News blog about US politics
Pope appoints new bishop – swipe at Trump?
Updated on May 2, 2026 – 10:01 p.mReading time: 16 minutes
The USA is taking on China again. Trump makes serious accusations against German car manufacturers. All developments in the news blog.
The Cuban leadership has strongly condemned US President Donald Trump’s recent threats against their country. Trump’s renewed threat of military force has reached a “dangerous and unprecedented level,” Cuban head of state Miguel Díaz-Canel wrote on the online service X on Saturday. He called on the international community to take a position on whether such a “drastic criminal act will be permitted.”
Trump’s threats are about “satisfying the interests of a small but wealthy and influential group that is hungry for revenge and domination,” Díaz-Canel wrote, referring to Cuban exiles in Florida. “No aggressor, no matter how powerful he may be, will find surrender in Cuba,” he stressed.
Two leading US Republicans have expressed concern about the US government’s announced troop reductions in Germany. “We are very concerned about the decision to withdraw a U.S. brigade from Germany,” Senate and House Defense Committee chairs Roger Wicker and Mike Rogers said in a joint statement on Saturday. They demanded that the US Department of Defense consult with the committees responsible for its oversight about the decision and its impact on the US’s deterrence capability.
Pope Leo The 55-year-old succeeds Bishop Mark E. Brennan, whose resignation was accepted. This was reported by the news service OSV News.
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Menjivar-Ayala came to the United States in 1990 as an undocumented migrant. According to his own statements, he only managed to enter the country on his third attempt, including after a temporary arrest in Mexico and a dangerous desert crossing. In the USA he initially worked in simple jobs, learned English and completed his schooling before deciding to become a priest. In 2023 he was appointed auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Washington.
At a press conference, Menjivar-Ayala said he was accepting the new position “with great joy and humility.” He announced that he would particularly seek exchanges with young people, employees and migrants. In the past, he had repeatedly expressed criticism of the US government’s migration policy.
