Catholic cardinals talk ahead of secret conclave
Vatican City — Catholic cardinals entering a conclave on Wednesday to pick a new pope do not yet have a clear idea of who will emerge as Pope Francis’ successor, several said, and speeches by individual clerics in meetings this week may be decisive.
The 133 cardinals are holding near daily meetings to discuss issues facing the 1.4-billion member Catholic Church before the conclave, when they will be sequestered in a hotel and barred from contact with the outside world.
While there are a few cardinals seen as front-runners to succeed Pope Francis — two often mentioned are Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. Reuters
Trump applies tariff to save US movie industry
Washington — US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a 100% tariff on movies produced outside the country, saying the American movie industry was dying a “very fast death” due to the incentives that other countries were offering to lure filmmakers.
“This is a concerted effort by other nations and, therefore, a national security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump said he was authorising the relevant government agencies, such as the department of commerce, to immediately begin the process of imposing a 100% tariff on all films produced abroad that are then sent into the US. Reuters
Alternative for Germany challenges ‘extremist’ label
Berlin — Far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging a decision last week by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency to classify the party as an extremist organisation.
A spokesperson for the administrative court in Cologne said the lawsuit and a corresponding emergency petition had been submitted, both of which would be reviewed once the BfV domestic intelligence agency had confirmed that it had been notified.
The extremist classification announced on Friday allows the spy agency to step up monitoring of the AfD, for example by recruiting informants and intercepting party communications.
The agency’s 1,100-page experts’ report, which is not to be released to the public, found the AfD to be a racist and anti-Muslim organisation. Reuters
ICJ dismisses Sudan genocide case against UAE
The Hague — The International Court of Justice said on Monday it had dismissed Sudan’s genocide case against the United Arab Emirates over the UAE’s alleged interference in Darfur, saying it lacked authority to rule on the matter. Reuters
Over 15,000 agriculture department staff take Trump package
Washington — More than 15,000 US department of agriculture employees have taken one of the Trump administration’s two financial incentive offers to leave the agency, according to a readout from a USDA briefing with congressional staff seen by Reuters.
The sum represents about 15% of the USDA’s total workforce.
President Donald Trump’s administration has offered federal employees several months of pay and benefits if they opt to leave their jobs as part of his effort with billionaire ally Elon Musk to shrink the federal workforce. Reuters
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