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Pope Leo says remarks about world being ‘ravaged by a handful of tyrants’ were not aimed at Trump: report
Pope Leo XIV said Saturday that remarks he made this week in which he said the “world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants” were not directed at President Donald Trump, a report said.
The pope, speaking onboard a flight to Angola during his 10-day Africa tour, said reporting about his comments “has not been accurate in all its aspects” and his speech “was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting,” according to Reuters.
The news outlet cited the pope as saying his comments were not aimed at Trump.
“As it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate the president, which is not in my interest at all,” the pope reportedly said.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Trump last Sunday accused Pope Leo XIV of being “terrible” on foreign policy as the pontiff has criticized the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
“He talks about ‘fear’ of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” he continued.
POPE LEO SLAMS THOSE WHO ‘MANIPULATE RELIGION’ FOR MILITARY OR POLITICAL GAIN, TRUMP RESPONDS
During a speech in Cameroon on Thursday, the pope said, “We must make a decisive change of course — a true conversion — that will lead us in the opposite direction, onto a sustainable path rich in human fraternity.”
“The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters!” he added.
“Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” the pope also said.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
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Skydiver’s parachute gets stuck on scoreboard at Virginia Tech spring game in harrowing scene
A skydiver at the Virginia Tech spring football game was stranded midair after his parachute got stuck on the scoreboard during his descent in a harrowing scene Saturday at Lane Stadium.
The skydiver tried to steer toward the field but was working against the wind. The skydiver’s parachute got stuck on the top of the scoreboard, leaving him suspended in midair and delaying the game as emergency personnel hustled to step in.
Emergency personnel used a crane to remove the skydiver from the scoreboard.
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“We are grateful to report that the skydiver was safely secured and is currently stable. Our primary focus remains on their well-being,” Virginia Tech posted on social media.
“We extend our sincere appreciation to the first responders, event staff, and medical personnel for their swift, coordinated and professional response.”
Virginia Tech football is entering its first season under head coach James Franklin.
The team hired Franklin after firing Brent Pry after an 0-3 start. After firing Pry, the team went 3-6, finishing 3-9 on the season.
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The Hokies went 10-4 in 2016 and 9-4 in 2017 but have mostly been a middling team since then, finishing above .500 just twice since the 2018 season.
Penn State fired Franklin last season after three straight losses, a skid that ended with a 30-24 overtime loss to Oregon at home, and the team never bounced back.
The team’s second loss came on the road, when it lost 42-37 to UCLA, which entered the game at 0-4. The third loss came in a 22-21 defeat to Northwestern at home, dropping Penn State to 3-3. Franklin was fired a day later.
Franklin was largely successful at Penn State during the regular season, going 104-45, but he was never able to win a national championship. Franklin won the Rose Bowl in 2022, the Cotton Bowl in 2019 and the Fiesta Bowl in 2017.
Dating back to Franklin’s three seasons at Vanderbilt, the veteran coach is 8-7 in bowl games.
Franklin will look to turn things around at Virginia Tech.
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USC coach Lincoln Riley makes bold claim, says USC is ready to win ‘championships’
Lincoln Riley’s tenure as head coach of the USC Trojans has not lived up to expectations.
While there have been flashes of brilliance, primarily during the 2022 season, his first in LA, SC has yet to reach the College Football Playoff, or compete for a Big Ten Championship. Some of that can be blamed on Riley, as the Trojans’ defense was, to put it mildly, atrocious during his first two years on the job.
Some of the underperformance, however, can also be blamed on USC’s complete lack of preparation for name, image, and likeness-based recruiting.
Despite the wealthy alumni base, location in Los Angeles, and historic success, SC’s athletic department, coaching staff, and donor base were not aligned properly when NIL came into effect. And recruiting suffered. After putting up classes perennially in the top 10 of national rankings, SC dropped to #18 and #15 in 2024 and 2025 respectively. Unsurprisingly, per most analytics-based rankings, that’s just about where the team finished nationally in overall success rate.
Well, thanks to a new general manager, Chad Bowden, better coordination, and weaponizing that prolific donor base, SC brought in the #1 recruiting class in the country for 2026. And Riley is already making some bold claims about it.
“We’re excited Jim, you know, I think this will be the most complete roster that we’ve had here at USC,” Riley said to Jim Rome on a recent episode of “The Jim Rome Show. “We return some really good productive players that we think are teed up to be the best they’ve been in their career, including some positions that historically you would say, ‘hey, this is pretty important’ in terms of returning production at quarterback, offensive line, running back, defensive line.”
Riley explained that it’s not just the returning talent that has him excited, it’s the “great class” they brought in.
“We’ve got, you know, we’ve got quite a bit there, which is exciting starting piece,” he continued. “And then, you know, we brought in a great class. We signed the number one recruiting class in the country.
“You know, it’s been great to get up the majority of those guys here for spring ball. And so that combination from a roster standpoint is excited. And we’ve just gotten a little bit better every single year.”
Riley went a bit further though, saying that this class and the returning talent have them in position to compete for “championships” at USC.
“I think it’s caused for a lot of optimism,” he said. “So yeah, I can’t wait for this season to come up. You know, we came here to win championships. You know, that’s why you come to USC. And we feel like this group is certainly prepared and positioned to do that.”
There’s little doubt that this is Riley’s best roster at SC. The recruiting class, a good transfer class, and important players returning at key positions. Another year of development for Jayden Maiava, Jakheem Stewart, incredible running backs, and so on. The problem is that until SC wins a big game against a marquee opponent that they weren’t “supposed” to win, no one will take him seriously. Yes, Riley beat Notre Dame with Caleb Williams, and had a big win over Michigan at the Coliseum in 2025. But the schedule in 2026 is daunting.
Ohio State, Oregon, and Washington in LA. Penn State, Indiana, and Wisconsin on the road. Plus the rivalry game against UCLA at the Rose Bowl. In order to seriously compete for “championships,” Riley needs to beat Ohio State and Oregon, or one of those two plus Indiana and/or Penn State on the road. Having a talented roster is one thing. Delivering on that talent is another. Do that, then start talking.
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LISA DAFTARI: Hormuz whiplash proves Tehran can’t honor any deal it signs
Iran’s regime just told us everything we need to know.
Within days, Tehran went from signaling that the Strait of Hormuz would remain open to threatening to close it. That reversal is a reminder that the regime cannot be trusted to uphold any deal it signs because its strategy depends on constant threats and keeping the world off balance.
The issue isn’t what they say. It’s who’s really in charge.
Iran’s regime does not operate as a normal state. Its leaders often signal calm to ease pressure or buy time. But the real authority sits with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The IRGC controls the missiles, the proxy networks, and the ability to disrupt global shipping. When it matters, they decide.
PAKISTANI GENERAL SAYS IRAN DIPLOMACY STILL ‘ALIVE, DESPITE US BLOCKADE, FAILED TALKS
And they benefit from instability.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the regime’s most effective tools of coercion. A fifth of the world’s oil flows through it. Iran doesn’t need to shut it down to create a crisis. It just needs to make the threat believable. Even talk of disruption can rattle markets and drive up energy prices.
That’s exactly what we’re seeing now. Tehran signals restraint, then pivots back to escalation. It’s not meant to sow confusion. It’s meant to gain leverage.
STEVE FORBES: NO MORE DELUSIONS — AMERICA HAS TO FINISH THE JOB IN IRAN
This creates a serious problem for anyone still hoping a new agreement with Iran’s regime will bring lasting stability.
Deals rely on consistency. The Iranian system is built for the opposite.
For years, U.S. and European officials have negotiated as if Iran’s commitments on paper would translate into predictable behavior. But the regime’s most powerful actors are not invested in keeping those commitments. This regime was not designed to be constrained, reformed or tamed. The IRGC’s influence depends on sanctions evasion, regional militias, and the constant threat of escalation.
MORNING GLORY: THE US-IRAN NEGOTIATIONS IN ISLAMABAD BECAME REYKJAVÍK 2.0
If Washington’s imperative is ‘no nukes for Tehran,’ then it must recognize that this regime was built not only to chase deadly weapons but to use every tool as power in its dangerous agenda.
The shift on Hormuz makes that reality clear. When forced to choose between appearing cooperative and maintaining leverage, the regime chooses leverage.
That has direct consequences for U.S. policy.
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Washington cannot afford to treat diplomacy as an end in itself. An agreement that is not backed by real enforcement, credible military deterrence, and a clear understanding of who holds power in Tehran will not hold. It will be tested, stretched, and eventually broken when the regime decides it can get away with it.
A regime that turns a vital energy chokepoint into a pressure tool is not a responsible partner. It is the opposite. The back‑and‑forth over Hormuz is a hard reminder that Tehran’s core strategy is leverage through threat, not cooperation.
As long as that is how the system is wired, any agreement with this regime will be inherently unstable. Why let the regime decide what the next about-face will be?
That should also tell us where U.S. policy needs to go. Washington has to stop pretending this regime can be “managed” with better communiqués and slightly tougher clauses. The problem is not the wording of the deal. The problem is the nature of the regime that signs it. And regardless of how many of their high-ranking leaders have been killed, it is still the same regime.
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So negotiations should not be treated as a path to stabilizing this leadership, but as a temporary tool while we tighten pressure for its eventual replacement. Any new deal with the current rulers in Tehran will follow the same script of brief restraint when it suits them, followed by another round of ‘diplomacy’ the moment they need leverage. A serious strategy would focus on weakening the regime’s grip at home, targeting its security apparatus and economic lifelines, and openly backing the Iranian people who keep risking their lives to challenge it.
The fight over Hormuz is a reminder of how this regime will treat every agreement it signs, right up until the day it is finally gone.
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