How the dispute between Trump and Pope Leo escalated

President Trump has lobbed insults at Pope Leo XIV in response to his criticisms of the war in Iran, marking an unusually pronounced rupture between the leaders of the world's most powerful country and the world's largest Christian denomination.

Cleanup underway in Midwest after tornadoes leave path of damage, destruction

Communities across the Midwest were starting the cleanup process Saturday after multiple tornadoes touched down and severe weather struck areas from the Great Lakes to Texas.

Can Allbirds take flight as an AI company?

The struggling shoe brand Allbirds announced it is exiting the footwear business and re-inventing itself as an artificial intelligence company. Max Darrow has more from San Francisco.

Middle East crisis live: Trump leaves Situation Room to golf as ships report attacks and Iran closes strait of Hormuz

Unicef pulls out of north Gaza Strip after fatal attack on contractors, and UN peacekeeper killed in Lebanon

Separate to the Pakistani army chief’s trip to Iran (see post at 07:53), the Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and foreign minister Ishaq Dar also concluded a trip to the Middle East after visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey for talks.

“We have just concluded the last leg of our engagements following productive and fruitful visits … where we held meaningful bilateral discussions aimed at strengthening cooperation across key areas,” Dar said on X.

Pope Leo says he is not trying to debate Trump, but preach peace in Africa

Pope Leo pushed back on claims that he is feuding with President Trump. Chris Livesay has more details.

Tornadoes whip across U.S.: A look at the damage and the forecast

Millions are under the threat of severe weather on Saturday, with a tornado risk from Tennessee to New York. Multiple funnel clouds whipped across several states on Friday, causing lots of damage. Jonah Kaplan reports and Andrew Kozak has the forecast.

Americans see some relief at the pump

President Trump accused Iran of blackmailing the U.S. on Saturday, but there is some relief for Americans. Gas prices fell, averaging just over $4 a gallon nationwide. Olivia Rinaldi reports from the White House on the war's ripple effects.

Where things stand in the Strait of Hormuz

For seven weeks, Iran effectively weaponized the Strait of Hormuz. Imtiaz Tyab, who visited the contested waterway this week, reports on the status.

NFL will not investigate Mike Vrabel’s behavior amid Dianna Russini fallout

• NFL says no probe into Vrabel over resort photos

• Patriots silent on whether team will launch review

• Russini resigned from job after images surfaced

The NFL is not investigating Mike Vrabel’s behavior after published photos of the New England Patriots coach and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort prompted her resignation and an internal investigation at The New York Times-owned sports outlet.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to the Associated Press on Saturday the league is not looking into the matter. The Patriots didn’t immediately respond to a question about whether the team has launched its own review of Vrabel’s actions.

Real Sociedad lift Copa del Rey after Marrero shootout heroics sink Atlético

• Atlético Madrid 2-2 Real Sociedad (aet: 3-4 on pens)

• Lookman 19, Alvarez 83; Barrenetxea 1, Oyarzabal 45+1pen

History has a pair unexpected heroes. Unai Marrero, a 24-year-old substitute goalkeeper, born in San Sebastián and raised at Real Sociedad, saved two penalties in the shootout to put his boyhood club within a single shot of victory on the what his captain had called the night of their lives. Then he embraced Pablo Marin, the former ballboy who now walked towards him carrying all of their hopes on his shoulders, and asked his teammate to take them over the line. So Marin, 22, and on as a substitute, did just that, stepping up and securing only the fourth Copa del Rey in la Real’s history, defeating Atlético Madrid from the spot after a 2-2 draw.

Last time they had won it, in 2021, it took a penalty. This time it took six of them; Mikel Oyarzabal, as he had done then, scored one during the 90 minutes on the way to a 2-2 draw and three more men did in the shootout. Back then, Real Sociedad had won the trophy it in an empty stadium, unable to avoid the feeling that something was missing. Now at last they had done it in front of thousands of fans in Seville – there to see a trophy lifted for the first time in 38 years.

Obama meets Mamdani in New York City ahead of a preschool reading event

Former President Barack Obama met privately with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani before joining together to read to preschoolers at a child care center in the Bronx.

Jon Ossoff calls out ‘Mar-a-Lago mafia’ amid presidential bid rumors

Georgia senator says Americans will pay for Trump’s Iran war, and family’s corruption, with child and health care cuts

At a campaign rally in Augusta, Georgia, on Saturday, the Democratic senator Jon Ossoff mocked Donald Trump’s rosy predictions on Iran and tore into what he called the unprecedented corruption of the president’s family.

While Ossoff is running for re-election in November, he trained most of his fire on the president, and the vice-president, amid mounting speculation that the Democrat could launch a bid for his party’s nomination for the presidency in 2028.

The Crucible holds tribute to former player and commentator John Virgo

• World Championship venue has a minute’s applause

• Zhao Xintong starts title defence with edgy victory

A minute’s applause was paid in tribute to John Virgo, who died in February aged 79, as the World Snooker Championship got under way at the Crucible in Sheffield.

Virgo, who won the UK Championship in 1979, enjoyed a successful playing career but was best known for his broadcasting. During his 18 years as a professional, he reached the World Championship semi-finals in 1979. He went on to work for the BBC in 1994 and his voice became a distinctive feature of the national broadcaster’s snooker coverage for three decades.

Skydiver rescued after crashing into scoreboard before Virginia Tech spring game

• Skydiver crashes into Lane Stadium scoreboard

• Parachute snags above field before spring game

• Victim rescued, officials say condition stable

A skydiver crashed into the Lane Stadium scoreboard before Virginia Tech’s spring football game Saturday.

Virginia Tech officials said on X that the skydiver “was safely secured and is currently stable” following rescue efforts. The incident caused a delay in the start of the spring game.

Life jacket worn by a passenger who survived the Titanic auctioned off for over $900,000

A life jacket worn by a passenger on the RMS Titanic has sold at auction for 670,000 pounds, which is more than $900,000.

Manchester United hold on after Cunha’s cool finish to hand Chelsea latest loss

A makeshift Manchester United defence did not even have to resort to hair pulls to keep out a goalshy Chelsea. The unfamiliar pairing of Ayden Heaven and Noussair Mazraoui grew into a tepid game after a shaky start, making the full-time boos inevitable. Stamford Bridge was an unhappy place again, the unrest in the stands growing as a fourth consecutive defeat in the Premier League approached, and the only time the home fans stopped pining for the old Chelsea was when Mason Mount came on to help United protect their 1-0 lead.

Think back to Porto in May 2021. Back then, long before anyone in west London had heard of BlueCo, it was Mount who created the winner when Chelsea became kings of Europe for the second time. Five years on, though, this is a club that cannot even be sure that they will be in the Champions League next season.

‘That’s a guppy’: Baumgardner swats aside Britain’s Dubois as feud escalates

• American dismisses Dubois as ‘not on my level’

• Baumgardner targets bouts with Taylor or Serrano

• British stablemate touts fight as ‘best versus best’

A dismissive Alycia Baumgardner said Britain’s Caroline Dubois still has more to prove before the American will entertain a fight between the two unified champions.

That was the curt assessment from Baumgardner early Saturday morning after she retained her WBA, WBO and IBF junior lightweight world titles with a controlled, at times punishing display across 10 three-minute rounds against Bo Mi Re Shin in a main event that started well past midnight at Madison Square Garden.

A mass shooting in Ukraine's capital leaves 6 dead before police shot and killed the gunman

A gunman has killed six people and injured at least 14 in a mass shooting in Ukraine's capital before he was shot and killed by police.

Investigators examine whether Ukraine terrorist attack was directed by Russia

The gunman, who killed six people in Kyiv before police shot him dead, was a Ukrainian citizen born in Moscow

Ukrainian investigators are examining whether a terrorist attack in Kyiv was directed by Moscow after a man shot dead six people on Saturday before he was killed by police.

The gunman, 58, opened fire on passersby before barricading himself in a supermarket and taking hostages. Detectives sealed off the area in the Holosiivskyi district and tried to negotiate with him. He refused and was killed after a 40-minute standoff.

This week on "Sunday Morning" (April 19)

A look at the features for this week's broadcast of the Emmy-winning program, hosted by Jane Pauley.

Yann Martel: ‘I hate the rich people of this world – of which I’m one, because of Life of Pi’

The Canadian author on good writing advice from Martin Amis, his love for digging and getting rid of billionaires

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Your novels Life of Pi, Beatrice and Virgil, and The High Mountains of Portugal all feature animals in starring roles. If you could be any animal, which would it be, and why?

A sloth, because it has a peaceful, long life. Or maybe a koala. They both look like stoners. A sloth just hangs there in its tree, it sleeps 22 hours a day – or maybe it’s meditating. Most creatures take the strategies of overt camouflage or speed to stay alive, whereas the sloth’s like, “I’ll be so slow that no one will notice me.” It grows a kind of algae on its fur, which makes it hard to see in the South American jungles. So it’s kind of hiding and being at one with the universe.

The moment I knew: Our knees touched and we froze – it was cinematic

Tomas Telegramma had a platonic chemistry with his colleague Steph Vigilante. But one night as the heaven’s opened, so did his emotional floodgates

• Find more stories from the moment I knew series

In 2019, I started a job as a junior editor for an online city guide in Melbourne. I was struck by the social media coordinator Steph, who worked quietly and diligently in a corner of the office, but had a surname that was at odds with her vibe. She was Vigilante by name, but not by nature.

Our shared Italian heritage was an instant bonding agent. We had chemistry, sure, but it was purely platonic. Even when lockdown put a pin in all things in real life, work’s instant messaging app helped our friendship survive working from home. I’d write stories about the city; Steph would cleverly bring them to life on social media. The synergy was real.

Before Ruth died, we agreed on her ‘ghost’ sign. Experts say it’s a powerful tool for working through grief

I don’t believe in ghosts. But for the bereaved, receiving ‘messages’ from beyond the grave can help us feel connected to the departed

We all have ridiculous conversations with our mates, but negotiating a ghost pact with my friend as she lay on her deathbed was, without question, my most surreal.

The pact itself was simple. After my friend Ruth Francis departed this world, she was to give me a sign from beyond the grave.

‘I’m extremely lucky to be here’: Jelena Dokic on childhood dreams and talking tennis

Australia’s former world No 4 player and now respected pundit speaks about highs and lows in her life, and the importance of family on success

All sports stars know that dealing with highs and lows comes with the territory, as part of the job. But few have been through such extremes as Jelena Dokic, who spent her whole career, and much of her life, navigating painful moments. Abused, physically and psychologically, by her father, Dokic suffered from depression, an eating disorder and, at the very lowest moments, contemplated suicide.

But Dokic never gave up, showing rare resilience, built from her experience growing up in a war-torn country and being a refugee, twice. (Dokic was born in Croatia – part of the former Yugoslavia – and moved to Serbia, before settling in Australia). Somehow, even in the worst moments off the court, she was able to produce incredible moments on it.

French man, 86, issues historic apology for family’s role in transatlantic slavery

Pierre Guillon de Prince believed to be first in France to formally apologise for ancestors’ connections to slavery

An 86-year-old man has issued what is believed to be the first formal apology by someone in France for their family’s role in transatlantic slavery.

Pierre Guillon de Prince’s ancestors were shipowners based in Nantes, the country’s largest port for transatlantic slavery. They transported about 4,500 enslaved Africans and owned plantations in the Caribbean.

Pope Leo says he was not ‘trying to debate’ Trump over US attack on Iran

Pontiff says that despite ‘certain narrative that has not been accurate’, he will continue to preach message of peace

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Pope Leo XIV said on Saturday that it was “not in my interest at all” to debate the US president, Donald Trump, about the Iran war, but that he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace.

Leo spoke to reporters aboard the papal plane flying from Cameroon to Angola as part of his 11-day tour of Africa.

Trump signs order fast tracking review of psychedelics for mental health disorders

President endorses psilocybin and ibogaine: "Can I have some, please?"

Spurs’ survival hopes hit after Rutter rescues dramatic late point for Brighton

Roberto De Zerbi could only watch in stunned silence. The Italian had been a crucible of emotions as Tottenham tried to hold out against his former club after Xavi Simons scored the goal that looked like ending their long wait for a victory. But football is capable of providing the cruellest twists and Georginio Rutter’s late dramatic equaliser must have felt like a dagger to the heart for De Zerbi and the Tottenham fans.

The draw leaves Spurs marooned in the relegation zone having failed to win in the league in 2026 and it is 15 games since they last achieved that feat. Fail to beat the bottom side Wolves next week and they will have matched the worst winless run in their history. De Zerbi was right to point to the positives afterwards even if the preposterous prospect of this magnificent stadium hosting Championship football next season is growing by the day. Victory for West Ham against Crystal Palace on Monday night would leave them four points from safety and almost needing a miracle.

Starmer would have blocked Mandelson role over vetting failure, says Lammy

Deputy prime minister says it is ‘inexplicable’ top civil servant kept Downing Street in dark

Keir Starmer would have blocked Peter Mandelson from serving as the UK’s ambassador to Washington had he known he failed security vetting, David Lammy has said, as he attempted to shore up the prime minister amid damaging fallout from the row.

In his first public comments on the vetting affair, Lammy said it was “inexplicable” that Oliver Robbins, the former top civil servant who was forced out of the Foreign Office this week, had opted to leave Downing Street in the dark over the outcome.

2 soldiers attacked by bear during training at Army base in Alaska

Two soldiers from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, were injured in a brown bear attack on Friday during a training session.

England do just enough as Russo seals Women’s World Cup qualifying win over Iceland

• Iceland 0-1 England

• Russo goal and Hampton saves keep Lionesses top of group

Snow-capped mountains provided an idyllic backdrop to a less impressive performance, but England’s 1-0 win over Iceland ensured they maintained a three-point gap over Spain in their bid to earn an automatic place at the 2027 World Cup.

Only the four League A teams who top their groups will avoid the playoffs and qualify automatically, and with the European and world champions drawn in the same group, one will be left frustrated and with more games required to book their trip to Brazil.

Three things to know about FISA Section 702: Congress passes short-term extension of controversial surveillance program

The law allows the U.S. government to surveil people outside the U.S., including when they're communicating with American citizens.

Trump signs short-term extension of surveillance law passed by Congress

President Trump's signing comes after Congress passed a 10-day extension for the controversial warrantless surveillance law.

FBI’s Kash Patel denies excess drinking amid officials’ US security concerns

Agency director threatens to sue Atlantic for report citing allegations from two dozen current and former colleagues

The FBI director, Kash Patel, is denying allegations detailed in a new report that he drinks to excess and has been unreachable at times during his tenure in office.

Patel threatened to sue the Atlantic over the story published on Friday, which detailed his alleged heavy drinking and how members of his security detail have on multiple occasions had difficulty waking him.

Recovery efforts underway after reported tornado in Lena, Illinois

Recovery efforts are underway on Saturday after a tornado touchdown has been reported in Lena, Illinois, about 48 miles west of Rockford.

Two more Reform local election candidates accused of offensive posts

Labour calls on Nigel Farage to sack candidates and says his party’s checks ‘clearly not fit for purpose’

Reform UK’s checks on candidates are “clearly not fit for purpose”, Labour has said after two more candidates in May’s local elections were accused of making offensive or potentially racist social media posts.

Meanwhile, it emerged that Restore Britain, the party set up by the MP Rupert Lowe after he left Reform, appeared to have accepted a donation from someone who has called publicly on social media for “another Hitler” to come to power.

The youngest man to walk on the moon reflects on U.S. space exploration

Charles Duke, a former NASA astronaut and Air Force officer who became the youngest person to walk on the moon during the 1972 Apollo 16 mission, sits down with "CBS Saturday Morning" to reflect on U.S. space exploration amid the recent Artemis II moon mission.

String of violent tornadoes slams the Midwest

A string of tornadoes slammed the Midwest overnight as the region grapples with severe storms.

Why World Cup travel costs are so high

A round-trip train ticket from New York or New Jersey to World Cup games at Metlife Stadium will cost $150 each. "CBS Saturday Morning" breaks down the reasons behind the price hike.

Record U.S. drought sparks fears about wildfires, water and food prices

Meteorologists said the drought is a bad sign for the upcoming wildfire season, food prices and existing water issues.

Counter-terror police investigate arson attack in north-west London

Met describe ‘similarities’ with other recent attacks after business in Hendon was targeted on Friday

Counter-terrorism police are leading an investigation into an arson attack on a business in Hendon, north-west London.

The force said that, while it was not yet being linked to arson attacks on a nearby synagogue and Jewish ambulance charity, counter-terrorism officers were being deployed owing to “similarities” between the incidents.

U.K. man pleads guilty to hacking scheme that stole $8 million

Tyler Robert Buchanan, 24, of Scotland, pleaded guilty in California federal court.

Madonna: I Feel So Free review – album teaser offers hypnotic glimpse of a return to her club scene roots

(Warner Records)
The ‘Queen of Pop’ conjures the heady vibes of a small hours dancefloor with this exceptionally crafted single

Recent years have not been particularly kind to Madonna. Her tours have been dogged by controversy of a very different type to the scandal she once happily courted: in 2024 some disgruntled fans attempted to sue her for turning up on stage two hours later than scheduled.

Her albums have garnered a noticeably mixed reception and sold in increasingly diminishing quantities, each one shifting half what its predecessor did: she dismissed 2012’s MDNA and 2015’s Rebel Heart as albums she made “reluctantly”, but there were fewer takers still for 2019’s Madame X, an authentically bizarre patchwork of trap, reggaeton, Portuguese fado and politically inclined lyrics.

How a fiery attack on Sam Altman’s home unfolded

Molotov cocktail attack on OpenAI CEO’s home comes amid growing discontent against artificial intelligence

In the early hours of 10 April, a man approached the gate of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s house in San Francisco and hurled a molotov cocktail at the building before fleeing. The suspect, 20-year-old Daniel Moreno-Gama, was arrested less than two hours later while allegedly attempting to break into the headquarters of OpenAI with a jug of kerosene, a lighter and an anti-AI manifesto.

Federal and California state authorities have charged Moreno-Gama with a range of crimes including attempted arson and attempted murder. His parents issued a statement this week saying that their son had recently suffered a mental health crisis. Moreno-Gama, who has not yet entered a plea, faces up to life in prison if convicted.

‘Labels protect us’: Olivia Nervo wants reproductive coercion to be a standalone offence – she is not alone

Grammy-winning songwriter says she was deceived into pregnancy, and that cases like hers fall between the cracks

When the Grammy award winning songwriter, Olivia Nervo, agreed to start a family with her partner she believed she was in “a monogamous, committed relationship leading to a future”, and had never heard of reproductive coercion.

Her world came crashing down when she was six months pregnant and she found out that her partner was in a relationship with another woman who was also pregnant, and with whom he already had a child.

‘We can’t wait’: Venice already seeking floods plan B five years after barriers’ launch

Rising sea levels and ecological damage caused by heavy use of flood defence system force city authorities to consider next move

The Arsenale, the colossal shipyard that was the engine of the Venetian Republic’s domination for seven centuries, remains the nucleus of the city’s control over the water. Its northern section is made up of cavernous brick warehouses called capannoni, which in the 16th century could produce a warship a day through a rigorously ordered assembly line.

Now, one of them houses the operations centre of the Mose, the sprawling flood defence system that protects the city.

Photos: How overfishing in Southeast Asia is an ecological and human crisis

A rare look at one of the world's most critical and understudied environmental crises. Southeast Asia produces more than half of the world's fish, yet its waters are among the most depleted and contested.

4/18: Saturday Morning

Violent tornadoes slammed the Midwest overnight, causing major damage in some areas. Meanwhile, questions remain over the Strait of Hormuz.

‘A quiet, radical act’: Muslim neighbours support members of attacked London synagogue

After attempted arson attack, communities are determined to remain resilient and open

“How good and how wonderful it is when friends sit together,” reads a variation on a verse from Psalms painted high on the wall inside Finchley Reform Synagogue (FRS). For the congregation gathering in a cheerful hubbub before its Shabbat service on Friday evening, it felt like an especially apt sentiment.

Three days after the synagogue was the target of an attempted firebombing, hundreds of members made an extra effort to come together in determined, if slightly nervy, solidarity, joined by guests including local politicians, other faith leaders, police officers – and one particularly special group of neighbours.

‘Ignorance and cruelty’: former USAID official details devastation inflicted by Doge cuts

Nicholas Enrich was an eyewitness to the dismantling of the US foreign aid organization by the Trump administration

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Nicholas Enrich was working in Kenya in 2003 when the then US president George W Bush signed a landmark $15bn, five-year commitment to combat HIV, the largest international health commitment by any nation to fight a single disease.

It was the peak of the epidemic, and for the young American government aid worker “it clicked that my government was ready to join the fight against HIV and I was excited to be a part of that”, he says.

Growing knowledge, growing yield: British wine-making comes of age

Changing climate, new techniques and a homegrown study programme have all helped drive a UK viticulture boom

Rows of vines stretch across the rolling hills of rural Dorset. Currently waist height, they appear bare against a bleak spring sky. Up close, you can see they are already dotted with tiny woolly buds as they exit their winter dormancy for a new growth cycle.

Come summer these rows will be laden with chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes, ready to make the latest batch of English sparkling wine from the Langham estate near Dorchester.

'It's just scale': Local mom-and-pop car dealerships are growing or dying amid industry consolidation, rise of mega-retailers

Multibillion-dollar dealerships have been on the rise amid a decadeslong consolidation that has led to a grow-or-die mentality for many U.S. auto retailers.

Opinion: Remembering Kevin Klose, former NPR president and broadcasting icon

We remember Kevin Klose, former NPR president, who helped secure financial stability for the network while supporting and encouraging its journalism.

Appeals court allows all White House ballroom construction to resume

An order earlier this week blocked most above-ground construction on the project.

Tired of waiting for your EV to charge up? One Chinese company has a novel solution

Chinese car company NIO is putting up EV battery swapping stations all around the world. NPR took a ride in one car for the experience.

Hungary’s incoming PM seeks Polish help to renew EU relations

Péter Magyar hopes building stronger relations with Poland will help restore ties with bloc after Orbán’s rule

The Hungarian election winner, Péter Magyar, is eyeing a special relationship with Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk to draw on the neighbouring country’s experience of repairing relations with the EU after years of illiberal rule.

Since 1989, the two countries have seemingly shared parallels in their paths. Now the two centre-right, pro-European leaders preside over the tricky task of restoring the rule of law and improving state institutions after years of democratic backsliding and clashes with the EU.

Help, there’s a cockroach in my coffee! 16 gross ingredients hidden in your favourite foods

From wood pulp in ice-cream to peat in portobellos, science has transformed how we dine. Do you know exactly what’s lurking in the grub we eat?

Microbial slime and a side helping of sand doesn’t sound like much of a meal, but a startling amount of the food we eat today contains ingredients that are, at the very least, unexpected – and, at worst, dangerous, such as heavy metals from polluted soils.

Then there is the thorny question of what ultra‑processed foods in our diets might be doing to us. “While each food additive, so‑called processing aid, fortificant and unrecognisably modified ingredient has been tested individually and declared safe, are they really?” asks Chris Young, who runs the Real Bread Campaign for Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming, and was named joint winner of Slow Food In The UK’s 2025 person of the year award. “The studies are relatively small and short, leaving history littered with additives that we were once promised would not harm us but were later withdrawn or banned on health grounds. What might the long-term effect be of eating such substances, individually or in the cocktails created for each product and across our shopping baskets?”

Earth gets brighter every year but progression is volatile, study finds

Covid, light pollution regulations and faltering global economy affect location and intensity of brightness

Earth continues to get brighter every year, researchers have found, but the location and intensity of the progression has become increasingly volatile because of Covid-19, regulations on light pollution, and a faltering global economy.

Nasa-funded researchers at the University of Connecticut (UConn) studied more than 1.1m satellite images taken over a nine-year period to establish that the planet’s artificial light increased by a net 16% between 2014 and 2022.

Norwegian politicians hope Epstein files inquiry will restore faith in democracy

Disgraced financier’s links to politicians and civil servants as far back as 30 years ago to be examined

The Epstein files have shaken Norway’s faith in democracy, the head of the Norwegian parliament’s oversight committee has said, as a sprawling investigation into the connections between its foreign office and the late sex offender gets under way.

An independent commission to look into information brought to light by the Jeffrey Epstein documents released by the US Department of Justice was launched on Wednesday after the Norwegian parliament voted unanimously last month for it to be set up.

Born in south Lebanon, displaced to Beirut, two grandmothers reflect on Israeli invasions

They grew up amid olive groves in southern Lebanon. The son of one married the other's daughter. Now they're living temporarily in a vacant building in central Beirut, displaced many times.

Madeline Horwath on life admin – cartoon

Is Meghan Markle really the most trolled person in the world? | Arwa Mahdawi

I have a lot of sympathy for Meghan but, at times, I do think that the Duchess of Sussex could do with putting her trials and tribulations in perspective

Iran may have reopened the strait of Hormuz, but a global energy crisis has not yet been averted. The war has already damaged as much as $58bn worth of power infrastructure. Even under the best-case circumstances, these could take years to repair.

Luckily, I think I’ve got a way to get us out of this mess. First we invent some sort of large suction device (technical details to be worked out later). Then we turn it on and hoover up all the rage directed at the Duchess of Sussex. Boom, energy crisis solved.

Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian US columnist

As Meloni’s hold over Italy weakens, a progressive challenger gathers momentum

Silvia Salis, the leftwing mayor of Genoa and former Olympian, is described as ‘a breath of fresh air’ and potential unifier

It has been a turbulent month in Italian politics.

A failed referendum on a judicial overhaul pierced prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s aura of invincibility, triggering government resignations and leaving her scrambling to restore credibility. At the same time, her once special relationship with Donald Trump has frayed after the US president publicly scolded her this week for criticising his broadside against Pope Leo and for not supporting the US-Israeli war on Iran.

She invited her friends to come together to make her casket

Friends gathered at a weaver's studio in Massachusetts to help MaddyChristine Hope Brokopp make her casket.

Caracas' iconic macaws threatened by vanishing palm trees

In the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, flocks of colorful macaws that once brightened city skies now face disappearing nest sites — and with them, a unique urban bond.

One person dead and one with ‘life-threatening injuries’ after car hits pedestrians outside Melbourne showgrounds

Incident occurred outside venue where Supanova Comic Con event was being held on Saturday

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One person is dead and another has been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after a car struck pedestrians outside a fan convention in inner Melbourne.

A car mounted the kerb on Saturday afternoon shortly before 5pm outside the Melbourne showgrounds, where the Supanova Comic Con event was being held.

Iran says it has closed the Strait of Hormuz again, as ceasefire nears its end

Iran's military said on Saturday the Strait of Hormuz has "returned to its previous state." The announcement came after President Trump had said the blockade on Iranian ports would remain in place.

Graham Norton: ‘Back in the day, my monologues were full of terrible jokes about people’

The comedian and broadcaster on moaning about his eyebags, being stabbed by muggers, and his publicity-shy pet

Born in County Dublin, Graham Norton, 63, studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. In the 1990s, he was a standup and appeared in the sitcom Father Ted. Since 2007, he has presented The Graham Norton Show for the BBC. He hosts Eurovision, is a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, and is presenting new reality show The Neighbourhood, which starts on 24 April on ITV. He has won nine Baftas and written three memoirs and five novels. He is married and lives in London and West Cork.

When were you happiest?
Our wedding weekend in Ireland.

Can a new biopic change your mind about Michael Jackson?

In life, the singer’s image was shaken by abuse allegations. In death, he is a billion-dollar business

In December 1993, Michael Jackson’s genitals were photographed by the Santa Barbara county sheriff’s department and the Los Angeles police department (LAPD). The pop music titan had been accused of sexually abusing Jordan Chandler, a 13-year-old boy who had accompanied Jackson on his Dangerous world tour and regularly shared a bed with the singer. Chandler had made a drawing of distinctive markings and blotches on Jackson’s crotch which matched the photos, law enforcement said. “Not just the genitalia,” said deputy district attorney, Lauren Weis, in comments echoed by LAPD colleagues. “But a particular mark on the underside of his penis which the victim described.”

The incident is a well-known part of Jackson lore; in a live satellite feed broadcast shortly after, the singer branded the strip-search “the most humiliating ordeal of my life”. The following month, Jackson paid a reported $25m to settle the case out of court. Jackson and his estate have always maintained his innocence in Chandler’s claims and nearly a dozen other allegations of child molestation. “All these lies and all these people coming forward to get paid … ,” he told Diane Sawyer in a 1995 interview. “Just lies. Lies, lies, lies.”

A dubious career move: how The Claudia Winkleman Show ended the presenter’s winning streak

It seems that even the Traitors host can’t save the ailing chatshow format. As her series ends, it’s hard not to feel that she never quite got out of Graham Norton’s shadow

Six weeks ago, before Claudia Winkleman launched her BBC One Friday night chatshow, media profiles regularly referenced her “Midas touch” with TV formats. She had left one golden programme, sashaying away from Strictly Come Dancing, but her portfolio still included three other winners: the mega hit The Traitors, its celebrity spin-off for the BBC, and Channel 4’s The Piano.

Half a dozen sofa chats later, Winkleman hasn’t exactly suffered the fate of the mythic King Midas, but The Claudia Winkleman Show can fairly be seen as her least glittering work for several years.

Kae Tempest on creativity and his gender transition: ‘I’m just glad to be alive’

Ten years after his debut novel, the poet and musician has written a follow-up exploring self-discovery and a life lived on the edge. He talks about sexuality, pronouns and drawing strength from the literature he loves

Kae Tempest sidles into a pub near his house on a weekday afternoon and orders a pint of mineral water. At his side is Murphy, an enormous, 14-year-old alaskan malamute dog with startling blue eyes who settles down on the floor next to his master and goes to sleep. “He’s all right,” Tempest says. “He’s very friendly. He won’t even put his nose up.” The rapper, performance poet, playwright and novelist has a ginger beard and is wearing Timberland boots, baggy jeans and a black hoodie over a blue-and-white striped collared shirt. His hair is hidden by a cap. Years ago, his dramatic russet hair was long, but he cropped it when he dropped the “T” from his first name and came out as nonbinary, a watershed moment in his gender transition. Now testosterone has deepened his voice and his journey has reached its final stage – from they/them to he/him.

As Tempest has been famous since his late 20s, showered with accolades ranging from Mercury nominations for two of his albums (including his debut, Let Them Eat Chaos) to becoming the youngest poet ever to receive the Ted Hughes award for the epic performance poem Brand New Ancients, this odyssey has taken place in public. On his song I Stand on the Line, from his last album Self Titled, Tempest vividly describes the anxiety of having to deal with the hostility of some people’s reactions to his “second puberty” (“Out in the limelight like, please, nobody look at me / I’m looking for myself, all I’m seeing is the bitterness / Coming my way when I’m using the facilities”). So is it a heavy burden to be such a visible trans person? “It’s just my life,” Tempest replies, his voice a soft south London growl, much quieter than the thrilling, declamatory style of his performances. “I’m just glad to be alive. How beautiful,” he adds. “Because you felt like you might not be at some point.”

Venezuela’s Machado to hold Madrid rally as opposition frozen out after Maduro capture

Exiled leader to revive push for change amid US backing of Delcy Rodríguez and delays to democratic transition

Venezuela’s opposition leader, María Corina Machado, will seek to revive her push for political change with a rally in Madrid on Saturday, having found herself sidelined by Donald Trump after the abduction of the president Nicolás Maduro.

“Venezuela will be free,” the Nobel peace prize winner insisted in an interview on the eve of this weekend’s demonstration in the Puerta del Sol square, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of protesters.

Who’d have thought a fossil-fuel shill like Trump would be the one to spark a green revolution? | George Monbiot

The US attack on Iran has made the need for renewable energy inarguable. Environmentalists are now being seen for the pragmatists that they are

Donald Trump has done more to accelerate the energy transition than anyone else alive. Fossil fuel companies bankrolled his presidential campaign to stop the transition in its tracks. But when you back a volatile narcissist, unable to concentrate for more than a few minutes at a time, you shouldn’t expect to control the outcome.

It’s not that the fossils are suffering yet. As prices have soared since Trump and Netanyahu attacked Iran, oil executives have been selling shares at gobsmacking prices: the CEO of Chevron, for example, has cashed $104m so far this year. Vladimir Putin has also received a massive boost to his Ukraine invasion budget. As promised, Trump has gutted clean energy rules and programmes, green alternatives and environmental science. A fortnight ago, he stated, with the usual quantum of evidence (zero): “The environmentalists, I mean, they are terrorists … I call them environmental terrorists.”

George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist

Young Bulgarians hold out for change in eighth election in five years

Voters broadly split along generational lines as pro-Russian former president leads in polls

Anna Bodakova’s days tend to be rather hectic at the moment. Hopping between meeting voters on the street, political debates and recording videos for social media, the 23-year-old is standing to become an MP in Bulgaria’s general election.

Last year she was among the many young Bulgarians who participated in countrywide mass protests over the government’s economic policies and perceived failure to tackle corruption. Those protests ultimately resulted in the resignation of the prime minister, Rosen Zhelyazkov, and his cabinet in December.

The Guide #239: Two successful seasons in, The Pitt has resuscitated the medical drama

In this week’s newsletter: A year after its US debut, the buzzy hospital thriller finally lands in ​the UK and traces the long, messy evolution of a genre that reflect​s the state of our healthcare systems

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After a wait more interminable than most spells in an A&E reception area, medical-drama-of-the-moment The Pitt finally made it on to UK screens last month, via the arrival of streaming service HBO Max, and just about everyone I know has spent the following weeks hoovering it up. Some, in fact, are already up to speed with its second season (the finale aired last night on US TV) and so are trying very, very hard not to blurt out major plot points at the office tea point/on public transport/in an actual hospital waiting room – we’re in a post-spoiler age, remember.

I’ve been a little bit slower off the mark – mainly because it took so long to figure out if I actually had access to HBO Max as part of my bafflingly arcane Sky TV package – but I’m racing through it now, and so am ready to share the same observations that everyone else made weeks, or in the case of the US, a full year ago. The main one being: how did not one TV producer have the idea to mash together ER and 24 before? It was right there, staring you all in the face! (Jed Mercurio, whose forgotten 2015 medical drama, Critical, also had a real-time element, might have a finger raised in objection at this point.)

What colour is the sun and what makes things glow in the dark? The kids’ quiz

Five multiple-choice questions – set by children – to test your knowledge, and a chance to submit your own junior brainteasers for future quizzes

• ​Submit a question

Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a podcast answering children’s questions. Do check out her books, Everything Under the Sun and Everything Under the Sun: Quiz Book, as well as her new title, Everything Under the Sun: All Around the World.

Stranded and dying, the German whale is a parable of our troubled relationship with these sea giants

Even as we empathise with these intelligent animals, our relentless push for resources kills them in their thousands, just as whalers once hunted them to the brink of extinction

For weeks now, a humpback whale has been trying to die. Entangled in ropes, it had wandered into the shallow Baltic Sea. Unable to feed, it is now subject to extreme dehydration, since whales satisfy their thirst through the fish they eat.

In such a parlous situation, the whale’s last resort was to strand itself on Poel Island, in the Bay of Wismar. Sadly, it has been a slow death. Beached whales die because they are crushed by their own weight. The German humpback’s agony may have been prolonged because it lay in shallow water and was thus only partly submerged.

Péter Magyar’s real coup was winning over loyal Orbán voters – not preaching to the converted

He is no progressive but unlike the old opposition, the Tisza leader listened to Orbán’s rural base

The international audience observing the Hungarian election result is likely to settle on a view that feels familiar. That this election was about east v west or that it was a “youthquake”, a win secured by the unprecedented participation of young voters. These narratives have some truth to them, of course, but, especially for those interested in fighting back against regimes such as Viktor Orbán’s, it’s worth taking a closer look at this campaign. Understanding Péter Magyar’s success will require progressives to rethink their strategies in similar political scenarios.

Orbán’s defeat was against all odds. The Hungarian electoral system was designed by his government after 2010 with only one thing in mind: the interests of his party, Fidesz. His cronies control vast sections of Hungarian society and economy, including most offline media. Orbán had been effective in perpetuating the myth that he could not be removed from power democratically, which limited the political imagination of many Hungarians.

Nóra Schultz is a Hungarian political theorist and podcaster

Six great reads: Iran’s social media memes, an abandoned department store and a 1,200-year-old record of cherry blossoms

Need something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favourite pieces from the last seven days

Tim Dowling: I’m all at sea … on a reservoir near Heathrow airport

At my age, I never thought I’d need another qualification. But here I am, grappling with knots and a man overboard in 35 mph winds

I’m at the helm of a 15-foot rigid inflatable boat (Rib) in terrible weather: there are storm clouds approaching from the south-west and the wind is already gusting at 35 mph. Waves are breaking over the bow, dropping a bucketful of water into my lap each time. As I bear off to port, the boat lurches in the heavy swell, and someone at the starboard bow shouts, “Man overboard!”

I should also probably mention that I’m in a reservoir, between the M3 and Heathrow airport, less than 12 miles from my house. And also: the man that’s gone overboard is a buoy with a face drawn on it in permanent marker. I’m not here to save anybody; I’m here in pursuit of a Level 2 Powerboat Handling certificate.

Craft mums in a sticky situation: the Becky Barnicoat cartoon

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‘I feel like I’m losing her’: the families torn apart by older relatives going far right

It starts with a ‘back in my day’ nostalgic meme – then suddenly your elders are sharing AI-generated ‘boomerslop’ and repeating conspiracy theories …

Graham doesn’t remember his mother ever sharing her political views. He’s not certain she even voted until she met his father, who was a big Labour supporter. She went along with that, only once voting Tory as an act of spite towards the end of their relationship. She later married a farmer who was more conservative, and leaned towards leave in the Brexit referendum. “But, honestly, beyond that, she would never even speak of politics. She just wasn’t interested.”

Graham, who works in the transport industry in the Midlands, noticed a big change in his mother during the Covid pandemic. “I remember walking home from work one day and I got this phone call and all of a sudden she was listing off these conspiracy theories at me.” He now realises how much time she was spending online, on her phone and iPad, cut off from friends, family and the church life that had always been so important to her.

Lost Federico García Lorca verse discovered 93 years after it was written

Eight-line poem found on the back of a manuscript sheds light on Spanish poet’s preoccupation with time

A previously unknown verse attributed to Federico García Lorca has been discovered 93 years after the celebrated Spanish poet and playwright is believed to have jotted it on the back of one of his manuscripts.

Lorca is thought to have written the eight-line poem in 1933 while working on the collection Diván del Tamarit, a homage to the Arab poets of his native Granada.

The impossible promise: are we witnessing the return of fascism?

Some of today’s far right is openly violent and undemocratic – and even in its less extreme forms, far-right populism is a profound threat. But that doesn’t mean it is just a re-run of history

Politics, before it is about anything else, is about emotion. We all base our judgments about the world – the state of the country we live in, for instance, and what we’d like to do about it – on a mix of rational calculation and instinct. But for these judgments to be shaped into a political programme whose ideals are shared by millions of people, and for us to place our trust in leaders who promise to realise those goals, we really have to feel it. What, then, might be the particular set of feelings evoked by the following?

“The Britain that I love is being ripped apart by diversity, equality and inclusion.”
Suella Braverman, former home secretary, February 2026

Judge blocks Nexstar's acquisition of Tegna until antitrust suit resolved

The deal, approved by the FCC, would create a company that owns 265 television stations in 44 states and Washington, D.C.

Maps show more severe storms forecast for Midwest after tornadoes, flooding

More than 51 million people are under the threat of severe weather Friday evening from Texas to Wisconsin, as some are still cleaning up from tornadoes earlier in the week.

Oil prices plummet after Iran says Strait of Hormuz is "completely open"

Prices dropped after Iran's foreign minister said the Strait of Hormuz is "completely open" for the remainder of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.

AI chipmaker Cerebras files to go public after scrapping IPO plans last year

Cerebras said that it can expand its business with OpenAI over the coming years and that it gave OpenAI a warrant to purchase stock.

Clair Obscur and Dispatch share top honours at Bafta games awards

Role-playing adventure and superhero comedy among big winners on a varied night in London

With 12 nominations, acclaimed role-playing adventure Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was expected to be the runaway success at the 2026 Bafta games awards, held in London on Friday evening.

And while it couldn’t quite match its nine wins at the Game Awards back in December, it was still the joint biggest winner on the night, taking best game and debut game as well as the performer in a leading role award for Jennifer English.

Airlines cut routes in response to rising jet fuel costs amid Iran war

Rising jet fuel prices are forcing airlines to cut routes and trim schedules.

What we know about deaths, disappearances of staff at government labs

The disappearances and deaths of 10 government workers tied to nuclear or space technology have sparked speculation online. President Trump said the cases are "hopefully, coincidence."

Hacks finale review – this venomous satire used to be the height of comedy. But now … it isn’t

The last season of this once hugely funny comedy absolutely tears out of the blocks in its best outing in years. But it’s still not the show it once was – despite the brilliant performances

For a while there, Hacks represented the height of comedy. Actual funny comedy, as opposed to trauma-ridden half-hour dramas like The Bear. When it won an Emmy for best comedy in 2024, it felt like Hacks and Hacks alone was at the vanguard of proper comedy.

That seems like a while ago now. Since then, The Studio came along: another entertainment business satire, only one with bigger stars, better production values and sharper barbs. At last year’s Emmys, The Studio won everything in sight, while all Hacks could muster were a pair of trophies for Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, playing a rich but disconnected comedian and her put-upon writer respectively. So the question is this: can Hacks rally in its final season?

Trump says Iranians have "agreed to everything," including removal of enriched uranium

President Trump spoke with CBS News Friday in a new telephone interview.

Judge rejects DOJ effort to get sensitive voter information from Rhode Island

The decision from U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy marks the Justice Department's fifth loss in its attempts to access states' voter registration lists.

Perspective: AI demand is inflated, and only Anthropic is being realistic

The main usage metric for artificial intelligence, called tokens, looks explosive on paper, but it may be significantly overstated.

Tanker diplomacy: Trump faces tests from Havana to Hormuz

From Cuba to the Persian Gulf, Trump is expected to face fresh challenges across a new arc of tanker diplomacy.

Fed Governor Waller says Iran war and labor market risks are keeping central bank on hold

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller on Friday said current economic conditions are complicating the approach to interest rates.

The week around the world in 20 pictures

Crisis in the Middle East, Russian strikes in Kyiv, Orthodox Easter and Karol G at Coachella – the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists

White House eyes alleged Utah scandal as GOP frets about redistricting loss

White House officials are leaning on Utah Republicans to further examine ethics concerns regarding a relationship between two key players in a key gerrymandering case, sources told CBS News.

Europe could run out of jet fuel in 6 weeks, IEA warns

The International Energy Agency warned Thursday that Europe is going to run out of jet fuel in as soon as six weeks.