Netanyahu says Israel will decide which foreign troops acceptable to secure Gaza ceasefire
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel will decide which foreign forces can participate in the planned international mis...
U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited the Vatican on Saturday for talks with senior Catholic Church officials, amid ongoing criticism of the Trump administration’s policies.
The meeting marks the first in-person discussions between Vatican officials and members of the Trump administration in the second term.
Vance, a Catholic who has previously clashed with Pope Francis over the administration's immigration policies, arrived shortly before 10 a.m. (0800 GMT) for meetings with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, and other officials. While Pope Francis, who is recovering from double pneumonia and has limited his public appearances, was not expected to participate, the discussions are seen as significant given the ongoing tensions between the U.S. administration and the Catholic Church.
The Vatican has been a vocal critic of several Trump policies, particularly his immigration crackdown, plans to deport millions of migrants, and cuts to foreign aid and domestic welfare programs. Pope Francis has referred to Trump’s immigration measures as a "disgrace," and earlier this year, in a letter to U.S. Catholic bishops, he condemned the administration’s approach, stating that "what is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly."
Vance, who became Catholic in 2019, has used medieval-era Catholic teaching to justify the administration’s strict immigration policies. This theological defense has been directly challenged by the Vatican, including Pope Francis’ open letter to U.S. bishops in February, criticizing the Trump administration’s stance.
The visit comes at a sensitive time in U.S.-Vatican relations, with the church’s charity arm highlighting the devastating effects of Trump’s funding cuts to U.S. foreign aid programs, especially in the developing world. The U.S. Catholic bishops' conference has also announced it will end long-standing partnerships with the federal government, including services for migrants and refugees, due to the administration’s policies.
Chieko Noguchi, a spokesperson for the U.S. bishops, expressed hope that the meeting would lead to positive and engaging dialogue. "We pray that the meeting yields positive and engaging dialogue," Noguchi said, emphasizing the challenges faced by the Church in the U.S.
Vance, who visited the Vatican earlier in the week for a religious ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica, is in Italy for the Easter weekend. The outcome of his meeting with Vatican officials will be closely watched as the Trump administration continues to face criticism from the Catholic Church on key policy issues.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
A Czech fundraising drive has raised more than €500,000 in 48 hours to buy a Flamingo cruise missile for Ukraine, organisers said.
Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a Sunday interview that he is considering a run for the U.S. presidency in 2028, adding that he will make a decision after the 2026 midterm elections.
Argentines headed to the polls on Sunday for midterm legislative elections, a key test of President Javier Milei’s sweeping free-market reforms and austerity drive, and a measure of whether he retains enough political momentum to push forward with his economic overhaul.
Hurricane Melissa has intensified into a Category 4 storm, packing winds of up to 140 mph (220 km/h) and is expected to strengthen further as it approaches Jamaica, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel will decide which foreign forces can participate in the planned international mission in Gaza, aimed at securing a fragile ceasefire under U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan.
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