​ Trump attacks Pope over criticism of Iran war. 22 minutes ago. Rob Greenall. Donald Trump has launched an unusual and scathing attack on Pope Leo over his opposition to US immigration policy and the war in Iran.. The US president accused the pontiff of being “WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy” in a Truth Social post, later telling reporters he was “not a big fan”.. Pope Leo has been a staunch critic of the war, calling Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilisation “unacceptable” and calling for him to find an “off-ramp” to end the conflict.. He has also questioned whether Trump’s hard-line immigration policy was in line with the pro-life stance of the Catholic Church.. Trump’s remarks came as the pontiff embarked on an 11-day trip to Africa, his second major foreign trip since being elected last year.. The US president wrote in Sunday’s post that Pope Leo “should get his act together” and said he was “weak on nuclear weapons”, apparently referring to Tehran’s attempts to become a nuclear power, cited as one of the reasons for the US and Israel going to war with Iran.. He also suggested that the pontiff was elected “because he was American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J Trump”.. “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.”. Asked by reporters later to explain the post, he said: “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job, he likes crime, I guess.”. Trump added: “He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a man who doesn’t believe in stopping crime, he’s a man who doesn’t believe we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world.”. EPA. The remarks drew immediate criticism from Catholics, with one expert comparing the comments to the Pope’s relationship with fascist dictators in World War Two.. “Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the Pope so directly and publicly,” said Massimo Faggioli, quoted by Reuters.. The Pope has used numerous public addresses to denounce global conflicts and urge de-escalation in the Middle East.. When Trump threatened Iran, saying that “a whole civilisation will die tonight”, he responded by saying the statement was “truly unacceptable”.. In his Easter address, the pontiff said without mentioning any countries directly that people were growing accustomed to violence and indifferent to thousands of deaths.. “Let those who have weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace,” he said.. More on this story. Have the American Pope and the American administration fallen out?. Pope Leo offers his strongest criticism of Trump yet. Pope prioritises world’s fastest-growing Catholic region in major Africa tour. Pope Leo XIV. Donald Trump. United States. Iran war  

​ Ghanaian footballer killed after armed attackers open fire at team bus. 30 minutes ago. Hafsa Khalil. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images. Ghanaian footballer Dominic Frimpong has died after suspected armed robbers opened fire at the bus carrying his team Berekum Chelsea back from a fixture.. The Ghana Football Association (GFA) expressed its “profound shock and deep sorrow”, and shared its “heartfelt condolences” to the 20-year-old’s family, teammates and all who work for the team.. “Dominic was a promising young talent whose dedication and passion for the game embodied the spirit of our league,” it added.. According to Berekum Chelsea, the team bus was returning from a Ghana Premier League fixture on Sunday, when they came under attack by “masked men wielding guns and assault rifles”.. The team – who were on the road after an away game against Samartex in Samreboi – were ambushed by the men who “blocked the road to prevent” their passage, the club added.. “[The men] started shooting at our bus as the driver tried to reverse,” it said. “The players and staff fled into nearby bushes to take cover.”. The suspects have yet to be caught as investigations into the incident continue.. “We urge that all necessary measures be taken to ensure justice is served,” the GFA said, adding it is in contact with relevant authorities and the club.. The association also said it will be reviewing and strengthening security arrangements for clubs travelling for competitions within Ghana to “prevent such tragic occurrences in the future”.. Frimpong had joined Berekum Chelsea on loan from Aduana FC in January, according to local media reports.. The forward was set to stay at the team until the end of the premier league season. He had scored two goals in 13 appearances.. The prophet and the mysterious death of Charmain Speirs. Women secretly filmed, then ridiculed and abused online. ‘The gravest crime against humanity’: What does the UN vote on slavery mean?. Getty Images/BBC. Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica. BBC Africa podcasts. Focus on Africa. This Is Africa. Ghana. Africa  

​ Katya Adler: Jubilation in Budapest will be felt in Europe but leaves Moscow cold. 1 hour ago. Katya AdlerEurope editor. BBC. Budapest’s iconic Chain Bridge links both sides of the city – beautiful Buda with vibrant Pest – across the river Danube. At night, the lights that illuminate the bridge shimmer like mini moons in the waters below.. Normally, it’s a favourite spot for tourist selfies – but not this Sunday.. Following an historic election result that unceremoniously booted Prime Minister Viktor Orbán out after 16 years in government, the bridge was lit up in green, white and red – the colours of the Hungarian flag.. Supporters of the triumphant Péter Magyar and his Tisza party said they felt they were getting their country back. A sense Magyar reflected back to them in his victory speech.. “We did it,” he said. “We brought down the Orbán regime – together we liberated Hungary. We took back our homeland! Thank you! Thank you all!”. EPA. There was a definite sense here that history was being made. Voter turnout was record-breaking. Despite Orbán’s iron grip on state media, the changes he introduced to the electoral system to favour his party and the huge influence his friends and family members have in positions of power in the “illiberal democracy” he said he turned Hungary into, the Fidesz leader was totally trounced at the polls.. I watched crowds of first-time voters dancing through Budapest’s backstreets, drunk with a heady mix of hope and incredulity in the early hours of Monday morning.. “I cried when I put the X on my ballot paper,” Zofia told me. “I still can’t quite believe we did it. But we did!”. As Zofia spoke, her group of friends were loudly chanting “Russians Go home!”. It’s an ironic full circle for Orbán. He became famous in 1989 in then-communist Hungary, calling on Russians to go home in a passionate speech he gave in the dying days of the Soviet Union. It’s a phrase that first ricocheted through Budapest during Hungary’s ill-fated anti-communist uprising of 1956.. But over the years, Orbán changed his political stripes. He moved further to the right, adopting an authoritarian edge, and throughout this election campaign, that slogan of his youth was thrown back in his face by critics, outraged by his longstanding, cosy relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.. Orbán’s ousting is a real blow for Putin, who benefitted from having an ally inside the EU. Orbán delayed sanction packages after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has been blocking a huge EU loan to Kyiv it says it needs to survive.. But Russia’s loss is Ukraine’s gain. President Volodymyr Zelenksy was quick to congratulate Magyar on Sunday night, writing on X that he looked forward to “constructive work” together.. Not exactly effusive, you might think. But Zelensky is acutely aware that many Hungarians are wary of his home country.. Orbán used campaign posters and rallies to warn voters that only he could keep them safe and prevent th  

​ Britney Spears goes into rehab after driving under the influence arrest. 55 minutes ago. Ian YoungsCulture reporter. Getty Images. Britney Spears has gone into rehab, a month after she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.. The singer voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility, her representative told multiple US media outlets on Sunday.. Following her arrest on 4 March, the star’s representative called the incident “completely inexcusable” and said her loved ones would “come up with an overdue needed plan to set her up for success for well being”.. Her entry into treatment comes three weeks before the 44-year-old is due to appear in court in California to face the DUI charge.. Last month, Spears was reported to authorities for driving her BMW “erratically at a high rate of speed” on a motorway, California Highway Patrol said.. She “showed signs of impairment” and submitted to a series of field sobriety tests after she was pulled over.. Afterwards, her representative told the BBC: “Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life.. “Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.. “Her boys are going to be spending time with her. Her loved ones are going to come up with an overdue needed plan to set her up for success for well being.”. Spears is one of the most successful pop stars of all time, with hits such as Baby One More Time, Toxic, Everytime, Gimme More, Womanizer, and Stronger.. For 13 years until 2021, Spears was in a conservatorship – a legal guardianship that saw her finances and personal life controlled by her father.. He has said it was necessary because her life was “in shambles and she was in physical, emotional, mental and financial distress”.. “Through the conservatorship, Britney has been able to return to a path towards stability in all of these phases of her life. The mission has been successful and it is now time for Britney to re-take control of her life.”. Britney Spears arrested in California on suspicion of driving under the influence. Britney Spears said she was used. Kevin Federline says she needs help. Britney says she’ll never return to music industry. Britney Spears. Music  

​ Carney on verge of Liberal majority government as votes cast in three by-elections. 59 minutes ago. Max Matzaand. Jessica Murphy,Canada digital editor, Toronto. Reuters. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals could soon have a slim majority in the House of Commons if the party is able to make gains in three by-elections being held on Monday.. The outcome of the races – two in the Toronto area and one near Montreal – could solidify his hold on power, staving off a federal election until as late as 2029 and giving his party the ability to pass legislation without relying on support from opposition benches.. Liberals currently hold 171 of the 343 seats in the House, one shy of a technical majority.. The likely power shift comes a year after Carney became prime minister and follows a series of defections by opposition members of parliament to the Liberals.. The Liberals are widely expected to win the two Toronto ridings, or constituencies, of Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale.. The seats were previously held by former defence minister Bill Blair – now Canada’s ambassador to the UK – and Chrystia Freeland, who served as deputy prime minister under Justin Trudeau and is now an adviser to Ukraine.. The race in Terrebonne, a Montreal suburb, is considered a toss-up between the Liberals and the Bloc Quebecois.. The Liberal candidate won by a single vote in last year’s federal election in April. In February, Canada’s top court nullified the result over a clerical error involving a postal ballot by the federal election agency, Elections Canada.. Wins in Toronto will be enough for Carney to clinch a narrow majority. But the prime minister has already been able to shore up his bench with five defectors – four former Conservatives and one member of the left-wing New Democratic Party.. While it’s not unusual for legislators to occasionally defect in Canadian politics, the recent rate of party-switching was “extraordinary”, said Semra Sevi, who teaches political science at the University of Toronto.. “Carney has built a big tent, attracting members of parliament who would not normally be associated with the Liberal party,” Sevi told the BBC.. “The complication, however, is that the tent may now be so big that there isn’t a lot of ideological coherence in it.”. Carney has been forced to defend the most recent floor-crosser, Marilyn Gladu, who was once seen as more socially conservative and who is “personally pro-life”, though she said she supports access to abortion services.. Gladu has said she will vote in line with the Liberals on such issues, and Carney has said the party’s “values” have not changed.. Polls suggest the Liberals are about 10 to 15 points ahead of the Conservatives, the official opposition, with Carney himself maintaining strong support among Canadians.. The Liberals have taken a more politically conservative shift under Carney, especially compared to Trudeau, making the party more attractive to right-of-centre MPs.. He has