Top World News
Iran war could make Trump's trip to China a bit chillier than his first-term visit
Weeks before his trip to China, President Donald Trump was already predicting on social media that his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, would "give me a big, fat hug when I get there."
Death toll rises to 14 in Pakistan suicide attack. Taliban splinter group claim blast
Authorities report that the death toll from a suicide attack on a security post in northwest Pakistan has risen to 14 police officers
Woman charged after alleged antisemitic abuse at children’s netball game in Sydney
NSW police called to incident in Maroubra amid reports of offensive comments made at under-12s gameGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA woman has been charged with using offensive language after alleged antisemitic comments were made at a children’s netball match involving a Jewish-led team in Sydney.New South Wales police said it was called to netball courts at Heffron Park in Maroubra just after 10am on Saturday, after reports a woman had made offensive comments towards a group of people at an under-12s game between the Maccabi and Saints netball clubs. Continue reading...
Bolivia’s fuel shortages and 'junk gasoline' drive a surge in electric cars
A small but growing number of Bolivians are trading their fossil fuel-powered vehicles for electric ones
Iran war disruptions spark higher costs and lost income in Bangladesh
Tariqul Islam, a ride-share driver in Bangladesh, faces long fuel lines due to supply disruptions linked to the war in Iran
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threaten US sites in Middle East if tankers come under fire
Revolutionary Guards issue warning as Trump awaits Iran’s response to Washington’s latest proposal for peace dealIran’s Revolutionary Guards have threatened to target US sites in the Middle East if its tankers come under fire, Iranian media reported on Saturday, as Washington was left waiting for Tehran’s response to its latest negotiating position.“Any attack on Iranian tankers and commercial vessels will result in a heavy attack on one of the American centres in the region and enemy ships,” the force said, a day after US strikes on two Iranian tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Continue reading...
Iran ground invasion seems more likely as Trump keeps hunting for off-ramp: ex-negotiator
A veteran State Department negotiator predicted that as the Trump administration struggles to find an off-ramp out of the Iran war, a ground invasion seems more likely."The administration is frustrated," David Miller told CNN on Saturday, saying that Trump will likely try "to go back to Project Freedom with some variation," referring to the short-lived effort to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has a blockade.The difference with a new attempt at Project Freedom would be "the deployment of ground troops on one of those key islands" that are part of Iran, like Larak Island, Miller said. Such an invasion "would surprise me," he added."They're looking for a way to break out of this," Miller said. "But right now, I suspect the situation is going to get worse before it gets worse."Miller made the comment as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with a Qatari mediator in Miami on Saturday to negotiate with Iran."It wouldn't surprise me if Iranians came back with a response that the administration doesn't like, or if they delay further," Miller said. "What's the alternative? Economic blockade and military strikes on both sides have created a situation where neither side is getting what they want."
New details emerge in plan for Americans exposed to hantavirus on cruise
New information was revealed on Saturday about how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention planned to respond to the American passengers who have been stranded on a luxury cruise ship amid the hantavirus outbreak, according to reports.A CDC control crew was slated to meet with the 17 Americans who have been on board a cruise ship where the deadly rat-borne virus outbreak occurred, MS NOW reported. They were expected to be transported for observation to the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha, Nebraska. Michael Wadman, Director of the National Quarantine Unit, described how each person would have their own isolated space, similar to a hotel room, with access to WiFi, exercise equipment and food delivery. Health officials have said that no passengers on the ship currently have symptoms of the virus, MS NOW reported. Symptoms could come in days or weeks, so health officials have planned to monitor the passengers to see if they show signs of the virus. The MV Hondius has been stranded off Cape Verde throughout the week but is now back to sailing with the plan to disembark passengers in the Canary Islands starting on Monday. Three passengers have died aboard the ship, and eight confirmed cases have been connected to the cruise, prompting medical evacuations in South Africa, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
Marco Rubio DJing and entertaining masks deteriorating Trump admin crisis: analysis
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has fueled speculation about whether he's planning to launch a 2028 presidential bid after he was seen DJing at a family wedding and entertaining reporters with rap lyrics, an analyst reported on Saturday. The Atlantic's Matt Viser described how Rubio's disposition and recent activities have raised questions over his future plans while Trump's cabinet manages a series of controversies and challenges, including President Donald Trump's ongoing Iran war, an affordability crisis and concerns over how the GOP will fare in the midterm elections. "It’s a low bar, perhaps, but no one in the Trump administration seems to be having more fun at the moment than Marco Rubio," Viser wrote. "Last weekend, he was acting as a DJ at a family wedding, headphones to his ear with head and hand pumping to the beat. Midweek, the secretary of state was at the podium in the White House briefing room, spitting rap lyrics and cracking jokes. (“Two more questions!” he said, before entertaining seven more.) And toward the end of the week, he was in Vatican City, being escorted through marble hallways by members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard for an audience with Pope Leo XIV, who has been criticized by the president and vice president."Despite the problems ahead for the Trump administration, Rubio "comes across as the happy warrior, not the angry one—the one offering lighthearted jokes more than brash confrontation," Viser explained."But Rubio—the guy who once became a meme because of the way he sat uncomfortably on an Oval Office couch, looking exhausted with his many jobs—suddenly looks joyful and light," Viser wrote. "He seemed to be everywhere all at once this week, followed by a hum and then a buzz of: Hmm, he sure looks like he’s running in 2028."Rubio has not yet confirmed his plans — or what his closed-door conversations with the president or pope were like. "Would there be a phone call between the pope and the president anytime soon? 'Um, I don’t know. Maybe? I don’t know. I mean, it could happen,'" Viser added. "By the end of the week, it was clear: The same could be said about a 2028 presidential run."
'Anti-Catholic bigot' in Trump's administration called out by fuming ex-GOP operative
As the Trump administration tries to fall in the good graces of the first American Pope, an ex-GOP operative is shaking his head at the fact that he employs what he called one big 'anti-Catholic bigot' in particular. "Donald Trump is surrounded by anti-Catholic bigots," ex-GOP political strategist Steve Schmidt said on his podcast on Saturday. "First and foremost by Pete Hegseth." Schmidt and Canadian radio personality Dean Blundell were mocking Secretary of State Marco Rubio's botched visit with Pope Leo earlier in the week when Schmidt turned his ire to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In particular, he called out how Hegseth had "the audacity, the extremism, the license that the guy feels that, 'I'm going to cancel the Catholic Good Friday service at the Pentagon at the chapel." Schmidt was referring to when Hegseth decided to hold Protestant-only services in early April. "Holy sh—!" Schmidt went on. "Donald Trump has started a fight here with an American who is more powerful than Trump because Trump is unable, through his moral blindness, to see what animates the Pope's power."Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Pope Leo XIV, calling him "WEAK on crime" and "terrible for Foreign Policy," and accusing him of "endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people." Trump has also falsely claimed that the pope supports Iran having nuclear weapons, a characterization the Vatican has rejected as a misrepresentation of the Church's long-standing opposition to nuclear weapons and commitment to promoting peace.
Pro-Trump pastor claims president has ‘better understanding’ of Bible than Pope Leo
First Baptist Church senior pastor Robert Jeffress, a strong ally of President Donald Trump, argued on Fox News Saturday that he believed Trump to have a better understanding of biblical teachings than Pope Leo XIV.Jeffress’ claim comes amid Trump’s ongoing feud with the head of the Catholic Church, prompted by Pope Leo’s generic criticism of war. Trump called Pope Leo “weak on crime” and accused him of “catering to the radical left” for what Trump considered to be a condemnation of his war against Iran.“The pope is a good man, he’s sincere in his faith, but he is sincerely wrong when it comes to Iran,” Jeffress told Fox News. “The pope ought to know – and I think he does know – God created both the church and government for two distinct purposes," he said. "The role of the church is to point people to faith in Jesus Christ, but the role of government is to protect citizens from evil-doers.”Jeffress said that he was “in the Oval Office” with Trump three days after the president launched the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran – dubbed Operation Epic Fury – and that it appeared to him as though Trump was better versed in the Bible than the pope himself.“The great irony is it looks like President Trump has a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about the role of government than the pope has!” Jeffress added. “And I’m glad the president hasn’t backed down at all.”Pastor Robert Jeffress: "It looks like President Trump has a better understanding of what the Bible teaches than the Pope" pic.twitter.com/TMSyTmdeTE— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 9, 2026
Hungary’s Péter Magyar set to be sworn in as PM, ending Orbán’s 16-year rule
Hungary's Péter Magyar has taken his oath of office to become the country's new prime minister, ending Viktor Orbán’s autocratic 16-year rule
