News

Cardinals arrive in Rome for upcoming pope election

All 133 electors have arrived in Rome for the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis.

Published

5 months ago

May 6, 2025

Ahron Young

All 133 electors have arrived in Rome for the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis.

In Short:
All 133 eligible cardinals have gathered in Rome for the conclave to elect a new pope following Pope Francis’s death. There is ongoing debate among the cardinals about the future direction of the Church, with differing views on whether to continue Francis’ progressive agenda or return to traditional values.

All 133 cardinals eligible to elect a new pope have arrived in Rome for the conclave, according to the Vatican.

The conclave will commence on Wednesday at the Sistine Chapel after the death of Pope Francis last month.

Debate continues among cardinals about the direction of the Church, with some favouring continuity of Francis’ openness while others prefer a return to traditional values.

The conclave process typically involves multiple voting rounds until a candidate receives a three-quarters majority.

Internal division

Since Pope Francis’s passing on April 21, cardinals have held discussions about the Church’s future, addressing concerns about divisions within the institution.

On Monday, 180 cardinals participated in discussions, although two cardinals will miss the conclave due to health issues.

The cardinals expressed the need for a future pope who is present, guiding, and attuned to the realities of everyday life.

While some cardinals are considered potential successors, including Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, many are still undecided.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols noted that his changing candidate list reflects an ongoing deliberation process.

Further discussions will take place ahead of the conclave, with cardinals residing in Vatican guest houses and restricted from outside contact.

Cardinal Walter Kasper expressed confidence that the electors would favour a pope continuing Francis’ progressive agenda, despite some calls for a shift in direction.

News

Fourth death confirmed due to Optus outage issues

Fourth death confirmed following Optus outage that blocked Triple Zero calls for 13 hours during network upgrade

Published

47 minutes ago

September 20, 2025

Ahron Young

Fourth death confirmed following Optus outage that blocked Triple Zero calls for 13 hours during network upgrade

In Short:
– A fourth death is confirmed due to an Optus network failure affecting emergency calls for 13 hours.
– Optus CEO announced an investigation after communication failures and criticism from politicians and emergency services.

A fourth death has been confirmed following an Optus network failure that prevented emergency calls to Triple Zero for 13 hours.

Initially, Optus reported three fatalities, including an infant and two elderly individuals from South Australia and Western Australia. The latest victim is a 49-year-old man from Perth.Optus CEO Stephen Rue expressed deep sorrow over the incident and announced a full investigation into the network update that caused the outage.

He stated that approximately 600 calls to emergency services were disrupted, impacting residents across South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.

Rue confirmed that the outage stemmed from a problematic firewall upgrade and revealed details of communication failures within the company. Politicians and emergency services expressed anger at the lack of timely information during the crisis.

System Failure

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas criticised Optus for their incompetence in handling the situation.

The federal communications minister also condemned the company, highlighting that such failures are unacceptable.

The incident follows a previous outage for which Optus was fined $12 million, raising serious concerns about their emergency service handling.

News

Israel launches its new “Iron Beam” laser system

Israel’s new “Iron Beam” laser defense system to deploy by year-end, promising cost-effective missile interception.

Published

1 day ago

September 19, 2025

ticker NEWS

Israel’s new “Iron Beam” laser defense system to deploy by year-end, promising cost-effective missile interception.

Israel’s Defence Ministry says its new “Iron Beam” laser system will be deployed by year’s end. The technology is designed to destroy incoming missiles, rockets, drones and mortars with precision.

Developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in partnership with Elbit Systems, Iron Beam will sit alongside existing defences such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow. Unlike traditional interceptors which can cost tens of thousands of dollars per shot, the laser comes at negligible expense.

Officials call it the world’s first high-power laser interception system to achieve operational maturity, hailing it as a game-changer for modern warfare. Military leaders expect the system to reshape air defence capabilities and cut costs dramatically.

#Israel #Defence #LaserWeapons #TickerNews

News

Stephen Colbert’s opening monologue on Jimmy Kimmel

Stephen Colbert condemns censorship and calls out Trump in powerful monologue dedicated to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspended show.

Published

1 day ago

September 19, 2025

ticker NEWS

Stephen Colbert condemns censorship and calls out Trump in powerful monologue dedicated to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspended show.

Stephen Colbert’s opening monologue is being hailed as one of the most powerful moments in modern late-night history. Standing on stage at the Ed Sullivan Theatre, Colbert dedicated his show to Jimmy Kimmel and his team after ABC suspended Kimmel’s programme under pressure from Washington.

Colbert called the move “blatant censorship” and directly accused President Trump of acting like an autocrat. “With an autocrat, you cannot give an inch,” he warned, making clear that the stakes reach far beyond late-night comedy.

#StephenColbert #JimmyKimmel #FreeSpeech #TickerNews