If the morally-confused Pope Leo XIV continues to assume the role of a partisan podcaster, he will very quickly lose his moral authority.
The post Nolte: Pope Leo’s Anti-Trump Crusade Squanders His Moral Authority appeared first on Breitbart.
Mit einem angeblichen Scherzbeitrag hat sich der Streit zwischen US-Präsident Donald Trump und Papst Leo XIV. ausgeweitet. US-Vizepräsident JD Vance mischt sich ebenfalls in den Konflikt ein.
Dieser Beitrag Amerika gegen Vatikan Jetzt attackiert auch US-Vizepräsident JD Vance den Papst wurde veröffentlich auf JUNGE FREIHEIT.
Während der Papst in Algerien für Frieden wirbt, detonieren nur wenige Kilometer entfernt Sprengsätze. Zwei Selbstmordattentäter schlagen zu. Ein Diplomat ist überzeugt: Die Tat sollte den algerischen Staat für den Papstbesuch „bestrafen“.
Dieser Beitrag Islamistischer Terror Algerien: Zwei Selbstmordattentäter sprengen sich während Papstbesuch in die Luft wurde veröffentlich auf JUNGE FREIHEIT.
Chinese dictator Xi Jinping on Tuesday praised Spain for being with China in the "right side of history" after meeting with socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Beijing.
The post Xi Jinping Embraces Spain — ‘On the Right Side of History’ with China appeared first on Breitbart.
'I thought it was me as a doctor and it had to do with the Red Cross,' US president claims about image, which Vance says was taken down because 'a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor'
The post Trump deletes meme depicting him as Jesus, refuses to apologize amid feud with pope over Iran war appeared first on The Times of Israel.
The Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East is hardly the only waterway on President Donald Trump’s mind worldwide at the moment.
The post Exclusive — Waterway Wars: Greek Official Reveals How Trump, Guilfoyle Severed China’s ‘Dragon’s Head’ Port Advantage in ‘Gateway to Europe’ appeared first on Breitbart.
A Truth Social post on President Donald Trump's account, which he says was "supposed to be me as a doctor" and not Jesus Christ, was deleted.
The post Trump Denies Deleted Truth Post Showed Him as Jesus, Blames ‘Fake News’: ‘I Thought It Was Me as a Doctor’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Pope Leo XIV responded Monday to President Donald Trump criticising him over the U.S.-Israel war in Iran, telling reporters the Vatican works for peace and reconciliation based on the teachings of the Gospel, adding he fears neither the Trump administration or vigorous debate.
The post Pope Leo Responds to Trump Criticism: ‘I’m Sorry to Hear That’ appeared first on Breitbart.
The West must "relinquish its participation quotas" at international institutions in favor of the countries of the "Global South," Spain's socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez demanded Monday from Beijing.
The post Spain’s Socialist PM Pedro Sánchez in China: West ‘Must Relinquish’ International Seats appeared first on Breitbart.
China said Sunday it would resume some ties it had suspended with Taiwan, such as direct flights and imports of Taiwanese aquaculture products, following a visit by the Beijing-friendly opposition leader of the self-ruled island.
The Taiwan Work Office under China’s Communist Party issued a statement saying it would explore setting up a longstanding communication mechanism between the Communist Party and Taiwan’s Kuomintang Party. It said it will facilitate the import of Taiwan’s aquaculture products that it had previously banned.
Cheng Li-wun, the head of the Kuomintang, and China’s President Xi Jinping held a high-profile meeting Friday during which they called for peace, without offering specifics. China claims the island as part of its territory and hasn't ruled out the use of force to annex it.
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees the relationship with China, said the measures that were announced, such as promoting a communication mechanism, were "political transactions" between the two parties that circumvented the government of Taiwan.
TAIWAN OPPOSITION LEADER MEETS XI IN BEIJING AS TAIWAN DEFENSE FIGHT INTENSIFIES
"The government’s position is clear: to ensure the interests of the nation and its people, all Cross-Strait affairs involving public power must be negotiated by both governments on an equal and dignified basis to be effective and truly protect the rights and well-being of the people," the Mainland Affairs Council said in response to the Chinese announcement.
Relations between China and Taiwan, which remain split since 1949, have been tense since the election of pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen from the Democratic Progressive Party in 2016. Beijing cut off most of its official dialogue with Taiwan's government, and has started sending warships and fighter jets closer toward the island on a daily basis.
BIPARTISAN HOUSE CHINA PANEL SLAMS BEIJING’S TAIWAN DRILLS AS ‘DELIBERATE ESCALATION’
In the statement, China said it plans to resume direct flights between Taiwan and mainland cities like Xi'an or Urumqi, although it remained unclear how the measures will be implemented without the approval of the Taiwanese government.
China banned its citizens from individual trips to Taiwan in 2019. Taiwan's rules now require Chinese visitors to hold a valid resident visa from another country, like the U.S. or the European Union, to apply for a visitor visa.
US INTEL SOFTENS ON CHINA THREAT, SAYS NO TAIWAN INVASION PLANNED BY 2027 DESPITE MILITARY BUILDUP
China also said it would work toward construction of a bridge that would connect the mainland to Matsu and Kinmen, Taiwanese islands that are closer geographically to China. The project is a longstanding proposal that Beijing has previously announced.
China banned the import of Taiwanese pineapples in 2021, and since then has extended it to other fruits and products including the grouper fish, squid and tuna.
After the initial ban on grouper, Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture said it approached China about making adjustments to ensure it met import requirements. China replied with a limited list of individual companies that were allowed to sell to China, but without explanation.
Zwei US-Medienschwergewichte mobilisieren gegen Kriegstreiber Netanjahu und Trump
Ein Kommentar von Rainer Rupp.
Erstaunlicherweise hat ausgerechnet die sonst so Israel-freundliche New York Times (NYT) Ende letzter Woche in einem ausführlichen Artikel dokumentiert, wie der rechtsradikale israelische Ministerpräsident Netanyahu Trump vor seinen Karren gespannt und in den völkerrechtswidrigen Angriffskrieg gegen Iran getrieben hat.
Netanjahu habe ein sofortiges, notfalls unilaterales israelisches Handeln gegen Iran als unausweichlich dargestellt. Trump und ein großer Teil seiner Administration seien ideologisch verblendet und hätten die ernst zu nehmenden Warnungen von militärischen Stimmen, aber auch die von JD Vance und Außenminister Marco Rubio einfach ignoriert.
Dieser landesweit vielbeachtete Artikel der NYT unter dem Titel „How Trump Took the U.S. to War With Iran“ („Wie Trump die USA in den Krieg gegen Iran geführt hat“), macht vor allem Israels Premierminister Benjamin Netanjahu und dessen Geheimdienstchef dafür verantwortlich, Trump in den Krieg hineinmanipuliert zu haben. Über Monate hinweg habe der israelische Kriegstreiber intensiv für einen gemeinsamen Großangriff auf Iran geworben. Ein entscheidendes Treffen am 11. Februar 2026 im Weißen Haus – inklusive einer hochgeheimen Präsentation im Lage-Zentrum – habe Trump schließlich von einer zögerlichen Haltung zur Beteiligung an den groß angelegten Militärschlägen an der Seite Israels bewegt. Dagegen vermuten bösen Stimmen im Internet, dass der eigentliche Grund für Trumps Einknicken darin lag, dass Netanjahu ihm einige alte Mossad-Fotos von Trump bei einer Epstein „Pizza-Party“ gezeigt hat.
Aber machen wir weiter im Narrativ der NYT.: In den Monaten vor dem 11. Februar habe Netanjahu die US-Regierung wiederholt zu militärischem Handeln gedrängt und dies mit der Notwendigkeit begründet, Irans Atomprogramm, dessen Raketenarsenale und regionalen Einfluss einzudämmen. Israelische Vertreter signalisierten zudem, notfalls allein zu handeln – was in Washington den Eindruck von Dringlichkeit und Unvermeidbarkeit verstärkt habe. Bei dem fast dreistündigen Treffen am 11. Februar wurden dann konkrete Angriffspläne, Zeitfenster erörtert, ebenso wie die Risiken, dass ein Erfolg der laufenden diplomatischen Gespräche den zionistischen Kriegstreibern einen Strich durch ihre Pläne machen könnte, was Netanjahu auf jeden Fall verhindern wollte.
Interessant ist, wie ex-CIA-Analyst Larry Johnson die Veröffentlichung der New York Times politisch einordnet. Sie sei als klassischer Versuch Washingtons zu sehen, die Verantwortung für eine aus dem Ruder gelaufene US-Politik abzuwälzen. Vizepräsident JD Vance und – in geringerem Maße – Marco Rubio erscheinen dabei als Stimmen der Vernunft, während General Dan Caine, der ranghöchste US-Offizier als zu schwach gelte, um Trump entgegenzutreten. Die Hauptverantwortung für das US-Desaster im Iran sieht Johnson jedoch bei Kriegsminister Pete Hegseth.
Johnson prognostiziert, dass die USA in Kürze ihre Angriffe wieder aufnehmen werden – mit der Folge iranischer Gegenschläge gegen Israel und gegen US-Basen in der Region, sowie die Zerstörung weiterer arabisch-amerikanischer Industrieanlagen und Infrastruktur. Und am Ende werde Trump gezwungen sein, seine Niederlage einzugestehen: Die USA könnten Iran nicht besiegen – so Johnson - und die wirtschaftlichen sowie politischen Kosten würden die Republikaner schwer belasten, vor allem mit Blick auf die Kongresswahlen im Herbst.
Den innenpolitischen Folgen von Trumps Iran-Desaster widmet sich die bekannte Washington Post in einer detaillierten Berichterstattung vom 8. April. Im Zentrum des Artikels unter dem Titel: „Trump‘s Iran brinkmanship reaches truce, escalates backlash at home“ („Trumps riskante Iran-Politik führt zum Waffenstillstand und im eigenen Land zu heftiger Kritik“) steht im Sturm der öffentlichen Kritik an Trumps Politik, die als verantwortungslos und unhaltbar bewertet wird. Seine auf Eskalation angelegte Strategie, seine Drohung, die Gegner nicht nur vollständig zu vernichten, sondern auch deren ganze „Zivilisation“, stelle einen neuen Höhepunkt der Barbarei dar, die innerhalb der USA „parteiübergreifende Empörung“ ausgelöst habe. Während Trump-Unterstützer die zweiwöchige Waffenruhe und die teilweise Wiederöffnung der Straße von Hormus als Erfolg feierten, zeichnet das Washingtoner Blatt das Bild eines moralischen und strategischen Scheiterns.
Die Trump-Administration habe sich mit ihrem rücksichtslosen Einstieg in den Krieg gegen den Iran einen der verheerendsten außenpolitischen Fehlschläge der modernen US-Geschichte geleistet, verführt durch das unerbittliche Lobbying Benjamin Netanyahus. Mit seiner Beteiligung am israelischen Angriffskrieg am 28. habe Trump seine Wahlversprechen von Frieden gebrochen. Statt „bedingungsloser Kapitulation“ oder der Neutralisierung des iranischen Atomprogramms habe die Operation „Epische Wut“ Teheran die Kontrolle über die Straße von Hormus gesichert, das Regime in Iran innenpolitisch und außenpolitisch gestärkt und eine globale Energiekrise ausgelöst. Die Akzeptanz – und die anschließende hektische Leugnung – des umfassenden 10-Punkte-Waffenstillstand-Plans des Irans lege zudem eine atemberaubende Inkompetenz und Verlogenheit offen.
In den USA habe Trumps niederträchtige Rhetorik die Glaubwürdigkeit und moralische Autorität des Präsidenten zerstört. Sein Oster-Ultimatum – „eine ganze Zivilisation wird heute Nacht sterben“ – ging selbst für Hardliner zu weit. Senatorin Lisa Murkowski verurteilte es als „Affront gegen die Ideale, die unsere Nation fast 250 Jahre lang hochgehalten hat“. Die bekannte ex-Kongress-Abgeordnete Marjorie Taylor Greene benannte sein Handeln als „böse und wahnsinnig“.
Der wohl bekannteste und beliebteste konservative US-online-Moderator und ehemalige Trump-Unterstützer Tucker Carlson, warf Trump vor, mit einem „gotteslästerlichen Social-Media-Beitrag“ sogar Ostern entweiht zu haben und, „moralische Verbrechen“ zu begehen. Auch Papst Leo XIV. äußerte sich deutlich gegen Trumps Ansinnen, die iranische Zivilisation zu vernichten und erklärte: „Das ist völlig inakzeptabel.“ Der Princeton-Professor Robert George forderte Militärangehörige auf, rechtswidrige Befehle zu Angriffen auf Zivilisten zu verweigern.
All das seien keine marginalen Meinungen, so die Washington Post, sondern sie spiegelten die Empörung einer Nation wider, die vor einem Präsidenten zurückschreckt, der nukleares Säbelrasseln und zivile Ziele als Verhandlungstaktik betrachte.
Eine weitere scharfe Kritik gegen Trump aus seinem eigenen Lager kam von seinem früheren Chef der „Anti-Terror-Behörde“, Joe Kent, der kürzlich aus Protest gegen Trumps Kriegspolitik zurückgetretenen war. Er erklärte:
„Es gibt derzeit keine militärische Lösung für diesen Konflikt. Jeder militärische Schritt hat das Regime in Iran nur gestärkt.“
Zum Abschluss verweist die Washington Post auf die bereits gefallenen und verwundeten US-Soldaten und die Tausenden von iranischen Zivilisten, die bereits getötet wurden. Zugleich habe der Krieg die Vorräte wichtiger US-Luftabwehrwaffen erschöpft, die Energiepreise auf Rekordhöhe getrieben, Verbündete entfremdet und Trumps Zustimmungswerte im eigenen Land einbrechen lassen. Die wechselnden Forderungen Trumps, von bedingungsloser Kapitulation des Iran bis hin zu vagen diplomatischen Lösungen beschreibt die Washington Post als Ausdruck eines gescheiterten, selbstverschuldeten Desasters.
Fazit:
Dieses Desaster ist kein bloßer Fehltritt, sondern das vorhersehbare Ergebnis einer US-Regierung, die von ausländischen Interessen gekapert ist, einer US-Regierung, die der Diplomatie verächtlich gegenübersteht und süchtig nach theatralischer Eskalation ist. Klar ist auch, dass man mittlerweile auch in den USA zu verstehen beginnt, dass Trump von Israel an der Nase geführt wurde. Er hat amerikanische Interessen verraten und statt „America First“ Israels Interessen Priorität gegeben, auf Kosten der USA.
Nun hat Trump seinen eigenen Krieg am Hals, den er jedoch nicht gewinnen kann. Zugleich wächst der politische Aufstand in den eigenen Reihen, den er nicht mehr eindämmen kann. Die Kosten – Menschenleben, Vermögenswerte und weltweites Ansehen – werden die Amerikaner noch lange nach dem Ende dieses rücksichtslosen Kapitels der US-Geschichte tragen müssen.
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Dank an den Autor für das Recht zur Veröffentlichung dieses Beitrags.
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Bild: WASHINGTON D.C., USA - 29. SEPTEMBER 2025: US-Präsident Donald Trump begrüßt den israelischen Ministerpräsidenten Benjamin Netanyahu bei seiner Ankunft im Weißen Haus.
Bildquelle: noamgalai / Shutterstock.com
Der amerikanische Papst Leo XIV. und Donald Trump liegen im Zwist. Trump attackiert den Papst und lässt sich selbst als Heiland darstellen.
Der Beitrag Der Heiland Donald Trump erschien zuerst auf .
In rare direct attack by US president on head of the Catholic Church, Trump says he's 'not a fan of Pope Leo,' and urges pontiff to 'stop catering to the Radical Left'
The post In broadside, Trump slams ‘weak’ pope who ‘thinks it’s OK’ for Iran to have a nuclear bomb appeared first on The Times of Israel.
President Donald Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV, labeling him as "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," and added that he does not want a Pope who opposes the actions of the Trump administration.
The post Trump Slams Pope Leo XIV: ‘Weak on Crime’ and ‘Terrible for Foreign Policy’ appeared first on Breitbart.
„Er redet der radikalen Linken nach“: US-Präsident Donald Trump attackiert Papst Leo XIV. nach dessen Kritik am Iran-Krieg frontal.
Dieser Beitrag Truth Social Trump attackiert Papst Leo: „Ohne mich wäre er nicht im Vatikan“ wurde veröffentlich auf JUNGE FREIHEIT.
Pope Leo XIV starts a four-nation visit to Africa Monday, visiting the fastest-growing continent for the Catholic Church as he embarks on his fourth foreign trip since becoming pontiff in 2025.
While the trip does not include the continent’s most populous nation of Nigeria — where thousands of the faithful have been killed for their religious beliefs — it begins in the Muslim-majority country of Algeria.
The Vatican has called the trip "A pilgrim in Africa." The main themes Leo is expected to address include peace, migration, the environment, young people and the family, according to the Holy See. He will make 25 speeches in four of Africa’s main languages — French, English, Portuguese and Spanish.
POPE LEO XIV CALLS OUT CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION AMID LATEST MASSACRE OF CIVILIANS IN AFRICAN NATION
Analysts and clerics are keen to stress the overall importance of this visit to the continent. "I believe the Holy Father is walking with the African church in the context of the global church," Rev. Daniel Male, secretary of the Union of Augustinian Friars of Africa, told the Religion News Service. He added, "He is affirming the African churches’ growth and vibrancy and is also making a statement that the church has a preferential option for the poor and those at the margins."
The Catholic OSV News added the visit "highlights peace efforts, the works of mercy, and the Catholic Church’s vibrant presence on the continent."
The National Catholic Register stated that in 1910 Africa was home to less than 1 million Catholics. The latest figures available for 2024 estimate there are now 288 million.
Commenting on his absence from Nigeria, Frans Cronje, African-based analyst at the Yorktown Foundation for Freedom, told Fox News Digital, "Given Nigeria's role as the epicenter of the terror threat faced by Africa's Christians, it will be disappointing to many of them to learn that the pope has left that country off his Africa agenda. The country has become ground zero for the global Islamist terror threat."
POPE LEO XIV CONDEMNS BRUTAL MACHETE ATTACK THAT KILLED 49 CHRISTIANS DURING PRAYER IN CONGO
The pontiff must be invited to a country by the host government. Analysts say the government of Nigeria may feel a papal visit may be too sensitive at this time. But the Nigerian government did not respond to requests for comment on this issue by Fox News Digital.
Details of the trip include:
The Vatican’s yearbook for 2025, the Annuario Pontificio, states Catholics number 8,740 out of a population of 46–48 million. The pope is believed to be coming to Algeria to visit the ancient city of Hippo, now called Annaba. The city was home to St. Augustine, the "doctor of the church." Pope Leo is the first pontiff to belong to the Augustinian Order.
He is also expected to emphasize interfaith dialogue with Islam when he visits the Great Mosque of Algiers. This is one of the biggest in the world, capable of accommodating up to 120,000 people.
The 2026 Open Doors World Watch List placed Algeria in the 20th position for Christian persecution. It said 47 churches of the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA) have been closed by the authorities.
The Associated Press reported that Algerian authorities rejected a Vatican request for Leo to visit Médéa to pray at the Tibhirine monastery, the place where seven French Trappist monks were kidnapped and killed May 21, 1996, by Islamic extremists during the country’s civil war.
The Catholic EWTN organization reports that Catholics make up between 30% and 35% of the population of some 30 million.
The pope will preside over five public Masses and addresses in three cities. He will also meet with vulnerable children at the Ngul Zamba Orphanage in the capital city of Yaoundé.
In the latest government census, some 56% of Angola’s population identified as being Catholic.
The most significant part of the pope’s visit to Angola is expected to be when he goes to the town of Muxima, where he will pray at a shrine to the Virgin Mary, known locally as "Mama Muxima," or "mother of the heart." This is said to be the spiritual home for many Angolans, drawing over 2 million pilgrims every year.
The Vatican has stated that approximately 80% of the population of Equatorial Guinea are Catholic. Leo will hold several Masses and addresses, and will visit a new psychiatric hospital and a prison. The Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital in Sampaka, Malabo, was only inaugurated in December and is the country’s first modern specialized mental health facility. It collaborates with France’s Hospital Saint-Anne in Paris.
In a potentially controversial move, the pope will also visit a prison in Bata notorious for reports of inmate torture and abuse.
The Vatican did not respond to Fox News Digital questions by press time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Once more, a group of gunmen pulled up to a bar in Cancun and fired several shots, killing one employee inside. The attack is the latest of its kind in a growing trend in the popular tourist destination, where criminal organizations carry out shooting attacks as part of an extortion operation, and a way to control the street-level sale of narcotics at those establishments.
The post Latest Cancun Bar Shooting Leaves One Employee Dead appeared first on Breitbart.
Leo XIV will become the first pope to visit Algeria on Monday, taking a message of dialogue with Islam on a trip that also represents a personal pilgrimage for the American pontiff.
The post Leo XIV to Become First Pope to Visit Muslim Algeria appeared first on Breitbart.
In prayer service, pontiff says 'enough of the idolatry of self and money' and urges negotiations; laments that 'the God of life is being dragged into discourses of death'
The post Pope rails at ‘delusion of omnipotence,’ use of Christian language to justify war appeared first on The Times of Israel.
Viele Menschen werden ständig krank. Erkältung folgt auf Erkältung. Kaum ist man wieder fit, kommt der nächste Infekt. Der Körper wirkt schwach, anfällig, ausgelaugt. Und viele glauben: Das ist einfach so. Doch das ist es nicht. Ständig krank zu sein ist kein Zufall. Es ist ein Zeichen. Unser Körper zeigt uns, dass etwas aus dem [...]
Der Beitrag Warum wir ständig krank werden erschien zuerst auf COMPACT.
Pope Leo in a Saturday vigil for peace, called out the "delusion of omnipotence" he claimed is fueling war.
"In prayer, our limited human possibilities are joined to the infinite possibilities of God. Thoughts, words and deeds then break the demonic cycle of evil and are placed at the service of the Kingdom of God," he said in a prayer service at St. Peter’s Basilica.
He continued, "A Kingdom in which there is no sword, no drone, no vengeance, no trivialization of evil, no unjust profit, but only dignity, understanding and forgiveness. It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive."
In posts on X and during the prayer vigil, the pontiff also warned that war "divides" while hope and faith unite humanity.
TRUMP’S LAST-MINUTE DELAY: WHY HE WAS NEVER GOING TO OBLITERATE IRAN IN THE FIRST PLACE
"Enough of the idolatry of self and money. Enough of the display of power. Enough of war," he wrote. "True strength is shown in serving life."
The archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, was among those in the pews.
Leo’s words came on the same day Vice President JD Vance and a U.S. delegation began face-to-face talks with Iran amid an uneasy ceasefire.
MIKE PENCE WARNS JD VANCE TO AVOID OBAMA-STYLE IRAN DEAL AS NUCLEAR TALKS SET TO BEGIN IN PAKISTAN
They were some of the first American pontiff’s strongest words yet after he called President Donald Trump’s threat against Iran on Tuesday "truly unacceptable."
"Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable," the pope said earlier this week. "There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more so a moral issue for the good of the whole entire population."
Trump had written on Truth Social "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will... God Bless the Great People of Iran!"
Hours later, the president announced a two-week ceasefire subject to Iran agreeing to "the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz," the president wrote in another post.
As the high-stakes talks began on Saturday in Islamabad, Trump told reporters outside the White House: "We win regardless of what happens. Maybe they make a deal, maybe they don’t."
For more than a month, the pope limited his remarks to muted appeals for peace, but in his Easter blessing last Sunday, he urged "those with weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace."
Leo also invoked what he said were the final words that Pope Francis issued to the world from the same balcony one year ago, during which the late pontiff warned of a "globalization of indifference."
"What a great thirst for death, for killing we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world," Leo said, quoting Francis.
Fox News' Jasmine Baehr and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Brexit is moot because a post-NATO European Union needs as many members as it can get to fight Russia, Zelensky has said.
The post ‘The EU Needs More Countries’: Zelensky Calls on Britain to Rejoin the European Union to Help Fight Russia appeared first on Breitbart.
That’s the thing about the corporate media… There is no lie they will not invent and then gleefully spread if it damages Donald Trump. To them, the ends justify the means.
The post Nolte: Corporate Media Spread Hoax Trump Threatened the Pope appeared first on Breitbart.
Mexican military forces found a narco-tunnel that was being built connecting Nogales, Sonora, with its sister city in Arizona. The tunnel is connected to the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.
The post Mexican Military Finds Narco-Tunnel Under Construction near Arizona Border appeared first on Breitbart.
KAOHSIUNG – Taiwan: For the first time in nearly a decade, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) supreme leader and the head of the communist party, Xi Jinping, held a meeting with the chairperson of Taiwan’s main opposition party. Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Nationalist Party (also known as the Kuomintang, KMT), met Xi in Beijing on Friday.
Before their closed-door meeting the pair posed for pictures. Xi said that Taiwan is historically a part of China and remains an "inalienable" and "inseparable" part of Chinese territory. He said the "rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" was a "broader trend" that will not change. China’s state-controlled media and government officials often repeat these party lines, even though, after its establishment in 1949, the communist regime has not ruled Taiwan for a single day.
The two met in their capacities as heads of their respective political parties. China refuses to speak to the democratically elected government of Taiwan, led by President Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The DPP won Taiwan’s presidential elections in 2016, 2020, and 2024, although in 2024 it narrowly lost control of the parliament to an opposition coalition led by the KMT.
TAIWAN 'WILL NOT ESCALATE, BUT WILL NOT YIELD' TO CHINESE INTIMIDATION, FOREIGN MINISTER WARNS
The meeting came as Taiwan is mired in a dispute over defense spending, with the opposition coalition blocking President Lai’s proposed $40 billion special defense budget. During a recent visit to Taipei, Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said approval of the package would send a clear message that Taiwan is prepared to invest in its own defense and "peace through strength."
Hours before Cheng and Xi smiled for the cameras, Lai did not directly mention the Beijing meeting, but said on social media that any compromise with an authoritarian regime would damage Taiwan’s sovereignty. There are also concerns that if the special budget isn’t approved soon, the willingness of President Donald Trump to sell weapons to Taiwan could change should Trump decide to strike some kind of deal with Xi at a possible meeting in May.
Xi’s phrase "rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," which was repeated by Cheng, is a reference to the goal of China becoming a — if not the — major world power by 2049, the centennial of the founding of the communist PRC.
In comments that are sure to evoke controversy in Taiwan, Cheng repeated much of Xi’s phrasing, claiming that in the more than 100 years of interactions between the KMT and the CCP, "all we ever wanted is to guide the Chinese nation out of decline and toward rejuvenation." Cheng went on to say, "The great Chinese rejuvenation involves people on both sides of the strait. It is about the reawakening and resurgence of Chinese civilization."
That’s not how many here in Taiwan see things. Rose Chou, 45, works as an administrator in one of the biggest primary schools in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan’s largest city and a major port. Chou told Fox News Digital it was time for Taiwan to dump any connection to being China or a part of China. "Yes, I want a Republic of Taiwan. I have an 18-year-old son. And, yes, I realize we may have to fight. I’m willing to fight."
US LAWMAKERS WARN TAIWAN TO ‘MEET THE MOMENT’ AS CHINA STAGES INVASION-STYLE DRILLS
Chou readily admitted that most people she knows favor maintaining the status quo. A very small number, she said, are committed to the idea of unification — but under what terms they hope that could occur, Chou said she didn’t know.
Under the status quo that dates from the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, Taiwan’s official name remains the Republic of China, to nominally indicate that Taiwan is a part of China, just not "Red China." This formula previously satisfied the communist regime in Beijing, but — especially since Xi Jinping’s rise — Beijing has pushed Taiwan towards outright submission.
A meeting between the head of the KMT and the CPP hasn’t happened in almost a decade, but there is precedent. A KMT chair met Xi in 2015, and again in 2016, and separately, in 2015, then-Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou met Xi in Singapore, during which each addressed the other as "Mister," and titles used were "Leader of Taiwan" and "Leader of Mainland China," respectively.
In a statement after the meeting, a spokesperson for the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei, said, "The United States supports cross-Strait dialogue. We expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait. Meaningful cross-Strait exchange should focus on dialogue between Beijing’s leadership and Taiwan’s democratically elected authorities without preconditions, while also including engagement with all other political parties in Taiwan."
Elizabeth Freund Larus, a Taiwan Fellowship Scholar in Taipei, told Fox News Digital the KMT’s traditional China approach no longer connects with much of Taiwan’s electorate. "KMT Chair Cheng’s trip is trying to replicate Ma Ying-jeou’s approach to cross-Strait relations," Larus said. "But that approach is 30-years old and no longer appeals to the Taiwanese. As a result, many people in Taiwan are critical of her China trip."
Larus said Beijing is also likely to use the visit for domestic propaganda, presenting it as proof that Taiwan embraces cultural and social affinities with mainland China while casting the government in Taipei as an outlier. "Cheng may be welcomed in Beijing," Larus said, "but her party may receive a less enthusiastic reception" in local elections later this year and in the next presidential and legislative elections in 2028.
Taipei-based political risk analyst and Tamkang University assistant professor Ross Feingold told Fox News Digital, "President Lai’s DPP has a savvy media team, which for many years has successfully shaped public opinion towards China. Following today’s meeting, Cheng and the KMT will be portrayed as traitors willing to sell out Taiwan."
He concluded by noting, "Ultimately, though, the success or failure of Cheng’s visit to China and meeting with Xi will be determined by Taiwan’s voters, despite efforts from China and the United States to influence events. For the Trump administration, though, its near-term priority in Taiwan remains legislative approval to purchase billions of dollars of American weapons and speedy implementation of Taiwan’s commitment to invest $250 billion in the United States."
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Am 19. März 2026 hat Mexikos Präsidentin Claudia Sheinbaum auf dem 89. Bankenkongress in Cancún eine bezeichnende Ankündigung gemacht: Bis Ende des Jahres soll an Tankstellen und Autobahn-Mautstellen kein Bargeld mehr akzeptiert werden. Alles muss digital laufen – per Karte, CoDi oder App. Das Bargeld, die letzte Bastion anonymer Freiheit, wird systematisch abgeschafft.
„Unser Ziel ist es, in diesem Jahr durch die Programme, die wir gemeinsam mit den Banken entwickeln, die digitale Bezahlung von Benzin und Mautgebühren verbindlich vorzuschreiben. Dies wird dazu beitragen, barrierefreie digitale Zahlungsmöglichkeiten zu fördern, die uns dabei helfen, die Digitalisierung des Landes voranzutreiben“, sagte Sheinbaum auf dem Bankenkongress, auf dem die Zusammenarbeit zwischen Banken und der Regierung zur Infrastrukturverbesserung im Mittelpunkt stand.
Die Digitalisierung soll also beschleunigt werden. Das Ziel: weniger Bargeld (derzeit ca. 80 % aller Transaktionen in Mexiko) und mehr Steuereinnahmen. Die Banken jubeln – mehr Kunden, mehr Daten, mehr Gebührenpotenzial. Für die Regierung bedeutet es vor allem eines: Überwachung der Bürger.
Jeder digitale Zahlungsvorgang erzeugt ein datenreiches Protokoll: Wer hat wann wo wie viel gezahlt? Diese Informationen landen nicht nur bei der Bank, sondern sind für den Staat leicht abrufbar. Was früher eine anonyme Tankfüllung oder Mautzahlung war, wird jetzt zu einem lückenlosen Bewegungs- und Konsumprofil.
In einem Land, in dem Millionen Menschen kein Bankkonto haben, wird diese Zwangsdigitalisierung zudem zur Falle. Wer kein Smartphone, keine stabile Internetverbindung oder kein Bankkonto hat – vor allem in ländlichen Regionen oder bei älteren Menschen -, wird faktisch von der Teilnahme am Alltag ausgeschlossen.
Gleichzeitig gewinnt der Staat ein perfektes Werkzeug, um unliebsame Gruppen zu überwachen: Aktivisten, Kleinunternehmer der Schattenwirtschaft oder politische Gegner. Ein paar Klicks, und man sieht, wer regelmäßig bestimmte Strecken fährt, wer plötzlich viel tankt oder wer seine Ausgaben plötzlich ändert. Das ist nicht Science-Fiction, das ist die Logik von Chinas Social-Credit-System oder der geplanten CBDCs (digitalen Zentralbankwährungen) weltweit. Und wer einmal im System ist, dessen Geldbewegungen können bei Bedarf blockiert oder eingeschränkt werden.
Wer noch glaubt, dass digitale Zahlungsmittel nur bequemer sind, sollte sich fragen: Warum wird das Bargeld so systematisch bekämpft, obwohl es für Millionen die einzige verlässliche, private und krisensichere Option ist? Die Antwort liegt nicht in der Modernisierung. Sie liegt in der Macht.
Brian Burch, the U.S. Amb. to the Holy See, said on Thursday that Cardinal Christophe Pierre denied that the Pentagon threatened the Vatican.
The post U.S. Ambassador to Holy See: Cardinal Pierre Calls Stories of Pentagon Threatening the Vatican ‘Fabrications’ appeared first on Breitbart.
