07/06/2026

theSun on Sunday JUNE 7, 2026

WORLD 8

Church abuse still an open wound, says pope

US firms benefit from Hormuz closure ST PETERSBURG: Rosneft Chief Executive Igor Sechin (pic) said yesterday that US energy companies were the main beneficiaries of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and that

Washington was trying to change the fundamental contours of energy markets to suit US interests. The closures of the Strait has rattled markets, sending oil prices to multi year highs, stoking inflation and undermining economic growth.

MADRID: Pope Leo XIV yesterday said sexual abuse within the Catholic Church remained “an open wound” as he began a trip to Spain that will include a meeting with victims. The 70-year-old’s week-long state visit, the first by a pontiff to Spain since 2010, kicked off at Madrid airport, where King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez welcomed him. He is due to meet some victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, the Some 200,000 minors estimated to have suffered abuse in Spain since 1940

His arrival in Madrid coincides with a series of concerts by Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny, with some observers pointing to youth being torn between spirituality and music. “I think many will see Bad Bunny. But I think there will also be a few here to see the pope. And that says something,” Leo said of the conflicting loyalties. The pope also expressed concern about Ukraine as Russia’s invasion grinds through its fifth year. “I am worried about Ukraine, every time the situation gets worse ... It’s been four and a half years. “We need to find a solution,” Leo said. Around a million people are set to attend a Mass in Madrid city centre today. – AFP

Vatican said, with Leo telling reporters on the papal plane upon arrival that the issue was “still an open wound”. Some 200,000 minors are estimated to have suffered abuse in Spain since 1940, according to a 2023 report from Spain’s national ombudsman. Sanchez’s government and the Catholic Church in Spain signed an agreement in March to compensate victims after years of reticence and opacity from the Church hierarchy. Leo told journalists on the plane he was “very pleased by the reports” that young people were increasingly interested in the Catholic Church. “They realise there’s an emptiness, and a lack of a sense of meaning, and perhaps my visiting is helping to awaken even further something.”

Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Sechin, an ally of President Vladimir Putin, also said that the Opec-plus group of leading oil producers has lost some of its potential with the withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates from the alliance. “The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is an attempt to reshape energy market regulations to benefit the United States. The measures taken to block the strait were aimed at Iran, but backfired on the entire world. The strategic risks were underestimated,” Sechin said. “The main beneficiaries, of course, were American companies, who gained non competitive advantages and the ability to secure high-cost supplies.” He warned that following the closure, other major routes, such as Malacca, Bad El Mandeb and Gibraltar straits could also be under the risk of disruption. Sechin, who is known for his scepticism about Russia’s cooperation with the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, said the Opec-plus group has lost some its potential following the UAE departure from the alliance as well as earlier exits of Qatar and other countries. – Reuters CAIRO: Israeli forces killed a seven-month old Palestinian baby and wounded his parents in the Tel Rumeida area south of the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday evening, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The ministry identified the infant as Sam Fahd Abu Haikal and said he died at the scene, while his parents sustained gunshot wounds and were in moderate condition. The baby’s grandmother said the family was driving near Checkpoint 17 when they saw Israeli military vehicles and soldiers in the distance and stopped the car. She said shots were then fired at them, which they initially believed were warning shots. “One bullet struck my grandson, traversed his face and crossed his head, striking his mother’s cheek where it lodged,” she said, adding that the bullet had also grazed the father’s finger, and that the mother was in hospital. The Israeli military said that during operational activity in the Hebron area on Friday, soldiers perceived a vehicle accelerating towards them and one soldier fired at the vehicle. It said three Palestinians were wounded and evacuated for medical treatment. An initial military inquiry found that those injured were “uninvolved civilians”, the military said, adding that the incident was under review and that the findings would be submitted to the relevant authorities. Tel Rumeida, an area of Hebron where Israeli settlers live under heavy military protection among Palestinian residents, has long been a flashpoint for violence. – AFP Baby shot dead at Israeli checkpoint

Pope Leo delivering a speech to media onboard the plane heading to Madrid. – VATICAN MEDIA HANDOUT/AFPPIC

Release frozen funds, Washington told TEHRAN: The release of frozen Iranian funds has become a key issue in negotiations between Tehran and Washington aimed at ending their war, a senior Iranian official said. wants to have with Trump,” he told CNN, according to an English translation of his remarks provided by the channel. “This is a test that America must pass and the path will be opened,” he said, adding that “this is our own money, not America’s money”.

military commanders. The attacks prompted Iran to launch retaliatory missile and drone strikes against Israel and US allies in the Gulf. A ceasefire took effect on April 8 but diplomatic efforts to permanently end the war have yet to produce a settlement. Among its conditions, Iran has also called for an end to hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon, where Hezbollah fighters have been battling Israel. Despite their ceasefire, tensions remain high between Tehran and Washington. Rezaei warned that Iran would “drag the war” beyond the Gulf if the United States resumed hostilities, bringing “another dimension to the war”. But he added that “the possibility of war is low”. – AFP

Iran has been subject to asset freezes and sweeping sanctions by the United States and other Western countries since its 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the US-backed Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said the talks were failing over the release of Iranian assets. “If he (Trump) wants to reach an agreement with Iran, this US$24 billion (RM96.7 billion) is a test of trust that Iran

While there is no official figure for the total amount of frozen Iranian assets, media reports have estimated the sum at between US$100 billion and US$123 billion. Iran has conditioned an agreement to end the war on several demands, including the release of the frozen funds. Fighting broke out on Feb 28 when the United States, backed by Israel, attacked Iran, killing former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior