How Many Saints Can Pope Leo Add to His Army?
A geopolitical lesson of the late 20th century was never to underestimate the power of the papacy. John Paul II played a part in dissolving the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact and ending the Cold War, but that's increasingly dusty history. The Vatican has spent the last couple of decades cleaning up Saint John Paul's administrative messes — from priestly abuse to banking fiascos. The late Pope Francis may have come across as avuncular, embracing and a liberal, but he was also a tough manager and went a long way to putting the Vatican back on a surer financial footing, although more work needs to be done.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Universities ‘on notice' they could face penalties over free speech
Universities have been put 'on notice' that they could face penalties if they fail to uphold free speech, the education minister said as new protections for academic freedom came into force. Skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith has said the Government will 'not tolerate the silencing of academics or students who voice legitimate views'. The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, which comes into force on Friday, will require universities and colleges in England to promote academic freedom to ensure discussions can take place on campuses without fear of censorship of students, staff or speakers expressing lawful opinions. It also bans universities from using non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in cases of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct. The Office for Students (OfS), England's higher education regulator, can investigate universities and colleges and impose fines if it has found they have failed to protect free speech rights. In March, the OfS issued a record penalty of £585,000 to the University of Sussex after a three-and-a-half year probe into the resignation of academic Professor Kathleen Stock. The OfS's investigation found the institution's trans and non-binary equality policy statement had 'a chilling effect' of possible self-censorship of students and staff on campus. It was launched after high-profile protests called for the dismissal of Prof Stock in 2021 over her views on gender identity. Professor Arif Ahmed, director for freedom of speech and academic freedom at the OfS, previously suggested universities could face higher fines in the future if they fail to uphold free speech. Baroness Smith said: 'Academic freedom is non-negotiable in our world-leading institutions, and we will not tolerate the silencing of academics or students who voice legitimate views. 'These strengthened protections make this explicitly clear in law, and the record fine already handed down by the OfS has put universities on notice that they must comply or face the consequences. 'Through our Plan for Change we are restoring our world class universities as engines of growth, opportunity and innovation, and fostering a culture of free inquiry and academic freedom is at the heart of that.' In January, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced the Government would be pushing ahead with key measures in the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act. But she announced the 'statutory tort' – which could have allowed individuals to bring legal proceedings against universities that failed to comply with freedom of speech duties – would be removed from the legislation. Ms Phillipson said the tort would create 'costly litigation that would risk diverting resources away from students'. The implementation of legislation, passed under the previous Conservative government in 2023, was paused by Labour in July last year after the general election due to concerns it could be 'burdensome' for universities. A new OfS complaints scheme will allow academics, external speakers and university staff to raise concerns about restrictions on their lawful free speech, which could lead to fines if their free speech is not protected. Students will be able to make complaints to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator. Prof Ahmed said: 'Free speech and academic freedom are fundamental to the quality of students' education and their experience in higher education. 'From today universities and colleges take on new legal duties to secure and promote freedom of speech and academic freedom. 'The OfS's regulatory requirements to prevent and address harassment and sexual misconduct are also fully in place. 'These are an important set of measures which will further protect students from harassment while ensuring that students and academics are free to discuss controversial views, including those which some might find shocking or offensive.'
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
British steelmakers boosted by change to EU tariffs
British steelmakers will be able to sell more to the EU tariff-free from Friday in a boost for the beleaguered sector. The EU has agreed to more than double the UK's tariff-free quota for certain steel products in a move the Government described as a 'direct win' from Sir Keir Starmer's deal with the bloc earlier this year. At May's UK-EU summit, Sir Keir and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen agreed to restore Britain's steel quotas to historic levels after they were slashed in March. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the announcement was 'yet another positive step forward for the UK steel sector' that would give producers 'certainty'. The agreement comes at a difficult time for the industry, which continues to face 25% tariffs on exports to the US. An agreement with President Donald Trump to effectively reduce those tariffs to zero is yet to come into effect, but Britain has been protected from the 50% tariff Mr Trump imposed on steel from the rest of the world last month. UK Steel director general Gareth Stace said Friday's change was 'excellent news' for the sector that had been 'plagued by problems' in exporting steel to the EU. He added: 'The quota will restore historic trade flows and is good news for both UK steelmakers and their EU customers.' The decision means the UK can export 27,000 tonnes of 'category 17' steel – which includes angles and sections of steel – to the EU each quarter without paying tariffs. The figure had been cut to 10,000 tonnes after the EU introduced a cap intended to prevent a single exporter dominating the market. In total, the UK exports around 2.4 million tonnes of steel to the EU, worth nearly £3 billion and accounting for 75% of British steel exports. Ministers expect the change to help protect jobs in the industry, which has been a priority for the Labour Government since coming to power. In April, the Government used an almost unprecedented weekend recall of Parliament to take control of British Steel to prevent the shutdown of its blast furnaces and maintain the UK's primary steel-making capacity. British Steel's interim chief operating officer Lisa Coulson said: 'The removal of EU tariffs on British-made steel is a significant boost to our business. 'The EU is an important market to us, particularly for the products our highly skilled colleagues manufacture in Scunthorpe, Teesside, and Skinningrove.' But Conservative shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith described the quota as 'tiny' and 'embarrassing from a Government which has nothing to show on removing the US tariffs on steel which the PM claimed to have delivered back in May'. He added: 'It's a paltry return for giving up 12 years of fishing rights and tying the energy costs of every business to a higher cost EU emissions regime over which the UK will have no say. 'When Labour nationalised British Steel we said they had no plan. This government by press release shows we were right.'
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
A city running dry, rising electricity costs, spud's enduring mystery: Catch up on the day's stories
👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! The roots of the modern-day potato have always been a mystery. But biologists have finally traced its origins to an unlikely wild plant relative. Here's what else you might have missed during your busy day. The capital of Iran is weeks away from disaster. Experts say a severe water crisis has put the city within reach of 'day zero,' when taps will run dry for large parts of the region. Residents are trying desperately to combat the problems compounded by climate change. Elon Musk has relied on small businesses to help him grow his multibillion-dollar empire. But civil lawsuits and construction liens against his companies are filled with claims of contractors not being paid promptly — or ever — with complaints totaling over $100 million in Texas alone. Advertisements in Vogue's August issue for the clothing company Guess feature something unique: AI-generated models. The choice has sparked debate, with online users questioning how this practice will affect real-life models and those who already grapple with society's constantly evolving beauty standards. President Donald Trump entered office with a promise to lower energy and electricity costs. But as prices continue to rise, Democrats in Congress and left-leaning groups are looking to go on the offensive ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Archaeologists working at a site in Spain say they have found evidence of what may have been a synagogue used by a yet-undiscovered Jewish community. Experts previously believed the site had been a church. Get '5 things' in your inbox If your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' newsletter. 💇Mid-snip drama: A man accused of a grisly double murder in Arkansas was arrested when he stopped for a haircut, ending a dayslong search. A motive for the killings is still being determined, according to police. Kamala Harris to release book about 2024 presidential campaign Justin Timberlake reveals Lyme disease diagnosis Trump set to revive the Presidential Fitness Test while hosting professional athletes at White House ✈️ Sudden shift: Turkmenistan has long been considered one of the world's most isolated, difficult-to-access countries. But streamlined visa regulations could bring change — and more visitors — to its startling sites. 🏎️ After much speculation, which team will Max Verstappen drive for in the 2026 Formula One season?A. Red BullB. Aston MartinC. MercedesD. Ferrari⬇️ Scroll down for the answer. 👋 We'll see you tomorrow.🧠 Quiz answer: A. The Dutch driver confirmed he will remain with Red Bull, ending speculation over his future with the team for the time being.📧 Check out all of CNN's newsletters. Today's edition of 5 Things PM was edited and produced by CNN's Kimberly Richardson and Chris Good.
