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  • JUST IN: Vatican Reveals Pope’s Last Wishes, Cause Of Death

    Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke that led to a coma and “irreversible” heart failure, according to his death certificate released by the Vatican.

    His passing comes nearly a month after being discharged from a five-week hospital stay where he was treated for pneumonia.

    The Vatican made the announcement Monday, accompanied by the release of the Pope’s final testament, in which he detailed his final wishes regarding his burial.

    In the handwritten document, Pope Francis expressed a deep and lifelong devotion to the Virgin Mary and requested to be buried at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome. His wish is a departure from tradition, as many of his predecessors are buried at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

    “As I sense the approaching twilight of my earthly life, and with firm hope in eternal life, I wish to set out my final wishes solely regarding the place of my burial,” the Pope wrote.

    He noted that Saint Mary Major had long held personal significance, as it was his custom to pray there at the beginning and end of every apostolic journey.

    His wish is for a simple tomb, without ornamentation, bearing only the Latin inscription “Franciscus”. The tomb is to be placed in the side aisle between the Pauline Chapel and the Sforza Chapel, as outlined in a plan attached to his testament.

    The Pope also noted that the cost of the burial would be covered by a benefactor and that arrangements had already been made with Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, Commissioner of the Liberian Basilica.

    He concluded his testament with a message of peace, saying, “The suffering that has marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord for peace in the world and fraternity among peoples.”

    Pope Francis served as the 266th pontiff and was the first Jesuit and Latin American pope.

    JUST IN: Vatican Reveals Pope’s Last Wishes, Cause Of Death is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

    Source: The Whistler

  • There’s a new kind of American whiskey, and distillers are buzzing about it – Paradise Post

    More than a dozen whiskey-filled oak barrels sit on racks inside Ironton Distillery’s production facility in Denver. Most of it won’t be ready to drink for a while — it needs to age for two years — but when it is, this whiskey will be bottled and labeled as “American single malt.”

    Colorado distillers are raising a toast to this new standard of identity for domestic whiskey, one that formally defines what ingredients can be used and how American single malt should be made. Instituted in December by the federal alcohol regulators, the designation joins vaunted labels like bourbon, rye and Irish Whiskey. This is the first time since 1968 that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has added a new one.

    While U.S. distilleries have been making single malt spirits for a long time, local whiskey producers believe the designation will allow them to better compete with powerhouses like Scotland and Japan. They are also confident that Colorado can take the lead in popularizing American single malt, thanks to the state’s strong beer heritage, which has cultivated a generation of distillers familiar with using its base ingredient, one that is frequently grown here as well.

    “Colorado was and is at the forefront of craft beer in the country. We have a lot of people like me, who were brewers, who understand malt and who started distilling and making malt whiskey,” said Craig Engelhorn, co-founder and master distiller at Spirit Hound Distillers in Lyons. “Just like we were pioneers in the ’90s with craft beer, we’re pioneers now with malt whiskey.”

    A bottle of Ironton Distillery’s Colorado Straight Single Malt Whiskey at Ironton Distillery in Denver on April 2, 2025. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

    Creating a category

    The TTB defines American single malt whiskey as a beverage made from 100% malted barley that is mashed, distilled and matured in the U.S.

    It must be aged in oak barrels that are a maximum of 700 liters (185 gallons) and bottled at least 40% alcohol by volume. While the spirit is required to be distilled entirely at one distillery, the definition leaves room for companies to either make it in-house or source it from another producer.

    The parameters were largely informed by whiskey producers, who spent the nine years lobbying regulators. The movement started in 2016, when Steve Hawley, then working at Seattle’s Westland Distillery, convened with eight other spirit makers at a Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago. The group’s objective: To find consensus about what makes American single malt whiskeys distinct.

    The meeting took roughly one hour and catalyzed the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission, which took the lead advocating for the code update on behalf of U.S. producers. (The spelling of “whiskey” differs across organizations. (The TTB uses “whisky” in its American single malt definition, but for clarity, The Denver Post will spell the word as “whiskey” in this story.)

    Hawley, who serves as president of the commission, submitted a formal petition to regulators shortly after that initial meeting. As the rulemaking process inched forward over the years, the organization worked to “spread the gospel” of American single malt whiskey, rallying distillers, maltsters and liquor stores around its cause. Today, it boasts 113 members.

    What galvanized so many producers, Hawley said, was an opportunity to level the playing field between American-made spirits and the world’s most coveted Scotch and Japanese single malts.

    “America has been known for bourbon for such a long time, but it’s not the only kind of whiskey that’s being made here,” Hawley said. American single malt “stands toe to toe with Scotch whiskey, Japanese whiskey and whiskey being made all over the world.

    “I think what you’ll find with American single malt whiskey is, in a broad sense, a very intentional approach to be distinct — to have our own voice in the world of single malt,” he added, “not just be a copy of Scotch or to replicate what other people are doing.”

    Head distiller Laura Walters works at Ironton Distillery in Denver on April 2, 2025. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
    Head distiller Laura Walters works at Ironton Distillery in Denver on April 2, 2025. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

    Colorado’s role

    Malted barley is the primary ingredient used to make beer and the majority of whiskeys, and many local distillers transitioned to the spirits industry after cutting their chops at breweries.

    That means local drinkers have access to some of the best single malt whiskeys in the country, said Spirit Hound’s Englehorn, who helped develop the original recipe for Dale’s Pale Ale in the early 2000s while he was a brewer at Oskar Blues.

    Spirit Hound sells six different single malts, including one called Colorado Honey, which is finished in barrels used to store local honey. It was awarded the title of American Single Malt Whiskey of the Year at the 2024 London Spirits Competition.

    It’s not only the technique that sets Colorado single malt whiskey apart, however. Many craft distillers use locally grown barley, which gives their spirits a sense of place and showcases the Rocky Mountain terroir, said Justin Aden, head blender at Stranahan’s in Denver.

    Stranahan’s has been making exclusively single malt whiskey since it was founded in 2004. Every spirit starts with the same base recipe: A 100% malted two-row barley mash that’s fermented off the grain husks, distilled and then aged for at least four years in new American white oak barrels. After that, Aden gets to have some fun concocting various flavors by finishing the spirits in different casks – like those previously used for sherry or rum – and by blending different ages together for complexity.

    But what makes Stranhan’s whiskey distinct is the Colorado grains, most of which are grown on the Front Range, Aden said. He expects distilleries in other states to use their own barley in single malt whiskeys as well, in order to highlight local agricultural communities. (That’s why the growth of American single malt whiskey is a potential boon for farmers, Engelhorn said.)

    “There’s a whole bunch of varietals of barley that grow in different regions of the country better than others,” Aden said. “That’s a really fun thing for whiskey geeks to discover.”

    To commemorate the new federal designation, Stranahan’s will soon debut a new blend called Founder’s Release. The 12-year-old whiskey is one of its oldest and highest-proof expressions, clocking in at 60% alcohol by volume. It’s expected to be available for sale in late spring for $199.99.

    Distillery dog Ludo, a golden retriever, lies in the sunshine next to oak barrels with aging whiskey at Ironton Distillery in Denver on April 2, 2025. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
    Distillery dog Ludo, a golden retriever, lies in the sunshine next to oak barrels with aging whiskey at Ironton Distillery in Denver on April 2, 2025. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

    Flavor and creativity

    What most excites Ironton head distiller Laura Walters is the opportunity for creativity and innovation. The single malt definition mandates that distillers use 100% malted barley, but it doesn’t specify what kind or how it is roasted, which creates room for experimentation.

    For example, her flagship American Straight Malt Whiskey features 60% specialty malts roasted to various levels, drawing out different sugars and flavors. But a recipe Walters developed for Colorado State University athletics featured a different ratio of base malts and specialty malts, which created an entirely new flavor profile.

    The freedom to design a mash bill like this, plus the ability to leverage barrels and even elevation, means there’s an almost endless well of flavor combinations to play with. “Everybody talks about terroir in wine, but it’s definitely a thing with whiskey, too,” she said. “Even in our state alone, a barrel that is aged at Denver’s level is going to be totally different than a barrel in Aspen.”

    Or even in the Boulder County town of Louisville, where Ironton Distillery is moving its production at some point in the next few years.

    So, how will American single malt sell? Hawley said he hopes to see new sections at liquor stores denoting the style to help customers more easily identify it. But one of the best ways to try the local tipples remains bellying up where they’re made.

    “Go out there, try new single malts, support local distilleries,” Walters said. “It’s an exciting time.”

    Originally Published:

    Source: Paradise Post

  • City of the Wolves on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox and Steam Deck











    Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is now available in early access, and you should check out our big review for Fatal Fury’s return if you haven’t already.






    Although the game’s only been out a matter of hours now, there’s already input lag test results for City of the Wolves to take a gander at to see which versions have the most / least.









    Latency expert Nigel ‘Noodalls’ Woodall has run a bunch of tests on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and the Steam Deck.


    Using his phototransistor testing method, he was able to put all of the versions through the ringer with some clear differences in where you play.


    Starting with the newest hardware, the PS5 Pro came in at 79.29 ms of latency, which equates to 4.96 frames of lag from when you press a button to when the game registers it on screen.


    This is actually the highest amount of any system interestingly, but the regular PS5 is right there too at 79.14 ms or 4.95 frames.




    The last generation version actually performed better at 65.09 ms or 4.07 frames on the regular PS4 and 60.9 ms on the PS4 Pro or 3.8 frames.


    Said difference could be in part due to the PS4 version running without any V-Sync option, which also means that version of Fatal Fury also has quite a bit of screen tearing as a trade off.


    The way to actually get the least amount of lag, however, appears to be running the last gen version on the new systems.


    Using the PS4 version on the PS5 produced results of 51.88 ms or 3.24 frames, but things can be even better on the most expensive hardware.


    Despite its native test results, the PS5 Pro clocked in at just 46.4 ms or 2.9 frames of input lag when running the PS4 version.


    So that seems to be your clear winner in terms of getting the least amount of latency possible.


    As for the Xbox Series X|S, it did manage to put up better numbers than the PS5 version of the game.



    Both Xboxes clocked in nearly identically with the Series X coming in at 60.51 ms / 3.78 frames of latency, so it’s only getting beat out by the PS4 on PS5 option.


    Noodalls also ran two different tests on the Steam Deck to get preliminary results on the PC version that came to some interesting conclusions too.


    Contrary to what you’d likely expect, running Fatal Fury with V-Sync on actually produced slightly lower latency at 61.72 ms / 3.86 frames.


    That is compared to V-Sync off, which came in at 66.16 ms / 4.14 frames.


    There are currently no tests run on a standard PC yet, but we’ll update you if those become available soon from Noodalls.


    Overall, it seems Fatal Fury falls in line with what we’ve been seeing out of many / most fighting games the past few generations though the PS5 version is a bit higher than the rest of the pack, which is also not unusual to see in the realm of fighting games.










    Source: Event Hubs

  • US bishops honor Pope Francis' legacy in hours after his death

    Pope Francis, who died April 21 at age 88, “will long be remembered for his outreach to those on the margins of the Church and of society,” Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement shared in the first hours after the pope’s death.

    “He renewed for us the mission to bring the Gospel out to the ends of the earth and offer divine mercy to all. He has also taken advantage of the present Jubilee to call us to a profound hope: one that is not an empty or naïve hope, but one grounded in the promise of Almighty God to be with us always,” Archbishop Broglio wrote.

    Bishops around the United States began issuing tributes to Pope Francis and his 12-year pontificate shortly after the news of his death April 21, Easter Monday. He died at the Vatican 7:35 a.m. Rome time.

    Pope Francis had been recovering from pneumonia and respiratory infections after having been released from Rome’s Gemelli hospital March 23 following more than five weeks of treatment.

    Bishops pointed to Pope Francis’ historic and key contributions and shared their personal appreciations.

    “Even with his roots in the Piedmont region of Italy, the first Pope from our American Continent was marked by his experience as a Jesuit and a shepherd in Buenos Aires. He brought that experience and vision with him to his ministry for the universal Church,” said Archbishop Broglio, who is also head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services. “Recently, he expressed anew prayerful hope in his letter of support to the Bishops of this country in our attempts to respond to the face of Christ in the migrant, poor, and unborn. In fact, he has always used the strongest and clearest expressions in the defense of the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death.”

    Nodding to the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope Pope Francis inaugurated Dec. 24, Archbishop Broglio said he last saw the pope at the Jubilee Mass for the Armed Forces, Police and Security Personnel, held at the Vatican Feb. 8-9, just days before the pope was admitted to the hospital Feb. 14.

    Standing in New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where a portrait of Pope Francis was flanked by lit candles alongside an empty chair draped with purple and white stoles, Cardinal Timothy P. Dolan of New York shared informal reflections on Pope Francis during a morning Mass.

    “Beyond the sorrow, the sadness that we feel at the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, we express our faith in the resurrection of Jesus,” he said before the Mass’ opening prayer. In his homily, he called attention to Pope Francis’ last public words being his Easter blessing.

    “Yes we are sad, but we are filled with Easter joy,” Cardinal Dolan said. “When we believers are kind of a little lost and don’t know quite what to do, we always rely on prayer. Here we are, this second day of Easter, this Easter Monday, hearing the news of our Holy Father passing over. Here we are at the greatest prayer of all, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which we offer, asking the Lord’s mercy on his immortal soul, thanking God for the gift that he was to us, and asking for consolation upon God’s family.”

    Washington’s new archbishop, Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, said the church and the world “have lost a true shepherd of souls, a beacon of unwavering hope, and a voice of penetrating truth. From the very first moments of his service to the universal Church, Pope Francis enshrined the mercy of God at the heart of his proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In doing so, he illuminated with new depth the pastoral dimension of the Church’s mission, which is rooted first in embracing love rather than in judgment.”

    “Pope Francis’s vision of a synodal Church — the people of God journeying together, nourished by Word and Sacrament, missionary in its outreach, including all and animated by the participation of all, constantly renewing itself in the light of the Gospel,” he continued, “stands as an enduring legacy of Pope Francis in his fidelity to the Second Vatican Council and its call to preach the Gospel in the modern world. It provides a clear foundation for the journey of God’s people in the years which are to come.’

    “May Pope Francis be with Christ!” said Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, Cardinal McElroy’s predecessor, We commend his great soul to the Merciful Father of us all. His devoted service to Christ’s Church and to our entire world is a legacy that will endure for ages to come. He presented the compassionate face of a pastor as he exercised the Petrine Office. People felt close to him and therefore closer to our Church. May the Lord reward him for his ministry as Shepherd in the likeness of Jesus.”

    Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, joined in mourning the passing of the pope “with profound sorrow and heartfelt gratitude.” He described Francis as “a shepherd who walked closely with God’s people and never tired of reminding us of God’s mercy. He was a man of deep faith, profound humility, and unshakable hope — a servant whose tireless call to care for the poor and the marginalized will continue to inspire the Church for generations to come.”

    “Let us give thanks for his life, his witness, and his love for the People of God. And may we honor his memory by building a Church that reflects the face of Jesus — merciful, welcoming, and always near to those on the margins,” the cardinal added.

    Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago called Pope Francis’ death “a moment of profound loss for me personally and for the Church.”

    “The finest memorial we can offer is to re-form our hearts as Pope Francis asked — to see our brothers and sisters, to listen to them and to offer our prayers and actions that all may experience the fullness of God’s promise,” said Cardinal Cupich, who served in several Vatican dicasteries under Pope Francis. “As we mourn his passing, I ask that God comfort us, but also strengthen us to remain steadfast in carrying on the work of restoring our Church’s place in the world as a source of hope and an advocate for those in need.”

    Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, retired archbishop of Galveston Houston, said Pope Francis’ “intense focus on accompanying all men and women of goodwill in their joys and sorrows will continue to have a lasting impact on the Church as she continues her own pilgrim journey of faith.”

    “As the Church comes together to mourn and pray for the soul of His Holiness, let us commend him to the loving embrace of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redeemer, to whom he had such loving devotion,” the cardinal said in a statement he issued on behalf of himself, his successor, Archbishop Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez, Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, and the priests, deacons, men and women religious, and lay faithful.

    Archbishop Richard G. Henning of Boston said that Pope Francis’ “legacy as Holy Father is broad and deep” and his example “remains a guiding light to the Universal Church.”

    “In his ministry and across his writings, he has continuously called us to deeper faith and to a more generous participation in the boundless compassion of God,” Archbishop Henning, whom Pope Francis last year appointed to succeed Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley as leader of the Boston Archdiocese, wrote in a statement. “He has challenged us to turn away from selfish impulses and towards communion with others and respect for God’s creation.”

    Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh praised Pope Francis’ pontificate, writing, “Pope Francis led the Church with extraordinary humility, compassion, and courage. He reminded us that mercy is at the heart of the Gospel, and he consistently called us to encounter one another with tenderness and care — especially the poor, the suffering, and the forgotten. His voice echoed far beyond the walls of the Church, inviting people of all backgrounds to walk together in peace, justice, and love.”

    In his personal encounters with Pope Francis, he said, “what struck me most was not just the dignity of his office, but the warmth of his heart.”

    “His attention to each person, his gentle spirit, and his genuine kindness left a lasting impression on me and so many others,” Bishop Zubik continued in his April 21 statement. “He was a shepherd who smelled like his sheep — and the world is better for it.”

    Bishop David J. Walkowiak of Grand Rapids, Michigan, one of the first bishops Pope Francis appointed during his pontificate, said in a statement, “Pope Francis sought to break down barriers and draw people into an encounter with Christ in the Catholic Church.”

    “Like Jesus, he served those whom the world often considered outcasts. He challenged priests to be shepherds with the ‘smell of the sheep,’ and constantly reminded us of the dignity of the unborn, migrants and refugees, and prisoners,” he said. “He was a man of action, ministering to the homeless in Rome, visiting refugee camps, and washing the feet of prisoners. His pastoral heart, use of relatable language, and witness to serving people on the margins stand as an example for all people.”

    Archbishop Robert G. Casey of Cincinnati, who was installed April 3, also pointed to the Jubilee Year and its call for hope as he marked Pope Francis’ death.

    “As we commend a good and faithful servant to God, let us remember that Pope Francis proclaimed 2025 as a Jubilee Year of Hope — awakening us to Christ, who is alive and present in our midst,” he wrote, adding Psalm 27:14: “Hope in the Lord! Hold firm, take heart, and hope in the Lord!”

    “May we, then, be filled with hope — hope that Pope Francis will receive the reward of a life poured out in selfless service and love for God’s people and all creation; hope that Christ, who comforts us in our mourning, will send the Holy Spirit to be our Helper; and hope that this same Spirit will inspire and unite us as the Church to stand firm in faith, proclaiming the power of the Resurrection and the joy of the Gospel,” Archbishop Casey said.

    Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami recalled that one of Pope Francis’ first actions after his election was a pastoral trip outside Rome to African migrants who had washed ashore in their boat at Lampedusa, a small Italian island. “He never tired of defending the displaced migrant nor embracing the marginalized or excluded,” Archbishop Wenski said.

    At a time when “scandals had undermined people’s trust in society’s institutions, whether political, academic, economical or religious,” the archbishop said, the pope “defied the institutional ‘norms’ of the Papal court: he carried his own valise, refused to be chauffeured in limousines, and eschewed symbols of pomp and circumstance, living not in the Apostolic Palace but in a room at the Vatican’s ‘hotel.’ In this way, he inspired many to give the Church a second look.”

    In an X post, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone said Pope Francis had the “heart of a pastor.” “A pastor always wants to be with his people,” he said, adding, “So many will miss this man.”

    “Just yesterday, he greeted the crowds in Rome, as if to say farewell to the People of God whom he loved so dearly and served so devotedly,” Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori said in a statement. He said the pope’s designation of 2025 as a Jubilee of Hope “focused on the hope that is ours in Christ Jesus, was a much needed tonic for church and world. … Often the Holy Father would ask visitors to pray for him. I am sure he would want us to pray for him now that he may rest in the peace of the Risen Lord.”

    “From his many apostolic visits around the globe to be among his flock, to his inspiring teachings, to his consistent call for peace and social justice,” Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez said, “Pope Francis invited all people to encounter the person of Jesus Christ fully and to serve their brothers and sisters with love and humility as instruments of grace. The life and Petrine Ministry of Pope Francis was a true blessing to the world. May his example bring us to embrace God’s plan for each of us to serve Christ’s Church on earth as Missionary Disciples.”

    Pope Francis, by his example, “touched the untouchables, embraced those from whom many recoil, and spoke directly in an understandable language, trying to reach a world in turmoil,” said Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. “For many he brought God closer. I am most grateful for his call to the world to pray for peace and justice in Ukraine. He did so hundreds of times — more so than any world leader. His summons was heard on all continents.”

    The archbishop said that during his “privileged personal encounters” with Francis, he always found the pontiff “to be open and ever-joyful despite the heavy responsibilities he carried and the intractable global problems that he faced.”

    Phoenix Bishop John P. Dolan said the pope was a man who “truly listened — not only to the faithful within the Church but to people of all faiths and goodwill. He reminded us that even those without faith in God could offer their kind thoughts, and he humbly welcomed them.”

    He said he was particularly moved by Francis’ “deep concern for the oppressed, the poorest of the poor, and those who struggle with mental health. His witness to Christ’s love and mercy brought hope to so many who felt forgotten.”

    Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, said, “The Holy Father consistently emphasized care for our common home and human fraternity: the need to see one another as brothers and sisters. We would do well to learn from his wisdom.”

    “As a pastor, Pope Francis was committed to leading our Church in a synodal way, urging all pastors to accompany their flocks — especially the poor and marginalized — as we minister to a world in desperate need of Christ’s peace and love,’ said Archbishop Charles C. Thompson of Indianapolis. “Pope Francis had an unwavering passion and devotion to the faith, to the Church and to the people of God everywhere.”

    Many bishops ended their statements with traditional prayers for the repose of Pope Francis’ soul and hope for his eternal rest.

    “The passage from this life of the Bishop of Rome calls us to pray for his eternal rest and to continue on our path to a deeper union with the Lord Jesus,” Archbishop Broglio said, noting how all the bishops were uniting in prayer for them. “We remember his leadership in inspiring nations, organizations, and individuals to a renewed commitment to care for each other and our common home.”

    “Even as pope, he didn’t put himself ahead of others, but embodied the term ‘servant leader,’” said Bishop Edward C. Malesic of Cleveland. “I ask all the faithful to pray for the peaceful repose of the soul of Pope Francis. May Pope Francis rest in the love and peace of Christ.”

    In Texas, Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville posted on X, “With profound gratitude for the life and Petrine ministry of Pope Francis, For his unflinching desire to give himself to the mission, ‘hasta que Dios diga.’ With great sorrow at his passing: ‘The souls of the just are in the hands of God,’ May he rest in peace from his labors.”

    “It is fitting that the Lord has called Pope Francis to Himself on this first day of the Easter season,” said Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile, Alabama. “With faith in the Lord’s promise of eternal life, we entrust our Holy Father to the love and mercy of God. May the Lord welcome Pope Francis home with those words found in the Bible: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

    Maria Wiering is the Senior Writer for OSV News.

    Source: Angelus News

  • Sales Representative at Landofgold Consult April, 2025

    Click Here To Apply

  • Team Manager: Sanlam Direct Cape (Bellville, Cape Town) x2 posts at Sanlam Group April, 2025



    Never pay for any CBT, test or assessment as part of any recruitment process. When in doubt, contact us

    Since our establishment in 1918, Sanlam has been a prominent part of the South African business landscape. We have always held a long-term view of how business adapts to the demands of the environment in which it operates. Today, in a dynamic world, we see an evolving set of social, economic, political and environmental imperatives that require our skilfu…



    Read more about this company

     





    Team Manager: Sanlam Direct Cape (Bellville, Cape Town) x2 posts




    What will you do?

    • This role takes responsibility for the day-to-day management of a team of Short-term Insurance Sales Consultants in the Contact Centre.  It is a first line management role that controls, manages and motivates the team of Sales Consultants including the monitoring and attainment of sales targets, staff productivity, quality and compliance adherence, staff development, training and coaching and general staff performance management and administration. 

    What will make you successful in this role?

    • Agreed set goals with team members covering performance, quality and development areas

    • Apply effective motivational techniques

    • Manage incentive budgets

    • Focus on career and skills development of team members

    • Resolve people-related problems e.g. conflict of interest, absenteeism and disciplinary matters

    • Vesting and training of new Consultants in the contact centre

    • Briefing and readiness to deliver on projects and campaigns

    • Drive the achievement of project and campaign targets

    • Escalate call resolution and provision of project and campaign related answers

    • Manage liaison with project and campaign management team

    • Manage and maintain focused and highly motivated team members

    • Coach and develop team into a high-performance culture

    • Manage staffing needs, productivity and quality

    • Monitor contribution to target (CTT) figures

    • Adherence to legislation

    • Manage capacity

    • Manage Complaints

    • Manage application of call structure guidelines

    Qualification & experience 

    • Matric (or equivalent qualification)

    • A relevant tertiary qualification will be an advantage

    • Minimum of 5 years team management experience and product knowledge in life and or short-term insurance

    • Minimum of at least 2 years experience in a call centre environment (Outbound)

    • Previous experience of quality and business processes

    • Previous sales experience with a proven track record of achieving target

    • Practical experience of IR processes is critical to the role



    Method of Application







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    Click Here To Apply

  • Gospel Artists are in Music to Make Money Just Like Afrobeats Stars – Spyro

    Nigerian singer, Spyro, recently sparked debate by saying gospel artists are in the business to make money just like Afrobeats stars. 

     

    On Hiptv’s Trending show, he stated; “The people that claim to be gospel artists or gospel ministers are just artists — they are in the business to make money just like us in the Afrobeats industry”.

     

    Fans reacted with mixed opinions. @MusicLover23 tweeted, “Finally, someone said it! Gospel artists work hard and deserve to be paid like any other musicians. It’s a business, not just a ministry.” 

     

    Another user, @NaijaBeatsFan, added, “Spyro is right. Producing gospel music involves costs and effort. Why should gospel artists not make money when Afrobeats stars do?” 

     

    Meanwhile, @FaithFirst commented, “Gospel music is about spreading God’s word, not chasing money. This kind of mindset could ruin the purity of the gospel.” 

     

    Similarly, @SpiritualVoice wrote, “I respect Spyro, but gospel artists should prioritise ministry over money. The focus should be on souls, not sales”.

     

    Spyro also praised female artists like Tems for maintaining decency despite industry pressure, saying, “There is a lot of pressure on female artists to do crazy things. Tems is holding it down decently yet she is one of the biggest female artists in the world right now. She is decent. She has it together”.

     

     

    Source: Linda Ikeji

  • APC chairman says party, N’Assembly collaborating on diaspora voting

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has revealed that the ruling party is working closely with the National Assembly to ensure Nigerians in the diaspora are able to vote in future elections.

    Ganduje made this statement during the unveiling of a new executive committee for the APC France chapter in Paris on Monday.

    According to a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, Ganduje said the party will collaborate with relevant agencies to achieve full political inclusion for Nigerians living abroad.

    The former governor of Kano State also assured the gathering that the APC in Nigeria is growing stronger. He emphasized that the party’s stability has led to a wave of defections from opposition parties in the lead-up to the 2027 elections.

    “We appreciate you for holding the banner of our party, expanding its membership, and supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, especially in light of the critical reforms he is undertaking,” Ganduje stated. He further added, “There is now more funding for capital development, and both governors and local government chairmen can attest to this. There is peace in the APC, unlike in other parties that are battling internal crises. Because of this enabling environment, many are decamping to our party, including senators, members of the House of Representatives, State Assembly members, and other notable political figures. Our party respects its constitution and practices internal democracy.”

    Read also: NPFL: Remo Stars boost title hopes with win, Rivers Utd keep chase

    Ganduje also expressed his optimism that the party and Nigerians will re-elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in the 2027 election.

    In her remarks, the newly sworn-in Chairperson of the APC France chapter, Hajjiya Amina Baba-Suzuki, acknowledged the significant economic and political contributions of Nigerians in the diaspora to the development of Nigeria.

    She advocated for stronger support for APC chapters in the diaspora, highlighting their role as mobilizers and promoters of Nigeria’s interests abroad.

    Ripples Nigeria reports that Nigerians in the diaspora have long been advocating for a legal framework that would allow them to exercise their right to vote, even while residing outside the country.

    In late 2024, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and Sadiq Abdullahi, a lawmaker representing Kano State, jointly sponsored a bill aimed at enabling qualified citizens living abroad to participate in elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission in Nigeria.

    The bill, which is still in its second reading stage, has been described by lawmakers as a crucial piece of legislation that could enhance Nigeria’s democratic standing.

     

    Source: Ripples Nigeria

  • ACA’s Preventive Services at Risk in Supreme Court Case

    An ideologically driven, little-known Supreme Court case could bring back pricey copays and gut essential health coverage. (Credit: Joe Ravi/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0)

    by Joseph Williams

    A group of public health experts warned on Thursday that a Supreme Court case set for arguments next week could lead to the end of a central, highly popular component of the Affordable Care Act — one that has improved a range of health outcomes for Black Americans.  

    The case hasn’t received widespread notice, but Braidwood Management v. Becerra has the potential to cause millions of Americans to avoid ACA-mandated free screening and services for preventable diseases, like diabetes or colon cancer. If that happens, the experts said, things will almost certainly get worse in Black communities. 

    And Black women — who disproportionately rely on free prevention services — could be at particularly high risk.

    “Expect to see more heart disease, more lung cancer, more kidney disease in communities of color,” Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said after a joint press briefing Thursday. If low-income patients are forced to hand over a copay for cancer screening, he says, “people will receive less care, later in the course of their disease, at a higher cost and a higher death rate.”

    In turn, “the Black-white death gap, the Hispanic-white death gap will increase in those communities,” he says.

    Ideology Jeopardizes Public Health Progress

    At issue is a very narrow provision in the ACA that allows the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent entity convened by the federal government, to determine which preventive services private insurance policies must cover without cost-sharing. Braidwood, a private management company run by conservative Christians, objects to a task force recommendation that birth control, the HPV vaccination and devices and PrEP — a drug which prevents transmission of HIV — should be considered preventive treatments.

    In court filings, Braidwood contends that requirements to include those provisions “encourage homosexual behavior, intravenous drug use, and sexual activity outside of marriage between one man and one woman,” in violation of their religious beliefs. They want the court to rule that the task force’s role in determining preventive care is unconstitutional, a ruling that would effectively hollow out that part of the Affordable Care Act. 

    In the press call, Benjamin, along with Kathy Hempstead, a senior policy officer with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Dorianne Mason, director of health equity for the National Women’s Law Center, laid out what’s at stake in the case. All three agreed that people are less likely to pay for services they now get for free — even if those services are potentially life-saving. (Disclosure: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supports Word In Black’s health journalism.)

    “We know that since the preventive services requirement has occurred, millions more women have received preventive care,” Mason says. “That means cancer screenings are leading to early stage interventions, higher depression screenings have led to improvement of mental health symptoms. We know that contraception has also decreased unwanted pregnancies.”

    For insurers, early screenings and preventive care have reduced the costs they would have incurred down the road, says Mason: “It’s been a win-win, including $26 billion in annual savings from identifying cancer early and $19 billion saved annually from contraception.”

    Preventive Care Is an Equity and Justice Issue

    Still, “It’s important to note that access to preventive care is also a gender and racial justice issue and key to achieving health equity,” she says. “Data show that there have been larger increases in preventive services uptake among women of color compared to white women since the Affordable Care Act’s passage, and racial and ethnic health disparities have narrowed.”

    That includes a narrowing of the black-white gap among women in rates of heart disease, coronary disease, and utilization of mammograms to detect signs of breast cancer, Mason says. 

    Benjamin pointed out that, if free preventive care disappears, low-income communities will be affected the most. 

    “If you don’t have the 20 bucks to put down as a copayment, you’re less likely to get checked for lung cancer or colorectal cancer,” he says. The healthcare system, he says, will revert from one in which prevention is key to one that depends on treating diseases that are already here. Insurers will increase costs and revert to requiring copays [for currently free treatment], and consumers will seek less care.” 

    The problem, Benjamin says, is ideology is getting in the way of sound public health policy. 

    “It’s a shame they want to take away this service from millions of Americans,” he says, “based on this small number of people based on religious or ideological grounds.”

    Source: Seattle Medium

  • Real Madrid target release clause to be triggered by Manchester United


    Image Credits: Getty Images

    Manchester United are looking to beat Real Madrid to yet another young generational talent after the hijacking of Leny Yoro from LOCS Lille last summer.

    Yoro looked set for a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, however last minute, United swept in and lured the 18-year-old centre-back to Old Trafford where he’s established himself as a routine starter under Ruben Amorim.

    Now, United are looking to swoop for another of Marid’s target’s as their negotiations have fallen through.

    The pair of European giants, as well as many others, have been closely watching River Plate’s Franco Mastantuono with the aim of bringing him to Europe in the summer.

    However, a seemingly set move to the Spanish capital fell through, leaving the door open for Manchester United.

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    Manchester United look to trigger release clause for Franco Mastantuono

    Tribal Football has now revealed that The Red Devils are looking to trigger the 17-year-old’s £38 million release clause to bring him to Old Trafford at the end of the season.

    Mastantuono has already registered 53 appearances across two seasons for River Plate, with six goals and five assists playing in attacking midfield and on the right wing.

    His versatility is an incredible asset which Ruben Amorim is keen to secure at Old Trafford for the future of Manchester United, with other youngsters like Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham also being scouted for the future of the club.

    If United can seal a move for the Argentine, it’ll be yet another huge statement signing for the club to go along with Yoro, Patrick Dorgu, Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi, lining up United’s path back to their winning ways.

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    Source: Centred Devils