​  ​Rewrite the following news content into a professional, SEO-optimized article. Instructions: Keep the meaning exactly the same. Do not add false information. Remove any unwanted text, metadata, or comments at the beginning. Write in clear, engaging, and human-like news tone. Use short paragraphs (2–4 lines each). Add proper headings (H2/H3) where relevant. Ensure good readability and flow. Use simple English (Grade 6–8 level). Avoid repetition and fluff. Format properly for a blog/news post. Content: Trump’s rift with Pope is playing out in public – it’s costing him valuable support2 hours agoAleem MaqboolReligious affairs correspondentIt is not unusual for President Trump to face criticism from Catholic leaders.His hardline immigration policies, promised in his campaign and cheered on by supporters, have prompted condemnation from church leaders.For months it has put the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the US at odds with more right-leaning rank-and-file Catholics.But the broad backlash in the last 48 hours, over Trump’s attack on Pope Leo and his sharing of an AI image of himself as a Christ-like figure, is very different.What is striking is where some of this criticism is coming from – loyal, conservative Catholic allies.They are unhappy, not just because of Trump’s public friction with Pope Leo, but at a much deeper level over the Iran war.The uproar over Trump’s lengthy social media attack on the first American pope, as too liberal and too “weak on crime”, together with the AI image, have crystallised a shift in opinion among many Catholic conservatives since the war began six weeks ago.”I pray that all of this will clarify for people that we don’t look to a national leader, we don’t look to those who have the most money or the most weapons. We look to Christ,” says Bishop Joseph Strickland.These words come from a man who, only last year, participated in a prayer event to “consecrate” the president’s Mar-a-Lago home.In 2024, Strickland delivered the keynote speech at CPAC where Donald Trump was the guest of honor. In 2020, he addressed a march of Trump supporters calling to overturn the election results.Getty ImagesHe has been a staunch supporter of Donald Trump through thick and thin. Indeed, his overt political alignment, and open confrontation with the late Pope Francis, even played a part in his removal from office as Bishop of Tyler, Texas.Yet, in the face of starkly competing White House and Vatican narratives regarding the war in Iran and the wider Middle East, Bishop Strickland has made a rare break from the administration.”I do not believe this conflict meets the criteria of a just war. I stand with the Holy Father and his call for peace. This is not about politics. It’s about moral truth,” he told the BBC, saying the scale of death and suffering faced by innocent civilians meant the war could never be viewed as “just”.More than that, he has challenged the White House on its handling of the war and encouraged other Catholics to do the same.”It becomes very dark when religion is used to justify immoral behaviour… using religion to justify especially dropping bombs is contradicting what the faith is about,” says Bishop Strickland.When asked about Trump’s attack on Pope Leo and the image some have referred to as “AI Jesus”, which Trump said he thought was a doctor not Jesus, Bishop Strickland said he felt it was his “duty” to remind the US president of the Gospel of Matthew. He pointed to a passage that teaches that supreme p  

​  ​Rewrite the following news content into a professional, SEO-optimized article. Instructions: Keep the meaning exactly the same. Do not add false information. Remove any unwanted text, metadata, or comments at the beginning. Write in clear, engaging, and human-like news tone. Use short paragraphs (2–4 lines each). Add proper headings (H2/H3) where relevant. Ensure good readability and flow. Use simple English (Grade 6–8 level). Avoid repetition and fluff. Format properly for a blog/news post. Content: Magyar meets Hungarian president as Trump says next PM ‘a good man’27 minutes agoPaul KirbyEurope digital editor in BudapestM1 TV/BBCThe man who ended Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in office, Péter Magyar, is meeting Hungary’s president, seeking a speedy transfer of power after Sunday’s landslide victory.President Tamás Sulyok, who has refused Magyar’s demand to step down, is widely expected to nominate Magyar as the next prime minister. Magyar has said he needs to be in office by about 5 MayHungary’s next PM appeared on public radio and TV for the first time in 18 months on Wednesday and made clear his intention to suspend their news coverage, which he has condemned as propaganda.Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Magyar was a “good man”, having actively campaigned for Orbán.”I think the new man’s going to do a good job,” Trump told ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl, having previously called on Hungarians to “get out and vote” for his friend and close ally, Orbán.Magyar arrived for the talks at the presidential palace shortly before 10:00 (08:00 GMT). The two other party leaders with MPs in parliament were also invited to the meeting with President Sulyok, including Orbán.Magyar broke with Orbán’s party in March 2024 and over two years attracted a cross-section of public support for his Tisza party, which swept the ruling Fidesz from power on Sunday with a so-called super-majority of two-thirds of the seats in parliament.He said 70-80% of Hungary’s media had been requisitioned by Orbán allies, insulting him and his party with 300 lies every day, not allowing him a single appearance on state TV even once.But that changed on Wednesday, first with a half-hour broadcast on state-run Kossuth radio followed by an appearance on M1 TV, in which he confirmed his aim to suspend their news coverage and form a new broadcast authority to ensure press freedom.JD Vance defends backing ‘great guy’ Orbán’s campaign after landslide defeatWho is Péter Magyar, the former Orbán ally heading for power in Hungary?Katya Adler: Jubilation in Budapest will be felt in Europe but leaves Moscow cold”Every Hungarian deserves a public service media that broadcasts the truth,” he told Kossuth radio, explaining he was not after personal revenge, even though he and his family had been insulted “morning, noon and night”. His interviews were at times combative as he told the TV and radio hosts that their outlets had broadcast propaganda.Magyar is in a rush to overturn years of Orbán policies that turned Hungary into what the European Parliament termed an “electoral autocracy”. Hungarians became angered by repeated scandals involving corruption and cronyism, and Magyar has spoken of his predecessor’s administration robbing his country bare.Billions of euros of EU funding was frozen over rule of law and other issues, and Magyar talked to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday in a bid to unlock the cash.Hungary’s economy has been languishing for so  

​  ​Rewrite the following news content into a professional, SEO-optimized article. Instructions: Keep the meaning exactly the same. Do not add false information. Remove any unwanted text, metadata, or comments at the beginning. Write in clear, engaging, and human-like news tone. Use short paragraphs (2–4 lines each). Add proper headings (H2/H3) where relevant. Ensure good readability and flow. Use simple English (Grade 6–8 level). Avoid repetition and fluff. Format properly for a blog/news post. Content: Meghan to appear as guest judge on MasterChef Australia3 hours agoSimon AtkinsonMelbourneGetty ImagesThe Duchess of Sussex will make an appearance as a guest judge on a new season of hit Australian television show MasterChef Australia.Meghan filmed in the episode in Melbourne on Wednesday, according to broadcaster Network Ten. The show’s eighteenth season is set to air on April 19. Meghan, together with Prince Harry, are currently on the second day of a four-day tour of Australia, which will see them combine visits to charitable causes alongside money-making events.The couple, no longer working royals, are visiting in a private capacity. It is their first time in Australia since 2018, as part of an intense tour just a few months after their marriage.In a separate event on Wednesday, Prince Harry joined players from an Australian Rules football team for a lesson in how to play a game and visited the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.The couple have more scheduled engagements in Melbourne on Thursday before traveling to Sydney.On Tuesday, the duo visited the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne where hundreds had gathered at the foyer to catch a glimpse of the couple.Meghan also visited a women’s refuge in Melbourne, where she served plates of frittata to people at the centre.Prince Harry is due to give a keynote speech at the InterEdge Psychosocial Safety Summit in Melbourne later this week, where tickets to attend cost from around A$1,000 ($713; £526) up to A$2,400. All ticket proceeds will go to the charity Lifeline. The BBC has asked organisers whether the duke is receiving a fee.On Saturday, the Duchess will hold an “in-person conversation” at a women’s only weekend retreat in Sydney. Guests are paying up to A$3,199 to attend a “girls’ weekend”, with a VIP package including the opportunity to get a group table photograph with Meghan. It is not known what the duchess will be paid for her involvement in the event, which has not sold out and is still advertising a “handful of additional rooms”.Harry and Meghan mix charity and business on Australia visitHarry says children should be an ‘upgrade’ of their parentsWhy did Harry and Meghan leave the Royal family?Meghan’s appearance comes off the back of her own lifestyle and cookery show, With Love, Meghan, which seeds her share cooking and hosting tips with friends and guests. There are also suggestions that Australia is being considered as a market for Meghan’s As Ever lifestyle brand – which was featured prominently in the Netflix series.Last year, the company registered trademarks in 12 different product categories in Australia, according to a government intellectual property database.UK Royal FamilyMeghan, Duchess of SussexPrince Harry, Duke of SussexAustralia  

​ More than 200 Iranian sailors stranded after US torpedo attack return home. 33 minutes ago. Gabriela Boccaccio. More than 200 Iranian sailors left stranded in Sri Lanka after a US torpedo attack are returning home after being stuck in the country for more than a month.. On Wednesday, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Defence Minister, Aruna ⁠Jayasekara, confirmed 32 sailors rescued from the Iris Dena and 206 from Irins Bushehr, had left the country.. The Iranian warship, Iris Dena, sank on 4 March about 40km (25 miles) from Sri Lanka’s southern coastline after it was hit by a torpedo from a US submarine, killing 104 sailors.. On March 5, Sri Lanka took control of the Iranian naval vessel, Irins Bushehr, after it had requested to dock at one of country’s ports after one of its engines malfunctioned.. Speaking to Reuters, ⁠Jayasekara confirmed the crew of both ships were flown out on Tuesday night.. The stranded sailors were granted 30-day entry visas by the Sri Lankan government and were housed in navy and air force camps.. The Iris Dena had been returning from a military exercise hosted by India when it was attacked.. Video released by the US Department of Defense after the incident showed a ship being struck, causing the stern to rise up before exploding.. The bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in the attack were recovered and later repatriated in a chartered plane arranged by Iran.. Its sinking in international waters came just a few days into the current US-Israeli war with Iran and marked a dramatic widening of the conflict.. Iran has since launched retaliatory strikes across the Middle East – targeting Gulf countries allied with the US.. About 15 Iranian sailors will remain in Sri Lanka to operate the Irins Bushehr, which is anchored off Trincomalee in the northeast of the island.. Sri Lanka had allowed the Iranian vessel to dock at a north-eastern port on 5 March after hours of discussion, with its president saying they would “never hesitate to protect humanity”.. “Our position has been to safeguard our neutrality while demonstrating our humanitarian values,” President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in a statement at the time.. “[Sri Lanka] intervened in a way that demonstrated our commitment to international conventions, protecting the reputation and dignity of our country, and protecting human lives,” he said.. Sri Lanka has maintained a long-standing policy of non-alignment since it became independent in 1948.. It has strong economic and diplomatic ties with both Iran and the US.. Iran war lands ‘triple blow’ to flood-ravaged Sri Lankans. ‘There’s no hiding place on a ship’: The sailors stranded near Iran. Trump says talks could resume this week as Vance says US wants ‘grand bargain’ with Iran. Middle East. Iran. Iran war. Sri Lanka  

​ South Africa names apartheid-era politician as new ambassador to the US. 1 hour ago. Khanyisile NgcoboJohannesburg. Gallo via Getty Images. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Roelf Meyer, who served in the last government of the apartheid era, as his new ambassador to the US, his office has said.. The country has not had a top envoy in the US since Ebrahim Rasool was expelled last year after he accused President Donald Trump of trying to “project white victimhood as a dog whistle”.. This worsened already strained relations between the nations, which took a downward spiral after Trump’s return to office last year.. Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed Meyer’s appointment to the BBC, saying it would be “immediate”.. “I can confirm that President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Meyer as South Africa’s ambassador to the US,” he said.. Meyer, 78, played a key role as one of the chief mediators, alongside Ramaphosa, during the talks to end the racist system of white-minority rule known as apartheid in South Africa in the 1990s.. He was the chief representative of the National Party (NP), which introduced apartheid, while Ramaphosa represented the African National Congress led by Nelson Mandela.. Meyer was constitutional affairs minister in the last NP government and went on to join the government of national unity formed in 1994 when Mandela became president.. More BBC stories on South Africa:. The expelled envoy at the heart of the latest US-South Africa row. Ramaphosa keeps cool during Trump’s choreographed onslaught. Ramaphosa struggles to mend fences with Trump. 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. Africa Daily. Focus on Africa. Cyril Ramaphosa. South Africa. Africa. United States