World - Monday, April 13, 2026

Irish architect Niall McLaughlin will lead the design of the Roman Catholic cathedral in the suburb of Waitara Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Sydney is getting its first new Roman Catholic Cathedral in more than a century, part of a massive 7.7-hectare integrated precinct in the northern suburb of Waitara. Irish architect Niall McLaughlin, winner of the Royal Institute of British Architects’ Royal Gold Medal, will lead the design. The new cathedral is expected to be a unifying force for more than 250,000 Catholics in more than two dozen parishes in the Diocese of Broken Bay, stretching from the lower north shore to the Central Coast. Continue reading...

Vice President JD Vance sought a 20-year suspension in weekend negotiations, which ended without an agreement a day before the U.S. military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz began. President Trump rejected the Iranian offer.

BBC Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega joins paramedics on duty in Nabatieh - a city that was once vibrant, but is now abandoned.

Leader of Catholic church says he will continue to speak out against war after president’s extraordinary criticism Middle East crisis – live updates Europe live – latest updates Pope Leo said he did not fear the Trump administration and would continue to speak out against war after Donald Trump delivered an extraordinary broadside against him in which he said he did not think the Chicago-born pontiff was “doing a very good job”, while also suggesting he should “stop catering to the radical left”. In remarks that have been widely criticised, the US president used a lengthy social media post to sharply criticise Leo while he flew from Florida to Washington on Sunday night, then continued in comments on the tarmac to reporters. “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,” he said. Continue reading...

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Western democracies face backlash for allowing Iran and other authoritarian regimes to secure influential U.N. seats as the U.S. stood alone in opposition.

Russia has offered "pragmatic" relations, but Péter Magyar says he will not call Vladimir Putin himself.

Gonzales, who admitted affair with aide who later died by suicide, says he will file retirement from office on Tuesday US politics live – latest updates Representative Tony Gonzales, a Republican from Texas, announced on Monday he was stepping down from Congress after acknowledging an extramarital affair with a staffer. Gonzales, who was facing a growing threat of expulsion by his colleagues, admitted last month that he had an affair with an aide who later died by suicide. Continue reading...

US president claims Iran ‘called this morning’ and says blockade of ships transiting the strait has begun Circling back to Donald Trump’s coming naval blockade, the US military said it would block all Iranian Gulf ports on Monday at 10am ET on Monday (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT) , effectively seizing control of maritime traffic in the strait of Hormuz. “The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman,” US Central Command said on X. This is like a game of chicken. It’s who caves first. The Iranian regime is hoping that Trump will cave. Today, he showed he’s not.” Continue reading...

European countries declined to take part in the action, which is designed to pressure Iran into making concessions by cutting off its oil income.