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US to begin immediate removal of up to 1,000 trans military members
Pentagon will give other trans service members 30 days to self-identify while it enforces recently approved banThe Pentagon is removing the 1,000 members of the military who openly identify as trans, and giving those who have yet to openly identify as transgender 30 days to remove themselves, according to a new directive issued on Thursday.The memo is fueled by Tuesday’s supreme court decision allowing the Trump administration to enforce a ban on trans military members. The defense department has said it will follow up by going through medical records to identify others who have not come forward. Continue reading...
JD Vance says Russia asked for territory it 'hasn't even conquered yet'
Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that Russia’s initial demands in the ongoing peace talks over its invasion of Ukraine include territory it hasn’t even seized, in another sign that the White House is growing frustrated with Moscow, according to Politico. Vance offered a peek inside the negotiations between the two countries during a Fox News interview, where he described Russian demands as overreaching.“Russia can’t expect to be given territory that they haven’t even conquered yet,” the vice president told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum. “And that’s one of the things that they’ve put down in that initial peace plan.”EXCLUSIVE: Breastfeeding mom of US citizen sues Kristi Noem after being grabbed by ICE“We knew that the Russians’ first offer would be too much, we knew that they would ask for more than was reasonable to give, that’s how negotiations often work,” he added. “I’m not bothered by that. What would bother me is if we conclude that the Russians are not engaging in the negotiation in good faith.”In that case, he added, the White House would be prepared to walk away from the mediator role.The new comments came just a day after Vance spoke at the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington, where he warned that Russia was “asking for too much” and would likely need to make concessions if any deal is to be struck, according to Politico.
Trump and Starmer confirm ‘breakthrough’ US-UK trade deal
Announcement makes UK the first country to agree deal with US since Trump imposed sweeping tariffs in AprilAston Martin and Rolls-Royce share prices soar as manufacturers welcome US tariff cutsAnalysis: new UK/US trade deal is a relief for Starmer but doubts, and tariffs, remainUS politics live – latest updatesThe UK and US have agreed a “breakthrough” trade deal slashing some of Donald Trump’s tariffs on cars, aluminium and steel and that the prime minister said would save thousands of British jobs.Keir Starmer said it was a “fantastic, historic day” as he announced the agreement, the first by the White House since Trump announced sweeping global tariffs last month. Continue reading...
Pakistan and India accuse each other of waves of drone attacks
India and Pakistan accused each other Thursday of carrying out waves of drone attacks, as deadly confrontations between the nuclear-armed foes drew global calls for calm.The fighting comes two weeks after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing an attack on the Indian-run side of disputed Kashmir, which Pakistan denied.On Thursday, Pakistan's army said it shot down 28 Indian drones, while New Delhi accused Islamabad of launching raids with "drones and missiles", and claimed it destroyed an air defence system in Lahore.At least 48 people have been killed on both sides of the border since India launched air strikes on Wednesday that it said targeted "terrorist camps", sparking the worst violence in decades between the South Asian neighbours.The majority of the casualties have been in Pakistan, where authorities said at least 32 were killed, including 12 children.The countries have fought two of their three full-scale wars over Kashmir, a disputed territory that both claim in full but administer separate portions of since gaining independence from British rule in 1947.- Explosions in Jammu -"Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets... using drones and missiles," India's defence ministry said in a statement Thursday, adding that "these were neutralised".AFPPakistan said it shot down 28 of 29 Indian drones on Thursday, with one landing in the city of Rawalpindi where the army is headquarteredThe defence ministry said earlier its military had "targeted air defence radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan", adding it had destroyed an air defence system in Lahore, Pakistan's second city.On Thursday evening, explosions were reported at the airport of Jammu, a key city in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, a security source who was not authorised to speak to the media told AFP, without giving further details.Pakistan denied that it had launched any strikes on India on Thursday, with the top military spokesman terming India's drone strikes a "phantom defence".- Blasts in Lahore -Pakistan called Delhi's drone attacks "another act of aggression", and said it had neutralised 28 out of 29 Israeli-made Harop drones that crossed into the country on Thursday.AFPMohammad Nazir Khan, a Kashmiri resident, shows splinters of a mortar shell that exploded near his house in Kalgi village in Indian-administered KashmirPakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the drones "made attempts to attack military installations" and "targeted civilians", killing one and injuring four, with four army personnel also wounded.Among the cities targeted was Rawalpindi, where the military is headquartered. The city's cricket stadium was one of the venues of the Pakistan Super League, which later announced its remaining eight matches would be moved to the United Arab Emirates.Residents in Lahore reported hearing the sound of blasts, and aviation authorities briefly shut down operations at the main airport there and in the capital Islamabad.- 'Shrapnel pierced her chest' -AFPIndian soldiers inspect the debris of a missile in a field on the outskirts of AmritsarIndia's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said New Delhi had a "right to respond" following the attack on tourists in Pahalgam in Kashmir last month, when gunmen killed 26 people, mainly Hindu men.New Delhi blamed the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba -- a UN-designated terrorist organisation for the Pahalgam shooting, and the nations traded days of threats and diplomatic measures.Pakistan has denied any involvement and called for an independent investigation into the April 22 attack.Pakistan's military said on Wednesday that five Indian jets had been downed across the border, but New Delhi has not responded to the claims.An Indian senior security source, who asked not to be named, said three of its fighter jets had crashed on home territory.There was trauma on both sides of the disputed border after the exchange of heavy artillery in darkness on Wednesday."A missile struck the mosque nearby, and a piece of shrapnel from the blast pierced my daughter's chest," 50-year-old Safeer Ahmad Awan told AFP in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir that was hit by Wednesday's Indian strikes."It was only when her clothes were soaked in blood that we discovered the injury," he added of the 15-year-old girl, who still had the metal lodged in her body.On the other side of the border in Poonch, a town in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir that was bombarded by Pakistan on Wednesday, Madasar Choudhary said his sister saw two children killed."She saw two children running out of her neighbour's house and screamed for them to get back inside," said Choudhary, 29."But shrapnel hit the children -- and they eventually died."- Global pressure -AFPPolice monitor the traffic during a blackout in Jammu city as explosions were reported at the airport of the key city in the Indian-held part of disputed Kashmir territory. A security source, who was not authorised to speak to the media, confirmed the explosion without giving details about what caused them, but it came as India and Pakistan accused each other of carrying out waves of drone attacks. IMAGESDiplomats and world leaders have pressured both countries to step back from the brink.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with leaders in both countries Thursday and urged "immediate de-escalation", his spokeswoman said.US Vice President JD Vance later reiterated that call in a televised interview, but added that Washington was "not going to get involved in the middle of a war that's fundamentally none of our business."Several countries have offered to mediate, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi on Thursday, days after visiting Pakistan.Pakistani authorities insist they have the right to retaliate to India's initial strikes. In a late Wednesday TV address to the nation, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned they would "avenge" those killed by Indian air strikes."We make this pledge, that we will avenge each drop of the blood of these martyrs," he said.
North Korea says leader Kim supervised missile tests simulating nuclear strikes
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised tests of short-range ballistic missile systems that simulated nuclear counterstrikes against U.S. and South Korean forces, state media said Friday, as the North continued to blame its rivals for escalating ten...
Vance says US won’t intervene in India-Pakistan conflict: ‘None of our business’
Vice-president says US will seek to de-escalate but cannot force either nuclear power to ‘lay down their arms’JD Vance has said that the US will not intervene in the conflict between Pakistan and India, calling fighting between the two nuclear powers “fundamentally none of our business”.The remarks came during an interview with Fox News, where the US vice-president said that the US would seek to de-escalate the conflict but could force neither side to “lay down their arms”. Continue reading...
'Completely unaware': MAGA's glee for American pope mocked as anti-Trump posts revealed
The new leader of the Catholic Church hails from the United States — and MAGA is elated. This detail is not lost on those familiar with Pope Leo XIV when he was still Robert Francis Prevost. While the new pope, known for supporting science and giving communion to divorced people, questioned Vice President JD Vance after a statement that people who care for others only after their own family is taken care of.Prevost responded, saying that Jesus "doesn't ask us to rank our love for others."Writing an op-ed for the National Catholic Reporter, he said, "The point wasn't about setting limits on love. It was about breaking them down — taking the gospel beyond familiar spaces and into contested ones. If anything, those of us in the United States are the ends of the earth, unimaginable to the earliest Christians. And yet, the gospel has already reached us. The real question is not whether love begins at home. It's what we do with it — how far we are willing to change ourselves and the world around us."Prevost also retweeted an April 14 post by Philadelphia-based Catholic writer Rocco Palmo, who castigated Trump and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele after their White House meeting to discuss migrant deportations, including the plight of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legal U.S. resident mistakenly sent to the notorious CECOT prison.Former Ambassador to the Holy See, Miguel Diaz, described the new Pope Leo XIV as being a "moderate voice." He told MSNBC that he anticipates the pope will "create the spaces" for debate on issues like elevating women in the church and same-sex marriage. ALSO READ: Trump is a troll – but his 'ugly' pope selfie demands a damning responseMany pro-Trump and MAGA members seemed more focused on the fact that the pope is an American, ignoring his support of a more Pope Francis-style agenda. Republican Steve Cortes posted a photo of the new pope, calling on others, "Pray for our new Pope! An American."After not saying anything on X since May 3, former Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) posted just after the announcement, "We've entered the Golden Age of America." "Pope Leo XIV — the first American pope in history!" cheered Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX).Conservative former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee, similarly said, "Praying for my Catholic friends & extending high hopes for their new leader. God's blessing on Pope Leo XIV!"Such responses led to some mockery of those celebrating conservatives. Former official Chris D. Jackson saw the celebration and commented, "It’s hilarious watching MAGA cheer the new Pope—completely unaware he’s on record trashing both Trump and J.D. Vance. Peak 'we didn’t read the article, we just liked the headline' energy."Other MAGA acolytes appeared to read beyond the headline. Laura Loomer was one of few in the MAGA world who saw that Pope Leo XIV was supportive of immigrants. She called it "gross." She also called him a "MARXIST POPE!" finding a tweet from the now-pope showing his support of praying for George Floyd. Conservative Charlie Kirk said that he found voting records showing that the new pope was a registered Republican and voted in GOP primaries.However, a fact-check quickly came from Henry Olsen of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, saying, "Illinois has no party registration. This merely means he cast a Republican ballot in the last party primary."
Social media bursts with American pride over new pope from Chicago
After history was made Thursday with the announcement that the Catholic church had a new pope, users took to social media to express pride that Leo XIV was an American from Chicago."Holy smokes!! An American Pope! From CHICAGO!!!" wrote Democratic consultant David Axelrod.Late Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) daughter Meghan McCain posted, "THE FIRST AMERICAN POPE!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS AMAZING!!!!""Robert Prevost - the first American pope, is a Villanova grad," wrote Barstool Philly.ALSO READ: ‘Pain. Grief. Anger’: Families heartbroken as Trump backlash smashes adoption dreams"Robert Prevost from Chicago has been elected Pope - the first American Pope in history," wrote podcaster Mueller, She Wrote.Journalist and influencer Kat Abughazaleh posted, "CHICAGO POPE?!""We finally have a Chicago Guy for pope," wrote New York Times columnist Jamelle.Author Meg Elison wrote, "the holy pizza wars have begun."Journalist Ed Krassenstein wrote, "Meet Pope Leo XIV of AMERICA -- Robert F. Prevost. He's a centrist with progressive views on social issues."Barstool Chicago wrote, "The first American pope was born and raised in Chicago. Congratulations to Pope Leo XIV.""The first American born Pope is also from the Midwest," wrote Midwest vs. Everybody.
What to know about the first American pope
Cardinal Robert Prevost, 69 — now known as Pope Leo XIV — was named as the first leader of the Catholic church to come from America Thursday.Born in Chicago, Prevost spent much of his career serving as a missionary in Peru. He was made a cardinal by the previous Pope, Francis, just two years ago. He was a strong supporter of his predecessor.For the past two years, he has worked in the Vatican choosing priests that should serve as Bishops across the world. In a signal that he supports work done by Pope Francis to bring more liberal ideology to the Vatican, he said in 2023, "Our work is to enlarge the tent and to let everyone know they are welcome inside the Church."
'Such an honor': Trump issues statement after finding out new Pope is American
President Donald Trump gave his congratulations to the new pope, an American from Chicago, who has taken the name Pope Leo XIV.On Truth Social, Trump posted that he was looking forward to meeting the Holy Father."Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope," Trump wrote. "It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!"ALSO READ: ‘Pain. Grief. Anger’: Families heartbroken as Trump backlash smashes adoption dreamsThe new pope addressed the crowd in St. Peter's Square about an hour after white smoke began billowing from the roof of the Sistine Chapel.Leo XIV succeeds Pope Francis, who passed away after giving an Easter Sunday address to the faithful outside the Vatican.
Trump again urges ceasefire in Russia-Ukraine war, threatens sanctions
President Trump on Thursday called for a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, threatening to impose sanctions on both countries if the conflict rages on.
New Pope named in Vatican City — an American
A new Pope has been named in Vatican City.The announcement came minutes after white smoke was seen coming from a Sistine Chapel chimney, a historic signal that a conclave of cardinals had made their decision.The new Pope was revealed as Robert F. Prevost, an American. The announcement was made by him walking out onto the Vatican balcony.He took the name Pope Leo XIV.
