US-Iran talks in Pakistan uncertain as sides trade accusations

President Donald Trump's dismissal of Pope Leo XIV as "weak" and "wrong" marked an unprecedented personal attack on a pontiff by a US leader that capped months of tension.

The election of the first ever US pontiff in May 2025, one who pressed the cause of international law and the rights of migrants, seemed destined to set up a clash, but for a long time they managed their differences.

Since January, however, US military action in Venezuela, threats against Cuba and Greenland and then the Iran war have drawn increasing statements of concern from the Vatican.

On Sunday, Trump launched a blistering attack on the head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, calling him "weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy". He doubled down Monday, repeating: "He's wrong."

"Tensions regularly arise between the Catholic Church and states on a number of issues," said Francois Mabille, head of France's Geopolitical Observatory of Religion.

"What's unprecedented here is that the figure of the pope is being attacked as such... that he's being judged weak, and that this is being done by the American president with such vehemence," Mabille told AFP.

- Tipped the scales -

An expert in canon law, Leo has repeatedly emphasised the importance of upholding international law, including criticising Israel's actions in Gaza last year.

But he often spoke in generalisations, leaving more pointed criticism to local clergy, from Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa in Jerusalem to US cardinals.

One exception was when he hit out at the "inhuman" treatment of migrants in his home country. The White House responded with a measured comment defending its policies on immigration.

Leo's rhetoric and calls for peace have increased as war spread across the Middle East, and when Trump threatened the whole Iranian "civilisation" in early April, Leo told reporters this was "unacceptable".

Trump's threat "tipped the scales", Mabille told AFP.

At the same time, Leo urged "the citizens of all the countries involved to contact the authorities, political leaders, congressmen, to ask them, tell them to work for peace and to reject war always".

For Massimo Faggioli, professor of historical and contemporary ecclesiology at Trinity College Dublin, this too was a turning point.

He told AFP that it violated a long-standing diplomatic norm -- "that the pope stayed out of US politics".

- 'Difficult to attack' -

Popes have disagreed with the United States before, with John Paul II strongly opposed to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, for example.

Just weeks before he died in April 2025, Pope Francis described Trump's migrant deportations as a "major crisis", drawing a rebuke from the president's border czar that he should "stick to the Catholic Church".

Many of Francis's critics dismissed him as anti-American -- something that cannot be said for Leo. 

Traditionally, US presidents have been wary of upsetting US Catholics by speaking out too much against a pope.

Trump's criticism "is unprecedented because no American president wanted to alienate American voters," Faggioli told AFP.

- Face history -

The Vatican last week played down speculation of tensions with Washington, dismissing as untrue a report that the United States gave the Holy See's envoy a dressing down in January after comments Leo made seen as critical of the US administration.

The pope responded to Trump's outburst Monday in a typically measured way, saying he had a "moral duty" to speak out against war.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, an ally of Trump, condemned the president's criticism as "unacceptable", saying it was "right and normal for him (Leo) to call for peace".

Faggioli concurred, saying: "If you want to be pope you have to face history -- you can't just close yourself up in a monastery."

Mabille noted that, given how often Trump changes his mind, the row may just as well blow over.

"Who knows, maybe the pope will give a speech that Trump will like, or he'll see an opportunity to advance his own agenda and tell this pope what an extraordinary man he is," he said.

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© Agence France-Presse

Amazon said Tuesday that it had signed a deal to buy the US telecoms satellite group Globalstar to expand its own space-based internet network and compete with Elon Musk's Starlink.

Amazon said it would make a cash-and-stock offer worth $90 to shareholders in Globalstar, which has a market value of around $9 billion, according to a Financial Times report this month flagging the deal.

The tech and e-commerce giant founded by Jeff Bezos is building its Amazon Leo network offering satellite-based internet connectivity to people practically anywhere on the planet.

"There are billions of customers out there living, traveling, and operating in places beyond the reach of existing networks, and we started Amazon Leo to help bridge that divide," Panos Panay, Amazon's senior vice president for devices and services, said in a statement.

Around 58 percent of Globalstar's shareholders have already accepted the deal, expected to close in 2027.

As part of the deal, Apple, which owns a 20 percent stake in Globalstar, will start using Leo for satellite services with iPhones and Apple Watches, such as its Emergency SOS contact service.

Leo, with around 200 satellites in orbit, is aiming to challenge Musk's SpaceX, which operates the Starlink service of 10,000 satellites.

The Globalstar deal comes as market speculation is rife that Musk is preparing an initial public offering of SpaceX shares that could raise a whopping $75 billion, which would be the largest IPO ever.

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Economic growth across the eurozone will slow to an estimated 1.1 percent this year as higher energy prices weigh on manufacturing, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday.

In its first update to forecasts since the Mideast war erupted, the IMF said eurozone exporters are also exposed to the euro's strength against the dollar and other currencies, which makes their products more expensive on global markets.

The forecasts assume that the US and Israeli war against Iran "will last for a few more weeks and a recovery will then gradually take hold" and oil exports normalise, the fund said. 

The fund, which is holding its annual spring meeting in Washington, now sees eurozone growth at 1.1 percent in 2026, down from 1.4 percent last year and a decline of 0.2 basis points from its January forecast. 

Germany, with Europe's largest economy, should see GDP expand 0.8 percent this year instead of 1.1 percent as its power-hungry industrial heavyweights face higher energy costs.

Growth in France is now seen at 0.9 percent, also down 0.3 basis points from January, while Spain, whose economy has been one of the strongest in Europe in recent years thanks to tourism, saw its growth forecast cut to 2.1 percent.

The IMF cut its Italy forecast to 0.5 percent, the same level chalked up last year.

Outside the eurozone, Britain's economy is now expected to expand by 0.8 percent, a sharp reduction from the 1.3 percent growth the IMF forecast at the beginning of the year, in part because of "a slower pace of monetary easing" than in other major economies.

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How AI cameras are changing video capture in youth sports

For today’s young athletes and their families, capturing a game on video doesn’t just preserve memories, it serves an important role in the sports experience. From sharing highlights with loved ones on social media to providing coaches with a powerful teaching tool, quality video can literally be a game-changer.

However, for many families, the responsibility to serve as videographer can feel like a burden that actually interferes with enjoying the game. Parents become trapped behind a smartphone screen, frantically trying to track a fast-moving ball, ultimately missing the joy of experiencing their child’s play.

From Broadcast Trucks to AI

To understand why AI-powered sports cameras are gaining such momentum in 2026, XbotGo takes a look at how sports recording technology has changed over the years.

The 1980s–1990s: Broadcast-quality, few options

In the late twentieth century, sports video was primarily the domain of television broadcasters. Professional leagues and major college programs relied on multi-camera production crews and broadcast trucks to capture games at the highest level. At the grassroots level, recording was less common. When it did happen, consumer camcorders offered a low-tech way for families and teams to preserve memories.

The 2000s: Video as a coaching tool

As digital camcorders and editing software became more common, video offered an opportunity not just for making memories but for performance enhancement. Coaches used footage to review plays, strategies, and individual progress. For some, this marked the first time video became part of a team’s training process. However, getting footage still depended on a dedicated camera operator. Following fast-paced action and covering a large space for team sports, required skill and patience. A team’s video was often only as good as the person behind the camera.

The 2010s: Smartphones make every spectator a videographer

The proliferation of smartphones put capable cameras on every sideline. Parents, coaches, and teammates could capture games instantly and share clips in emails, texts, and social media posts. Recording became expected. However, the widespread adoption of amateur photography revealed a new challenge: Capturing a full game from a handheld device requires constant attention. Now, the experience of filming replaced the experience of watching the game. Many parents felt distracted from the game they were trying to capture.

2026 and Beyond: Democratization of video

Highlight reels are now part of the recruiting process for many young athletes, with college recruiters advising players to create videos that can be shared directly with coaches. The challenge for families is how to reliably capture footage without turning every game into work.

At the same time, high school sports participation in the United States has grown to more than 8 million athletes, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. The market around sports technology is also expanding. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global sports analytics market is expected to grow from $2.29 billion in 2025 to $4.75 billion by 2030.

That growth helps explain why a new generation of AI-powered cameras, designed to track action autonomously, generate highlight clips, and capture video without a dedicated operator, is gaining attention. For brands operating in this category, including XbotGo, the broader opportunity lies in bridging the gap between elite and grassroots sports by bringing this kind of capability to everyday families and amateur clubs.

The Boundaries of AI

For many parents and coaches, the appeal of autonomous cameras is the consistency of quality video. In practice, these tools help turn a stressful sideline task into an effortless part of the youth sports experience.

While AI-powered cameras offer convenience and reliability, they still come with limitations. Current technology excels at consistent tracking and high-volume capture, but it does not replace the trained eye of an experienced scout or the creativity of a professional videographer.

Unusual lighting or complex field setups may still affect coverage. However, for most amateur clubs, quality game footage is within reach, and automation prevents the tradeoff between shooting the game and enjoying it.

This story was produced by XbotGo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Israel said it was open to peace with Lebanon ahead of the first direct talks in decades between the neighbours Tuesday, but that Hezbollah remained the "problem" blocking an agreement on ending fighting.   

The United States is pressing for a halt to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, fearing it could derail the two-week ceasefire in Washington's war with Iran, despite talks with Tehran in Pakistan failing to achieve a breakthrough.

Washington said "the ball is in the Iranian court" on ending the region-wide war, after a US naval blockade on Iranian ports began in the Strait of Hormuz, which had already been effectively closed by Tehran.

Lebanon was pulled into the broader conflict when Hezbollah attacked Israel, sparking an Israeli ground invasion and strikes -- including an extremely heavy attack on Beirut on April 8 -- that have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced over one million.

Tuesday's meeting in Washington -- the first such in-person talks since 1993 -- will be mediated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and include the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States.

Expectations of any major breakthroughs were low, with Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem calling for the talks to be scrapped before they even began, describing them as "futile".

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said his country was seeking "peace and normalisation" with Lebanon. 

But he insisted that Hezbollah was the "problem", and that it needed to be addressed in order to move to a "different phase".

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said he hopes a truce deal can be agreed and full-blown negotiations launched between the two countries, which have technically been at war for decades and don't have official diplomatic relations.

- US blockades Iran -

While attention switched to the meeting on the war between Hezbollah and Israel, Trump sought to squeeze Iran with a naval blockade as diplomatic efforts accelerated towards a new round of peace talks with Tehran.

US Central Command had said the measures covered "vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas".

But at least two ships using Iranian ports passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, data from maritime tracking firm Kpler indicated Tuesday.

Iran's military command branded the blockade an act of piracy and warned that if the security of its harbours was "threatened, no port in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea will be safe".

With his blockade of Iranian ports, Trump was trying to starve Iran of funds but also pressure Beijing, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, to lean on Tehran to reopen Hormuz, analysts said.

China said the blockade was "dangerous and irresponsible", after Trump threatened to sink any boats that sought to leave or dock at Iranian ports.

The standoff at the strait, through which one-fifth of global oil transited in peacetime, failed to dampen optimism in global markets, with Asian equities rallying while oil continued a downward slide.

France said it would co-host a video conference with Britain on Friday of countries ready to contribute to a "purely defensive mission" to secure the Strait of Hormuz. 

Crucially, despite the blockade, the fragile two-week truce agreed last Wednesday between Washington and Tehran remained in place.

Trump insisted that Iranian representatives had called Washington since a US delegation returned empty-handed from negotiations in Islamabad.

"I can tell you that we've been called by the other side. They'd like to make a deal. Very badly, very badly," he told reporters outside the Oval Office.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that "full efforts are underway" to reach an agreement to stop the fighting and that the US-Iran ceasefire was "holding".

On Tuesday, senior Pakistani sources told AFP that Islamabad was working to bring Iran and the United States together for a second round of talks.

Iranian state TV reported that Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran "will continue to talk only within the framework of international law" in a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

Macron said he urged Pezeshkian and Trump to resume stalled talks towards ending the Iran war. 

- Nuclear enrichment pause? -

Trump has insisted that an agreement must include stopping Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon, having launched the war after accusing Tehran of developing an atomic bomb -- an allegation it denies.

During weekend talks, the United States reportedly sought a 20-year suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment programme, according to media reports on Monday.

Iran in turn proposed to suspend its nuclear activity for five years, which US officials rejected, The New York Times reported.

Diplomatic efforts were also picking up elsewhere, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Beijing on Tuesday, hours after Iran's state news agency reported he had spoken with his Iranian counterpart.

Moscow has offered to hold Iran's enriched uranium safely as part of any deal.

Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed Tuesday that Beijing would play a "constructive role" in promoting peace talks in the Middle East.

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At least two ships sailing from Iranian ports crossed the Hormuz Strait on Monday despite a US military blockade, maritime tracking data indicated Tuesday.

They were among at least four Iran-linked vessels that used the route after Washington's blockade came into effect at 1400 GMT on Monday, according to maritime data provider Kpler.

The Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Christianna crossed after unloading 74,000 tonnes of corn at the Iranian port of Bandar Imam Khomeini, passing Iran's Larak Island in the strait around 1600 GMT on Monday, Kpler data showed.

A second ship, the Comoros-flagged tanker Elpis, was near Larak Island around 1100 GMT and cleared the strait about 1600 GMT.

It was loaded with 31,000 tonnes of methanol, having left the Iranian port of Bushehr on March 31, Kpler data showed.

US Central Command had said the blockade would target "vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas".

A Chinese tanker, the Rich Starry, also crossed the strait overnight from Monday to Tuesday via the Iranian-approved vetting route south of Larak Island.

Kpler said that vessel was carrying 31,500 tonnes of methanol and was bound for Sohar in Oman, according to data from its transponder.

Media including leading shipping journal Lloyd's List interpreted the Chinese ship's passage as a "test" of US President Donald Trump's blockade.

Maritime analysts have cautioned during the recent weeks of conflict around the strait that ships' signals in the region have been disrupted and manipulated, making precise tracking difficult.

- Sanctioned ships -

The Rich Starry is listed by the United States' Office of Foreign Assets Control as being sanctioned for its ties to Iran.

The Elpis is also under US sanctions for ties to Iran, but the Christianna is not.

Iranian forces effectively closed the strait after the war broke out with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

The US on Sunday announced its own blockade after peace talks with Iran failed.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Tuesday called the US move "dangerous and irresponsible".

A fourth vessel, the Madagascar-flagged tanker Murlikishan, meanwhile crossed the strait westward into the Gulf on Tuesday morning through the Larak Island route.

It was empty and heading to the Iraqi port of Khor al Zubair, according to its transponder signal, Kpler said.

It is sanctioned by the US for Iran-related trade and many of its past trips to the Gulf had been to Iran, picking up Iranian bitumen and asphalt to ship to Asia.

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France's interior minister is seeking to block US rapper Kanye West from performing in the southern city of Marseille in June due to his antisemitic remarks, a source close to the minister told AFP on Tuesday.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez is "highly determined" to ban the June 11 concert at Marseille's Velodrome stadium and is exploring "all possibilities", the source said. 

West, 48, has been heavily criticised for making antisemitic remarks and voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler.

Britain has blocked the US rapper, also known as Ye, from entering the country due to his outbursts, prompting organisers of a festival he was to headline to cancel the July event. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had called booking West "deeply concerning."

But Dutch Asylum and Migration Minister Bart van den Brink said last week there were no plans as yet to bar the rapper from the Netherlands.

The French source said Nunez had discussed the possible concert ban with the regional prefect and the mayor of Marseille during his visit to the city last week.

Last month, Benoit Payan, the left-wing mayor, said he opposed the controversial performer's visit, saying he refused "to allow Marseille to be a showcase for those who promote hatred".

In May 2025, the rapper released a song called "Heil Hitler", months after advertising a swastika t-shirt for sale on his website.

The song was banned by major streaming platforms. West subsequently expressed regret for his conduct, blaming it on his bipolar disorder.

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The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- Israel wants Lebanon 'normalisation' -

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said his country is seeking "peace and normalisation" with Lebanon, as the two countries prepared to meet later Tuesday in Washington for their first direct talks in decades.

"We want to reach peace and normalisation with the state of Lebanon," Saar said at a press conference. "Israel and Lebanon don't have any major disputes between them. The problem is Hezbollah," the Iran-backed militant group whose opposition is dampening hopes of any breakthrough at the talks.

Israel's ongoing military campaign in Lebanon is threatening to derail the fragile US-Iranian ceasefire agreement announced a week ago.

- New US-Iran talks? -

Pakistan is working to bring Iran and the United States together for a second round of talks, senior Pakistani sources told AFP, with one saying negotiators were working to extend the countries' current two-week ceasefire "to allow for additional time".

Washington and Tehran held historic face-to-face talks in Islamabad over the weekend, but failed to reach an agreement on ending the war.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he had urged Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian to restart talks.

- Hormuz meeting Friday -

France and Britain will co-host a video conference Friday of more than 40 countries ready to contribute to a "purely defensive mission" to secure the Strait of Hormuz, officials said.

France's Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will co-chair the meeting to discuss a plan to "restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz when security conditions allow", the French presidency said.

The plan would be put in place "once the conflict ends", a spokesman for Starmer's office said.

- Stocks rise, oil falls -

Stocks rose and oil fell on hopes for a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with Trump saying Tehran had called to seek an agreement, even as a US blockade of Iranian ports began.

Both main oil prices, West Texas Intermediate and Brent North Sea Crude, fell to hold below $100, with the former down more than two percent.

- Oil demand plunge -

Demand for crude oil will likely decline this year for the first time since the Covid pandemic, said the International Energy Agency.

Surging prices caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and damage to production facilities will force countries and industries to curtail oil use, and "demand destruction will spread as scarcity and higher prices persist", the IEA said in its monthly report.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to sink ships entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas in the Gulf, imposing a blockade that came into force at 1400 GMT Monday.

- US blockade 'irresponsible': China -

China accused the United States of "dangerous and irresponsible" behaviour over its blockade of Iranian ports, with President Xi Jinping vowing Beijing would play a "constructive role" in promoting peace in the Middle East.

The blockade "will only exacerbate tensions and undermine the already fragile ceasefire agreement and further jeopardise safety of passage through the Strait (of Hormuz)", Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference.

China also vowed "countermeasures" if Trump made good on his threat to impose new tariffs following reports Beijing has supplied or intends to supply weapons to Iran.

- Israeli soldiers wounded -

The Israeli military said overnight clashes between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah militants had left 10 soldiers wounded in the key southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, which Israel's forces have encircled.

- EU jet fuel fears -

The European Commission said it fears Europe could face jet fuel supply issues in the near future, with no end in sight to the war roiling global energy markets.

- Trump: Iran wants a deal -

Trump said Iranian representatives had called to make a peace deal after talks in Pakistan ended at the weekend without agreement.

"I can tell you that we've been called by the other side. They'd like to make a deal. Very badly, very badly," he told reporters outside the Oval Office, without identifying which officials had called.

Trump also said 34 ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz, but the figure could not be immediately corroborated.

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An ex-student opened fire at his former high school Tuesday in Turkey, wounding 16 people including students before killing himself in a showdown with police, officials said.

Special security forces were deployed to the school in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa, where students were evacuated, the local governor, Hasan Sildak, told reporters.

Television footage showed ambulances outside the school in the Siverek district as students fled in panic.

Sildak identified the attacker as a former student at the school, born in 2007.

"He took his own life when cornered by police," the governor said.

"We have evacuated the school and will carry out a thorough investigation into this tragic incident," he added.

"Despite taking all necessary precautions regarding the safety of our schools, such isolated incidents can still occur. The required investigation will be carried out". 

The governor, who inspected the school, said the attacker "randomly opened fire in the corridor with a pump-action shotgun". 

According to initial findings, 10 students, four teachers, one police officer, and one cafeteria operator were injured in the attack, the interior ministry said on X. 

"The individual who carried out the attack with a shotgun committed suicide with the same weapon following the incident," the ministry said. 

- School safety-

School shootings in Turkey are rare. In May 2024, a former student killed a private high school principal in Istanbul with a firearm five months after he was expelled. 

The assailant -- reportedly of Iraqi origin -- fled after the shooting and was arrested later. 

The killing of the 74-year-old school principal triggered nationwide debate while thousands of teachers demonstrated in Istanbul calling for increased school safety measures. 

Turkey has strict gun laws that require licensing, registration, mental and criminal background checks, and severe penalties for illegal possession.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticised efforts he said were aimed at "containing" Russia and China, Moscow's state media said on Tuesday during his visit to Beijing.

Lavrov was given a red-carpet welcome after he arrived in the Chinese capital, photographs released by the Russian foreign ministry showed.

He later met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, who he was seen shaking hands with in a picture posted on social media by Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

Beijing and Moscow are close economic and political partners, and the relationship has deepened further since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Lavrov warned of "some very, very dangerous games going on" in East Asian geopolitical hotspots that included Taiwan, the disputed South China Sea and the nuclear-armed Korean peninsula, according to quotes from the meeting with Wang published by state-run RIA Novosti.

Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory and is sharply critical of US military assistance the self-ruled island receives.

In comments apparently referring to the United States and its allies, Lavrov said "they are trying to dismantle (regional cooperation) by creating small-format, bloc-based structures aimed at containing both the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation".

"Our vast continent as a whole demands constant attention," he said.

Lavrov also said he and Wang would discuss plans for future "contacts" between leaders Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.

China is hosting this week a string of leaders of countries that have been affected by the US-Israeli war on Iran and its economic fallout, including Vietnam's To Lam and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

China's foreign ministry said this week that Lavrov and Wang would "exchange views and coordinate positions on the development of bilateral relations, cooperation in various fields, and international and regional issues of common concern".

The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement ahead of the talks that the pair would discuss the war in Ukraine and the Middle East conflict.

Wang and Lavrov agreed during a call on April 5 that Beijing and Moscow would work together to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.

China's Premier Li Qiang told the United Arab Emirates leader that Beijing is "ready to further play a constructive role and contribute to the restoration of peace and tranquility in the Gulf region".

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