International

Cardinal Becciu’s enigma: will he enter the conclave?

Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciu, sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison for a case of financial irregularities, and to whom Pope Francis withdrew his privileges as a purp, is the great unknown of the next conclave that will choose the pontiff’s successor since it is unknown if he will be able to enter.

Unless otherwise decided, he should not participate in the conclave, and even in the Vatican statistics they count him as a non-elector cardinal, despite being 76 years old.

However, the Vatican press office assured that all cardinals, including the former powerful substitute for the Vatican State, can participate in congregations, preparatory meetings, but that another thing is entering the conclave.

In 2020, Francisco suspended it, stripping it of the “rights associated with the cardinal’s rate” after his involvement in financial irregularities became known.

But he did not suspend his duties and among those that correspond to a cardinal is the election of a new pope, analysts explain.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

“The pope recognized my cardinal prerogatives as intact since there was no explicit will to exclude me from the conclave or request for my explicit resignation in writing,” Becciu told the newspaper ‘Unione Sarda’ on Tuesday.

Surely the question of Becciu’s participation will be one of the arguments that will be discussed in the congregations of cardinals, the preparatory meetings of the conclave.

Becciu, the first cardinal tried by a Vatican criminal court, was also sentenced to “perpetual” disqualification from holding positions in the Holy See.

The scandal broke out when the purchase of a building in the heart of London, on Sloane Avenue, a former headquarters of the Harrods galleries in the exclusive Chelsea neighborhood, transcended.

In addition, during the process other financial crimes allegedly committed by Becciu arose, such as the donations of 125,000 euros that the cardinal entered into the account of an association, linked to the Sardinian Caritas of Ozieri, his hometown, and that at that time was presided over by one of his brothers.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

In the conclave, in which 135 cardinals will enter, if Becciu is not counted, there are also two peculiar cases.

Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo of Burkina Faso, had as his date of birth January 25, 1945 in the new papal yearbook of 2024, although the eightieth birthday is postponed to December 31, so he will be able to enter the Sistine Chapel, revealed the Hendro Munsterman of the media Nederlands Dagblad.

A few months ago, the newspaper of the Italian Episcopal Conference, Avvenire, also highlighted a precedent, that of the Kenyan John Njue, whose birth had been corrected from 1944 to 1946: he would also still be an elector in a possible conclave.

The Dutch journalist asked Ouédraogo: “In my town there were no hospitals or schools. I was born at home and they didn’t give me a date of birth,” said the cardinal.

“Some documents may have arrived,” they said from the Vatican press office.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

International

IEA warns Middle East conflict could spark worst energy crisis in decades

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East could trigger the worst energy crisis in decades, warned Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), who described the situation as “very serious.”

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, Birol compared the current scenario to the oil crises of the 1970s, noting that during those events the world lost around five million barrels of oil per day in each crisis.

“Today, we have lost 11 million barrels per day—more than the two major oil shocks combined,” he said.

The Turkish economist referred to the conflict that began on February 28, following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, which have significantly disrupted global energy markets and driven oil prices higher.

Birol warned that the global economy is facing a “very, very serious threat” and expressed hope that the crisis will be resolved soon.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

“No country will be immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues in this direction. Global efforts are urgently needed,” he emphasized.

International

Colombian Air Force Hercules plane crashes during takeoff with troops onboard

A Lockheed C-130 Hercules operated by the Colombian Air Force was involved in a “tragic accident” while taking off from Puerto Leguízamo, in the Putumayo department of southern Colombia, as it was transporting troops, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez reported on Monday.

The minister stated on social media that the exact number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined. He also extended his condolences to the families affected and urged the public to avoid speculation until official information is confirmed.

“This is a deeply painful event for the country. Our prayers are with the victims and their families,” Sánchez said, adding that emergency protocols have been activated and an investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro expressed hope that there would be no fatalities in what he described as a “horrific accident that should not have happened.”

Petro also highlighted ongoing efforts to modernize the country’s air fleet and reiterated the need to acquire new helicopters and transport aircraft to strengthen military mobility, particularly in remote regions.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

According to local media reports, approximately 110 soldiers were on board the aircraft. So far, at least 20 injured military personnel have been rescued.

International

Paris prosecutors alert U.S. over alleged deepfake strategy linked to Elon Musk

The Paris Prosecutor’s Office said on Saturday that it had alerted authorities in the United States over suspicions that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk may have encouraged the spread of sexualized deepfake content on the social platform X to artificially boost the company’s valuation.

According to prosecutors, the controversy surrounding explicit AI-generated videos—reportedly linked to Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence system—may have been deliberately triggered to increase the market value of X and X AI.

The office added that the alleged strategy could be tied to the planned June 2026 public listing of a new entity formed through the merger of SpaceX and X AI.

French authorities said they contacted the U.S. Department of Justice as well as legal representatives at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) earlier this week to share their concerns.

Responding on X in French to a report about the case, Musk referred to French prosecutors using an offensive term.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

When contacted, X’s legal representative in France did not immediately comment.

Grok, the platform’s AI system, has its own account on X, allowing users to interact with it or request content generation. For a period, users were able to tag the bot in posts to generate or edit images, a feature that may have facilitated the spread of such material.