America and Israel Strikes Iran : Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Dead

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The old fart speaketh
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Trump calls Pope Leo 'terrible' in unusual, direct attack on Church leader​


WASHINGTON/ROME, April 12 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump forcefully criticized Pope Leo late on Sunday in an unusual, direct attack on the leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church that drew immediate rebuke from believers.

The president, in an ‌apparent response to the pope's growing criticisms of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the Trump administration's hard-line immigration policies, said Leo was "terrible".

 
Tommy Kwesule. said:

Trump calls Pope Leo 'terrible' in unusual, direct attack on Church leader​


WASHINGTON/ROME, April 12 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump forcefully criticized Pope Leo late on Sunday in an unusual, direct attack on the leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church that drew immediate rebuke from believers.

The president, in an ‌apparent response to the pope's growing criticisms of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the Trump administration's hard-line immigration policies, said Leo was "terrible".

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Is it attention seeking, stupidity or both?
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US-sanctioned ships pass Strait of Hormuz as China calls Trump's blockade 'dangerous'​


At least four Iran-linked ships - including two that visited Iranian ports - crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday following the start of a blockade by the US. At least three others also crossed the key shipping channel

China's foreign ministry condemns the blockade of Iranian ports as "dangerous and irresponsible"

Washington's blockade came into force on Monday - Vice-President JD Vance has accused Iran of "economic terrorism" and says "two can play at that game"

The US military says it "will not impede" ships using the strait to go to and from non-Iranian ports. Iran says the blockade is a violation of its sovereignty

How the blockade works: The US isn't likely to send warships to Iran's ports, but instead could "interdict" vessels in the Indian Ocean, our security correspondent explains. At least 14 US warships are in the region, BBC Verify reports

www.bbc.com

US-sanctioned ships pass Strait of Hormuz as China calls Trump's blockade 'dangerous' - live updates

At least two ships have visited Iranian ports while two are linked to China. The US previously said it would stop vessels travelling to or from Iran.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 

Iran’s crumbling economy is the regime’s greatest weakness with prices up 40% since the war began while authorities worry about making payroll​


The Iranian economy was already in shambles before the U.S. and Israel launched their war on the Islamic republic, and the relentless bombing since then has pushed the regime to the brink, according to reports.

Prior to the war, high inflation and a currency collapse triggered mass protests that prompted a brutal crackdown. But now with factories, energy facilities, bridges, and railways destroyed—leaving many Iranians unemployed—conditions have gotten worse.

The rial has plunged 8% against the dollar on the black market since the war started, according to The Economist. That’s after it lost 60% of its value in the months after the 12-day war against Israel last June.

Meanwhile, prices have risen by 6% during the current war, according to central bank data cited by The Economist. Prior to that, food inflation had soared to an annual rate of 64% in October, then accelerated further to 105% by February, vaulting overall inflation to 47.5% on the eve of war.

High inflation forced the central bank last month to issue its largest-ever currency denomination, the 10 million rial note, just a month after putting the 5 million rial into circulation.

But official data may be downplaying the severity of inflation. Residents of Tehran and other cities told Reuters that some prices have shot up around 40% since the war began six weeks ago.
www.yahoo.com

Iran’s crumbling economy is the regime’s greatest weakness with prices up 40% since the war began while authorities worry about making payroll

An Iranian official told Reuters the country “will face a disaster” if sanctions aren’t lifted.
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com
 

Trump eyes fresh Greenland takeover bid with secret talks​


As the Iran negotiations stall and mid-term elections loom, the US President pivots to another attempt to take control of the Danish territory

Donald Trump sees taking over Greenland as an important “strategic objective” – and it is one he is quietly working towards as negotiations stall in the Iran war, experts say.

The US is engaged in hushed talks with Denmark over extending America’s military capabilities in the Arctic, as Trump seeks to “change the conversation” and score a success ahead of November’s mid-term elections.

Trump last week described the Arctic island nation in a social media post as a “BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE”, prompting Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen to say that he “cannot see that [Trump’s] desire to either take over or control Greenland has been taken off the table”.

It came after reports that the US was negotiating with Denmark for access to three additional military bases in Greenland, marking the first US military expansion in the semi-autonomous territory in decades.

 

It's time to end the world's delusions over the Iran energy crisis​


LAUNCESTON, Australia, April 7 - The U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has been characterised by a series of miscalculations by most of the involved and peripheral parties, but the real danger is the delusion over the scale of the resulting energy crisis.

It is delusional of any nation to think that it, or any other country, can emerge as a "winner" from the conflict, now into its sixth week.

The reality is that even with a ceasefire and the resumption of vessel flows through the Strait of Hormuz in the next few weeks, an energy crisis for the world economy is locked in.
Poorer countries in Asia and Africa will take the first hits as they struggle to both source and pay for refined products.

 

The global economy faces renewed tests as the war in the Middle East threatens to disrupt growth and disinflation.​


After withstanding higher trade barriers and elevated uncertainty last year, global activity now faces a major test from the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Assuming that the conflict remains limited in duration and scope, global growth is projected to slow to 3.1 percent in 2026 and 3.2 percent in 2027. Global headline inflation is projected to rise modestly in 2026 before resuming its decline in 2027. Slowdown in growth and increase in inflation are expected to be particularly pronounced in emerging market and developing economies.

Downside risks dominate the outlook. A longer or broader conflict, worsening geopolitical fragmentation, a reassessment of expectations surrounding artificial‑intelligence‑driven productivity, or renewed trade tensions could significantly weaken growth and destabilize financial markets. Elevated public debt and eroding institutional credibility further heighten vulnerabilities. At the same time, activity could be lifted if productivity gains from AI materialize more rapidly or trade tensions ease on a sustained basis.

Fostering adaptability, maintaining credible policy frameworks, and reinforcing international cooperation are essential to navigating the current shock while preparing for future disruptions in an increasingly uncertain global environment. As Chapter 2 shows, scaling up of defense spending prompted by a rise in geopolitical tensions could boost economic activity in the short term but also bring about inflationary pressures, weaken fiscal and external sustainability, and risk crowding out social spending, which could in turn ignite discontent and social unrest. As Chapter 3 demonstrates, where conflict erupts, acute macroeconomic trade-offs and scarring follow and last well beyond the immediate wartime shock.

The estimates and projections in the April 2026 World Economic Outlook Chapter 1 and Statistical Appendix are based on statistical information available through April 1, 2026, but may not reflect the latest published data in all cases.
www.imf.org

World Economic Outlook, April 2026: Global Economy in the Shadow of War

The latest World Economic Outlook reports slowing global growth and renewed inflationary pressures. Policies need to be agile, carefully manage the trade-offs involved in ramping up defense spending, and lay the foundation for a sustained recovery.
www.imf.org www.imf.org
 
Mwalimu-G said:
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He was already preparing to move on to his next victim.

Trump says a ‘New Dawn for Cuba' is coming ‘very soon'​

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"And very soon, this great strength will also bring about a day 70 years in waiting," he said.

President Donald Trump said that change in Cuba will come “very soon” during a speech on Friday in Phoenix, Arizona, at an event organized by Turning Point USA.


After speaking about the operations against Iran in recent days, he linked the topic to Cuba.


“And very soon, this great strength will also bring about a day 70 years in waiting. It’s called A New Dawn for Cuba,” he said.


“We’re going to help them out with Cuba.”



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