Pope Francis sparks retirement rumours
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis has fuelled speculation he is set to retire after announcing he will attend a ceremony founded by one of the few Pontiffs who stepped down from the role during their reign.
Rumours of a Papal resignation in Italian and Catholic media have been bolstered by the Vatican’s announcement on Saturday that the Pope will visit the city of L’Aquila in August for a feast initiated by Pope Celestine V.
Traditionally Popes are expected to hold their post until death, but there have been some exceptions to the rule, including Celestine V and more recently Benedict XVI.
- FRANCE 24
****
Ash covers Philippines towns after volcano eruption
THE PHILIPPINES: A blast from Bulusan volcano in the rural Sorsogon Province in the Philippines spewed a huge, dark cloud on Sunday, prompting evacuations from ash-covered towns while authorities warned of possible further eruptions.
An official in Sorsogon, about 500 kilometres (310 miles) south of the capital Manila, said 10 villages in two towns were affected by the ashfall. - INDIA TODAY
****
60 Rohingya found abandoned on Thai island
THAILAND: Fifty-nine Rohingya people have been discovered on a Thai island, saying they were abandoned by traffickers en route to Malaysia, a senior police officer said Sunday.
The group — among them five children — were found on Koh Dong island in the southern Satun province on Saturday, said lieutenant general Surachet Hakpan.
- JAPAN TODAY
****
Ancient City discovered after reservoir dries up
KURDISTAN: An ancient Iraqi city, estimated to be close to 3,400 years old, has been unearthed in the Kurdistan region of Kemune in the country. The reason behind its sudden discovery is actually a drought that has depleted the water levels in Iraq’s largest reservoir.
The settlement which was probably a key hub during the reign of the Mittani Empire from 1550 BC to 1350 BC is thought to be from the Bronze Age was found after a certain area in the Tigris River dried up.
****
Bangladesh Depot operator accused over blast
BANGLADESH: Bangladesh authorities accused a container depot operator Monday of not telling firefighters about a chemical stockpile before it exploded with devastating consequences, killing at least 49 people - nine of them from the fire service.
Some containers were still smouldering at the BM Container Depot in Sitakunda on Monday, more than 36 hours after the explosion. - NDTV
****
Mercedes-Benz sells for US$ 142 mn
GERMANY: On May 5, a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe sold for US$ 142 million during an auction at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.
It was the highest price ever paid for a car at auction, soundly beating the eight-figure Ferrari sales that had long topped the blue-chip billing.
The identity remains a mystery of the person who bought the one-of-two silver stunner with gullwing doors and shiny exhaust pipes protruding from its right side. - NDTV
Add new comment