Latest news with #Francis
Times
5 hours ago
- Times
Pope Leo urges young people to use AI for good
The Pope has urged a congregation of social media users to use artificial intelligence for human good rather than falling prey to its perils, striking a more upbeat tone than the fire-and-brimstone pronouncements in recent years favoured by his predecessor, Francis. The first American pope got a rave reception at the Mass in St Peter's Basilica on Tuesday, posing for selfies to roars from crowds, as hundreds held their phones above their heads to film it. Speaking in a mix of English, Spanish and Italian, he warned those gathered to reject the 'frivolity' of fake news and online encounters, urging young people not to 'count their followers' and instead 'work as agents of communion'. The Pope said: 'It is not simply a matter of generating content, but of creating an encounter between hearts. We have a duty to work together to develop a way of thinking, to develop a language, of our time, that gives voice to love.' Luis Antonio Tagle, the prominent Filipino cardinal who presided over the service, emphasised that everyone is an influencer in God's eyes. 'Daily life is a tapestry of crisscrossing influences,' he said. The rare encounter was part of a jubilee for young people that will culminate with a vigil and a Mass in a field on the outskirts of Rome. The biggest event of the Vatican's Holy Year, the weeklong celebration was expected to draw half a million young people in an influx likely to push the Eternal City's creaky public transport to its limits. Leo's words contrasted with those of Francis, who approved the publication of a 13,000-word document in January, three months before his death, claiming AI contained 'the shadow of evil' and could 'enslave' workers by limiting them to 'rigid and repetitive tasks'. • Cardinals attack Pope's liberal legacy in pre-conclave talks Even so, Leo's address also contained a warning: 'Nothing that comes from man and his creativity should be used to undermine the dignity of others,' he said. At the end of the Mass, the Pope called for an end to world conflicts, saying 'how much we need peace in these times torn apart by enmity and war'.
Euronews
9 hours ago
- Euronews
Rome and the Vatican City welcome the Youth Jubilee
Tens of thousands of young Catholics flocked to St Peter's Square on Tuesday to kick off the Youth Jubilee, for which Pope Leo XIV held a welcome mass. Between the 28th July and the 3rd of August, the Vatican and Rome will host a series of events dedicated to young Catholics from at least 146 countries. 500,000 are expected to take part. It will culminate in a mass on the first Sunday of August at Rome's Tor Vergata. The Youth Jubilee will incorporate World Youth Day this year, as announced in 2023 by the late Pope Francis. How the city of Rome prepared for the Youth Jubilee Around a thousand parishes, schools and families will provide accommodation and breakfast for pilgrims in addition to a large hostel capable of hosting about 25,000 people set up at the Fiera di Roma. Other facilities include discounted meal vouchers, shower services at major public transport hubs, almost 3,000 chemical toilets on the streets of Rome and the upgrade of underground and regional trains and buses. Security measures have been put in place. Gates have been set up to prevent dangerous materials and objects into certain areas. Pilgrims have been asked to carry only the bare essentials to facilitate controls. A 400 square metre control room will manage the flow of surveillance cameras in the event areas. Pilgrims will be able to spend the night on the law in front of Tor Vergata as they await the Pope's morning mass on Sunday. Volunteers will distribute water bottles and an app by municipal company Acea will provide a map of the 2,660 free water supply points in Rome. What is the programme of the Youth Jubilee Aside from the Pope's evening mass on Tuesday, Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle celebrated Mass for Catholic influencers and digital missionaries. Numerous minor events will be held in the city between Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, the Circus Maximus will host a Day of Penance in which 200 stations will be made available for pilgrims to hear confessions. Saturday will be dedicated to music, with groups taking turn to entertain the crowd on a stage set up at Tor Vergata. The area has 355 tents and gazebos, 2,400 square metres of video screens and 110 generators, 20km of fibre optics and 15km of electric cables.
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ronnie O'Sullivan's manager makes bold 'Class of 92' claim with snooker restrictions lifted
Snooker legends Ronnie O'Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams could play in two Crucible World Championships next year following the lifting of restrictions Jason Francis expects at least one of the snooker's 'Class of 92' to grace the next World Seniors Championship at the Crucible after the easing of player restrictions. The iconic trio of Ronnie O'Sullivan, who is managed by Francis, Mark Williams and John Higgins, along with players inside the world 's top 64, were previously barred from competing in World Seniors Snooker (WSS) events due to an agreement with the World Snooker Tour (WST). WSS, of which Francis is chairman, had been lobbying the WST to allow all players over the age of 45 to be eligible for their events. A compromise could not be reached, leading to WSS breaking off the arrangement with WST following May's World Seniors Championship in Sheffield. Now, any player who meets the age criteria, regardless of their ranking, can play in WSS tournaments provided they don't clash with WST events. That has naturally led to speculation over whether O'Sullivan, 49, Williams, 50, and Higgins, 50, who boast 14 world titles between them, will play in two different World Championships at the Crucible next spring. The presence of any member of the 'Class of 92' would be a major boost to WSS. Francis said: 'They're available to me right now. If the commercial terms are right, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Williams, John Higgins can all play World Seniors Snooker UK broadcast events.' Francis added: 'A lot of players have expressed an interest in supporting the World Seniors and would like the chance to play in what they like. I would be staggered this season if you didn't see at least one of the Class of 92 in World Seniors events, maybe more.' On whether his client, seven-time world champion O'Sullivan, will be involved, Francis said: 'The interest will be, 'Will Ronnie O'Sullivan play at the Crucible at the World Seniors Championship?' I don't know at this point but he can, that's the point.' One top-64 player who has already taken advantage of the lifting of restrictions is former World Championship runner-up Matthew Stevens, 47, who will be part of the field at the British Seniors Open in Derby, which will be broadcast on Channel 5 over Christmas. Francis says there has been great interest from players like Stevens, currently ranked 52nd in the world. He said: 'While the headline will always be that (the Class of 92), let's look at the other players who now become eligible for another earning opportunity. 'People like Matthew Stevens are looking at this rule change and thinking, 'Hang on a second, I get the chance to play at the Crucible again.' If we get the bigger names in, we should get prize money up, then these things start snowballing. 'Now that we've broken away from that restrictive contract, we're able to compete, albeit we have an age group in the seniors. We're not in a position where we can broadcast Judd Trump and Zhao Xintong yet. But there are no (other) restrictions as long as we put our events on when World Snooker don't have an event on.' Earlier this year, NST Worldwide, of which Francis is a director, launched a £10.2m lawsuit in the Competition Appeal Tribunal against WST and snooker's governing body, WPBSA. NST claims that 'unlawful and anti-competitive practices' have been used to prevent snooker players 'playing in tournaments, events, or matches organised by competitor promoters.' Victory for NST would potentially lift playing restrictions further. WST, which is owned by Barry Hearn's Matchroom company, has said it 'rejects' and 'will defend' the claims against it.
New Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
LDF, UDF delegations in Chhattisgarh protest over arrest of Malayali nuns
KOCHI: Amid rising political tension over the arrest of two Catholic nuns hailing from Kerala, delegations of LDF and UDF arrived at Durg in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. While the UDF delegation could meet Sr Vandana and Sr Peethy Mary, the LDF team was asked to return on Wednesday. Angamaly MLA Roji M John, Kollam MP N K Premachandran, Chalakudy MP Benny Behanan, Kottayam MP Francis George and Saji Joseph comprised the UDF delegation. The LDF delegation, led by Brinda Karat and including Rajya Sabha MPs Jose K Mani, A A Rahim, P P Suneer and John Brittas and Alathur MP K Radhakrishnan, is scheduled to meet the nuns between 9am and 10am. Francis told TNIE that they were not allowed to meet the nuns initially. This led the UDF delegation to stage an impromptu dharna in front of the police station. 'The police prevented us from entering the station and told us to come the next day. However, we came to know BJP leaders Anoop Antony and Shone George had been allowed to meet the nuns earlier. They are the reason why we were turned away,' alleged Francis. Following this, the UDF leaders contacted former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel 'He ensured that we meet the nuns. The nuns are doing okay under the current circumstances. We talked to them. Though emotionally traumatised, they have not been harmed physically. But that can't be said about the man who had accompanied the three girls. He suffered physical harm,' said the UDF MP. Meanwhile, the LDF delegation arrived at Durg only in the evening. 'We arrived late and were told that the visiting time was over. We have been asked to come between 9am and 10am on Wednesday. We will be talking to the nuns and also their family members, who have arrived here, to coordinate the next legal steps that need to be taken. A bail application will be moved on Wednesday,' Jose K Mani told TNIE.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Moderate rain narrows day, night temp gap to almost 1
1 2 3 Indore: A spell of light to moderate showers since Monday night brought much-needed relief for Indoreans, offering a cooler and more pleasant day on Tuesday. The city's maximum temperature dropped significantly to 23.6 degrees Celsius, nearly 5 degrees below normal, while the minimum temperature was close to 23 degrees Celsius, resulting in an unusually narrow temperature gap for the day. The overcast skies and drizzle persisted throughout the day, disrupting traffic, especially during office hours. The India Meteorological Department recorded 12.7 mm of rainfall on Tuesday till 8:30 pm. Visibility dropped to 1500 metre in the morning and remained around 3000 metre by the evening due to continuous rainfall. With humidity levels peaking at 98% by late afternoon, the dampness remained intense even as temperature stayed low. Commuters faced waterlogging and slow-moving traffic in areas like Musakhedi, Bengali square, Pipliyahana, and Bicholi Mardana, where intense rain over the weekend already left roads battered. Residents shared their ordeals: Some complained of knee-deep water near service lanes on the Ring Road, while others cited delayed public transport and difficulty in navigating pothole-filled streets. Despite the ongoing showers, Indore is still lagging behind in seasonal rainfall. Till Tuesday morning, the city received 275 mm of rainfall, which is about 154 mm short of the normal average for July. Meanwhile, Indore district recorded 275.9 mm of rainfall so far till Tuesday evening, which is around 29.7% below the seasonal average of 392.3 mm for this time of the monsoon. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like How three Filipino cardinals eligible to be the next pope remember Pope Francis CNA Read More Undo As per Met department, low-pressure area over north-west Madhya Pradesh, coupled with an active monsoon trough extending from Rajasthan to the Bay of Bengal, is influencing the region's current weather. Senior meteorologist Dr Divya E Surendran said, the system is likely to persist and isolated heavy rain may continue in the coming days, though a dramatic recovery in the monthly rainfall is unlikely with just two days left in July.
