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Vice President JD Vance, Second Lady Usha Vance and their young children are adjusting well to life as the Second Family, with the vice president telling Fox News Digital that they are trying to ‘deliver as much normalcy to the kids in a very abnormal situation.’ 

Vance sat down for an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital this week. 

‘Everyone is adjusting well—they are doing very well,’ Vance said. ‘It’s different, right?’ 

‘My seven-year-old son Ewan, he’s adjusting, but he’s also aware of all of it,’ Vance said. 

‘And then we have our five-year-old son, Vivek, who I think is a little bit less aware of it,’ Vance continued. ‘To him, it’s just fun. He has a bunch of Secret Service agents to play with, and he gets to go wherever he wants to, and he really likes that.’ 

‘And Mirabel, who’s three, has no idea what’s going on,’ Vance said of his youngest. 

Vance shared a photo of Mirabel, which he and his wife display in their home in the Naval Observatory, ‘in her pajamas reviewing this Indian troop formation.’ 

‘It’s so funny—it’s maybe my favorite photo of the entire 100 days that we’ve had so far—it’s very cute,’ Vance said. ‘So, you sort of see different levels of kids’ understanding of it.’ 

Vance said the children ‘have a good school situation.’ 

‘We have good friends here, and they spend a lot of time at the White House,’ Vance said. 

‘Of course, our primary residence—we still have our home in Cincinnati—but our primary residence is the Naval Observatory,’ Vance said. ‘It’s very isolated, so it’s nice, because, for the kids, it’s not like growing up in a fishbowl.’ 

Vance said the children ‘have a lot of room to run around.’ 

‘There aren’t cameras everywhere, and it feels very, very private—very normal for the kids—which is all we could ask for,’ Vance said. 

As for his wife, Vance said ‘each second lady approaches the role differently—there’s not like, a manual that says—this is how you will be second lady.’ 

‘I think what Usha has done is she has focused on some issues she cares about and she is very involved in the Kennedy Center—she really likes the arts and that is a project that she’s taken on,’ Vance explained, adding that she plans to ‘take on additional projects.’ 

‘But she also is a mom,’ Vance said. ‘And the kids are really young, and she saw this as an opportunity to try to deliver as much normalcy to the kids in a very abnormal situation.’ 

He added: ‘But she’s doing well, and she really likes it—I think the role suits her and she’s having fun. She’s amazing.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Ukraine has claimed it shot down a Russian Su-30 fighter jet in the Black Sea using a seaborne drone for the first time.

“This is the first time in the world that a combat aircraft has been destroyed by a marine drone,” the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine said in a statement on Saturday, adding it “burst into flames in the air and eventually fell into the sea.”

Ukraine’s military intelligence said one of its units destroyed the fighter jet on Friday with a Ukrainian Magura drone near the port of Novorossiysk – a key port city for Russia where Ukraine claims there are remnants of Russia’s Black Sea fleet.

Russia’s defense ministry has not commented on the incident, although the claim was backed up by a Russian military blogger.

“The Ukrainians brought more than three dozen sea-drones… to the Novorossiysk area… After [our] jet was hit, the crew ended up in the water, surrounded by enemy sea-drones,” Fighterbomber said on Telegram Saturday.

Ukraine’s military intelligence claimed in December last year it destroyed two Russian helicopters “for the first time in the world” using the seaborne Magura V5 missile drone created by Ukraine’s military and engineers.

Kyiv has increasingly turned to drones to level the playing field with Russia, which boasts superior manpower and resources. Since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 – and following further losses after Russia’s 2022 invasion – Ukraine no longer has a functioning navy in the Black Sea.

Drones have proved effective against some of the toughest ships of Moscow’s Black Sea fleet. They are controlled from afar via a Starlink connection and can be pre-programmed for the long journeys across the Black Sea.

In February last year, Ukraine said it sank the Ivanovets, a Russian guided-missile ship in the Black Sea. Its most notable strike was on the Moskva in April 2022, which was a huge morale boost for Kyiv in the early weeks of the war.

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Like the other ceremonies and traditions that accompany the advent of a new pope, his newly chosen name will be imbued with centuries of Catholic history and dissected for its many layers of meaning.

Changing his name is one of the first actions the new pope takes as head of the Roman Catholic Church and can play a hugely symbolic role in setting the tone for his pontificate.

It is a precedent that was set in the early Middle Ages and, while there is no doctrinal reason for a pope to choose a new name, it has become part of the election process.

So, how did this tradition come about, what are the meanings behind different papal names, what name could the next pope choose and how will it be announced?

Why do popes choose a new name?

St. Peter, the first pope and one of the 12 apostles, was renamed from his birth name of Simon by Jesus, but this was before he became head of the church.

Another 500 years would pass before Pope John II, who was head of the church from 533 to 535, started the papal tradition when he shed the name Mercurius, which he thought was too like the name of the pagan god Mercury.

The next pope to change his name was Peter Canepanova in the 10th century, who became John XIV to avoid being called Peter II (more on that below), said Liam Temple, assistant professor in the history of Catholicism at the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University.

After the 10th century, taking a different name became common practice for popes once they had been elected, as popes from countries such as France and Germany adopted more Italian-sounding names to mimic their predecessors.

And that then became the custom, with only a handful of popes keeping their baptismal names since, including Marcellus II and Adrian VI, who both served as head of the church in the 16th century.

What makes a pope choose a specific name?

Each name is steeped in its own history and connotations, linked to the achievements or failings of the previous popes or saints who carried it.

For example, Pope Francis chose his papal name to honor St. Francis of Assisi, with his love for peace and nature, as well as his care for the poor and focus on cooperation between different sects of the church. These associations established the priorities for Francis’ papacy.

His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, chose his papal name to show his commitment to peace and reconciliation by honoring St. Benedict and Pope Benedict XV, who was head of the church during World War I, Temple said.

Are any names off-limits?

One name that the new pope definitely won’t adopt is Peter, out of respect for the first pope, St. Peter the Apostle – but also perhaps because of a centuries-old prophecy that Peter II will be the last pope to serve.

There are other names that aren’t necessarily off-limits but are less likely to be chosen because of their associations with the most recent pope who bore them, said Temple.

He identifies the name Urban as an unlikely candidate for the new pope because it would “harken back to Urban VIII, who started the trial of Galileo Galilei, and would not sit well in modern debates about science, faith and religion.”

In a similar vein, the name Pius would evoke memories of Pius XII, whose role during World War II has been increasingly criticized, Temple added.

What could the next pope be called?

If the new pope wishes to continue on a reforming path, Temple said that names like Leo, referencing Leo XIII who was known for his dedication to social justice, fair wages and safe working conditions, or Innocent, referencing Innocent XIII who sought to root out corruption, might be appropriate choices.

A new pope who is elected from the Global South, like Pope Francis, may also choose a name adopted by early non-Italian pontiffs such as Gelasius, Miltiades or Victor, who all hailed from the African continent, Temple added.

Over the centuries, there have been 44 papal names used only once – most recently Pope Francis’ own.

His decision to choose a unique name had “massive historical ramifications,” Temple said, for “it had been around 1,100 years since the last uniquely named pope in the form of Pope Lando, whose pontificate lasted less than a year in the 10th century.”

John is the most popular name, with 21 popes choosing to adopt it – although, somewhat confusingly, the last pope to take that name was John XXIII, after historians accidentally misnumbered the popes after John XIV.

Gregory and Benedict are also popular pontifical names with 16 and 15 uses, respectively, while Innocent and Leo come close behind with 13 uses each. (Benedict X was declared an antipope, and expelled from the papal throne, hence the discrepancy in numbering for subsequent Benedicts.)

How will the new pope’s name be announced?

After white smoke has risen from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the bells of St. Peter’s have rung, the newly elected pope’s name will be conveyed to the world in a Latin pronouncement.

The senior cardinal deacon will step onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, accompanied by two priests, and will deliver the iconic announcement: “Habemus Papam” (“We have a pope”).

The new pope’s name, as well as his baptismal names, will be translated into Latin in the announcement but his former surname will remain in his native language.

For example, when Pope Francis was elected in 2013, his given names of “Jorge Mario” were delivered as “Giorgio Marium,” but his surname “Bergoglio” remained the same.

His papal name was announced as “Franciscum” and was the last word of the proclamation, as is customary.

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Romanians voted on Sunday in the first round of a presidential election that could propel hard-right eurosceptic George Simion to power in a ballot that will test the rise of Donald Trump-style nationalism in the European Union.

Simion, 38, opposes military aid to neighboring Ukraine, is critical of the EU leadership and says he is aligned with the US president’s Make America Great Again movement.

Five months after a first attempt to hold the election was canceled after the first round because of alleged Russian interference in favor of far-right frontrunner Calin Georgescu, since banned from standing again, his heir apparent Simion leads opinion polls, riding a wave of popular anger.

About 1.98 million Romanians, or 11% of registered voters, had cast ballots by 0710 GMT, data showed. Voting will end at 9 p.m. (1800 GMT) with exit polls to follow immediately and preliminary results expected later in the evening.

Simion voted alongside Georgescu, who called the election a “fraud” and urged people to take their country back. As dozens of people thronged outside the voting station chanting “Calin for president,” Simion said his vote was “to restore democracy.”

Simion is polling at around 30%, a comfortable lead but well short of the 50% he needs to avoid a run-off on May 18.

“George Simion equals Calin Georgescu, he gets my vote,” said Aurelia, 66, a pensioner who declined to give her last name. She said she felt “humiliated” by the cancellation of November’s first round.

“Everything is lacking here. My children are not here: Did they leave to work abroad because things were so good here?”

Political analysts said an ultimate victory for Simion could isolate the country, erode private investment and destabilize NATO’s eastern flank, where Ukraine is fighting a three-year-old Russian invasion.

Simion’s main rivals are two centrists – former senator Crin Antonescu, 65, backed by the three parties in the current pro-Western government, and Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, 55, running as an independent on an anti-corruption platform.

Both are pro-EU and pro-NATO and back Ukraine. Victor Ponta, a former leftist prime minister who has turned conservative nationalist, is ranked fourth but could prove a dark horse.

MAGA-style leaders

Simion is not the only MAGA-style politician seeking election in central Europe. Karol Nawrocki, the presidential candidate backed by Poland’s main nationalist opposition party in a presidential election on May 18, met Trump this week.

If elected, they would expand a cohort of eurosceptic leaders that already includes the Hungarian and Slovak prime ministers.

“Romania and Poland are two important countries for the United States,” Simion told Reuters on Friday.

“We represent partners and we represent allies, both military and politically, to the current (US administration. This is why it is important for MAGA presidents to be in charge in Bucharest and Warsaw.”

Romania’s president has a semi-executive role that includes commanding the armed forces and chairing the security council that decides on military aid.

To date, Romania has donated a Patriot air defense battery to Kyiv, is training Ukrainian fighter pilots and has enabled the export of some 30 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain through its Black Sea port of Constanta since Russia’s invasion.

The country’s president can also veto important EU votes and appoints the prime minister, chief judges, prosecutors and secret service heads.

The Trump administration has accused Romania of suppressing political opposition and lacking democratic values after November’s election was canceled on what Vice President JD Vance called “flimsy evidence.”

A team of US observers were in Bucharest for Sunday’s vote alongside diplomats and monitors from dozens of countries.

“There is clear evidence that there was some sort of nefarious activity going on in the November election,” James E. Trainor III, Commissioner of the US Federal Election Commission, told Reuters in Bucharest.

“Time is going to prove that … it was a good decision (to cancel). I know it’s an extreme step, but … what we see is that Romanian democracy is actually stronger because (it) had this bump in the road, but yet was resilient enough of a democracy to make its way through it.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

President Donald Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself dressed as pope as the mourning of Pope Francis continues and just days before the conclave to elect his successor is set to begin. Trump’s action drew rebukes from a group representing Catholic bishops in New York and among Italians.

The image, shared Friday night on Trump’s Truth Social site and later reposted by the White House on its official X account, raised eyebrows on social media and at the Vatican, which is still in the period of nine days of official mourning following Francis’ death on April 21. Catholic cardinals have been celebrating daily Masses in his memory and are due to open the conclave to elect his successor on Wednesday.

The death of a pope and election of another is a matter of utmost solemnity for Catholics, for whom the pope is Christ’s vicar on Earth. That is all the more true in Italy, where the papacy is held in high esteem even by nonreligious Italians.

The image featuring Trump in a white cassock and pointed miter, or bishop’s hat, was the topic of several questions during the Vatican’s daily conclave briefing Saturday. Italian and Spanish news reports lamented its poor taste and said it was offensive, given that the period of official mourning is still underway.

Left-leaning former Premier Matteo Renzi said the image was shameful. “This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions and shows that the leader of the right-wing world enjoys clowning around,” Renzi wrote on X. “Meanwhile, the US economy risks recession and the dollar loses value. The sovereignists are doing damage, everywhere.”

The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, declined to comment.

In the United States, the New York State Catholic Conference, which represents the bishops of the state in working with government, accused Trump of mockery.

“There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President,” they wrote. “We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us.”

Italy’s left-leaning La Repubblica also featured the image on its homepage Saturday with a commentary accusing Trump of “pathological megalomania.”

Asked to respond to the criticism, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that, “President Trump flew to Italy to pay his respects for Pope Francis and attend his funeral, and he has been a staunch champion for Catholics and religious liberty.”

Jack Posobiec, a prominent far-right influencer and Trump ally who recently participated in a Catholic prayer event in March at Trump’s Florida resort, also defended the president.

“I’m Catholic. We’ve all been making jokes about the upcoming Pope selection all week. It’s called a sense of humor,” he wrote on X.

The episode comes after Trump joked last week about his interest in the vacancy. “I’d like to be pope. That would be my number one choice,” the thrice married president, who is not Catholic, told reporters.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, piled on.

“I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope. This would truly be a dark horse candidate, but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility!” Graham, R-S.C., wrote on X. “The first Pope-US President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke…. Trump MMXXVIII!”

Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic and was one of the last foreign officials to meet with Francis before the pope died, also joked about Secretary of State Marco Rubio becoming pope, suggesting Rubio could add it to the long list of titles he holds, including national security adviser and acting archivist.

Beyond floating himself for the job, Trump also has put in a plug for Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York.

“I have no preference. I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out a place called New York who’s very good. So we’ll see what happens,” he said.

Dolan, 75, is one of 10 US cardinals who will be voting in the conclave, but Trump’s pitch might have cost Dolan support.

The reason conclaves are held in secrecy, with cardinals sequestered for the duration, is to prevent outside secular powers from influencing their choice, as occurred in centuries past.

There is an old saying about campaigning for the job of pope or of being promoted excessively, especially by outsiders: If you “enter a conclave as pope, you leave as a cardinal.”

While Trump attended Francis’ funeral, he and Vance have clashed with US bishops in general and Francis in particular over the administration’s hard line stance on immigration and its efforts to deport migrants en masse. Right before he was hospitalized in February for pneumonia, Francis issued a strong rebuke of the administration’s mass deportation plans and Vance’s theological justification of it.

Over 12 years as pope, Francis tried to remake the U.S. Catholic hierarchy more in his image, elevating pastors who prioritized social justice and migration issues over culture warriors who were more favored by his more doctrinaire predecessors St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI. A new pope who is more conservative could reverse that effort.

Trump has nominated as his ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch, whose Catholicvote.org has been aggressively covering the pre-conclave days at the Vatican. It was one of the main disseminators in English-speaking media of a report, flatly and officially denied by the Vatican, that Cardinal Pietro Parolin had had a health scare this past week that required medical attention.

Parolin was the secretary of state under Francis and is seen as a leading contender to be pope. He is also the main architect of the Vatican’s China policy and its controversial 2018 deal with Beijing over bishop nominations – a deal that the was sharply criticized by the first Trump administration.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Flights resumed at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv after a failed interception of a missile from Yemen on Sunday forced it to halt operations temporarily.

Israel’s military said the missile landed in the airport’s vicinity after “several attempts” at intercepting it failed, adding that “the results of the interception are under review.”

The Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen has repeatedly launched ballistic missiles at Israel, but this appears to be the first time one has landed near the country’s main international airport, a major breach of security at a tightly protected site.

“We will attack whoever attacks us sevenfold,” Israel Katz, the defense minister, said in a statement.

The attack prompted the airport to briefly suspend flights. Trains to and from the airport were also halted and police asked the public to refrain from arriving in the area.

The incident underscores the Houthis’ continued ability to strike distant targets despite a sustained US military campaign and may raise questions about Israel’s capacity to intercept such attacks.

Pictures from the scene showed debris from the impact of the missile on the grounds of the airport, littering the road toward the main terminal. A video shared on social media appeared to show the impact of the missile at the airport and a cloud of black smoke rising from the strike.

Sunday’s strike marks the third consecutive day of missile launches from Yemen toward Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the latest missile, but a spokesman for the militant group has said previous launches targeted military facilities in Israel. Yahya Saree said over the weekend that the rebels fired “Palestine 2” ballistic missiles “in support of our brothers and sister in Gaza.”

Israel has carried out several strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, including the targeting of a power plant and maritime ports in January.

The US military has carried out far more extensive strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in recent weeks, aiming to the group, whose attacks on Red Sea shipping have significantly disrupted global trade.

The campaign is also aimed at stopping launches targeting Israel, as well as commercial and US Navy vessels operating in the Middle East. Early last month, the cost of US the effort had approached $1 billion in just three weeks, including the deployment of B-2 stealth bombers and the use of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of high-end munitions.

But it has largely failed to disrupt the Houthis’ ability to launch ballistic missiles against Israel. The country’s vaunted missile defense system routinely intercepts the launches, but some have gotten through.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Australians delivered a surprise election result on Saturday; not because of who won but by the scale of the victory.

It marks a strong recovery for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his center-left Labor party, which had been slumping in the polls earlier this year, and follows a similar swing away from conservatives in Canada in the early months of the second US presidency of Donald Trump.

As the final seats are allocated and the center-right Liberal Party surveys the damage – including the loss of its leader, Peter Dutton, from parliament – here are five takeaways.

‘Trump effect’ boosts another left-leaning government

Albanese’s defeat of Dutton mirrors the outcome of Canada’s federal election last week, where the once-struggling left-leaning Liberal Party soared to victory thanks to a Trump-inspired popularity boost.

In a remarkable political rebound, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals bested Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives after Trump’s tariffs and threats to annex its neighbor changed the fortunes of the governing party, which had been trailing in the polls for years.

While Australia has not faced the same affront to its sovereignty as Canada, the similar election results show Trump’s influence in the domestic politics of longtime US allies.

Dutton was dubbed a ‘Temu Trump’ by his critics – a reference to the budget Chinese online marketplace – in a characterization that may have contributed to his downfall in Australia, where trust in the US has been eroded, according to recent surveys.

Despite claiming that he was his “own person,” Dutton was accused of stoking culture wars and took aim at migrants and the news media in rhetoric that resembled Trump’s.

Dutton spent weeks trying to distance himself from the tariff-tossing US leader, but it wasn’t enough to convince Australian voters that he was the right person to lead the country through this moment of global turmoil.

Result could signal new era of political stability in Australia

Saturday’s result made Albanese the first Australian prime minister to win re-election for 20 years, and could herald an end to the revolving door of leaders that has defined the nation’s politics since the turn of the millennium.

Albanese will start his second term with at least 85 seats in the 150-seat lower house – a significant majority in Australia – while the Liberal coalition currently holds just 37, according to the latest count by public broadcaster the ABC.

The country has had six different prime ministers in the last 18 years, most of whom lasted about three years in office, in line with the frequency of Australian elections. But a commanding win and healthy majority set Albanese up for another three years or even more. That potentially gives him the opportunity to shape the country’s politics in his and his party’s image in a way no leader has since the Liberals’ John Howard in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

During a time of trade turmoil, he was able to demonstrate a steady hand, striking an authoritative tone in response to Trump’s decision to impose 10% tariffs on Australia, which were later paused.

Local disaster for Dutton compounds national defeat

Dutton not only lost the national contest, but was also ousted from his own seat in the northeastern state of Queensland, in a shock defeat to Labor’s Ali France.

It was another echo of events in Canada, where Poilievre lost his longtime seat in rural Ottawa.

Dutton had held the Dickson seat for more than two decades, and had twice before seen off a challenge from France, a former journalist, world champion para-athlete and disability advocate who lost her leg in a 2011 accident.

After her victory, France paid tribute to her son Henry, who died from leukemia last year.

“My son, Henry, he wanted me to do this. He was convinced that I would win this,” France told Sky News after her win. “I thought I wouldn’t be running, because I would be caring for him. And he would say to me, ‘No, Mum, you have to do this. I know you’re going to win this this time.’ And I feel he’s been with me on this journey,” she said.

Dutton congratulated France in his concession speech Saturday, in which he also mentioned his political rival’s recent bereavement.

“I said to Ali, her son, Henry, would be incredibly proud of her tonight, and she’ll do a good job as a local member for Dickson,” Dutton said.

Cost of living and climate concerns outweighed culture wars

Australian voters put their faith in Albanese’s plans for tackling the high cost of living and climate change over Dutton’s Trump-style ideological approach, which at times did not appear to be backed by policy proposals.

Dutton called Indigenous “welcome to country” ceremonies “overdone” and said they shouldn’t be performed at sports games or military events. In 2023, Dutton successfully campaigned against the government’s referendum on the Voice proposal, which included constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians.

He also claimed Australia takes in too many migrants, and branded the public broadcaster “hate media.”

Dutton vowed to crack down on “woke” culture and promised to end “indoctrination” in schools, before later clarifying his party didn’t have any plans to change the curriculum.

Australian voters, meanwhile, seemed more moved by cost-of-living concerns and climate change – two areas in which Dutton was seen as not having a strong enough strategy.

While Albanese was criticized for not doing enough to tame rising living costs during his first term, in the years ahead he’s promised a tax cut, cheaper medicines, lower deposits for first-time buyers and 1.2 million houses to ease the housing crisis.

Similarly, despite criticism over his approval of new coal and gas projects in his first term, Albanese reiterated his commitment to climate action, in contrast to the rolling assault inflicted by the new US administration on environment agencies and research.

All Australians know “renewable energy is an opportunity we must work together to seize for the future of our economy,” Albanese said to cheers.

“Kinder” politics prevails

As the son of a single mother who often talks about growing up on a housing estate, Albanese has long cast himself as champion for social mobility and a “kinder” form of politics.

“My mum had a hard life, and we struggled financially, but she taught me to always be positive and see the best in people when it comes to Australia’s future,” he said.

During the campaign, he frequently tried to distance himself and Dutton. Asked whether Trump had helped his campaign, by darkening the brand of strongman leaders, Albanese told the ABC on Monday that Dutton had done that by himself.

During his victory speech, Albanese shut down boos in the crowd when he mentioned he’d spoken to Dutton. “No, no,” he said to an enthusiastic crowd of Labor supporters in Sydney. “What we do in Australia is we treat people with respect,” he said to cheers.

Albanese didn’t mention Trump but alluded to his presence in campaign discussion. “We do not need to beg or borrow or copy from anywhere else. We do not seek out as inspiration overseas. We find it right here, in our values and in our people,” he said.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Gold trended down this week, dropping to just over US$3,200 per ounce on the first day of May.

While the yellow metal remains historically high after a strong run this year, its price has pulled back from last week’s record-setting level of US$3,500, causing concern for some market participants.

However, many experts agree that this week’s retreat isn’t a reason to worry.

His technical analysis shows that the US$3,100 to US$3,140 area will be important to watch moving forward — in his view, that’s when bullish players should start re-entering the space, boosting the price.

Soloway also outlined gold’s future price potential, saying he sees a potential path to US$7,000. Check out the full interview for more of his thoughts on gold, as well as silver and the US economy.

Bullet briefing — Fed to meet next week, US-Ukraine deal signed

Market watchers eye Fed meeting

Eyes are shifting to the US Federal Reserve’s next meeting, set to run from May 6 to 7. It follows initial numbers showing that real GDP contracted by an annual rate of 0.3 percent in Q1.

That’s the first negative reading since 2022, and as the news weighed on the stock market, US President Donald Trump took to social media to suggest the data is an ‘overhang’ from Joe Biden’s term.

Trump has pressured Fed Chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates sooner than later, but CME Group’s FedWatch tool shows the vast majority of market participants expect rates to stay flat.

Trump advisor Elon Musk also has his eye on the Fed. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday (April 30), he said the US$2.5 billion renovation of the central bank’s headquarters could become a point of inquiry for the Department of Government Efficiency, better known as DOGE.

Calling the cost an ‘eyebrow raiser,’ Musk questioned where the money is being spent. The price of the project was initially set at US$1.9 billion in 2021, but has increased since then.

‘Since at the end of the day, this is all taxpayer money, I think we certainly — we should definitely — look to see if indeed the Federal Reserve is spending $2.5 billion on their interior designer’ — Musk

US, Ukraine sign critical minerals deal

The US and Ukraine signed a much-anticipated minerals deal on Wednesday, ending months of often-tense negotiations between the two countries. If approved by parliament in Ukraine, the agreement will set up a reconstruction investment fund that will be split 50/50 between each party.

According to Ukrainian officials, the deal is more equitable than previous versions.

The fund will be financed only by new licenses for critical materials, oil and gas; aside from that, Ukraine will not have to pay back wartime aid provided by the US.

While Ukraine had pushed for security guarantees from the US, that component ultimately wasn’t put in place. However, the US may provide new assistance to Ukraine, such as air defense systems.

A total of 55 minerals are reportedly covered in the arrangement, but more can be added in the future if there is consensus between the US and Ukraine. Although the US will get preferential rights to mineral extraction, Ukraine will have the final say on what is mined and where, and will retain subsoil ownership.

The agreement comes on the back of an increasing global focus on critical minerals, many of which are key for new technology and important industries like defense.

It’s worth noting that while Ukraine is home to a wide variety of these commodities, more geological data will be needed to determine commercial viability — for example, there is no up-to-date information on the country’s reserves of rare earths, which are important to the US.

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out a drone attack on a military air base and other facilities in the vicinity of Port Sudan Airport, a Sudanese army spokesperson said on Sunday, in the first RSF attack to reach the eastern port city.

No casualties were reported from the attacks, the spokesperson said.

The RSF has not commented on the incident.

The RSF has targeted power stations in army-controlled locations in central and northern Sudan for the past several months but the strikes had not inflicted heavy casualties.

The drone attack on Port Sudan indicates a major shift in the two-year conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF. The eastern regions, which shelter a large number of displaced people, had so far avoided bombardment.

The army has responded by beefing up its deployment around vital facilities in Port Sudan and has closed roads leading to the presidential palace and army command.

Port Sudan, home to the country’s primary airport, army headquarters and a seaport, has been perceived as the safest place in the war-ravaged nation.

In March, the army ousted the RSF from its last footholds in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, but the paramilitary RSF holds some areas in Omdurman, directly across the Nile River, and has consolidated its position in west Sudan, splitting the nation into rival zones.

The conflict between the army and the RSF has unleashed waves of ethnic violence and created what the United Nations calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with several areas plunged into famine.

The war erupted in April 2023 amid a power struggle between the army and RSF ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule. It ruined much of Khartoum, uprooted more than 12 million Sudanese from their homes and left about half of the 50 million population suffering from acute hunger.

Overall deaths are hard to estimate but a study published last year said the toll may have reached 61,000 in Khartoum state alone in the first 14 months of the conflict.

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A sea of people filled Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach on Saturday as pop superstar Lady Gaga played a colossal free concert in the Brazilian city, with more than two million fans said to have attended.

Guests started queuing from early Saturday morning to secure a good spot for the show, which is paid for by local authorities. Organizers said about 2.1 million revelers were estimated to have been in the crowd.

“I feel the city is more crowded this time, but I’m very excited”, said the film maker.

Many fans – which the star refers to as her “Little Monsters” – had dressed up in Gaga-themed costumes, referencing major hits like “Poker Face,” “Born This Way” and “Bad Romance.”

Lady Gaga’s trip to Brazil is part of a global tour to promote “Mayhem,” her new album. The genre-hopping singer and actor, 39, was in Mexico City last week, where she played two concerts.

The night before the Rio concert, the pop star surprised beachgoers on Copacabana by taking the stage for a rehearsal.

“I’ve missed you so much”, she said between applause, during her first performance in Brazil since 2012. “I know that this is not the first show here, I know this is just a rehearsal, it feels like it’s the real show,” she added before breaking into “Alejandro.”

“The truth is that the energy here in Copacabana is incredible,” Abril said. “Rio is incredible and it always lends itself to parties and magical moments.”

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