International

The pope lands in Singapore: from extreme poverty to one of the richest countries in the world

Pope Francis landed this Wednesday in the city-state of Singapore, one of the richest countries in the world, which will be a huge contrast to the realities of extreme poverty that he found in his previous stages of Papua New Guinea, and will mark the themes of his speeches in this last stage of his tour of Asia and Oceania.

After the meeting with the young people in Dili, the pope moved to Singapore on a flight of the Timorese company AirDili, which landed at 14:55 hours (6.55 GMT), and was received by the Minister of Culture, Edwin Tong.

Regarding the great presence of people in the streets of Dili waiting for the pope, the inhabitants of the frenetic business city, known as the “Pearl of Asia”, did not seem to notice the arrival of the pontiff.

Francis, the third pope who visits Singapore after Paul VI and John Paul II, will spend the rest of the day resting and will only have a private meeting with the members of the Society of Jesus.

On Thursday, the day will begin with the welcome ceremony, the meeting with the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and the authorities and will end with a mass at the ‘Singapore SportsHub’ in which about 55,000 people are expected, the capacity of the stadium.

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While on Friday this stage will conclude, of just over 24 hours, with a visit to a group of elderly and sick people in the ‘Santa Teresa’ House and then an interreligious meeting with young people at the ‘Catholic Junior College’ and then return to Rome.

Singapore has maintained diplomatic relations with the Holy See since 1981 and occupies the top positions in a large number of international indicators, both in terms of quality of life, personal security or education and is the fourth richest country in the world in relation to the purchasing power of its inhabitants, after Qatar, Luxembourg and Macau.

The Catholic population of Singapore, which currently has around 395,000 faithful, represents about 3% of its inhabitants and the majority, 70%, are of Chinese origin. The city State is closely linked to the figure of the Spanish saint St. Francis Javier, who arrived among the first evangelizers to these lands, where Francis will highlight tolerance and multiculturalism.

As the nunciature is very small, Francisco will reside in the ‘San Francisco Javier Retreat Center’, a house in the diocese intended for training activities.

Not only the wealth of the country, but also the fact that it is one of the largest technological and financial centers in the world will inspire Francis’ speeches on the use of technologies at the service of man. The pope could also refer to the application of the death penalty in the country, which the Catholic Church strongly condemns.

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International

Bill Gates Admits “Serious Mistake” Over Epstein Ties

Bill Gates acknowledged he made a “serious mistake” by associating with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, telling employees at his philanthropic organization that he regretted the relationship and its impact on the foundation’s work. He also admitted to having had affairs with two Russian women but denied any involvement in Epstein’s criminal activities.

The Microsoft co-founder is among several high-profile figures mentioned in documents from the so-called Epstein files released by the U.S. Department of Justice. The records reference personal associations, financial dealings and private communications involving Epstein’s network.

During a staff-wide meeting at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Tuesday, a recording of which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Gates said he regretted spending time with Epstein and arranging meetings between foundation executives and the financier.

“It was a big mistake to spend time with Epstein,” Gates told employees, adding that the association had harmed the foundation’s reputation.

In a draft email released by the Justice Department, Epstein claimed that Gates had engaged in extramarital relationships. The message alleged that their interactions ranged from assisting Gates in obtaining drugs to cope with personal matters to facilitating meetings with married women.

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Gates, 70, acknowledged during the internal meeting that he had two affairs but firmly denied any connection to Epstein’s crimes.

The revelations come amid renewed scrutiny over Epstein’s network of prominent contacts following the public release of investigative files.

International

Stephen Hawking Photo Appears in Newly Released Epstein Documents

A previously unseen image of renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has surfaced among documents recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of its investigation into financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The photograph shows the British scientist, who died in 2018 at age 76, smiling while seated between two women wearing swimsuits in what appears to be a beach setting. In the image, Hawking appears to be holding a drink while reclining on a sun lounger.

The exact context of the photo — including the date and location — has not been officially confirmed. However, it is known that Hawking attended a scientific conference funded by Epstein in March 2006 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where several academics participated in events and activities organized by the financier prior to his criminal charges.

No Allegations Against Hawking

Hawking’s appearance in the files does not imply involvement in illegal or inappropriate conduct, and there are no formal charges linking him to any criminal activity in connection with the Epstein case.

The physicist is mentioned in numerous documents, primarily in relation to his participation in academic events associated with Epstein’s efforts to build connections with prominent figures in the scientific community.

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The release of the files has prompted renewed public interest in the scope of Epstein’s network, though inclusion in the documents alone does not indicate wrongdoing.

International

Larry Summers Steps Down from Harvard Role Amid Epstein Controversy

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has resigned from his academic post at Harvard University due to his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the university said Wednesday.

Summers, who led the U.S. Treasury Department under former President Bill Clinton and later served as president of Harvard in the early 2000s, appeared in Justice Department files related to Epstein as having maintained extensive exchanges with the late financier.

According to a university statement, “Harvard Kennedy School Dean Jeremy Weinstein has accepted the resignation of Professor Lawrence H. Summers from his role as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government,” noting that the decision was connected to the Epstein case.

Meanwhile, Clinton is scheduled to testify Friday before a congressional committee regarding the Epstein matter. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to appear before the panel on Thursday.

The development marks another high-profile repercussion stemming from renewed scrutiny surrounding Epstein’s network of associations.