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| Cardinals Arrive at Vatican Before Papal Conclave - Voice of America Posted: 11 Mar 2013 11:22 AM PDT Catholic cardinals gathered at the Vatican for their last pre-conclave talks Monday, the day before they seal themselves into the Sistine Chapel to elect a successor to Pope Benedict. The conclave is due to begin Tuesday and will involve 115 cardinal-electors. They are expected to vote until one man receives at least a two-thirds majority, or 77 votes. Cardinals must be under 80 to vote. The centuries-old tradition of choosing the new leader of the world's Catholics is cloaked in secrecy, and no clear favorite has emerged to take the helm of the Church. Some reports are speculating that Milan Archbishop Angelo Scola and Brazilian Pedro Odilo Scherer are top contenders. Others are pointing to Cardinal Timothy Dolon of New York and Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston. Over the past several days the Cardinals have been holding closed-door meetings in Rome to discuss the challenges that the next pope will face and vet possible candidates for the post. Also under discussion are the child sex abuse scandals involving priests, and allegations of cover-ups by bishops, which have shaken confidence in the church. Pope Benedict surprised the world last month, when after eight years in office he became the first Roman Catholic Church leader in 600 years to step down voluntarily. The cardinals will officially enter the conclave at 5:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday. The first possible smoke sighting from the Sistine Chapel chimney should emerge around 7:00 p.m. Black smoke from the burned ballot papers means a pope has not been chosen -- white smoke means the new pontiff has been elected. There will be no more than four votes per day. |
| US imposing new sanctions on North Korean bank: Obama aide - Reuters Posted: 11 Mar 2013 11:19 AM PDT Tom Donilon stands as U.S. President Barack Obama announces the resignation of National Security Advisor James Jones in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, October 8, 2010. Credit: Reuters/Larry Downing NEW YORK | (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury is imposing sanctions against North Korea's Foreign Trade Bank, the country's main foreign exchange institution, for its role in supporting Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, President Barack Obama's national security adviser said on Monday. In a speech to the Asia Society in New York, the White House aide, Tom Donilon, also said China should not conduct "business as usual" with North Korea while Pyongyang threatens its neighbors. "The United States will not accept North Korea as a nuclear state," Donilon said in prepared remarks. "Nor will we stand by while it seeks to develop a nuclear-armed missile that can target the United States." He said Washington was willing to negotiate with North Korea but insisted that it must first take "meaningful steps" to meet its international obligations. The Treasury Department said it was designating for sanctions three individuals in connection with the Foreign Trade Bank: Pak To-Chun, Chu Kyu-Chang and O Kuk-Ryol. It also sanctioned Paek Se-Bong, chairman of North Korea's Second Economic Committee. "North Korea uses FTB to facilitate transactions on behalf of actors linked to its proliferation network, which is under increasing pressure from recent international sanctions," the Treasury said in a statement. (Reporting By Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Christopher Wilson) |
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