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Why The Vatican Cut Phone Signal Ahead Of The Secret Conclave Vote
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2 months agoon
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Editor
Phone signal in the Vatican will be cut, and signal jammers are in place to prevent any potential leaks during the secretive Papal Conclave.
On Wednesday afternoon, 133 cardinals will file into the Sistine Chapel adorned with frescoes painted by the Renaissance master Michelangelo and have their movements and deliberations shielded from the outside world as they decide who will be the next Catholic pope.
The cardinals will also take a vow of secrecy before beginning deliberations, following a similar vow taken by the 100-odd support staff including cooks and clerics on Monday. The punishment for breaking the oath is excommunication.
But the Vatican has taken other measures to ensure no news of the deliberations inside the chapel leak out before the white smoke signal rises over the Sistine Chapel roof.
On Monday, the office of the governor of Vatican City said that cellphone towers in the world’s smallest sovereign state will be deactivated at 3pm (2pm UK time) on Wednesday.
READ ALSO: VIDEO/PHOTOS: 133 Cardinals Hold Mass Head Of Conclave To Elect New Pope
“The signal will be restored after the announcement of the election of the supreme pontiff,” the governorate said in a statement.
Vatican technicians have prepared for the conclave by transforming the Sistine Chapel into a high-security bunker, installing a new raised floor to create a level platform with the altar, which is several steps higher than the rest of the chapel, to facilitate the cardinals’ procession
Just what may be under that temporary floor, apart from wiring for electricity and sound systems, depends on which Vatican official one talks to.
It may, or may not, be the home to jamming devices. The devices may also be near the upper windows of the chapel, which is about 68 feet (20.1m) high.
Officials have at times contradicted each other. The details, after all, are supposed to be a secret, maybe even to them.
Other security measures to make sure no one is eavesdropping or trying to get information out reportedly include film on the window to block cameras on drones and special tiles to block signals from cellphones, which are banned anyway.
READ ALSO: Cardinals Hold Last Mass Before Conclave To Elect Pope
At the last conclave in 2013, it was widely reported that a Faraday cage had been installed. Such devices can enhance communications security by shielding against electromagnetic fields.
The 108-acre city-state, however, is surrounded by Rome, and it was not clear if the Vatican was taking any action to block connections to phone towers just outside its walls.
The cardinals will be voting in the chapel up to four times a day. Vatican workers last week hoisted a chimney onto the chapel, which will be used for burning the ballots.
Black smoke will tell the outside world no decision has been made, white will announce that the 267th pope has been elected.
Protected ‘at all times’
Cardinals will be billeted in the Santa Marta residence, a hotel with about 130 rooms, and an adjacent older residence.
The main Santa Marta residence was cleared of its guests and long-term residents last week so security personnel could electronically sweep the area.
READ ALSO: Three Africans, 13 Other Cardinals Emerge As Potential Successors To Pope Francis
Its main door has been closed, and a sign has been put up telling cardinals to use a side entrance on the left, according to a recent guest who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Wi-Fi signals inside the residence were significantly weaker than normal on Monday, the person said.
Another source, a former Vatican official, said the city-state has its own systems to detect drones and receives regular assistance from Italy.
Vatican gendarmes and plainclothes Swiss Guards will escort buses that will take cardinals between the residence and the chapel. If they wish, the prelates will be allowed to walk the short distance, going around the back of St Peter’s Basilica.
“A protective envelope will be created around the cardinals at all times,” one source familiar with some of the security procedures said. “If they do decide to walk in the gardens or take a smoke outside, no one will be able to get close to them.”
Aides, including priests, cooks, cleaners, drivers and other attendants have already taken an oath “to observe absolute and perpetual secrecy” about whatever they may see or hear.
The penalty for not keeping the secret until death: automatic excommunication from the Church.
Source: Independent UK
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Headline
How Thief Stole Aeroplane At Airport 22 Years After Two Men Went Away With Boeing 727
Published
1 day agoon
July 19, 2025By
Editor
To many, stealing an aeroplane right inside the airport with a watertight security system in place seems unbelievable, but a man in Canada stole a light aeroplane at an airport in the country, circled it around and later landed it before he was arrested by security officials.
This came 22 years after two men entered a Boeing 727 parked inside the airport in Luanda, the Angolan capital, and went away with the big aircraft.
According to reports, the aeroplane had not been found till today and the men had evaded arrest since then.
According to the Cable News Network (CNN), the stolen Cessna 172 aircraft caused a temporary shutdown of the airspace over Vancouver International Airport, one of the busiest in Canada, on Tuesday.
READ ALSO: ‘His Security Is Not Guaranteed,’ Okpehbolo Warns Obi Not To Come To Edo Without Informing Him
The man stole the aircraft, took off from Victoria International Airport, where it is used for flight training, and flew north about 40 miles to Vancouver.
He started circling, apparently due to his lack of expertise.
“We do have an aircraft that has been stolen and is in the vicinity of the airport,” a tower controller warned other pilots.
“Just in case anything starts heading towards you, you have the ability to move at your discretion.”
The man eventually landed the plane safely at Vancouver International Airport and was immediately surrounded by police.
READ ALSO:U.S Plane Carrying 64 Passengers Collides With Army Black Hawk At Reagan Airport
The thief, who was not identified by authorities, was the only person inside and was arrested.
A similar incident also occurred at Luanda International Airport, Angola, when two individuals successfully stole a Boeing 727 without any security official knowing about the theft until a few hours later.
The Boeing 727, once operated by American Airlines, was retired and left at Luanda airport after plans to convert it were rejected. In 2003, two men—a pilot and a mechanic—illegally boarded the plane and took off with 14,000 gallons of fuel, enough to travel 1,500 miles. The plane and the men were never found.
(TRIBUNE)

The top-earning dead celebrities have changed the perception of death. Despite not being alive for years, some for many decades, they are still earning millions of dollars. This shows that a celebrity can continue to earn even while in the grave.
Contents
1. Michael Jackson ($70m)
2. Elvis Presley ($49m)
3. Charles Schulz ($42m)
4. Arnold Palmer ($30)
5. Bob Marley ($24m)
6. Dr. Seuss ($24m)
7. John Lennon ($14m)
8. Marilyn Monroe ($13m)
9. Prince ($12m)
10. Nipsey Hussle ($11m)
The renowned figures discussed in this article are mainly musicians, cartoonists, authors, and a golfer.
Here are the top-earning dead celebrities of 2025, as listed by sociallykeeda:
1. Michael Jackson ($70m)
Michael Jackson leads among the top-earning dead celebrities. Michael remains one of the biggest stars. During his lifetime and even after, he is widely referred to as “the king of pop.” It is a known fact that he sold millions of albums and also earned and continues to earn from his work.
READ ALSO:Top 5 Richest African Immigrants In US
He died on 25 June 2009 due to a drug overdose. His earnings are estimated to be 70 million dollars.
2. Elvis Presley ($49m)
Elvis Presley is another music icon, known as the king of ‘Rock and Roll’. He was not just an amazing singer, but also a dancer and actor. Elvis is one of the greatest stars of the 20th century.
As such, the deceased musician still earns from his music and other projects. One of such is the Graceland and Elvis Presley Memphis entertainment complex. His earnings are estimated to be 49 million dollars. Elvis Presley died from a heart attack on 16 August 1977.
3. Charles Schulz ($42m)
Charles Schulz is another top-earning dead celebrity. He was a creator who came up with different cartoon characters. One of his famous characters is “Snoopy,” which was used for a peanut franchise that later inspired an animated movie, “Peanuts” in 2015.
Charles Schulz can never be forgotten for his contributions to cartoons. His earnings are calculated to be 42 million dollars. He died of cancer on 12 February 2000.
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4. Arnold Palmer ($30)
Arnold was a golf player that died on 25 September 2016 due to heart disease. He still makes money from licensing and from a drink formula he created — a lemonade and iced tea named the Arizona beverage. An alcoholic version was made after Molson Coors partnered with Arnold. His earnings are currently 30 million dollars.
5. Bob Marley ($24m)
Bob Marley was a music icon who pioneered the Jamaican music style, “Reggae.” His uniqueness and style of music made him loved by many and also contributed to his global success.
Till today, Bob is still famous and earns from various licensing deals and companies. He died of cancer on 11 May 1981 at the age of 36. His earnings have accumulated to 24 million dollars.
6. Dr. Seuss ($24m)
Dr. Seuss was a cartoonist during his lifetime. He still makes millions despite being dead for over three decades. He was a children’s book writer of which many kids across the world have probably read.
READ ALSO:Top 10 Richest Black People In The World
Some of his books include The Grinch Stole Christmas, Red Fish, The Cat in a Hat, and so on. Millions of copies of his books have been sold since his demise on 24 September 1991. He died of cancer, and his earnings are currently 24 million dollars
7. John Lennon ($14m)
John Lennon was a singer, songwriter, and vocalist. He was a co-founder of one of the most respected and greatest music bands in history, “The Beatles.” Lennon earns from brands or by using his pictures on products. He died on 8 December 1980 by homicide. His earnings are estimated to be 14 million dollars.
8. Marilyn Monroe ($13m)
Marilyn Monroe was an actress and a movie star who died over six decades ago. Monroe still earns from her deals with companies such as Chanel, Montblanc, and her estate. Her managers ensure no one uses her pictures without permission. Marilyn was just 36 years old when she died of an overdose on 5 August 1962. Her earnings are about 13 million dollars.
9. Prince ($12m)
Prince was a musician who passed away a few years ago and still earns from his songs. Deals using his name or music are managed by his family. Prince died from an overdose on 21 April 2016. The last earnings from his works are 12 million dollars.
10. Nipsey Hussle ($11m)
After his demise on 31 March 2019, Nipsey became one of the celebrities who earned the most money. The sales of his albums have since been increasing. He died of homicide, and his last earnings were 11 million dollars.
(TRIBUNE)

Russian drone and bomb fire killed at least six people across Ukraine’s east and south, local authorities said Friday, as Russia resists US President Donald Trump’s call to halt its invasion.
Moscow has escalated long-range aerial attacks on Ukraine’s towns and cities as well as frontline assaults and shelling over the past weeks, defying Trump’s warning it could face massive new sanctions if no peace deal is struck.
The latest strikes killed at least three people in the Dnipropetrovsk region — an important industrial mining territory under increasing pressure from Russia’s attacks.
READ ALSO:Anxiety As Trump Gives Russia 50 Days To Make Ukraine Deal
“Administrative buildings, a shop and private houses have been damaged,” Governor Sergiy Lysak said on Telegram after a morning drone attack caused a fire to break out in the region’s Kamyanske district, where two were killed.
A 52-year-old man was killed in another drone attack elsewhere in the region.
And in the Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions — all of which are partially occupied by Russian forces — attacks killed another three people.
Ukraine said Russia fired 35 long-range drones overnight — a relatively low number compared to the several hundred Moscow is capable of launching.
Moscow said it shot down 73 Ukrainian drones over its territory, including 10 it said were heading for the capital, Moscow.
AFP
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