William Crawley

I’ve created a bolthole over at @bluesky — if you’re in the area, say hello. I’ve got the same profile name there. @ williamcrawley.bsky.social

The powers of Congress have been “usurped” —

Melania Trump says she was never a friend or victim of Jeffrey Epstein in video statement at White House bbc.in/4czQQFR

Took the very rapid response team two and a half months to report the meeting. Which, according to my sources, was not as idyllic as it's presented here. @TheFP

BREAKING: White House official has told Reuters that US President Donald Trump is considering withdrawing some US troops from Europe.

Ambassador Burch spoke today with His Eminence Cardinal Pierre, the outgoing papal nuncio to the United States, regarding his January meeting with Under Secretary Elbridge Colby. 1/4

Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby @USWPColby had a substantive, respectful, and professional meeting with Cardinal Pierre, the then-Papal Nuncio, and his team on January 22, 2026. During the cordial meeting, they discussed a range of topics, including issues of morality in foreign policy, the logic of the U.S. National Security Strategy, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and other topics. Cardinal Pierre expressed his appreciation for the outreach and both sides looked forward to continued open and respectful dialogue. In light of grossly false and distorted recent reporting, the Department of War repeats its statement: Recent reporting of the meeting is highly exaggerated and distorted. The meeting between Pentagon and Vatican officials was a respectful and reasonable discussion. We have nothing but the highest regard and welcome continued dialogue with the Holy See.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor who opposed the Nazi dictatorship. On the anniversary of his execution by the regime in 1945, discover the story of Bonhoeffer's time in London and the making of a modern martyr: westminster-abbey.org/about/abbey-re…

VATICAN CITY — Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin warned that the “logic of the strongest” risks prevailing on the international stage and called on Christians to become “voices of peace” who do not leave Pope Leo XIV standing alone in his opposition to war. In an interview with Dialoghi, a cultural magazine linked to Italian Catholic Action, Parolin said the voice of the pope is “prophetic” but risks becoming “a voice crying in the wilderness if it is not supported and helped concretely.” His remarks also offer a key to understanding the peace prayer vigil Leo XIV has called for April 11 in St. Peter’s Basilica. Parolin recalled the 2003 Iraq war, when St. John Paul II pleaded for the conflict to be avoided but “was left alone.” He therefore stressed the need to support the current pontiff’s appeal for a peace that is “unarmed and disarming” and to reject “the false propaganda of rearmament.” “There is a need for more voices of peace, more voices against the madness of the rush toward rearmament, more voices raised in favor of our poorest brothers and sisters, more voices and more proposals — I am thinking, for example, of the world of Catholic universities — for new economic models inspired by justice and care for the weakest instead of the idolatry of money,” Parolin said. The cardinal described an alarming international climate in which military action appears to impose itself too easily. “I am struck by how much determination — I was about to say ease — with which the military option is presented as decisive, almost inevitable,” he said. According to the Vatican secretary of state, this trend has left diplomacy practically “mute,” unable to activate alternative tools, while awareness of the tragedy of war and the value of shared rules is being lost. Parolin said the root of the problem is a “multi-polarism inspired by the primacy of power,” in which states place greater trust in force than in international law. That, he said, has produced “double standards,” visible in the differing reactions to attacks on civilians in Ukraine and the destruction in Gaza. “Many governments,” Parolin said, “have expressed indignation over attacks against Ukrainian civilians by Russian missiles and drones, imposing sanctions on the aggressors.” “I do not think the same has happened with the tragedy of the destruction of Gaza,” he added. For the cardinal, this is a case of “double standards” tied to the “primacy of power” — the dominance of one’s own country over others — with international law invoked “only when convenient” and ignored in many other cases. “It seems there has been a lack of awareness of the value of peace, awareness of the tragic reality of war, awareness of the importance of shared rules and of respecting them,” he said. Parolin also lamented the weakening of the global diplomatic architecture and said it is “utopian” to think peace can be guaranteed “by weapons and by balances imposed by the strongest rather than by international agreements.” “We cannot surrender to the logic of the strongest,” the cardinal insisted, because that logic “bends international law to its own interests” and weakens multilateral institutions. In that context, he also expressed regret that Europe has been unable to speak with one voice. He said it is necessary “to rekindle in peoples the sense of European belonging and, in leadership, the awareness of the need for common actions without ever failing the principles that are at the foundation of the European Union itself.” Regarding the United Nations, Parolin said the Holy See “continues to believe in its importance,” considering international organizations essential for restraining the logic of the strongest. At the same time, he acknowledged that the use of the veto has limited the U.N.’s ability to act. “We cannot move from the force of law to the law of force,” he warned. Parolin also highlighted the role believers can play, including defending life and human dignity, protecting religious freedom, promoting reforms to the economic and financial system in line with the Church’s social doctrine, and caring for creation. Finally, the cardinal addressed the cultural impact of new technologies, saying hyper-connectivity and the spread of fake news help fuel fear and build new walls. “As Christians, we must oppose this drift with our daily lives,” he concluded. ewtnnews.com/vatican/vatica…

Today in Russia (so far): ▪️Russian human rights group Memorial designated an "extremist" movement; ▪️FSB says former Russian freelancer for RFE/RL detained, accused of treason; ▪️Masked security officers searching Moscow office of Novaya Gazeta newspaper.

An impatient pooch in Killarney, Ireland, was caught on video appearing to repeatedly honk a car horn while waiting for its owner to return on Saturday.

@rodneyedwards Brilliant!

As custodians of this great newspaper, preserving its history is part of our role. Today, I’m proud to launch our fully digitised archive: explore 200 years of life across Fermanagh, South Tyrone and the Border counties of the Republic of Ireland. impartialreporter.com/news/26006833.…

The allegations about Hungary leaking information to Russia raise the possibility of a member state "actively working against the security and the interests of the EU and its citizens", the European Commission said. #EuropeNews ➡️ l.euronews.com/bW2F

The reference might be obscure for many but would have been immediately understood by church leaders as a not-so-veiled threat. #Echobox=1775758229" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">newsweek.com/avignon-papacy…

Netanyahu’s decision to seek direct negotiations with Lebanon came at Trump’s request, a US official and a source familiar with the matter tell me & @Kevinliptakcnn During a conversation Wednesday, Trump asked Netanyahu to scale back Israeli attacks in Lebanon and enter negotiations with the Lebanese government about disarming Hezbollah, the sources said. It’s not clear if Netanyahu agreed to scale back strikes in Lebanon. An Israeli official told @talshalev1 there is “no ceasefire at the moment" & "talks will be held under fire.” cnn.com/2026/04/09/wor…

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni distanced herself from U.S. President Donald Trump during a parliamentary address today, in a bid to save her premiership after a bruising referendum defeat last month. politico.eu/article/italys…

Is Brussels crippling the Hungarian economy and making Budapest less energy independent? JD Vance’s speech in Budapest makes several misleading claims. #TheCube ➡️ l.euronews.com/sa0u

Marjorie Taylor Greene has said she thinks the Republican Party has "turned into a cult." #Echobox=1775746960" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">newsweek.com/marjorie-taylo…

In late February, the British singer-songwriter Benedict Cork posted a snippet of himself playing a soulful new song. A few days later, Cork started receiving messages about the song’s release—which was odd, because he hadn’t finished it yet. Eventually, someone sent him the song, which was on streaming platforms under someone else's name. This version of his song had been created with AI. Someone had seen Cork’s snippet, and, trying to capitalize on its virality, ran it through an AI music generator and posted the result in order to generate streams. Cork is one of a growing number of musicians facing increased competition or outright theft from AI music generators. Some musicians contend that AI is helping to democratize the creation of music. But many musicians fear the entire industry is sliding towards prioritizing machine-made slop, making it increasingly hard for rising or independent musicians to make a living. Tech correspondent Andrew Chow explains the growing world of AI music slop. Read more here: time-magazine.visitlink.me/jvIAnR

He’s right that this phrase will stay with him for the rest of his life.