Polling consistently shows that most Americans want Medicaid funding to be increased or remain the same. A new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) shows that major cuts to Medicaid proposed by Republicans would remove millions of enrollees from the program. Republicans have repeatedly claimed that the cuts they've proposed would only target supposedly wasteful spending and abuse of Medicaid, which is funded jointly by states and the federal government. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and other Republican lawmakers have repeatedly claimed that the spending cuts would not harm people who are enrolled in Medicaid. “We have to root out fraud, waste and abuse,” Johnson said in a recent Fox News interview. Of that total, around half would be left without any option for health care coverage after losing access to Medicaid, the CBO report found. “Trump has repeatedly claimed Republicans are not cutting health care, but CBO's independent analysis confirms the proposals under consideration will result in catastrophic benefit cuts and people losing their health care,” Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-New Jersey), ranking member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said in a statement. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, echoed Pallone's views, stating: This analysis from the non-partisan, independent CBO is straightforward: the Republican plan for health care means benefit cuts and terminated health insurance for millions of Americans who count on Medicaid. Moderate Republicans — particularly those from “purple” districts, who could face strong competition from Democrats in the 2026 midterms — have been reluctant to support a bill that includes enormous cuts to Medicaid. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska), who represents much of Omaha, Nebraska, also said he couldn't sign on to the $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid that hardliners of his party are demanding. Getting a bill passed will be difficult, as Republicans can only afford to lose four votes in the House of Representatives. Even if Republicans use the reconciliation process to avoid a filibuster in the Senate, they can only afford to lose four votes in that chamber as well. Notably, Medicaid cuts of any size are largely opposed by the American public. A KFF poll from earlier this month found that 76 percent of Americans oppose cuts to Medicaid. At this moment, we are witnessing a terrifying array of anti-democratic tactics to silence political opposition, increase surveillance and expand authoritarian reach. Truthout is appealing for your support as Trump and his sycophants crack down on political speech. Nonprofits like Truthout could be caught in Trump's crosshairs as he attacks dissenting groups with bad faith lawsuits and targeted harassment of journalists. As well, these attacks come at a time when independent journalism is most needed. The right-wing corporate takeover of media has left reliable outlets few and far between, with even fewer providing their work at no cost to the reader. He can be found on most social media platforms under the handle @thatchriswalker. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day.

In his first words as pope, a visibly emotional Leo said to the crowd in St. Peter's Square: “Peace be with you all.” A church that builds bridges and dialogue,” he said. Prevost worked for a decade in Trujillo, Peru, and was later appointed bishop of Chiclayo, another Peruvian city, where he served from 2014 to 2023. The new pontiff is a member of the Augustinian religious order – which he also led for more than a decade as their prior general, which has given him leadership experience of leading an order spread across the world. Considered a highly capable and accomplished leader, Prevost most recently led the powerful Vatican office for new bishop appointments, the Dicastery for Bishops, assessing candidates and making recommendations to the late pope. While it is often said cardinal electors would always shy away from choosing a pope from the US, due to America's outsized global political influence, Prevost's long experience in Peru may have mitigated those fears among the electors. “He's somebody that, even though he's from the West, would be very attentive to the needs of a global church,” said Elise Allen, CNN's Vatican analyst. “You're talking about somebody who spent over half of his ecclesial career abroad as a missionary in Peru.” From very young, he was appointed to leadership roles,” Allen said. “He's seen as somebody who is calm and balanced, who is even-handed, and who is very clear on what he thinks needs to be done… but he's not overly forceful in trying to make that happen.” He was later sent to Rome to study canon law at the Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University and was ordained as a priest in June 1982. In an interview with Vatican News shortly after he became the leader of the Dicastery for Bishops, Prevost said: “I still consider myself a missionary. The coming days are for celebration; Leo's name will be uttered in homilies and masses across the Catholic world, and will spark particularly joyous scenes in his home country. Adding to festivities, and to the new pope's diary commitments, is the fact that 2025 is a jubilee year for the church – a special celebration announced by Pope John Paul II 25 years ago, which sees a busy schedule of Vatican-organized events. But leading the largest Christian denomination through an unpredictable era will require difficult and consequential decisions. The new pope inherits a church whose image and ambitions were transformed by its predecessor; Francis pulled the priorities of the church away from social issues such as abortion, homosexuality, gender roles and contraception, advocating instead for the world's poor, displaced and needy, and instilling a mission anchored in altruism. Whether or not to continue that trajectory will be a defining choice for the new pontiff. Francis' rejection of opulence and his softer tone on social issues was praised by some Western leaders, but there remains a faction in the church advocating for a stricter line on questions of sex, gender, marriage and migration. Asked about the contributions of three women who were made members of the Dicastery for Bishops, Prevost told Vatican News: “I think their appointment is more than just a gesture on the part of the Pope to say that there are now women here, too. There is a real, genuine, and meaningful participation that they offer at our meetings when we discuss the dossiers of candidates.” He must also choose carefully when to intervene on the world stage. And he must deal with crises from within, too. Francis' failure to bring a close to the years-long scandal of child sexual abuse in the church will also reverberate through his successor's papacy. Though he spoke defensively about his record on the matter, and took some important steps to tackle systemic issues involving abuse, the previous pope was accused by survivors' groups of failing to hold accountable bishops and cardinals accused of covering up abuse. Previously addressing the responsibility of combating clerical abuse, Prevost told Vatican News: “There are places where good work has already been done for years and the rules are being put into practice. At the same time, I believe that there is still much to learn.” Last year, Francis' commission for child protection said in its first report that parts of the church are still failing to ensure that abuse is properly reported, and raised concerns about a “lack of transparency” in how the Vatican handled cases.

Measure passes nearly along party lines, with all Democrats opposed and almost every Republican voting in favor The measure was sponsored by rightwing Georgia lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene and passed nearly along party lines, with all Democrats opposed and almost every Republican, with the exception of vulnerable Nebraska representative Don Bacon, voting in favor. Trump had announced in his inaugural speech that the US government would change how it refers to the body of water, which stretches from Florida to Texas and along the coast of Mexico. Even if it did, other countries have no obligation to use the new name. “The American people rose up in a historic election in November of 2024 and they told Washington DC they have had enough of the Democrat embrace and love affair of the cartels in Mexico. “You would think this would be the easiest vote that the United States House of Representatives could take, because, after all, everybody in here swore an oath to defend our constitution and to defend our laws and our land. Oh, but no, the Democrats can't do it because we had four years of Democrat control where our borders were wide open and the American people are fed up with it.” Democrats countered that the legislation was a waste of time. “The truth is, this bill won't fix a single problem. It does absolutely nothing to help the Gulf coast. In February, it barred Associated Press journalists from the Oval Office, Air Force One and White House events in retaliation for the wire agency refusing to use the new term in its authoritative stylebook. Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning

A South Carolina firing squad botched the execution of Mikal Mahdi last month, with shooters missing the target area on the man's heart, causing him to suffer a prolonged death, according to autopsy records and his attorneys. Autopsy documents and a photo reviewed by the Guardian, along with analysis commissioned by Mahdi's lawyers, suggest the execution did not occur according to protocol, and that Mahdi endured pain beyond the “10-to-15 second” window of consciousness that was expected. On the evening of his killing, Mahdi was brought into the state's execution chamber, strapped to a chair and had a red bullseye target placed over his heart. Witnesses were positioned behind bulletproof glass, and three prison employees on the firing squad stood roughly 15ft (4.6 metres) away. Officials placed a hood over Mahdi's head before the staff fired, according to an Associated Press reporter, who was a witness. As shots were fired, Mahdi cried out and his arms flexed, and after roughly 45 seconds, he groaned twice, the AP said. He was declared dead roughly four minutes after the shots. But the autopsy report commissioned by the SCDC indicates there were only two gunshot wounds, not three, and that the bullets hit his pancreas, liver and lower lung, and largely missed his heart. Dr Bradley Marcus, the pathologist who performed the autopsy for the state, described two roughly half-inch gunshot wounds on Mahdi's chest, but suggested three shots might have been fired, writing: “It is believed that gunshot wound labeled (A) represents two gunshot wound pathways.” But Dr Jonathan Arden, a forensic pathologist retained by Mahdi's lawyers, wrote in a report submitted to the court that it would be “extraordinarily uncommon” for multiple bullets to enter through one wound. Arden also interviewed Marcus for his report and said the state's pathologist was “surprised to find only two wounds” and took a photograph to send to the SCDC, which clearly showed two wounds. Arden said Marcus also acknowledged the odds were “remote” that two shots made a single wound. “If the procedure is done correctly, the heart will be disrupted, immediately eliminating all circulation,” wrote Arden, who previously testified in litigation challenging firing squads. Because “the shooters missed the intended target area”, Mahdi continued to have circulation, allowing him to remain conscious for up to a minute, said Arden, noting the AP's report of his groaning after 45 seconds. Mahdi suffered a “more prolonged death process than was expected had the execution been conducted successfully according to the protocol” and experienced “excruciating conscious pain and suffering for about 30 to 60 seconds”, Arden concluded. “Did they flinch or miss because of inadequate training? Or was the target on Mr Mahdi's chest misplaced? Mahdi's lawyers said “a massive botch is exactly what happened”: “Mr Mahdi elected the firing squad, and this court sanctioned it, based on the assumption that SCDC could be entrusted to carry out its straightforward steps: locating the heart; placing a target over it; and hitting that target. “I don't think any reasonable, objective observer can look at what happened and think we can keep setting execution dates,” David Weiss, Madhi's lawyer who sat as a witness, said in an interview. “I heard Mikal's cries of pain and agony, and I don't want that to happen to somebody else.” South Carolina had ceased executions for 13 years as it struggled to obtain lethal injection supplies, but resumed last year, directing people on death row to choose either firing squad, electric chair or lethal injection. “Lethal injections were adopted because they were supposed to be more humane with a lower risk of error, but as more information became available, we realized it was actually quite tortuous,” said Weiss. “And the intent of the firing squad was that in some ways it would be simpler, quicker, more straightforward, harder to make mistakes. A human rights report last year chronicled 73 botched lethal injection executions in the last 50 years, which have disproportionately affected Black people on death row. Alabama began using an untested nitrogen gas method last year, claiming it was “perhaps the most humane” option, but in its first case, witnesses reported that the condemned man's body began violently shaking, and it took roughly 22 minutes to kill him. There have only been three other firing squad executions in the last 50 years, though Idaho recently adopted legislation making shootings the main method of killing.

He is expected to build on Pope Francis' reforms. He worked for a decade in Trujillo, Peru, and was later appointed bishop of Chiclayo, another Peruvian city, where he served from 2014 to 2023. Prevost is a member of the Augustinian religious order – which he also led for more than a decade as their prior general, which has given him leadership experience of leading an order spread across the world. Considered a highly capable and accomplished leader, Prevost most recently led the powerful Vatican office for new bishop appointments, the Dicastery for Bishops, assessing candidates and making recommendations to the late pope. While it is often said cardinal electors would always shy away from choosing a pope from the US, due to America's outsized global political influence, Prevost's long experience in Peru may have mitigated those fears among the electors. “He's somebody that, even though he's from the West, would be very attentive to the needs of a global church,” said Elise Allen, CNN's Vatican analyst. “You're talking about somebody who spent over half of his ecclesial career abroad as a missionary in Peru.” From very young, he was appointed to leadership roles,” Allen said. “He's seen as somebody who is calm and balanced, who is even-handed, and who is very clear on what he thinks needs to be done… but he's not overly forceful in trying to make that happen.” He was later sent to Rome to study canon law at the Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University and was ordained as a priest in June 1982. In an interview with Vatican News shortly after he became the leader of the Dicastery for Bishops, Prevost said: “I still consider myself a missionary. My vocation, like that of every Christian, is to be a missionary, to proclaim the Gospel wherever one is.” Asked about the contributions of three women who were made members of the Dicastery for Bishops, Prevost told Vatican News: “I think their appointment is more than just a gesture on the part of the Pope to say that there are now women here, too. There is a real, genuine, and meaningful participation that they offer at our meetings when we discuss the dossiers of candidates.” He also addressed the responsibility of combating clerical abuse, saying: “There are places where good work has already been done for years and the rules are being put into practice. At the same time, I believe that there is still much to learn.”

Questions arise after Zelensky claims Ukraine "not responsible" for security of Moscow's cherished military spectacle Questions arise after Zelensky claims Ukraine "not responsible" for security of Moscow's cherished military spectacle But as Moscow prepares for its fourth parade since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the atmosphere this year is different. The Victory Day parade is not an event like any other. Held on major anniversaries since the 1960s, and annually since 1995, it has come to become Russia's grandest show of national pride, an event intended to highlight both the country's supposed glorious past as well as its continued military strength. This post-Soviet imperial nostalgia reached its climax under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, who has shown special devotion to publicly celebrating the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany. This year, the Victory Day parade was intended to be even more attractive than previous editions, with invitations sent out to several dozen foreign leaders, whose presence is supposed to highlight Russia's international standing. Aside from the usual bunch, that is, presidents of Central Asian countries and Alexander Lukashenko, this year's parade will host China's Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Lula da Silva and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, among others. This guest list stands in clear contrast with last year's parade, which hosted only foreign leaders from Belarus, Central Asian countries, as well as Cuba, Laos and Guinea-Bissau, and even more clearly with that in 2022, when no foreigners showed up at all. Over the past days, Moscow's airports were closed several times due to ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks, paralyzing air traffic just as Russians were traveling for holidays during the days leading up to Victory Day. According to specialists tracking Ukrainian military activity in Russia, while most attacks on Moscow are intercepted by air defense, a small proportion of drones do manage to reach the city. "In March, while 90% of Ukrainian attacks on Russia were focused on the border regions of Belgorod and Kursk, we still noted 14 strikes on the Moscow region and four strikes on Moscow itself," said Nichita Gurcov, senior analyst at ACLED, an international organization tracking military conflict and political violence worldwide. According to Gurcov, however, this does not mean that Ukrainian drones will necessarily reach Moscow on May 9. "This really is about the language of force that Russia constantly uses (in this war), and Ukraine understands that it needs to reciprocate with the same language." "Most Ukrainian drones are GPS-guided (and will be affected by this cut), with only a small patch of experimental drones using AI to reach their destination," Gurcov told the Kyiv Independent. Still, it's hard to tell what will happen on May 9 in Moscow." Zelensky called Putin's call a "theatrical performance" designed to ease Russia's international isolation and create a favorable atmosphere for the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. "This really is about the language of force that Russia constantly uses (in this war), and Ukraine understands that it needs to reciprocate with the same language," said Maria Piechowska, an analyst who covers Ukraine at the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM). "Ukraine just doesn't want to be walked over, in a positive sense, and the question of narrative is important in understanding this. Authorities were asked directly about the possibility of an attack, and they simply had nothing to gain from saying that they would not target the parade, especially given that Russia continues to target civilians in Ukraine." The question of narrative also serves internal political purposes, Piechowska argued in turn, with an attack on the Victory Day parade serving as a kind of "dream" that many in Ukraine imagine, and which could build up internal morale. As a result, even if Ukraine does not strike the parade, speaking about it publicly emboldens Ukrainian public opinion, especially after a series of deadly Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities over the past weeks, in which dozens of civilians were killed. "I don't think the actual fear of being targeted in a strike led to some of them changing their minds about coming to Moscow, however, their unwillingness to be connected to this topic of war… I think this could have played a role in their decisions, even if I wouldn't overestimate this either," Piechowska said. The fact that Russia is a country at war and that traveling there carries "significant risks" is simply a "reality of the war" between Russia and Ukraine, Howlett said in turn. "Still, I don't know for sure what will happen on May 9," Gurcov concluded.

Several human rights groups have documented deplorable conditions in Libya's immigrant prisons. A federal judge has placed a hold on the U.S. government's plans to deport a number of immigrants to Libya, following allegations from immigrants, their families and their lawyers that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials told them they would soon be sent to that country. The injunction placed by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy states that the Trump administration's actions would “clearly violate” a previous order he made, violating immigrants' right to challenge their expulsion to countries other than their homelands. In the legal motion seeking the injunction, lawyers claimed that their clients are being targeted for deportation “without any reasonable fear screening, let alone a fifteen-day window to file a motion to reopen with the immigration court to contest any negative reasonable fear determination.” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said that she “can't confirm” previous reports that immigrants living in the U.S. could soon be deported to Libya. But State Department Secretary Marco Rubio confirmed last month that the Trump administration is “actively searching for other countries to take people,” beyond the White House's current agreement with El Salvador. Immigrants who have been abducted by ICE told their families and their lawyers that they were being threatened with deportation to Libya, which has a history of human rights abuses, particularly against immigrants. Human rights groups have repeatedly shined a light on the deplorable conditions of Libya's immigrant prisons. The United Nations Human Rights Council's Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya issued a report in 2023 concluding that the country likely committed “crimes against humanity” against “Libyans and migrants throughout Libya,” documenting examples of “arbitrary detention, murder, torture, rape, enslavement, sexual slavery, extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearance.” And even the U.S. State Department's own assessments on Libya describe conditions in its detention centers as “harsh and life-threatening.” “I have been in those migrant prisons and it's no place for migrants. At this moment, we are witnessing a terrifying array of anti-democratic tactics to silence political opposition, increase surveillance and expand authoritarian reach. Truthout is appealing for your support as Trump and his sycophants crack down on political speech. Nonprofits like Truthout could be caught in Trump's crosshairs as he attacks dissenting groups with bad faith lawsuits and targeted harassment of journalists. As well, these attacks come at a time when independent journalism is most needed. The right-wing corporate takeover of media has left reliable outlets few and far between, with even fewer providing their work at no cost to the reader. He can be found on most social media platforms under the handle @thatchriswalker. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day.

Russia and China condemn the use of commercial satellite systems to interfere in the affairs of other countries and in armed conflicts, reads a joint statement on global strategic stability. "The parties condemn the use of commercial space systems to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign states and armed conflicts involving third countries," says the statement adopted after the meeting of the two countries' leaders, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in Moscow. Moscow and Beijing have jointly condemned any attempts by individual nations to utilize outer space for military confrontation. They reaffirm their stance against security policies and activities aimed at achieving military dominance or transforming outer space into a battlefield. The two countries call for the urgent initiation of negotiations on a multilateral, legally binding treaty based on the Russian-Chinese draft. This treaty would prohibit the placement of weapons in outer space and prevent the threat or use of force against space objects. Such a treaty is essential to establishing clear, reliable guarantees that prevent an arms race in space, prohibit weaponization, and maintain space as a domain for peaceful exploration. Furthermore, Russia and China advocate for the internationalization of this initiative and a political commitment among nations not to be the first to deploy weapons in space. They believe that such measures will bolster global peace, promote equal and indivisible security, and enhance the predictability and sustainability of peaceful space activities. The statement underscores the importance of collective efforts to preserve outer space for the benefit of all humanity.

Slovak Prime Minister Rober Fico has accused the government of fellow EU member-state Estonia of trying to thwart his visit to Moscow for the Victory Day parade on May 9. Estonia closed its airspace to Fico's plane on Wednesday. The Baltic state's foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, claimed that “Russia is a country that launched and continues a war in Europe” and “participation in propaganda events organized by them should be ruled out” for EU representatives. “Estonia informed us that it will not allow us to fly over its territory despite the fact that Slovakia has a year-round permit to use Estonian airspace for our government wing,” Fico said in a video-message on Facebook later in the day. The airspace closure is “extremely disruptive,” Fico said, adding that it could prevent him from taking part in the celebratory events in Moscow scheduled for Thursday evening. According to the prime minister, the government in Bratislava is looking for an “alternative route” for him to be able to arrive in the Russian capital before the wreath-laying ceremony and the parade on Friday. The vice speaker of the Russian parliament's upper chamber, Konstantin Kosachev, told Argumenty I Fakty newspaper on Thursday that the closure of the Estonian airspace for Fico was a “hostile” move by Tallinn aimed against Russia and its partners. According to Kosachev, the Baltic nations have not come to terms with the results of the Second World War, and for them, “May 9 is not a day of victory, but a day of defeat.” Earlier, Latvia and Lithuania denied their airspace to the plane of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who was also among the world leaders heading to the Victory Day parade. Read RT Privacy policy to find out more.

A dip in consumer confidence and broader uncertainty in the economy helped drive down first-quarter profits at Restaurant Brands International Inc. QSR-T, its chief executive said. “Through the first few months of 2025, we've been navigating a highly dynamic macro backdrop, one that's evolving differently across each of our key markets,” Josh Kobza told analysts on a conference call Thursday. Kobza said the company, which owns Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs, anticipated a softer first quarter and “believe that some of the macro noise may have driven further softness.” For the portion of its supply chain that isn't, the company is working with suppliers and franchisees to localize it. “Based on what we know today, if our efforts pan out, we will see a (costs of goods sold) impact of around 100 basis points or less,” he told analysts. The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, reported net income attributable to common shareholders of US$159-million or 49 cents US per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31. The result was down from a profit of US$230-million or 72 cents US per diluted share in the same quarter last year. On an adjusted basis, RBI said it earned 75 cents US per diluted share, up from an adjusted profit of 73 cents US per diluted share a year earlier. While consumer sentiment has taken a hit, Kobza said the company noticed improved spending trends in April. “We've seen that come back in the second quarter to date so far. We've seen a bit of an improvement in consumer confidence,” he said. The launch of its new scrambled eggs boxes in partnership with Ryan Reynolds at Tim Hortons is “doing great,” Kobza said. The boxes developed by the Vancouver-born star of “Deadpool” come in bacon or sausage varieties and include two scrambled eggs, hash browns and chipotle sauce. “We're feeling really good about the Tims business. Study and track financial data on any traded entity: click to open the full quote page. Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following. © Copyright 2025 The Globe and Mail Inc. All rights reserved.

Russia is attempting an "unprecedented" interference campaign in Poland's presidential election, Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said on May 6, Reuters reported. Poland will hold presidential elections on May 18, with a potential runoff on June 1, as the country faces key debates over social policy, migration, and national security that could shape its political trajectory. Speaking at a defense conference, Gawkowski said Russia is spreading disinformation and launching hybrid attacks on Polish critical infrastructure to paralyze normal state functions. The Russian cyber threat level in Poland has more than doubled compared to 2024. "Today in Poland, during every minute of my speech, a dozen such incidents targeting critical infrastructure were recorded," Gawkowski said. Poland has emerged as one of Ukraine's staunchest allies since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, supplying military, humanitarian, and economic assistance. Moscow has also interfered in Romania's 2024 presidential election through cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and funding for far-right candidate Calin Georgescu. Some candidates have expressed views or associations perceived as pro-Russian. Far-right candidate Slawomir Mentzen, while not explicitly pro-Russian, has ties to nationalist circles skeptical of Poland's pro-Western stance. Karol Nawrocki, backed by the ruling Law and Justice party, has faced criticism for statements perceived as sympathetic to Russia.

The 133 cardinal electors, including four from Poland, began deliberations behind closed doors on Wednesday afternoon to choose a successor to Pope Francis, who died last month. Thousands of faithful once again looked skyward on Thursday, awaiting the traditional smoke signal. Kardynałowie podczas drugiego dnia konklawe nie wybrali papieża w pierwszej serii głosowańhttps://t.co/FNs0QWy2Kv Electing a Pope wasn't always the formal, ruled-based procedure we are familiar with today. Everything changed in 1271 after a papal election lasted almost three years.https://t.co/gzqYXaIUyU Ahead of the conclave, some cardinals voiced hope that a new pontiff could be elected on Thursday or Friday to demonstrate unity following the often-divisive, 12-year papacy of Francis, according to a report by the Reuters news agency. Officials and staff involved in the upcoming Conclave have taken an oath of secrecy.The oath, administered by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, was taken by all individuals—both clergy and laity— who will be present for the conclave.This… pic.twitter.com/5eQEOpoBTi Voting will resume later on Thursday, with two additional rounds scheduled in the afternoon. Ile głosowań nad wyborem papieża jest przewidzianych?#PAPinformacje https://t.co/xcWnKZwfjX The conclave will continue until one cardinal secures at least 89 votes, Polish state news agency PAP reported. Polish cardinal Konrad Krajewski, a close ally and charity envoy of Pope Francis, has been mentioned by some media outlets as a potential candidate.

In making his new film Caught by the Tides, Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke used two decades of material to reflect on the political, economic and technological transformations in China over that period.X STREAM PICTURES Jia Zhangke has earned his reputation as the most important Chinese filmmaker of this century by unblinkingly chronicling the sweeping changes in his country's society. He's depicted its economic upheavals, rapid urbanization and increased globalization – always through the bumpy psychological journeys of characters played by his muse (and wife), Zhao Tao. In Caught by the Tides, which opens in select Canadian cinemas on May 9, Jia continues this exploration in a fascinating fashion: presenting edited footage he shot over the previous 20 years to create a three-party film about displaced lovers. But unlike Richard Linklater's Boyhood, which similarly progresses through time but is otherwise relatively conventional, Jia has made a complex concoction that engages with the possibilities offered by digital cinema, blending documentary footage and outtakes from his previous features (mainly Unknown Pleasures, Still Life and Ash is Purest White). The film concludes with scenes shot during the COVID pandemic, complete with up-to-date smartphones, an elderly TikTok influencer and a scene-stealing robot. Whereas before Jia was capturing history, one could say with Caught by the Tides, he is writing it. Speaking at last year's Cannes, he modestly disavowed any role other than filmmaker. He said that using two decades of material allowed him to reflect on the political, economic and technological transformations over that period. How can you understand what's going on now without having a long span of time, using an historical perspective to examine where we were and where we are now? At the time in China, it was a new era, a new millennium, and we were very excited for what's to come.” But while shooting this documentary footage, he would sometimes include the actors he was working with on a feature film at the time. Jia's productions were all on pause so he began looking at his old footage. And then he began to wonder if it could be turned into a film. The result is a sweeping work with more music than dialogue, and a marvel of editing that leans heavily toward abstraction. “There's so much already embedded in the sounds and images that I thought it would become a distraction to create dialogue in a way that would make something too figurative, too concrete, too simple. “Since this film has transformed itself from A Man with a Digital Camera to Caught by the Tides, I really wanted to start with something more macro,” he explains. Zhao's astonishing performance ties the film together – often without any spoken lines. In the beginning, she is young, naive, really thinking that her definition of personhood has to rely on her romantic relationship, so much so that she leaves Datong to look for Bin.” Eventually, though, Jia says she learns to rely on herself. That's the kind of growth I want to showcase and feature.” “The footage also captures the emotions that I had throughout these different years of making and capturing these different images and materials. Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.

Republican firebrand urges US president to ignore establishment GOP in an exclusive interview Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Republican firebrand and Trump insider, has a warning for her party and for her president: Forget why Americans elected you last year at your peril. “It wasn't voting for more foreign wars like many neocons love to pursue here in Washington,” she told The Telegraph. Moderate Republicans are already aghast at the prospect of her running for the Senate or for governor in her home state of Georgia next year. And during the past week she has used social media to fire a series of warning shots to the Trump administration that the party has lost touch with its base by wading further into wars in Ukraine or Yemen, and threatening military action in Iran. In an exclusive interview in her huge congressional office on Capitol Hill, she unpacked exactly what she meant and described how Mr Trump needed to ignore the establishment Republicans, Wall Street billionaires and war hawks that were trying to get in his ear. With midterms looming next year, the party risks losing its grip on Congress. We are fed up with it,' she said, reeling off examples from history such as the invasion of Iraq and its elusive weapons of mass destruction, and Afghanistan, where the justification changed over time from hunting Osama bin Laden to vague ideas about building democracy. Ms Greene was a familiar sight at Mr Trump's election rallies: clambering up on to the press riser to appear on the new constellation of Right-wing TV channels, or being name-checked by the candidate or being invited on stage. “So I know exactly what made people stand in line for hours and days,” she said. The priority for the thousands of people packing airport lots or sports arenas was not attacking Yemen's Houthi movement, and keeping international shipping free from their attention, Ms Greene implores. “I haven't seen a Houthi or a Hootie or, however you say it, I don't know what one looks like,” she said. Nor were rally attendees demanding that Washington came to the defence of Ukraine's borders. “Everybody was like, we don't want to pay for this,” she said. “At the time, our border was under an invasion every single day, and there was no country in the world coming to America's defence.” Last week, Mr Trump secured a deal with Ukraine to set up an “economic partnership agreement,” giving Washington access to Kyiv's mineral resources. Washington will gain access to Kyiv's mineral resources in return for setting up an investment fund. But skeptics like Ms Greene say it amounts to an “empty promise” that will cost more American money. “I come from the business world, there's a job cost you have to take into account. She was credited this week with sinking a bipartisan bill that would have punished boycotts of Israel's government. In short, hers is a voice worth listening to. Last week Ms Greene published a lengthy post on X, in which she suggested the administration was losing its base. I campaigned for no more foreign wars.And now we are supposedly on the verge of going to war with Iran.I don't think we should be bombing foreign… Ms Greene's social media commentary has been reported as a schism with the president, a man twice propelled to power through his affinity with a type of voter who felt left behind by the country's political elite. “There's no daylight between myself and the president,” she said. Her real target is the same old establishment Republicans that stymied Mr Trump's first term, who clog up his phone trying to wangle invitations to the Oval Office or Mar-a-Lago. Mr Trump, she said, still knew what his supporters wanted and pointed to the downfall of his hawkish national security adviser last week. “If you're asking these people to go out and do it again and you don't deliver the agenda that he laid out on the campaign trail, how can Republicans ask for their votes?”

The European countries invited to visit Kiev on May 9 almost completely coincide with the Hitler coalition, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said in a statement available to TASS. The statement said that the hypocrisy of Europeans is aggravated by the plans of the leaders of some EU countries to accept "Zelensky's invitation to arrive in Kiev in order to take part in events to be held as an 'alternative' to the celebrations on May 9 in Moscow, as well as by the warnings of the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, to the member states and EU candidate countries in the case of their representatives' arrival to the celebrations in the Russian Federation, as the leaders of Slovakia and Serbia have already announced. The SVR said that "the siege of Leningrad in 1941-1944, which, according to various data, led to the deaths from 600,000 to 1.5 million civilians from starvation and which was recognized by the Russian justice as an act of genocide, is the most obvious example of the atrocities committed by the ‘Eurofascist machine' in the past war. In addition to regular German and Finnish units, the "Blue Division" of Spanish volunteers, the Norwegian SS Legion, the "Nederland" Volunteer Legion and the Latvian SS Volunteer Legion, which was particularly cruel, took part in it. They also noted that in November 1941, the Flemish SS Legion was deployed to the vicinity of Leningrad. "Another Belgian 28th Volunteer Grenadier Division "Wallonien" fought near Dnepropetrovsk. In the Velikiye Luki region, the Danish Waffen-SS Free Corps "Danmark" began its path defaming the reputation of Denmark. It was later incorporated into the German SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf". The Estonian SS Volunteer Legion formed the core of the 20th Estonian SS Division, which was established in October 1942 and committed atrocities in the Polotsk-Nevel-Idritsa-Sebezh region. It is worth noting that a total of some 60,000 of Kaja Kallas's compatriots served in the ranks of Hitler's Wehrmacht and SS troops. Croatian volunteer units fought on the Dnieper and near Mariupol, and the 13th SS Mountain Division "Handschar" (1st Croatian) was notorious for exterminating Serbs and Jews, as well as partisan detachments in the Balkans. The SVR drew attention to the fact that Romania was one of the main allies of Nazi Germany, the number of Romanian troops on the Eastern Front counted almost 700,000 people by August 1942, more than 200,000 of them died at Stalingrad, Odessa, Sevastopol and in the Donbass. "Another important partner of the Nazis was Italy, whose more than 94,000 soldiers met their grim end in the area of Nikolayev, Poltava, Dnepropetrovsk, on the Don and at Stalingrad," the statement read. Besides, the SVR noted that by agreement between Hitler and the French collaborationist government headed by Philippe Petain a legion of French volunteers was formed, which lost 75% of its personnel in the battles near Moscow in the winter of 1941. "Against this background, E. Macron's calls for a new ‘crusade campaign' against Russia sound rather hypocritical. "In the context of these shameful facts, the attention is being focused on the attempts of European liberal politicians to use deception and "hysteria" to present the Ukrainian conflict as an "existential struggle between good and evil", and the measures taken by Russia to ensure its national security - as preparations for an attack on NATO member states," the statement concluded.

FBI Director Kash Patel said during a May 7 Congressional hearing that the bureau needs more funding than the amount included in a budget proposal put forward by President Donald Trump, which would slash over half a billion dollars from the agency's budget. During the House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing, Patel was asked by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) about the $545 million in spending cuts to the FBI in Trump's “skinny budget” proposal for fiscal year 2026. “The skinny budget is a proposal, and I'm working through the appropriations process to explain why we need more than what has been proposed,” Patel told DeLauro. Current funding for the FBI sits at around $10.7 billion. Under Trump's proposal, that amount would dip to $10.2 billion. Patel said he's working on increasing the budget beyond its current funding levels. “So what do you need?” DeLauro asked. Patel's proposal would be nearly $1 billion dollars beyond the amount proposed by Trump. Some of these “non-law enforcement missions,” the White House said, included diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and redundant agencies that already effectively exist elsewhere. During her questions to Patel, DeLauro said that spending cuts at the levels proposed would necessitate cuts, and asked Patel which positions would be cut as a result of the White House budget. We are focusing our energies on how not to have them cut, by coming in here and highlighting to you that we can't do the mission on those 2011 budget levels,” Patel replied. The proposed budget that I put forward is to cover us for $11.1 billion, which would not have us cut any positions,” he said. DeLauro was thrown by the response as top federal officials usually align with the White House's plans at such hearings. also expressed surprise at Patel's handling of the hearing. I didn't support your nomination or your confirmation, but I appreciate what you're saying here today, especially since you offered to work with us in trying to address a lot of these concerns,” Ivey said. In response to lawmakers, Patel indicated that increasing the agency's budget would be necessary to keep it running at full capacity on its law enforcement objectives. Like Trump, Patel alleged weaponization within the agency against Republicans and conservatives. Patel has also long emphasized that he believed the FBI could be redeemed through reforms and a commitment to focusing on serious crime. Prior to the hearing, Patel announced in a press conference alongside Attorney General Pam Bondi that the government had arrested 205 suspected child sex predators in a five-day nationwide sweep. “If you harm our children, you will be given no sanctuary,” Patel said at the press conference. “There is no place we will not come to hunt you down. There is no place we will not look for you, and there is no cage we will not put you in, should you do harm to our children.”

U.S. Army leaders fielded questions from lawmakers on May 7 over their latest plan to prepare the fighting force and streamline their processes for adopting new technology and weapons systems for future conflicts. While the Army pursues innovation and readiness, lawmakers are wary of backing costly new programs that don't fit the force's needs or eliminating legacy programs. They're also working to advance the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft program, which is meant to succeed the Black Hawk helicopter. “These are the kinds of things that we have to avoid because we're in a resource-constrained environment,” Womack said. “We're not proud of the outcome of the Booker, but what we are trying to do is not fall prey to sunk cost fallacy, where, because we have invested all of these dollars into this machine that turned out to be inadequate, we're going to keep purchasing it,” the Army Secretary said. “Instead, what we want to do is be completely transparent.” House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa De Lauro (D-Conn.) questioned the Army's plans for its Black Hawk helicopters. George said the Army will retire some older Black Hawk versions and consider new systems to fill the helicopter's many current mission roles. De Lauro called their comments about the Black Hawk “very troubling.” At another point in the hearing, Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) questioned whether a plan to downsize the Army's armored vehicle units and adopt more high-mobility formations would leave soldiers reliant on vehicles with less protective armor.