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☆ Pope urged at LGBTQ meeting to reverse church ban on gender-affirming care
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis faced calls to overturn the Catholic Church’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender people on Saturday when he held talks with LGBTQ activists at the Vatican. “I really wanted to share with Pope Francis about the joy that I have being a transgender Catholic person,” Michael Sennett, who took part in the meeting, told Reuters. The meeting “means that the church is coming along, the church is joining the modern era,” she said. Gramick’s work with LGBTQ Catholics has attracted the ire of Vatican and U.S. Catholic officials for decades, including Pope Benedict XVI. But she has developed a correspondence with Francis, who first welcomed her for a meeting at the Vatican last year.

Persons: CITY — Pope Francis, “, Pope Francis, ” Michael Sennett, Sennett, I’ve, ”, Cynthia Herrick, Herrick, ” Francis, Jeannine Gramick, Francis, Pope Benedict XVI Organizations: CITY, Vatican, Reuters, Catholic, Ministry Locations: U.S, Boston, Louis , Missouri, Vatican

☆ Huge diamond necklace worn to 2 British coronations goes on sale
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A diamond necklace that has been worn at two British coronations, and is thought to have stones from the infamous necklace at the heart of a Marie-Antoinette scandal, is expected to fetch up to $2.8 million at auction. PA Images/Getty ImagesAfter the family parted with the diamond piece in the 1960s, it was exhibited in the American Museum of Natural History before being acquired by a private collector. Sotheby'sThe piece consists of three rows of diamonds that trail on either side into a diamond tassel. A glittering scandalSome of the diamonds from the necklace may have come from the piece at the heart of the “Affair of the Diamond Necklace” scandal, according to the auction house. The necklace, in the hands of a trickster, had in the meantime actually been broken up and sold in London.

Persons: Marie, Antoinette, Royal, Noble, Sotheby’s, Marjorie Paget, marchioness of, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II, Lady Woolton, Marquess, Marchioness, ”, Andres White Correal, Hope Diamond, Louis XVI, of, Queen Organizations: CNN, Westminster Abbey, American Museum of Locations: Sotheby’s, London, Geneva, Switzerland, Anglesey, marchioness of Anglesey, Europe, Middle, Golconda, of France

Prime Day TV dealsThis Prime Day, we're seeing some of the biggest price drops of the year on top TV models from our favorite brands. Prime Day laptop dealsLaptops go on sale year-round, but Prime Day is traditionally the best time of year to make a purchase. Prime Day mattress dealsMattresses go on sale several times a year, but few sales offer as lucrative mattress discounts as Prime Day. Prime Day Amazon device dealsDuring Prime Day, many of the best Amazon devices see their lowest prices ever. Prime Day travel dealsSummer travel is underway, and so are the best Prime Day deals on luggage and backpacks.

Persons: We've, AirPods, we've, Siri, Samsung's, They're, you’ll, He's, Jonathan Adler, it's, dehumidifier, Dyson, vacs, Crisp, we're, Fryer, Foodi, Fry, fryer, they're, Bose Smart, Ray Soundbar, Ray, Anker, You'll, iPhones, MagSafe, Kate Spade, scoped, Amazon Nathan James Hugo Wood Nightstand, Nathan James, waddle, Inaba, haircare, ”, Gabrielle Chase, “, haven't Organizations: Business, Apple, Amazon Apple, Apple Health, Amazon, Amazon LG, Amazon Samsung, Sony WH, Sony, Amazon Sony WH, Amazon Anker, Amazon Bose, Amazon Beats, Samsung, Clarks, Casper, Pillow, Morris, Morris & Co, Dyson, Upright, Toshiba, FlexBrew, Hamilton, LG, Dell, Alexa, Amazon Alexa, Hatch, Amazon Belkin, Apple Watch, Logitech, Seagate, ASUS, Meta, Nintendo, Nova, Nova Pro, Lightspeed, Mac, Google, Galaxy, lounging, packers, Amazon Fisher, Prime, today's, Chatelet Air, Amazon Canada, Amazon Philips, Philips, Amazon Prime, Deal Locations: November's, PopSockets, York

☆ Opinion | Why Conservative and Liberal Catholics Can’t Escape One Another
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Ross Douthat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

A college of supposedly conservative cardinals elected a surprisingly liberal pope. It seemed as though liberal Catholicism had been merely hibernating, awaiting a new pope, a new spring. But lately, in both Rome and the United States, I’ve had conversations with well-informed Catholics in which the old conservative confidence has made a comeback. The fear that the next pope might be another liberalizer, younger and more ambitious than Francis, has largely receded. This new confidence reflects a specific reading of the waning years (or what are probably the waning years) of the Francis pontificate.

Persons: Pope Francis, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, I’ve, Francis Locations: Rome, United States

☆ Opinion: Trump might have dozed off in court. Here’s how that could come back to bite him
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Opinion Elliot Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Still, the question remains: Can Trump consistently stay awake through the long slog of a criminal trial? Still, it was a striking image that simulcast three individuals in one: a criminal defendant; one of the most powerful people on the planet; and a napping old man. Not everyone is so lucky when those around them fall asleep in court. A defendant whose liberty is on the line would be well advised to find out a way to stay awake. (Some judges might frown upon a defendant chewing gum in court, but sleep specialists have identified plenty of other ways to stay awake, some of them courthouse-friendly.)

Persons: Elliot Williams, Donald Trump, Trump, Maggie Haberman, Thursday’s, Pope Benedict XVI, Silvio Berlusconi dozed, George W, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, snoozing, “, it’s, ” Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Twitter, Trump, The New York Times, “, Italian, Bush Presidential, Supreme, Union Locations: Raben, Manhattan, United States, Malta

☆ Pope Francis breaks with tradition in annual ritual by washing the feet of women only
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Christopher Lamb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Pope Francis on Thursday has washed the feet of 12 women at a prison in Rome during a ceremony emphasizing humility. It is the first time the pope has washed the feet of women only during the special annual service. Since his election, the pope has taken this ceremony out of Vatican territory and celebrated by washing the feet of prisoners, refugees and the disabled. Over the years, Francis has washed the feet of women and Muslims. His predecessor, Benedict XVI, only washed the feet of men, and later switched to washing only the feet of priests.

Persons: Pope Francis, Jesus, Francis, Michael Walsh, Fr Anthony Ruff, Nadia Fontana, Benedict XVI Organizations: CNN, Vatican Media, AP, Vatican Locations: Rome

☆ Barcelona’s famous Sagrada Familia will finally be completed in 2026
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona will finally be finished in 2026, more than 140 years after construction started, officials have confirmed. “The Chapel of the Assumption is expected to be finished in 2025 and the tower of Jesus Christ, in 2026,” the Sagrada Familia said in a statement announcing the publication of its 2023 annual report. When complete, the Sagrada Familia will become the world’s tallest church, overtaking Ulm Minster in Germany. The Sagrada Familia pictured in 1940 Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesWhen Gaudí died in 1926, only an estimated 10%-15% of the project had been built, including one transept, a crypt and some of the apse wall. The construction of the church was carried out illegally for 137 years, until 2019, when a building permit was finally issued by Barcelona’s city council.

Persons: Jesus Christ, Christophe Simon, Antoni Gaudí, Virgin Mary, Jesus, Gaudí, Pope Benedict XVI Organizations: CNN, Assumption, Getty, Ulm Minster, Construction, Spanish, UNESCO, Authorities Locations: Barcelona, AFP, Ulm, Germany, Catalan, Barcelona’s

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Argentina’s faith and politics came together Sunday as Pope Francis canonized the country’s first female saint with Argentina's libertarian president, Javier Milei, sitting in the front row of St. Peter’s Basilica. The Mass to declare Mama Antula a saint marked the first meeting between the Argentine pope and Milei, who once called Francis an “imbecile” for defending social justice. Milei is to meet privately with Francis on Monday, before also having private talks with Italy’s far-right Premier Giorgia Meloni and the president. “It’s a gift of God that Pope Francis — an Argentine pope, a Jesuit pope — can canonize her,” he said. “But Mama Antula is a saint independent of Francis.”

Persons: Pope Francis, Javier Milei, Mama Antula, Milei, Francis, ”, Francis ’, —, Italy’s, Giorgia Meloni, ” Francis, Moses, “, María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, Silvia Correale, Mama, Mama Antula's, ” Correale, Ignatius, Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva, Antula, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis — Organizations: VATICAN CITY, Argentine, Associated Press, St, Catholic Church Locations: Peter’s, Argentina, Rome, Israel, Argentine, Jerusalem, Buenos Aires, Uruguay

☆ Opinion: Stuck in traffic, I wonder if this European city’s car-free vision is working
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( David A. Andelman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The fact is that gas cars aren’t being weaponized on most of the continent the way they are in America. I’m all in favor of the commendable end to gas cars that Europe has now embraced – a decade or more hence. Of course, that’s only one corner of what’s happened to Paris traffic under the Hidalgo regime. The same toxic, planet-warming emissions are being generated, especially with all that idling in place in endless traffic jams. Perhaps a couple of decades from now when all those gas guzzling cars will be gone entirely?

Persons: David A, That’s, “, Giuseppe Sala, hasn’t, van, Laurent Nunez, ”, King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Anne Hidalgo, Hidalgo, Joe Biden, Eric Adams Organizations: CNN, French Legion of, The New York Times, CBS News, European Union, Sunday, ”, Concorde, Olympic, Seine, Maison de Radio, Notre Dame, US Locations: Europe, Asia, Paris, America, Milan, Italy’s, Swedish, Stockholm, Vienna, Pontevedra, Spain, –, dribs, Hidalgo, ”, Seine, Taxis, New York

☆ Pope Francis takes on vested interests to speak out on humanitarian crises
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Analysis Christopher Lamb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

Pope Francis received an emotional welcome on the island during a visit showing solidarity with migrants fleeing war and poverty. ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis confesses in St. Peter's Basilica during the Vatican's Penitential Celebration on Friday, March 4, 2016. Alessandro Di Meo/AP Pope Francis arrives for his visit with prisoners in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on Friday, July 10, 2015. Franco Origlia/Getty Images Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I address the faithful in Istanbul on Sunday, November 30, 2014. Gokhan Tan/Getty Images Pope Francis speaks during the feast-day Mass while on a one-day trip to Italy's Calabria region in June 2014.

Persons: Pope Francis, Cardinal Michael Czerny, Francis, “, ”, Regina Coeli, Vincenzo Pinto, Juan Manuel Santos, Santos, Alessandra Tarantino, L'Osservatore Romano, VINCENZO PINTO, Simon Bar Sabbae, Pope, FILIPPO MONTEFORTE, Karekin, TIZIANA FABI, Giuseppe Ciccia, MAX, Pope Francis tries, Pope Benedict XVI, Alessandro Di Meo, Evo Morales, OSSERVATORE ROMANO, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Federico Lombardi, Lombardi, Gregorio Borgia, Getty Pope Francis, Raul Castro, Castro, GABRIEL BOUYS, ANDREAS SOLARO, Kurukkal SivaSri, Mahadeva, Pope Francis in, Eranga, Franco Origlia, Bartholomew I, Gokhan Tan, San Gregorio Magno, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip , Duke of Edinburgh, Oli Scarff, Barack Obama, SAUL LOEB, Santa Sabina, Max ROSSI, Daniele De Sanctis, Pope Francis ', FABIO FRUSTACI, Benedict XVI, Benedict, L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO, Osservatore Romano Pope Francis, Vinicio Riva, Riva, CLAUDIO PERI, Rainbow Association Marco Iagulli Onlus, Fotografia, Father Don Renzo Zocca, Osservatore Romano, LUCA ZENNARO, Jorge Saenz, Dan Kitwood, Jesus, Internationalis Paulus VI, Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Roman Catholic Church's, Peter Macdiarmid, Pope Francis Prev, it’s, He’s, Filippo Monteforte, Donald Trump’s, Czerny, Trump, Donald Trump, Melania, Evan Vucci, Reuters “, ” Cardinal Czerny, Cardinal Czerny, doesn’t, Francis ’, “ Jesus Organizations: CNN, Getty Images, Colombian, Revolutionary Armed Forces, International Catholic Rural Association, Vatican, AFP, Getty, Catholic Chaldean, St, Mercy, ARIS MESSINIS, MAX ROSSI, Getty Images Bolivian, Cuban, Sunday, Queen, getty, Rainbow Association, Renault, Catholic, Roman Catholic, Intelligence, Warner Bros, Discovery, “, Republican, Reuters Locations: St, AFP, Colombia, Rome, Tbilisi , Georgia, Auschwitz, Birkenau, Poland, Etchmiadzin, Yerevan, Armenia, Vatican City, Moria, Lesbos, Peter's, Mexican, Havana, Cuba, Mexico, Santa Cruz , Bolivia, South America, Ecuador, Paraguay, La Paz, Bolivia, Italian, Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, Havana and Washington, Vatican, Pope Francis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Istanbul, Italy's Calabria, Jerusalem's Old City, Argentina, Roman Parish, San, Rome's, Santa, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Argentine, America, Gaza, Nove, Lampedusa, Italy, Ciampino, Czechoslovakia, Canada, United States, Africa

☆ Pope’s Critics Feel the Sting After His Patience Runs Out
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Jason Horowitz | More About Jason Horowitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As Pope Francis smiled warmly at the circus performers spinning and flipping in front of him at his weekly general audience in the Vatican on Wednesday, he looked every bit the grandfatherly figure who has for the last decade sought to make the church a kinder, gentler and more inclusive place. Except for the people feeling his wrath. There is a sense among some Vatican analysts and conservatives that Francis, who is suffering from a lung inflammation that forced him to pass off his readings at the event and to cancel an important trip to Dubai this weekend, is increasingly focusing his depleted energies on settling scores and cleaning house. While some have wondered whether his ailing health might be driving his actions, Francis, who from the beginning said he didn’t expect to live long in the job, has often moved with urgency. And when it comes to personnel moves, analysts said, it has always been thus.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, Benedict XVI Locations: Dubai, United States

☆ Vatican Confirms Ban on Catholics Becoming Freemasons
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican has confirmed a ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons, a centuries-old secretive society that the Catholic Church has long viewed with hostility and has an estimated global membership of up to six million. "Active membership in Freemasonry by a member of the faithful is prohibited, because of the irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry," the Vatican's doctrinal office said in a letter published by Vatican media on Wednesday. The same office said last week that transgender people can be baptized, serve as godparents and act as witnesses at Catholic weddings. The letter on Freemasons cited a 1983 declaration, signed by the late Pope Benedict XVI, at the time the Vatican's doctrine chief, stating that Catholics "in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion". The group says it has 180,000 male members, with two parallel female lodges in England having another 5,000 members, and estimates global Freemasonry membership at around six million.

Persons: Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Elizabeth's, Prince Philip, Winston Churchill, Peter Sellers, Alf Ramsey, Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle, Alvise Armellini, Nick Macfie Organizations: VATICAN CITY, Vatican, Freemasons, Catholic Church, United, Lodge of Locations: Philippines, Lodge of England, England

☆ Vatican confirms ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pope Francis gestures as he leaves after the weekly general audience, in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli Acquire Licensing RightsVATICAN CITY, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The Vatican has confirmed a ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons, a centuries-old secretive society that the Catholic Church has long viewed with hostility and has an estimated global membership of up to six million. "Active membership in Freemasonry by a member of the faithful is prohibited, because of the irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry," the Vatican's doctrinal office said in a letter published by Vatican media on Wednesday. The letter on Freemasons cited a 1983 declaration, signed by the late Pope Benedict XVI, at the time the Vatican's doctrine chief, stating that Catholics "in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion". The group says it has 180,000 male members, with two parallel female lodges in England having another 5,000 members, and estimates global Freemasonry membership at around six million.

Persons: Pope Francis, Remo Casilli, Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Elizabeth's, Prince Philip, Winston Churchill, Peter Sellers, Alf Ramsey, Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle, Alvise Armellini, Nick Macfie Organizations: Vatican, REUTERS, CITY, Freemasons, Catholic Church, United, Lodge of, Thomson Locations: Saint Peter's, Philippines, Lodge of England, England

☆ Sagrada Familia: Barcelona's famous cathedral nears completion as evangelist towers finished
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —After a wait of more than 140 years, five central towers of Barcelona’s famous Sagrada Familia basilica are at last finished. On Wednesday, the final sculptural piece was placed on the tower of Matthew the Evangelist, according to a news release from the Basílica de la Sagrada Família. From Basílica de la Sagrada Família/Facebook“The four towers of the Evangelists are finished! An inauguration mass will be held at the cathedral on November 12, when the four evangelist towers will be illuminated. Josep Lago/AFP/Getty ImagesThe four evangelist towers stand at 135 meters tall (around 443 feet).

Persons: Antoni Gaudí, Virgin Mary, Jesus, Matthew the, John the, we’ll, Luke, Josep Lago, Jesus Christ, Gaudí, Pope Benedict XVI Organizations: CNN, Facebook, Getty, Spanish, UNESCO, Authorities, Ulm Minster Locations: Catalan, AFP, Barcelona’s, Ulm, Germany

☆ Former Italian president Napolitano dies aged 98
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Former Italian President and senator Giorgio Napolitano speaks following a talk with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, Italy, April 13, 2018. REUTERS/Tony Gentile/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Former Italian president Giorgio Napolitano, a onetime communist who helped to steer his country through a debt crisis in 2011, died on Friday aged 98. Condolences poured in from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office, other politicians, the Vatican and beyond. Napolitano became president in 2006 and was elected for an unprecedented second seven-year term in 2013. Reporting by Angelo Amante; writing by Keith Weir and Angelo Amante Editing by Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Giorgio Napolitano, Sergio Mattarella, Tony Gentile, Giorgia, Pope Francis, Napolitano's, Clio Bittoni, Napolitano, Pope Benedict XVI, Francis, Mario Monti, Silvio Berlusconi, Enrico Letta, Angelo Amante, Keith Weir, Gareth Jones Organizations: Italian, REUTERS, Rights, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, Italian

☆ Nobel Prize award raised to nearly $1 million for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Nobel laureates and King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Prince Daniel, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden attends the Nobel Prize award ceremony at the Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden, December 10, 2022. TT News Agency/Christine Olsson via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Winners of this year's Nobel Prizes will get an extra 1 million crowns, taking the total financial reward to 11 million Swedish crowns ($986,000), the Nobel Foundation, which administers the awards, said on Friday. In 2012, prize money was reduced from 10 million crowns to 8 million as the Foundation looked to shore up its finances. The prize amount was increased to 9 million in 2017 and in 2020 to 10 million - where it was prior to 2012. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is the first of this year's prizes and will be announced on Oct. 2 followed by Physics, Chemistry, Literature and Peace on the following days.

Persons: King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Prince Daniel, Crown Princess Victoria of, Christine Olsson, givers, Simon Johnson, Essi Organizations: Concert Hall, TT News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Nobel Foundation, Physics, Thomson Locations: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Stockholm, Sweden, Rights STOCKHOLM, Swedish

☆ Sweden's Carl XVI Gustaf celebrates 50 years as king
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Princess Madeleine, Chris O'Neill, Prince Daniel, Sweden's Queen Silvia, Sweden's King Carl Gustaf, Prince Carl Philip, Prince Daniel and Crown Princess Victoria watch from the balcony during the changing of the guard in the outer courtyard of Stockholm Palace on the occasion of King Carl XVI Gustaf's 50th anniversary on the throne, in Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreSTOCKHOLM, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf celebrated 50 years on the throne on Friday with ceremonies throughout the capital, including gun salutes, speeches and a lavish dinner with other heads of state. Friday is the culmination of a four-day celebration and the public was invited to the Stockholm palace courtyard to congratulate the 77-year-old king, the Nordic country's longest sitting monarch. The Swedish king is the official head of state but is largely confined to ceremonial and representative duties. Carl Gustaf ascended to the throne when he was 27 years old on Sept. 15, 1973, after the death of his grandfather Gustav VI Adolf. The king, who suffers from dyslexia, was often ridiculed in the early years of his reign for misspeaking during speeches.

Persons: Madeleine, Chris O'Neill, Prince Daniel, Sweden's Queen Silvia, Sweden's King Carl Gustaf, Prince Carl Philip, Victoria, King Carl XVI Gustaf's, King Carl XVI Gustaf, Carl Gustaf, Gustav VI Adolf, misspeaking, Johan Ahlander, Tom Little, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Crown, Nordic, Sweden, Gothenburg University, Thomson Locations: Stockholm, STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Southeast Asia, Brunei

KYIV/STOCKHOLM, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Sweden on Saturday to meet with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, the royal family and other officials as Kyiv's counteroffensive against Russian forces grinds into its third month. The visit will start at Harpsund, the country retreat of Swedish prime ministers, about 120 kilometres from Sweden's capital Stockholm. As Zelenskiy reached Sweden, he said people had been killed and wounded in a Russian missile strike on the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv. Zelenskiy said he would thank Sweden for supporting Ukraine since the Russian invasion. Zelenskiy and Prime Minister Kristersson will hold a joint press conference at Harpsund in the afternoon.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ulf Kristersson, grinds, Zelenskiy, Pal Jonson, Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Olena Zelenska, Kristersson, Dan Peleschuk, Supantha Mukherjee, Simon Johnson, Frances Kerry, Toby Chopra, David Holmes Organizations: Russian, Swedish, Harpsund, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Harpsund, Swedish, Sweden's, Stockholm, Zelenskiy, Russian, Ukrainian, Chernihiv, Ukraine, Stenhammar

☆ Russian missile attack kills 7 in northern Ukrainian city as Zelenskyy visits NATO candidate Sweden
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A view shows a site of a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 19, 2023. Sweden abandoned its longstanding policy of military nonalignment to support Ukraine with weapons and other aid in the war against Russia. As Zelenskyy arrived in Sweden, a Russian missile strike killed seven people and wounded 90 others in the city center of Chernihiv, the regional capital of the northern Ukrainian province of the same name, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. A Russian missile hit right in the center of the city, in our Chernihiv," he wrote on Telegram. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin visited top military officials in the city of Rostov-on-Don near the Ukrainian border.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Ihor Klymenko, Vladimir Putin, Don, Putin, Valery Gerasimov, Wagner, group's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Gerasimov, Sergei Shoigu, Prigozhin, Alexander Khodakovsky, Tiurin, Vitalii Bunechko Organizations: Russia, Archer, NATO, Russia's Southern Military District, Russian, Ukraine Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Chernihiv, Sweden, Harpsund, Stockholm, Ukrainian, Russia, Rostov, Urozhaine, Ukraine's, Donetsk, Zhytomyr

CNN —At least seven people died including a six-year-old girl and 90 others were injured after a Russian missile strike hit a central square in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, Ukrainian officials said. Saturday’s strike – in a city close to the Russian border and far from the frontlines – hit a theater and a university. An emergency service worker stands at the site of a Russian missile strike in Chernihiv. Vladyslav Savenok/ReutersThe aftermath of a Russian missile strike. Vladyslav Savenok/ReutersUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack turned “an ordinary Saturday… into a day of pain and loss.”“A Russian missile hit right in the center of the city, in our Chernihiv.

Persons: Ihor Klymenko, “, Klymenko, Vladyslav Savenok, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Oleksandr Lomako, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Valery Gerasimov, Wagner, Zelensky, Ulf Kristersson, King Carl XVI, Queen Silvia, Kristersson, ” Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Internal, Reuters, Kremlin, Staff, Russian Armed Forces, Swedish, Gripen, “ Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Chernihiv, Vladyslav, Reuters Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Rostov, Sweden, Zelensky, ”

☆ Sinéad O’Connor paid dearly for criticizing the Catholic church. History proved her right
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Following the announcement of Sinéad O’Connor’s death aged 56 Wednesday, her life and music with all their complexities and convulsions have been put back into the spotlight. At first, the act drew widespread condemnation, but in subsequent years this eventually gave way to admiration as the Catholic Church acknowledged and apologized for the sexual abuse perpetrated by members of the clergy, often toward children. Ripping up that photo of the pope defined her career in a “beautiful f**king way,” she told the Guardian in 2021. Joe Pesci hosted the show the following week and in his opening monologue said that O’Connor “was very lucky it wasn’t my show. As the years passed, however, the public’s stance toward O’Connor softened as sexual abuse by members of the clergy became a matter of record.

Persons: Sinéad, Pope John Paul II, Bob Marley’s, ” O’Connor, John Paul II, “, O’Connor, ”, O'Connor, Stringer, Bob Dylan, Joe Pesci, she’s, Joey Buttafuoco, Amy Fisher, Pope Benedict XVI, O’Connor’s, Aisling Bea, sayer, Morrisey Organizations: CNN, Catholic Church, Rolling Stone, SNL, Guardian, Defamation League, Smiths Locations: Irish, United States, London, Antigua, Australia, Ireland

☆ Final Fantasy XVI Takes on Its ‘Star Wars’ Problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Whenever a new Final Fantasy arrives, fans of the role-playing video games that became famous in the 1990s for using the medium to tell deep, epic stories with large, diverse casts hope that this will be the one to make the franchise relevant again. The most recent installment — Final Fantasy XV, released seven years ago — was a letdown for many, with a disjointed story line and forgettable characters. Square Enix, the studio behind the 35-year-old franchise, is trying to right some wrongs with the release of Final Fantasy XVI for the PlayStation 5 on June 22. But like those in charge of other aging entertainment properties, such as Star Wars, the studio is walking a precarious tightrope of trying to satisfy the expectations of a dedicated fan base while attracting new audiences. For Final Fantasy XVI, that means a departure from characteristics that have been fundamental to every game in the main series, including the ability to manage an extensive party of characters and the quirky, whimsical tone.

Persons: — Organizations: Enix, PlayStation, Star

☆ Pope Francis orders ex-aide of Pope Benedict to leave Vatican
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY, June 15 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has ordered Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, the private secretary and long-time aide of the late Pope Benedict, to return to his native Germany by the end of the month without any new assignment, the Vatican said on Thursday. A Vatican statement put an end speculation about what role Gaenswein, a powerful figure in the Vatican for more than a decade before Francis sidelined him after a personal falling out, would have in the Church. Former Pope Benedict died on Dec. 31, nearly a decade after he resigned in 2013, the first pontiff to do so in 600 years. The two-line statement said Francis "had disposed" that the 66-year-old Gaenswein return to his diocese of Freiburg "for the time being". He was Benedict's personal secretary from 2003, when Benedict was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, and remained at his side for nearly 20 years, nearly 10 of them after Benedict resigned.

Persons: Pope Francis, Georg Gaenswein, Pope Benedict, Francis, Gaenswein, Benedict, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict XVI, Pope Benedict's, Philip Pullella, John Stonestreet, Toby Chopra Organizations: CITY, Church, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Germany, Freiburg, Gaenswein

Rome CNN —Pope Francis was recovering well in a Rome hospital on Thursday, the day after the 86-year-old had abdominal surgery that renewed health fears. “This wasn’t an urgent surgery,” Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the surgeon who operated on Pope Francis, said at a press conference. Pope Francis, seated in a wheelchair, attended a weekly general audience at the Vatican on June 7. Pope’s fragile healthThis operation is the latest in a series of health scares surrounding Pope Francis. Medical sources say that the intervention was likely related to the surgery Francis underwent in 2021, which removed half of his colon.

Persons: Rome, Rome CNN — Pope Francis, “, ”, Matteo Bruni, Francis, ” Dr, Sergio Alfieri, Pope Francis, ” Alfieri, Andreas Solaro, Alfieri, he’s “, –, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Bruni, Francis ’, Pope Francis now, Annatuli, Carina, State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Tarcisio Bertone, ’ ”, Pope Benedict XVI, Gregory XII, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: Rome CNN, Vatican, Gemelli, Reuters, Catholic, Papal, Getty, CNN, Spanish, ABC, State, Catholic Church Locations: Rome, AFP, The Prefecture, Mexico, Myanmar, Iraq, Ukraine

☆ Pope Francis to have abdominal surgery, in latest health concern
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( John Allen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Rome CNN —Pope Francis will have surgery on his abdomen and remain in a Rome hospital for several days, the Vatican said Wednesday, sparking renewed fears over the 86-year-old’s fragile health. The pope was forced to cancel several work commitments in late May after he was debilitated by a fever. According to medical sources, the intervention is likely related to the surgery Francis experienced in 2021 to remove half of his colon. Should Francis be incapacitated for any length of time, the Vatican could find itself facing something of a constitutional crisis. Francis said he wrote the letter several years ago and gave it to then-Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who resigned in 2013.

Persons: Rome, Rome CNN — Pope Francis, Francis, he’s “, Vatican, Matteo Bruni, ” Francis, Pius XI, ”, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Tarcisio Bertone, ’ ”, Francis ’, Pope Benedict XVI, “, Gregory XII Organizations: Rome CNN, Vatican, Rome’s Clinic, Catholic, Spanish, ABC, State Locations: Rome, St

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