Trump criticised after posting AI image of himself as Pope

US President Donald Trump has faced criticism from Catholic groups for posting an AI-generated image of himself dressed as Pope Francis immediately after his death on April 21.

The New York State Catholic Conference accused Trump of mocking the faith, while the Vatican declined to comment. The post came only days after Trump joked, "I'd like to be Pope", BBC reported.

The debate arose as the Church prepares for the conclave to elect the next pontiff.

 

51,000 plus foreigners visit Mustang in four months of 2025

The number of foreign tourists visiting Mustang district has increased impressively in the recent months.

As of April in 2025, a total of 51,896 tourists arrived in Mustang district, the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Office in Jomsom shared.

Chief of the ACAP Office in Jomsom, Rajesh Gupta, said that altogether 8,745 visitors from the SAARC member states and 43,151 visitors from other countries visited Mustang district in the first four months of the year 2025.

According to Gupta, the visitors' number increased by 36.6 percent in the first four months of 2025 compared to the same period of 2024. Last year, 37,974 foreigners visited Mustang during January to April. 

Hotelier Suraj Gurung, said the foreigners visit Mustang district being lured from its natural, historical, religious, cultural and social beauties.

Also, the tourists from India arrive here to pay homage to the holy shrine Muktinath Temple, a revered holy site both by Hindus and Buddhists.

 

Israelis protest, urge hostage deal over Gaza escalation

Thousands of Israelis gathered outside the Ministry of Defense on Saturday, demanding that the government prioritize the release of the 59 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza over extending military operations, according to Al Jazeera.

The demonstration occurred after PM Benjamin Netanyahu's government authorized the mobilisation of up to 60,000 reservists, indicating plans to escalate the assault on Gaza. Protesters warned that any violence could threaten the hostages' lives and hinder negotiations for their release.

Many criticised Netanyahu’s strategy, accusing him of using military pressure rather than pursuing a diplomatic solution. A short-lived ceasefire late last year led to a hostage-prisoner exchange, but no further releases have occurred since the fighting resumed, Al Jazeera reported.

The rally reflected growing public frustration with the government’s handling of the crisis and fears that time is running out to bring the captives home safely.

PM Anthony Albanese claims victory in Australian general election

Anthony Albanese, the Labor Party leader, was re-elected as Prime Minister of Australia in the country's federal election. Delivering a victory speech to supporters, Albanese says his party won a majority in the polls, Al Jazeera reported.

Peter Dutton, the leader of the main opposition Liberal Party, congratulated Albanese and conceded his seat in Parliament.

The country's cost-of-living and housing hardships dominated the election campaign, which was also marked by recent uncertainty brought on by US President Donald Trump's policies, according to Al Jazeera.

Australians began voting on April 22, with more than 8.5m of the 18m voters already casting early votes, a significant increase over the 2022 election. Voting is mandatory in the country.

TikTok fined €530m by EU over data privacy violations

TikTok was fined €530m ($600m) by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) for failing to adequately safeguard EU users' personal data, Reuters reported.

The regulator said that the platform, controlled by China's ByteDance, failed to verify that data accessed remotely by Chinese employees followed EU privacy laws. TikTok was also ordered to halt data transfers to China unless it completes full compliance within six months,

The DPC criticized TikTok for not addressing potential access by Chinese authorities under national laws that conflict with EU regulations. Although TikTok claimed it used EU-approved safeguards and has introduced new data protection measures, the DPC said recent disclosures revealed some EU data was stored in China earlier this year, according to Reuters.

This is TikTok’s second major fine by the DPC, following a €345m penalty in 2023 over the mishandling of children’s personal data.

US expands military presence on southern border

The US military has established a second National Defense Area along the Mexican border, this time in Texas, which stretches 100 kilometers east from El Paso. This comes after the establishment of a comparable zone in New Mexico last month, Al Jazeera reported.

These zones allow military forces to briefly hold migrants or trespassers before turning them over to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or other law enforcement organizations. The measure broadens the military's role in border policing without invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act, which restricts domestic military deployments.

In New Mexico, 82 migrants have been charged for entering the authorized zone, but none have been arrested by troops. Approximately 11,900 US troops are now stationed along the border, as stated by Al Jazeera.

The expansion comes amid President Donald Trump's broader immigration crackdown, with deportations rising and illegal border crossings falling to a historic low in March, according to government data.

 

Ukrainian troops to join UK parade on VE day

Ukrainian forces will participate in a British military parade on Monday to honor the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, which commemorates Nazi Germany's surrender in 1945, Reuters reported.

The parade will include about 1,000 UK forces, as well as troops from Ukraine, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, to emphasize international support for Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia.

Defence Minister John Healey described Ukraine's participation as "fitting" as Europe prepares for its first full-scale battle since World War Two, according to Reuters.

The UK, a strong supporter of Ukraine, will organize a number of commemorative activities, including a Westminster Abbey service attended by the royal family.

Zelensky says Trump’s view on Ukraine war has slightly shifted

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that US President Donald Trump’s stance on the war in Ukraine has shifted slightly following their meeting at the Vatican in February.

Speaking on Saturday, Zelensky stated that the conversation may have pushed Trump to view the matter "a little differently," but that it is still Trump's personal choice, Firstpost reported.

During Pope Francis' funeral, the two leaders held a private meeting in St. Peter's Basilica for around 15 minutes. Both Kyiv and Washington called the talks "very productive."