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Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Today in History: Graceland opens to the public
Today is Saturday, June 7, the 158th day of 2025. There are 207 days left in the year. Today in history: On June 7, 1982, Graceland, Elvis Presley's Memphis mansion, was opened to the public as a tourist destination, five years after Presley's death. Also on this date: In 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia offered a resolution to the Continental Congress stating 'that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent States.' In 1892, Homer Plessy, a Creole of color, was arrested for refusing to leave a whites-only car of the East Louisiana Railroad. (Ruling on his case, Plessy v. Ferguson, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld 'separate but equal' racial segregation, a concept it renounced in 1954.) In 1929, the sovereign state of Vatican City formally came into existence as the Italian Parliament ratified the Lateran Treaty in Rome. In 1942, the Battle of Midway ended in a decisive victory for American naval forces over Imperial Japan, marking a turning point in the Pacific War. In 1965, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Griswold v. Connecticut, struck down, 7-2, a Connecticut law used to prosecute a Planned Parenthood clinic in New Haven for providing contraceptives to married couples. In 1976, New York magazine published an article by journalist Nik Cohn entitled 'The Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night,' which inspired the film 'Saturday Night Fever,' which in turn sparked a nationwide disco craze. (Cohn admitted in 1997 that the article was actually a work of fiction.) In 1979, Texas became the first state to recognize Juneteenth as an official state holiday. (Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021.) In 1998, in a crime that shocked the nation and led to stronger state and federal hate crime laws, James Byrd Jr., a 49-year-old Black man, was hooked by a chain to a pickup truck and dragged to his death in Jasper, Texas. (Two white men were later sentenced to death and executed for the crime; a third was sentenced to life in prison.) In 2006, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the founder of al-Qaida in Iraq, was killed by a U.S. airstrike on his safe house. In 2021, Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul Murdaugh, 22, from a prominent South Carolina legal family, were found shot and killed on their family's property. (Alex Murdaugh, Maggie's husband and Paul's father, would be found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison.) Today's Birthdays: Filmmaker James Ivory is 97. Singer Tom Jones is 85. Actor Liam Neeson is 73. Author Orhan Pamuk is 73. Author Louise Erdrich is 71. Music producer L.A. Reid is 69. Musician Juan Luis Guerra is 68. Former Vice President Mike Pence is 66. Rock musician-TV host Dave Navarro is 58. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., is 53. Actor Karl Urban is 53. TV personality Bear Grylls is 51. Basketball Hall of Famer Allen Iverson is 50. Actor-comedian Bill Hader is 47. Actor Michael Cera is 37. Rapper Iggy Azalea is 35. Actor-model Emily Ratajkowski is 34. NFL running back Christian McCaffrey is 29.
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
Today in History: June 7, James Byrd Jr. killed in hate crime
In 1892, Homer Plessy, a Creole of color, was arrested for refusing to leave a whites-only car of the East Louisiana Railroad. (Ruling on his case, Plessy v. Ferguson, the US Supreme Court upheld 'separate but equal' racial segregation, a concept it renounced in 1954.) Advertisement In 1929, the sovereign state of Vatican City formally came into existence as the Italian Parliament ratified the Lateran Treaty in Rome. In 1942, the Battle of Midway ended in a decisive victory for American naval forces over Imperial Japan, marking a turning point in the Pacific War. In 1965, the US Supreme Court, in Griswold v. Connecticut, struck down, 7-2, a Connecticut law used to prosecute a Planned Parenthood clinic in New Haven for providing contraceptives to married couples. Advertisement In 1976, New York magazine published an article by journalist Nik Cohn entitled 'The Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night,' which inspired the film 'Saturday Night Fever,' which in turn sparked a nationwide disco craze. (Cohn admitted in 1997 that the article was actually a work of fiction.) In 1979, Texas became the first state to recognize Juneteenth as an official state holiday. (Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021.) In 1982, Graceland, Elvis Presley's Memphis mansion, was opened to the public as a tourist destination, five years after Presley's death. In 1998, in a crime that shocked the nation and led to stronger state and federal hate crime laws, James Byrd Jr., a 49-year-old Black man, was hooked by a chain to a pickup truck and dragged to his death in Jasper, Texas. (Two white men were later sentenced to death and executed for the crime; a third was sentenced to life in prison.) In 2006, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the founder of al-Qaida in Iraq, was killed by a US airstrike on his safe house. In 2021, Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul Murdaugh, 22, from a prominent South Carolina legal family, were found shot and killed on their family's property. (Alex Murdaugh, Maggie's husband and Paul's father, would be found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison.)
L'Orient-Le Jour
08-05-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
How much does a conclave cost? The Vatican remains discreet
Thousands of people are expected at St. Peter's Square starting Wednesday to witness the election of Pope Francis' successor. The Vatican is responsible for organizing the ceremony at its own expense, on which it remains discreet, while the Italian state, since the Lateran Treaty of 1929, covers part of the costs related to security. In 2005, the death of Pope John Paul II and the election of his successor, Benedict XVI, cost the Vatican 7 million euros, according to the financial report published by the Holy See. However, from year to year, the Vatican shows varying degrees of transparency regarding its accounts, whose deficit continues to worsen. Thus, after Benedict XVI's historic resignation in 2013, the Holy See did not detail the cost of the conclave that resulted in Francis's election. It simply reported a deficit of 24 million euros that year. 11,900 security personnel But Rome's mayor at the time, Gianni Alemanno, requested the state to aid the municipality and estimated the costs at 4.5 million euros for reinforced public transport, increased expenses for municipal agents and especially the costs related to the security of visitors, whether in the city of Rome or within the Vatican, which is independent. Since the Lateran Treaty signed in 1929 by the Vatican and Italy, then led by fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, it is the responsibility of the Italian police, alongside the Vatican gendarmerie, to ensure security around the Vatican and in St. Peter's Square, where the name of Francis's successor will be announced at the conclave's conclusion. This time, the ultraconservative government of Giorgia Meloni has already taken steps: It signed, the day after Francis' death on April 21, a decree releasing funds to mobilize Italian civil protection, responsible for "mobility, assistance and hospitality," especially for foreign delegations, "until the election of the new sovereign pontiff [pope]," alongside the Italian police under the authority of the prefect of Rome. The total cost for the Italian state has not yet been "estimated," as civil protection minister Nello Musumeci indicated at the end of April, "but a measure has already been adopted for the first five million euros." The government recalled that in 2005, 11,900 security agents, 1,000 firefighters and 5,000 officials worked during the funerals and then the conclave. But alongside these costs, the city of Rome and its merchants can expect positive returns: According to the consumer protection association Codacons, "prices in Rome" for hotels and accommodations reached "stratospheric levels" during Francis's funerals, ranging from 200 to 2,000 euros per room near the Vatican, compared to 170 to 780 under normal conditions during this already highly touristic period. Chronic deficit The Holy See did not want to comment on the costs of the conclave opening Wednesday, with its spokesperson Matteo Bruni simply reminding that there will be no "sponsor" advertising. The chamberlain cardinal, American Kevin Farrell, responsible for current affairs since Francis's death, "takes care of everything," he added. Among other things, it is necessary to bring cardinals and their assistants from around the world, accommodate them, feed them, provide laundry services, set up the Sistine Chapel for the conclave or St. Peter's Square for the funerals and then the proclamation of the new pope. However, the finances of the Holy See are already precarious: Although the Vatican reports its accounts with much irregularity, it mentioned a deficit for the Roman Curia (central government) of about 30 million euros in 2022, for 769 million euros in revenue. Keen to bring order to Vatican finances and fight against fraud, Pope Francis created the powerful Secretariat for the Economy in 2014. In 2022, its prefect, Spanish priest Juan Antonio Guerrero, explained that it undertakes to sell "20-25 million euros" of the immense Vatican estate each year. However, the micro-state continues to suffer from a decrease in donations from the faithful and inconsistent financial investments, while its operating expenses, particularly personnel costs, increase. Its image has also been tarnished by embezzlement scandals, notably involving the influential Cardinal Becciu, who is prohibited from voting in the conclave opening Wednesday.
India.com
26-04-2025
- Politics
- India.com
World's only person who doesn't need a visa for travelling to any country; not US President, British King, UN Chief, he is...
Representational Image A valid passport and an visa are perquisites for any person to legally travel outside the border of their country, and this rule applies to all Heads of State, Kings, Monarchs, diplomats, and even the United Nations secretary-general. But did you know there is one individual on the planet who does not require any of these documents, and can travel to any country across the world without a visa or a passport? Only man who can travel without a visa The man we are talking about is the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church and the Vatican City– world's smallest country. The special status enjoyed by the Pope also comes with certain unique perks, including the ability to travel to any country without the need to carry a passport or a visa. According to details, as the head of the Vatican City, the Pope is an internationally recognized diplomat, and has a diplomatic passport that allows him to travel without a visa. Pope Francis, who recently passed away, had visited more than 50 countries without requiring a visa. Visa, passport rules don't apply to the Pope The Vatican diplomatic passport carried by the Pope allows visa-free travel to most countries globally, whenever the chief pontiff pays an official visit to a country, he is granted special exemptions, including visa-free travel, by the host nation. While some countries may have formalities for special security or political reasons, but usually, a visa is not mandatory for the Pope. As the representative of 1.3 billion adherents of Catholic Christianity, the Pope is a state guest for the host country, and visa and passport rules do not apply to him. In many ways, the Pope's status is higher than any monarch, head of state, or diplomat, primarily because the Vatican is a religious and diplomatic entity that enjoys full sovereignty under international law Legality of Pope's status The legality of the unique status enjoyed by the Pope stems from the Lateran Treaty of 1929, which granted sovereignty to Vatican, giving the Pope a full diplomatic immunity. Additionally, the Pope also receives special status under international treaties signed as part of the 1961 Vienna Convention. Notably, a few countries, including China and Russia, sometimes place political conditions on the Pope's travel, but a visa is still required. No other person enjoys same perks as the Pope Although the British royal family also enjoys some unique perks owing to their status, yet not at the level as those accorded to the Pope. King Charles III does not officially have a passport, as British passports are issued in his name, and does not usually require a visa, but this is not a blanket situation akin to the Pope, and is reliant on bilateral relations and royal protocol. In contrast, the Japanese Emperor does require a visa for state visits, though he does not have an official passport. The constitution of Japan recognizes the Emperor as a symbol of the state, not the ruler. Similarly, most countries, including the United States, offer visa exemption to the UN Secretary General, but certain states do require documentation in certain scenarios. The UN chief travels using the laissez-passe which is valid in most nations across the globe. Pope's 'Shepherd One' private jet The Pope travels in his private jet 'Shepherd One', a name inspired by the Pope's symbolic role as the 'Shepherd of God's flock' in the Catholic Church. Notably, the Shepherd One jet is not a permanent aircraft and is usually provided by Alitalia, Italy's national airline, or the host country's national carrier. The aircraft is usually a Boeing 787, Airbus A330 or similar large, long-haul aircraft, configured specifically for papal travel, featuring a private area for the Pope, a bed, and a separate space for meditation and prayer. The Shepherd One has separate cabins for the Pope's aides Vatican officials, and journalists, and follows high-level security protocols, with the host country and the Vatican security teams monitoring the flight. The special aircraft displays the Vatican flag and the Pope's Coat of Arms, and usually departs from the Fiumicino Airport in Rome.
India.com
25-04-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Meet the only person in the world who can travel to any country without a visa, he is..., uses private plane called..., not Trump, British king
(AI image) Vatican City: Is there any person who can go to every country in the world without a visa or passport? Generally, in the world, the kings of Britain and Japan do not need to carry a passport to go anywhere. But there is one person who can travel anywhere in the world at any time without a visa and no country will stop him. This special right or privilege is granted to only one person in the world, who is the head of the world's smallest country and is also considered the leader of the Catholic Christian faith, that is, the Pope. The Pope is regarded as having the most unique and special status. Pope Francis has travelled to more than 50 countries where no visa was required. The Pope generally does not need a visa in most countries of the world. As the head of Vatican City, he is an internationally recognized diplomatic figure. He often holds a diplomatic passport or special status under which he can travel without a visa. The Pope holds a diplomatic passport from the Vatican, which allows him visa-free travel to most countries. When the Pope makes an official visit to a country, the host country usually grants him special exemptions. There may be formalities in some countries for special security or political reasons, but generally, visas are not required for the Pope. Wherever he goes, he is a state guest. The Pope is the head sovereign of Vatican City as well as the spiritual leader of 1.3 billion Catholics. His status is distinct from any other king or diplomat, as the Vatican is a religious and diplomatic entity that has full sovereignty under international law. When the Pope visits a country, he is granted the status of a state guest, under which visa and passport regulations do not apply. The Lateran Treaty (1929) between Italy and the Vatican granted the Vatican the status of an independent state, which provided the Pope with full diplomatic immunity. The Vienna Convention (1961) also recognizes the Pope's special status under international treaties. Countries like China and Russia have sometimes placed political conditions on papal visits, but technically visas are not required. The British monarchy does not have this privilege either. The British monarchy is one of the most prestigious diplomatic institutions in the world, but their status is not as special as that of the Pope. The Pope's status is both religious and diplomatic. The Pope is recognized as a religious leader in any country. The Pope has the facility to travel around the world. He does this using his private plane 'Shepherd One.' Although this is not a special or permanent aircraft, the plane that the Pope uses for international travel is referred to as Shepherd One. The name 'Shepherd One' is inspired by the Pope's role, as the Pope is considered the 'Shepherd of God's flock' in the Catholic Church. Shepherd One is usually provided by Alitalia (Italy's national airline) or the main airline of the host country. This aircraft is generally a Boeing 787, Airbus A330, or similar large, long-haul aircraft, specifically configured for the Pope's travels.
