INTERNACIONAL
Who could be the next pope?
Pope Francis, 88, the oldest pope in over a century, died Monday morning, though quiet discussions on who could succeed him have reportedly already begun.
While any male Catholic could in theory be chosen to sit in the papal seat, historically, succeeding popes have been selected from the Sacred College of Cardinals since 1378, according to Religion News Service.
Currently, there are 252 cardinals in the body who have been selected by the Holy Father to serve as his advisors and assistants.
Here is a look at some of the most likely forerunners to serve as the 267th pope, according to public reporting.
Pope Francis is seen delivering a homily during Mass with newly appointed cardinals. (Stefano Costantino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, Italy
Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, is the highest-ranking diplomat in the Holy See – which is the governing body of the Catholic Church – and is believed to be among the cardinals most likely to be elected to the top position.
His favor among cardinals in the Sacred College, who will vote on the next pope, is due to his politically moderate position and his career in diplomacy, reported The New York Post.
Parolin, who spent part of his career in Mexico and Nicaragua, was appointed by Pope Francis in 2014 and would likely be seen as an extension of the current papacy.
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The Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, attends the blessing ceremony of the newly opened reception and integration center for Ukrainian refugees during the Bishops’ Conference of Slovakia in Kosice, Slovakia, on Sept. 15, 2023. (Robert Nemeti/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, Philippines
Tagle is also believed to be a frontrunner among voting cardinals and serves as the pro-prefect for the section of first evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization, as well as president of the Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious.
He has been dubbed the «Asian Pope Francis» particularly for their similarities when it comes to their more embracing position of the LGBTQI community than their predecessors.
In a 2015 interview, Tagle said the Church’s «severe» position on the LGBTQI community, divorcees and single mothers was doing it harm.
According to the Catholic Herald, Tagle «would be hailed by liberals, given the changing demographic of the Church.»
Pope Francis greets Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle during a ceremonial welcome at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Sept. 4, 2024. (Tiziana FabiI/AFP via Getty Images)
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Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, Hungary
There are several conservative cardinals who are believed to be top contenders for the papacy, including Cardinal Peter Erdo, who has been critical of Francis’ position on divorce and immigration.
Erdo has argued that divorced or re-married Catholics should not be allowed to receive Holy Communion due to his position regarding the «indissolubility of marriage.»
The Catholic Herald pointed out that appointing a conservative pope following Francis’ tenure would «send a powerful message about the direction the Church would be taking.»
Erdo has also differed from Francis greatly on immigration and argued in 2015 that permitting refugees to resettle is tantamount to human trafficking.
Pope Francis greets the archbishop of Budapest, Cardinal Péter Erdő, after arriving in Budapest, Hungary, on April 28, 2023. (Vatican Media Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, 65, Democratic Republic of Congo
Another conservative cardinal thought to be a serious contender is Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu from the war-torn nation of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Membership of the Catholic Church in Africa is growing faster than anywhere else in the world, according to the Associated Press.
Congolese Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
The 65-year-old Ambongo controversially rejected Pope Francis’ blessing of same-sex couples by the Catholic Church. In a letter signed by other African priests, they said they refused to follow the pontiff’s declaration because such unions are «contrary to the will of God.»
Cardinal Raymond Burke, 76, United States of America
The Wisconsin native and former archbishop of St. Louis is considered to be the leading American candidate. The 76-year-old cardinal is also viewed as being from the conservative side of the Church.
Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke attends the Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals led by Pope Francis at the St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Vatican. (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)
He is a proponent of the Latin Mass, and has been critical of Pope Francis regarding the Church’s new language around artificial contraception, LGBT issues and civil marriages. Burke was made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 69, Italy
Pope Francis meets with Cardinal Matteo Zuppi during an audience at the Apostolic Palace on Aug. 24, 2023, in Vatican City. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
Zuppi was born in Rome. He is the president of the Italian Episcopal Conference and is viewed as an insider in Francis’ Vatican, having served as the archbishop of Bologna.
The 69-year-old Zuppi is seen as being one of Pope Francis’ favorites. He was sent on a peace mission in 2023 to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He was also sent to meet with President Joe Biden that same year.
Zuppi was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2019.
The Vote
Of the 252 cardinals in the Sacred College, only 138 are under the age of 80 and therefore are permitted to participate in the conclave, the papal election process – though there are no age limitations for the candidate who would serve as the future pope.
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Following the death of a pope, the conclave then holds a vote, and will continue to vote, until a pope is chosen by a two-thirds majority.
At that time, the ballots will be burned with a chemical that produces white smoke, as opposed to black smoke, to alert the world that a new pope has been chosen.
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Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…
– Trump admin readies for fight after judges block Abrego Garcia removal for now
– Thailand, Cambodia troops open fire on each other, killing at least 12
– Senate Republicans call on DOJ to appoint special counsel to probe Obama-Russia intel
Trump Privately Signs $9 Billion Clawback Package of Spending Cuts
President Donald Trump signed into law his roughly $9 billion rescissions package to scale back already approved federal funds for foreign aid and public broadcasting Thursday, after both chambers of Congress approved the legislation earlier in the month, sources familiar to the matter have confirmed.
The signing marks another legislative victory for the Trump administration just two weeks after the president signed into law his massive tax and domestic policy measure, dubbed the «big, beautiful bill.»
The rescissions package pulls back nearly $8 billion in funding Congress already approved for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a previously independent agency that provided impoverished countries aid and offered development assistance… READ MORE
President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to reporters as he walks on the South Lawn upon arriving at the White House on Sunday, July 13, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (AP/Jose Luis Magana)
White House
‘LAWLESS AND INSANE’: Trump admin readies for fight after judges block Abrego Garcia removal for now
CLASH OVER AUTHORITY: Trump foe Boasberg to grill DOJ over migrant flights in heated hearing
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World Stage
ACCOUNTABILITY TEST: Zelenskyy forced to rethink anti-corruption law after public backlash
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BORDER BATTLE ERUPTS: Thailand, Cambodia troops open fire on each other, killing at least 12
BEACH BLAST: Battle over the Black Sea: Russia, Ukraine strike top resort cities
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Capitol Hill
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ANTI-ANTISEMITISM: Pro-Israel Dem says those who won’t decry Hamas over Oct. 7 attack ‘have no business’ posing as humanitarians
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Across America
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Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
INTERNACIONAL
Estados Unidos ofrece una recompensa millonaria por siete norcoreanos acusados de financiar al régimen de Kim Jong-un
El Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos ofreció este jueves una recompensa de hasta quince millones de dólares por información que lleve al arresto o condena del norcoreano Sim Hyon-sop y de seis presuntos colaboradores, vinculados a actividades ilícitas para obtener divisas destinadas al régimen de Kim Jong-un, entre las cuales se destacan operaciones de contrabando y la compraventa ilegal de tabaco, con el objetivo de acceder a dólares estadounidenses y financiar entidades sancionadas por la ONU y Washington.
La recompensa se distribuye en diferentes montos: hasta siete millones de dólares por Sim Hyon-sop, hasta tres millones respectivamente por Myong Chol-Min y Kim Se-Un, y hasta 500.000 dólares por Ri Won-Ho, Kim Yong-Bok, Kim Chol-Min (alias “Jack”) y Ri Tong-Min (alias “Elvis”). El Departamento de Estado sostiene que los siete norcoreanos organizaban la compraventa internacional de tabaco de origen norcoreano, facilitando el ingreso de divisas al país asiático en violación de las sanciones vigentes.
El comunicado estadounidense detalla además que a Sim, junto a varios de sus colaboradores, se les atribuyen operaciones ilícitas relacionadas con el sector de las tecnologías de la información (TI). Según la información oficial, el régimen de Pyongyang envía a miles de trabajadores de TI al extranjero, en particular a Rusia y China, para gestionar proyectos y trabajos fraudulentos. Estas actividades incluyen operaciones de ciberdelincuencia, diseñadas para generar ingresos que contribuyen a la financiación de los programas de armas de destrucción masiva del régimen norcoreano.
En paralelo, el Departamento del Tesoro de Estados Unidos anunció sanciones contra la compañía Korea Sobaeksu Trading Company, señalando su rol como entidad reclutadora y coordinadora de trabajadores norcoreanos especializados en TI en el exterior, entre ellos envíos recientes a Vietnam. Las sanciones también afectan a tres ciudadanos norcoreanos implicados en planes ilegales destinados a la obtención de fondos para el régimen.
Según la administración estadounidense, estas redes operadas desde el extranjero otorgan a Corea del Norte acceso a sistemas tecnológicos avanzados, infraestructura financiera ilícita y facilitadores internacionales que apoyan la recaudación de fondos para organizaciones sancionadas, como el Departamento de Industria de Municiones y el Ministerio de Energía Atómica e Industria. Dichas instituciones cumplen un papel central en el desarrollo del programa nuclear y de misiles, foco de condena internacional.
El Departamento de Estado enfatizó que las medidas tomadas reflejan la determinación de la Administración de Donald Trump para enfrentar las amenazas de Corea del Norte y proteger tanto los intereses de las empresas estadounidenses como la estabilidad del sistema financiero y la seguridad de los ciudadanos.
Por otra parte, la situación de seguridad regional en Asia ha mostrado nuevas señales de tensión tras declaraciones del dictador norcoreano Kim Jong-un para arengar a su ejército a prepararse “para una guerra real”, durante un concurso de disparo de unidades de artillería efectuado el miércoles y difundido este jueves por los canales estatales de comunicación. Según la Agencia Central de Noticias de Corea (KCNA), Kim instó a las tropas a estar listas para el combate “en cualquier momento” y a desarrollar la capacidad de “destruir al enemigo en cada batalla”.
Las imágenes, difundidas por la Televisión Central de Corea, muestran a Kim observando las maniobras con binoculares desde un puesto de mando, acompañado de altos mandos militares. La localización del ejercicio no fue divulgada.
Estos llamados a la preparación militar se producen después del reporte de agencias de inteligencia surcoreanas y occidentales sobre el envío de más de 10.000 soldados norcoreanos a la región rusa de Kursk, junto a material bélico como proyectiles de artillería, misiles y sistemas de cohetes de largo alcance, en apoyo a la ofensiva rusa en Ucrania que lleva ya más de tres años desde su inicio. En esos enfrentamientos, murieron aproximadamente 600 soldados norcoreanos y miles resultaron heridos, según fuentes oficiales surcoreanas.
Las relaciones entre Corea del Norte y Rusia han cobrado renovado impulso a partir de la firma de un acuerdo militar el año pasado, que contempla una cláusula de defensa mutua. El pacto fue sellado durante la visita del presidente ruso Vladimir Putin a Pyongyang. Kim Jong-un reiteró su respaldo total a Rusia en su conflicto con Ucrania durante una reunión con el canciller ruso, Sergei Lavrov, el pasado 13 de julio en la ciudad de Wonsan, en el este del país.
Ambos gobiernos permanecen bajo fuertes sanciones internacionales y su cooperación militar suscita preocupación en la comunidad internacional por el potencial impacto en la seguridad regional y global.
(Con información de AFP y EFE)
Asia / Pacific,Government / Politics,PYONGYANG
INTERNACIONAL
Hillary Clinton sounded alarm on Biden’s political viability ‘by 2024,’ Klain told House investigators
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Ex-President Joe Biden’s former chief of staff Ron Klain told House investigators that Hillary Clinton approached him with concerns about the octogenarian leader’s political viability «by 2024,» Fox News Digital has learned.
Klain spoke with staff on the House Oversight Committee for over five hours on Thursday, as Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., continues to probe whether top Biden aides concealed signs of mental decline in the ex-president.
A source familiar with his voluntary interview told Fox News Digital that Klain believed Biden was mentally sharp enough to serve as president, and was not too old to run.
But the ex-secretary of state and former Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan both «approached Ron Klain stating they believed Joe Biden was not politically viable» months before he dropped his re-election bid in July 2024, the source said.
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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shared concerns about ex-President Biden’s political viability by 2024, a source said. (Getty Images)
Sullivan told Klain that Biden «was less effective in 2024 compared to 2022,» the source said.
It’s not immediately clear if Biden’s mental acuity was the reasoning for their doubts, nor if they made the case to Klain together or separately.
But it’s a significant indictment coming from top national Democrats of Biden in general, long before concerns about his fitness for office within the party were made public knowledge.
Sullivan had been a top aide to both Biden and Clinton, having served as the latter’s senior policy advisor during her 2016 campaign.
Klain, who served as White House chief of staff for the first half of Biden’s term, conceded that the then-president was less energetic and more forgetful, though he defended his «acuity to govern,» the source said.
«Mr. Klain stated that President Biden often confused names and proper nouns, and it got worse over time,» the source said.
Fox News Digital was told that Klain also said there was no reason to doubt President Donald Trump’s own mental fitness.
Ron Klain, former White House chief of staff, allegedly made the revelation to House investigators (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Klain said nothing to reporters when going in or out of the committee room Thursday.
He’s the sixth former Biden administration aide to appear for Comer’s probe.
And despite the interview being largely staff-led, Comer did make an appearance for the early half of the sit-down, and Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., were both briefly there as well.
Both Biggs and Khanna called Klain «credible» from what they saw inside the room.
«I think he is telling what he knows accurately,» Biggs told Fox News Digital.
FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SAYS SHE ‘NEVER HAD A CONCERN’ ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL STATE AS HOUSE PROBE HEATS UP
On the other side of the aisle, Khanna told reporters, «He answered every single question. He was fully cooperative.»
Three other former Biden White House aides who previously appeared – Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, and ex-White House doctor Kevin O’Connor – all appeared under subpoena and pleaded the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions.
Longtime Biden aide Ashley Williams and ex-staff secretary Neera Tanden, like Klain, came for voluntary transcribed interviews.
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer is leading the probe into Biden. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Jeff Zients, who served as Biden’s chief of staff for the final two years, was also asked to sit for a transcribed interview, a committee aide previously told Fox News Digital.
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A source familiar with the Biden team’s thinking previously called Republicans’ probe «dangerous» and «an attempt to smear and embarrass.»
«And their hope is for just one tiny inconsistency between witnesses to appear so that Trump’s DOJ prosecute his political opponents and continue his campaign of revenge,» that source said.
When reached for comment, Adrienne Watson, a representative for Sullivan, told Fox News Digital, «Jake did not have a conversation with Ron about Joe Biden running for president before the debate.»
Fox News Digital also reached out to Klain’s attorney as well as a contact for comment for Clinton but did not hear back by press time.
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