Marco Rubio meets Pope Leo amid tensions with Trump over Iran war

Leo, the first American pontiff, drew Trump's ire after becoming a firm critic of the war and the administration's hardline immigration policies. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Marco Rubio shows off a glass american football model to Leo XIV Marco Rubio meets Pope Leo amid tensions with Trump over Iran war US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo at the Vatican on Thursday, at a time of increasing tensions following President Donald Trump's repeated attacks on the Catholic leader over the Iran war. Rubio's meeting with Leo was a sign of a "strong" relationship between the Vatican and the US, said a State Department spokesman. The Vatican did not immediately give any comment about the meeting. Leo, the first American pope, drew Trump's ire after becoming a firm critic of the war on Iran and the Trump administration's hardline anti-immigration policies. Trump has criticised Leo, calling the pope 'weak on crime'. Video captures a young boy on a bike fleeing a car that mounted a footpath in Washington State. President Trump has suspended anoperation to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz - BBC Verify explains the timeline. During the proceedings, the seven-year-old victim's uncle told the court that Athena's killing took 'a piece of every single person who loved her'. The BBC’s Nawal Al-Maghafi has been piecing together what happened on 8 April 2026, after one of the deadliest chapters in the country’s recent history. Prosthetic make-up designer Mike Marino reveals how he created the supermodel's show-stopping costume for the annual event in New York. About 1,500 dogs are being released from a Wisconsin commercial breeder and prepared for adoption after protests from activists. Capt Raman Kapoor's ship is one of several to be stranded in the strait in the midst of the power struggle between the US and Iran. Anna Wintour brought the glam, Beyoncé brought the fam, and Heidi Klum was... statuesque at this year's fundraiser. Flight 169 from Venice, Italy, landed safely at Newark Airport with no reported injuries among the 231 passengers and crew. The lorry driver sustained minor injuries. Steller sea lions are more commonly found in the colder waters of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, making sightings in the Bay Area less common. Firefighters were tackling the blaze that local officials estimated to stretch 558 acres (2.3 sq km). Thousands of demonstrators marched across the country to demand “dignity, justice and freedom” for immigrants and workers. The BBC visited the Villages, the world’s largest retirement community and a key GOP stronghold, where a growing chorus of critics signals change ahead of President Trump’s visit. King Charles' historic state visit, the first by a British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II's in 2007, has come to an end. The video was released after claims that a secret service member sustained injuries in an act of 'friendly fire'. BBC's Sarah Smith looks at whether King Charles' charm offensive with President Trump made a difference to US-UK relations. Energy prices are rising as US peace talks with Iran appear to have stalled, with the key Strait of Hormuz waterway still effectively closed. Before the fragile ceasefire in the region, this was one of the most heavily targeted US and UK military bases in the Middle East. A severe storm outbreak has been battering parts of the Midwest and Southern United States for nearly a week. After visiting the 9/11 Memorial, Queen Camilla read to children at the New York Public Library and King Charles visited a community organisation in Harlem. BBC's Nadine Yousif and Eloise Alanna spent five days travelling with the country's military rangers through frostbite and sub-zero temperatures. The King and the US president exchanged several jokes during their speeches at a state banquet. During the White House state dinner, the King gifted the US president a bell from his WW2 submarine namesake, 'HMS Trump'. It was the first time a sitting British monarch had addressed the chamber since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991. Correspondent Tom Bateman was in the dining room at the White House Correspondents' Dinner with President Trump and other officials when gunshots were heard. First Lady Melania Trump described the joke as "hateful and violent", with the White House urging ABC to fire the comedian. After landing, the royals were greeted by US President Donald Trump at the White House and later visited the British Embassy. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, is said to have worked for a tutoring company for college age students. King Charles's trip to the US comes at a time of strained relations between Washington and London over the Iran war. President Trump and Vice-President Vance were rushed off the stage, after gunshots were heard at the event at the Washington Hilton hotel. Moments after shots were fired at the White House Correspondents' dinner, the US vice-president was quickly escorted off stage Surveillance video released by Donald Trump shows the suspect running past metal detectors as security agents draw their guns. Police say a man charged security outside of the dining room and was armed with multiple weapons. The US president was midway through a conversation before loud bangs rang out at the venue and he was quickly escorted to safety. King Charles and Queen Camilla will meet with President Donald Trump during a four-day state visit. A Buckingham Palace source confirmed the Royals will not meet with survivors of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during their state visit to the US. Ten people were injured and dozens of homes damaged as the twister hit the city of Enid. Constant spring rainfall and melting ice have flooded the state's Black Lake and surrounding neighbourhoods. Officials say the frozen blocks are being melted due to "dangerous and unsafe activities" after they were set up to promote the singer's album. A black bear in Albany, New York, climbed a tree in a residential neighbourhood and was tranquillised before falling into a net held by wildlife and law enforcement officials.