. Educational Certificates

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These include your university degrees, diplomas, and any vocational qualifications relevant to the job you’re applying for. In some cases, you may need to have these credentials assessed or authenticated.

4. Proof of Work Experience

Most countries will want to see evidence of your past employment. This could include:

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Reference letters from previous employers
Employment contracts
Payslips

5. Language Proficiency Test Results

If you’re going to an English-speaking country like the UK, Canada, or Australia, proof of English proficiency is often required. Commonly accepted tests include:

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IELTS
TOEFL
PTE Academic

Some non-English-speaking countries may ask for proof of proficiency in their official language.

READ ALSO:PHOTOS: President Tinubu Hosts Class Of 1999 Governors In Aso Villa

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6. Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)

This is a document issued by law enforcement to confirm that you have no criminal record. It’s essential to prove your good character and legal standing in your home country.

7. Medical Certificate

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Many countries require a medical exam to ensure you’re fit to work and free from contagious diseases. The test is usually conducted by a panel physician authorized by the destination country’s immigration authority.

8. Proof of Funds

You may need to show bank statements or other financial documents to prove you can support yourself (and your dependents, if applicable) until you start earning.

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9. Professional Accreditation or Licensing

If you’re applying for jobs in regulated sectors like healthcare, education, or engineering, you may need proof of accreditation or registration with a professional body in the destination country.
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Over 1.3 Million Return To Homes In Sudan – UN

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More than 1.3 million people who fled the fighting in Sudan have headed home, the United Nations said Friday, pleading for greater international aid to help returnees rebuild shattered lives.

Over a million internally displaced people (IDPs) have returned to their homes in recent months, UN agencies said.

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A further 320,000 refugees have crossed back into Sudan this year, mainly from neighbouring Egypt and South Sudan.

While fighting has subsided in the “pockets of relative safety” that people are beginning to return to, the situation remains highly precarious, the UN said.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been torn apart by a power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commander of the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The fighting has killed tens of thousands.

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READ ALSO: Militia Attack On DRC IDP Camp, Kills 10, Mostly Women, Children

The RSF lost control of the capital, Khartoum, in March and the regular army now controls Sudan’s centre, north and east.

In a joint statement, the UN’s IOM migration agency, UNHCR refugee agency and UNDP development agency called for an urgent increase in financial support to pay for the recovery as people begin to return, with humanitarian operations “massively underfunded”.

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Sudan has 10 million IDPs, including 7.7 million forced from their homes by the current conflict, they said.

More than four million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.

– ‘Living nightmare’ –

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Sudan is “the largest humanitarian catastrophe facing our world and also the least remembered”, the IOM’s regional director Othman Belbeisi, speaking from Port Sudan, told a media briefing in Geneva.

He said 71 percent of returns had been to Al-Jazira state, with eight percent to Khartoum.

READ ALSO: Katsina, UNDP To Return 270,000 IDPs To Ancestral Homes

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Other returnees were mostly heading for Sennar state.

Both Al-Jazira and Sennar are located southeast of the capital.

We expect 2.1 million to return to Khartoum by the end of this year but this will depend on many factors, especially the security situation and the ability to restore services,” Belbeisi said.

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With the RSF holding nearly all of the western Darfur region, Kordofan in the south has become the war’s main battleground in recent weeks.

He said the “vicious, horrifying civil war continues to take lives with impunity”, imploring the warring factions to put down their guns.

READ ALSO: Panic In Borno IDP Camp As Police Defuse IED Planted By Boko Haram/ISWAP Insurgents

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“The war has unleashed hell for millions and millions of ordinary people,” he said.

“Sudan is a living nightmare. The violence needs to stop.”

– ‘Massive’ UXO contamination –

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After visiting Khartoum and the Egyptian border, Mamadou Dian Balde, the UNHCR’s regional refugee coordinator for the Sudan crisis, said people were coming back to destroyed public infrastructure, making rebuilding their lives extremely challenging.

Those returning from Egypt were typically coming back “empty handed”, he said, speaking from Nairobi.

READ ALSO: One Dead, Scores Injured As Mysterious Fire Hits IDPs’ Camp 

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Luca Renda, UNDP’s resident representative in Sudan, warned of further cholera outbreaks in Khartoum if broken services were not restored.

What we need is for the international community to support us,” he said.

Renda said around 1,700 wells needed rehabilitating, while at least six Khartoum hospitals and at least 35 schools needed urgent repairs.

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He also sounded the alarm on the “massive” amount of unexploded ordnance littering the city and the need for decontamination.

He said anti-personnel mines had also been found in at least five locations in Khartoum.

“It will take years to fully decontaminate the city,” he said, speaking from Port Sudan.

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Trump Says Hamas Doesn’t Want A Deal, ‘Want To Die’

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President Donald Trump said Friday that Hamas did not want a ceasefire deal in Gaza, after Israel and the United States quit indirect negotiations with the Palestinian militant group.

It was too bad. Hamas didn’t really want to make a deal. I think they want to die,” Trump said.

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In Qatar, mediators had been shuttling between Israeli and Hamas delegations for more than two weeks in a bid to secure a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages after nearly two years of fighting.

READ ALSO:US Appeal Court Rules Against Trump Birthright Citizenship Order

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government was still seeking a deal despite recalling its negotiators from Doha.

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Trump blamed Hamas, saying “now we’re down to the final hostages, and they know what happens after you get the final hostages.”

The US president also dismissed the decision by France’s Emmanuel Macron to recognize a Palestinian state.

He’s a very good guy, I like him, but that statement doesn’t carry weight,” Trump said.

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