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8 May 2026 Friday of the 5th week of EastertideWadi El-Natrun, EgyptReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: A(II).First readingActs 15:22-31It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by us not to burden you beyond these essentialsThe apostles and elders decided to choose delegates to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; the whole church concurred with this. They chose Judas known as Barsabbas and Silas, both leading men in the brotherhood, and gave them this letter to take with them: ‘The apostles and elders, your brothers, send greetings to the brothers of pagan birth in Antioch, Syria and...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the Cuban government turned down a $100 million humanitarian aid offer from the U.S., as the nation continues to grapple with the fallout of a devastating hurricane, a weakened economy and a prolonged fuel shortage. The U.S. provided $6 million in humanitarian aid to the island’s population in February that was distributed by Caritas, a nonprofit organization tied to the Catholic Church. The U.S. was prepared to send more, but the Cuban regime was “standing in the way,” according to Rubio, who told reporters in Italy that he discussed the delivery of...

A Labour MP says if a cabinet minister does not put themselves forward to challenge Keir Starmer by Monday, she will attempt to trigger a leadership contest herself In an exclusive BBC interview, Catherine West says she currently has 10 MPs who are prepared to back her and is "confident" enough MPs will come forward to trigger a contest This is a big moment, writes the BBC's Henry Zeffman, with West kicking off a process that could lead to a leadership battle Earlier, Starmer admitted that Labour had made "unnecessary mistakes" but said he would not walk away following heavy...

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has again defended high ticket prices for this summer's World Cup and brushed off seats for the final being resold at a cost of more than $2 million. During an appearance at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills on Tuesday, Infantino addressed the criticism directed at world soccer's governing body over the prices set for the tournament and the adoption of dynamic pricing. FIFA has been accused by fans of a "monumental betrayal" on ticket costs, but Infantino has previously stressed that the revenue from the flagship tournament supports the development of soccer globally....

President Donald Trump said he’ll “make a decision… maybe relatively soon,” on who he wants to endorse in the Republican runoff primary for Texas’s U.S. Senate seat. So far, Trump has played Kingmaker in Republican politics. According to Ballotpedia, he’s endorsed 286 candidates in Republican 2026 primaries across the country, including weighing in on 19 of the 33 primaries for U.S. Senate. One race he’s stayed out of so far — the contentious primary in Texas between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, R. After months of speculation, Trump declined to weigh in on the...

More than a half-dozen prosecutors have been demoted or pushed out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia due to fallout from the Justice Department’s push to prosecute former FBI director James B. Comey, leaving a key prosecutorial office understaffed and weakened. Others prosecutors have voluntarily decamped or scrambled to find new jobs, fearful they could be asked to work on cases that violate their principles, according to 10 current and former prosecutors familiar with the office and the case. Major cases, including one involving a terrorist attack in Afghanistan, have been hobbled by the turmoil.

British authorities have reportedly cancelled the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) of several prominent right-wing influencers, commentators, and politicians scheduled to speak at Tommy Robinson’s next Unite the Kingdom march, planned for 16 May in London.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris announced her endorsement of Karen Bass in her re-election campaign for Mayor of Los Angeles in a statement released on Monday. “Mayor Karen Bass is the leader Los Angeles needs right now,” Harris said. “She has done what so many said couldn’t be done — the first ever two-year decline in homelessness, reducing crime to levels this city hasn’t seen since the 1960s, and refusing to back down when the federal government came after our neighbors. She has my full support for re-election.”

“Janet Jackson’s ‘wardrobe failure’ pales in comparison”. One person in Bremerton, Washington, took a tally of the objectionable words, including “(6) F words, a reference to f**king chicks, a reference to the artists d*ck on fire, and doing coke and rolling blunts.” A Las Vegas resident bemoaned he had to “make all of my children go into the next room”, calling it “the most disturbing thing I’ve witnessed on live TV in a long time.”

If Southern states continue to grow at the same pace that they have since 2020, the South’s national political influence could grow significantly when congressional seats are reapportioned after the 2030 census. A new analysis of U.S. Census data by the Brennan Center finds that, based on population growth in the South between 2020-2025, Southern states could add up to nine congressional seats and the same number of Electoral College votes for president after the 2030 census numbers are tallied. However, the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration — a key driver of the South’s growth — as well as questions...

Two weeks ago, Freedom Center Investigates ran a blockbuster story exposing the troubling background of Adam Hamawy. a New Jersey congressional candidate, who had testified at the Blind Sheikh’s trial. In 1995, ‘Adam’ Hisham Hamawy testified for the defense in the trial of Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman: the Egyptian Islamic terror leader linked to the World Trade Center bombing. Now, Hamawy is running for Congress in New Jersey while promising to defund the military, abolish ICE, and dismantle the Department of Homeland Security. The Sheikh’s supporters carried out terrorist attacks across Egypt. Others were responsible for the World Trade Center...

U.S. forces disabled the Iranian-flagged M/T Hasna as it attempted to sail to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman, when an F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS Abraham Lincoln disabled the unladen oil tanker's rudder, hitting it with several rounds from a 20mm cannon gun. All three vessels are no longer transiting to Iran.

Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) is on track to become the strongest party in an eastern ​state election in September, a poll showed on ‌Thursday, raising the prospect of the far-right party leading a regional government for the first time. The infratest dimap survey showed ​support for the AfD climbing to 41% in ​the state of Saxony Anhalt, up 2 points ⁠from the last poll, and well ahead of ​Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU at 26%. The Social ​Democrats, Merz's junior partners in the federal coalition, trailed at 7%. Although support for the AfD has long been strongest in former...

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🚨NEW: State of the Parties at 11AM Seats declared: 4762/4992 ➡️ REF: 1444 (+1442) 🌹 LAB: 997 (-1406) 🔸 LDM: 834 (+151) 🌳 CON: 773 (-557) 🌍 GRN: 515 (+375) ⚪️ OTH: 199 (+27)

I want to tell you the story of a young woman who you have probably never heard of. Her name is Mary Anne. She was born on a remote island in Scotland, where life was harsh and unforgiving. On May 2, 1930, when she was 18 years old, she got on a boat headed for Ellis Island to start a new life. She arrived here 11 days later. She wasn't chasing fame, riches, or power. She came for the unique opportunity that America offered. Her sister was already here and had found a job as a maid. So, Mary Anne...

As Hezbollah’s grip weakens and war fatigue deepens, a growing number of Lebanese are beginning to see peace with Israel not as betrayal but as necessity For Hanin Ghaddar, returning to Lebanon would mean more than just going home. It would signal that something once unthinkable may finally be within reach: a country loosening itself from Iran’s grip and edging, however cautiously, toward peace with Israel. A veteran Lebanese journalist from a Shi’ite family in a village in southern Lebanon, Ghaddar was targeted by Hezbollah and forced to leave her homeland in 2016. And despite growing up with her country...

“Some immigrants come and believe they can function in isolation, refusing to adapt. I suggest they must assimilate. Adapt to the culture they wish to live in,” State Rep. Carla Cunningham argued. “All cultures are not equal.” The African-American elected official took a stand for “The Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act” which enabled federal immigration law enforcement to arrest over 1,100 illegal alien criminals including MS-13 gang members, drug offenders and the killer of Amber Paris: a 15-year-old girl. After her vote, Rep. Cunningham, who is black, was accused of racism, and of being a secret Republican, despite her longtime...

The union representing thousands of baristas at Starbucks has bailed on its attempt to bring employees at the Pike Place Market coffeehouse into its fold. ... The coffeehouse’s baristas filed for union election on April 3, according to Workers United. At the time, barista Nailah Diaz pointed to “unfair treatment and operational issues without the support needed to succeed.” Not every employee at the Pike Place store agreed. Barista Derika Muna, 27, told The Seattle Times on Tuesday that she unknowingly went to a union organizing meeting at the behest of a co-worker, believing it to be a casual meetup...

In Barnsley, south Yorkshire, 50 years of Labour rule ended on Friday with Reform UK taking control. Voters in the area said they wanted to see change, with one saying Labour had abandoned the working class. For others, a dislike for Keir Starmer was their main motivation when casting their vote. BBC's UK editor Ed Thomas reports from Barnsley.