The conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor, following his death on April 21, 2025, began Wednesday, May 7, with no pope chosen. Black smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel at 9:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. EDT), showing the 133 cardinals didn’t reach the two-thirds majority (89 votes) needed. Wednesday’s conclave started with a 10:00 a.m. Mass led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, urging a pope to inspire faith. By 4:15 p.m., cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel, sealed after oaths. The first ballot produced black smoke at 9:00 p.m., typical for initial votes. About 45,000 in St. Peter’s Square left…
Author: Tosin Onisuuru
Popular social media activist, Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, VDM, has regained his freedom from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Reports states that VDM has been in the custody of the anti-graft agency since he was arrested in Abuja on Friday. There has been uproar across the nation with Nigeria youths demanding his immediate and unconditional release. EFCC said on Tuesday that the arrest followed a series of petitions against the activist, claiming that several invitations were communicated to him but he failed to honour them. In an update on his official Facebook page…
HEART & Soul TV senior journalist Blessed Mhlanga finally tasted freedom after spending more than two months locked up at Harare Remand Prison following his arrest in February this year. He spent 72 days in remand prison after being denied bail on three occasions. High Court judge Justice Gibson Mandaza yesterday granted Mhlanga US$500 bail on his second application saying there were changed circumstances in the journalist’s appeal. Mhlanga was ordered to report at the CID Law and Order Harare Central Police Station once every Friday and not to interfere with State witnesses. The journalist was arrested in February this…
Deji Adeyanju, lawyer to social media personality and activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has lamented difficulty securing the release of his client from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The EFCC, in a statement by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, had on Tuesday morning stated that VeryDarkMan had been granted administrative bail but remained in custody pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions. Oyewale disclosed that Otse was invited for questioning over multiple petitions alleging serious financial crimes. Oyewale said VDM was arrested after he consistently failed to honour repeated invitations of…
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have restarted peace talks in Qatar, sources said on Tuesday, part of a diplomatic effort to end fighting in Congo’s war-ravaged east. The two sides last met in Doha in April to discuss a deal that would end fighting this year that has killed thousands, displaced hundreds of thousands more and raised fears of a wider regional war. An official with knowledge of the talks in Doha told Reuters that the latest round began on May 3. “The negotiations are being held in a positive atmosphere, and both parties have expressed…
Conclave to elect the new pope, at the Vatican Members of the clergy gather on the day the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re presides over the Holy Mass, celebrated for the election of the new pope, in St. Peter’s Basilica, at the Vatican. Roman Catholic cardinals will begin the task on Wednesday of electing a new pope, locking themselves away from the world until they choose the man they hope can unite a diverse but divided global Church. In a ritual dating back to medieval times, the cardinals will file into the Vatican’s frescoed Sistine…
Tanzania has introduced a new directive that stops people and businesses from using foreign money like US dollars or Kenyan shillings for transactions within the country. The Bank of Tanzania says all goods and services must now be priced and paid for using Tanzanian shillings. The directive was announced under Section 26 of the Bank of Tanzania Act, 2006. “It is an offence to quote, advertise, or indicate prices in foreign currency, to compel, facilitate, or accept payment in foreign currency, or to refuse payment made in Tanzanian Shillings,” the central bank said in a statement. This means companies and…
On May 6, 2025, Friedrich Merz was officially sworn in as Germany’s new Chancellor, marking a significant shift in the nation’s political landscape. His appointment follows a dramatic day in the Bundestag, where he initially failed to secure the required majority in a secret ballot—a first in Germany’s postwar history. However, a successful second vote later that day granted him the necessary 325 votes, surpassing the 316-vote threshold. A Political Veteran with a Business Acumen Born on November 11, 1955, in Brilon, North Rhine-Westphalia, Merz has been a prominent figure in German politics for decades. He began his political journey…
Friedrich Merz has officially been elected as Germany’s new Chancellor, securing the role after a tense and unprecedented parliamentary process that revealed deep rifts within his ruling coalition. Following a failed first vote earlier in the day, Merz was elected during a hastily reconvened Bundestag session on Tuesday afternoon, where he secured 325 votes — narrowly surpassing the 316 required. His appointment was swiftly confirmed by the German President, clearing the way for his swearing-in ceremony. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader had won Germany’s national election in February but fell short of an outright majority. In response, he brokered…
One of Pope Francis’ iconic popemobiles, originally used during his 2014 visit to Bethlehem, is being repurposed into a mobile health clinic to provide urgent medical care for children in Gaza. The initiative, spearheaded by humanitarian organization Caritas, follows a personal request from the late pope before his passing last month. The vehicle, currently located in Bethlehem, is being retrofitted with essential medical equipment for frontline care, including rapid test kits, suture tools, oxygen supplies, vaccines, syringes, and a refrigerated unit for medicines. According to the Vatican, this mission represents Pope Francis’ “final wish for the children of Gaza.” The…
