The world now has American leaders influencing the ‘spiritual and the material'
The Wall Street Journal Editor-at-Large Gerard Baker has weighed in on the growing influence of the US on the world amid the election of the new pope.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the new supreme pontiff, choosing the name Pope Leo XIV.
'He will have an American disposition,' Mr Baker told Sky News host James Morrow.
'We are going to see this very significant American figure influencing the spiritual side of the world … in the way that we have this extraordinary American figure influencing the material.
'It's North America's world and we're living in it.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Islamic preacher tells court he ‘never set out to insult Jews'
Asked if what he was saying was 'the problem was the Jews in the seventh century and the problem is the Jews today', Haddad replied: 'Not in that general sense, no.' He said his description of Jews as 'a vile people' was a reference to the actions of the Israeli government, and denied he was setting out to criticise Jews as a race. 'I never set out to insult Jews,' he said. He said his speeches were 'taken from Islamic texts' and he was referring to 'Jews of faith' rather than ethnicity. Haddad is defending the lawsuit on a number of bases, including that the claim must fail because the sermons were delivered in private at the Al Madina Dawah Centre, where there is 'no standing invitation to non-Muslims to attend', and only published online later. Section 18C covers acts in public that are reasonably likely 'to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person or a group of people'. The acts must be done because of the 'race, colour or national or ethnic origin' of that other person or group. Members of the Jewish community gave evidence earlier on Wednesday that they first became aware of Haddad's speeches via either or both The Australian and Sky News. Loading Braham foreshadowed he would submit that 'just about everything' that happened at the centre was designed 'for public consumption and to create, or attract, controversy'. The sermons were published on the centre's Facebook and Rumble social media accounts. Haddad's lawyers say in written submissions there is 'no evidence' that he or the centre's incorporated association, of which he is a founder, were involved in uploading the speeches or had 'any awareness of that having been done'. However, Haddad told the court that he 'knew they were being recorded' in November 2023, and that they were all going to be published online. He also agreed that he was, in effect, in charge of the centre. Haddad's lawyers argue the sermons were not reasonably likely to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate Jewish people in Australia. It was 'only because of what appears to have been an extraordinary pursuit of Mr Haddad and the centre that any Jewish person in Australia was exposed to the speeches', the submissions say. They also say the speeches were not delivered by Haddad 'to express any criticism or comment about Jewish people in Australia, by reason of their race or otherwise', but were intended to provide 'support and spiritual comfort to members of the Muslim community by placing the current events in Gaza in a historical religious context'. Haddad's legal team also argue an exemption in section 18D of the law applies because the sermons amounted to 'a fair comment on any event or matter of public interest', and the comments were 'an expression of a genuine belief' held by him. But the legal team for Wertheim and Goot say Haddad 'acted neither reasonably nor in good faith'.
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Islamic preacher tells court he ‘never set out to insult Jews'
Asked if what he was saying was 'the problem was the Jews in the seventh century and the problem is the Jews today', Haddad replied: 'Not in that general sense, no.' He said his description of Jews as 'a vile people' was a reference to the actions of the Israeli government, and denied he was setting out to criticise Jews as a race. 'I never set out to insult Jews,' he said. He said his speeches were 'taken from Islamic texts' and he was referring to 'Jews of faith' rather than ethnicity. Haddad is defending the lawsuit on a number of bases, including that the claim must fail because the sermons were delivered in private at the Al Madina Dawah Centre, where there is 'no standing invitation to non-Muslims to attend', and only published online later. Section 18C covers acts in public that are reasonably likely 'to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person or a group of people'. The acts must be done because of the 'race, colour or national or ethnic origin' of that other person or group. Members of the Jewish community gave evidence earlier on Wednesday that they first became aware of Haddad's speeches via either or both The Australian and Sky News. Loading Braham foreshadowed he would submit that 'just about everything' that happened at the centre was designed 'for public consumption and to create, or attract, controversy'. The sermons were published on the centre's Facebook and Rumble social media accounts. Haddad's lawyers say in written submissions there is 'no evidence' that he or the centre's incorporated association, of which he is a founder, were involved in uploading the speeches or had 'any awareness of that having been done'. However, Haddad told the court that he 'knew they were being recorded' in November 2023, and that they were all going to be published online. He also agreed that he was, in effect, in charge of the centre. Haddad's lawyers argue the sermons were not reasonably likely to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate Jewish people in Australia. It was 'only because of what appears to have been an extraordinary pursuit of Mr Haddad and the centre that any Jewish person in Australia was exposed to the speeches', the submissions say. They also say the speeches were not delivered by Haddad 'to express any criticism or comment about Jewish people in Australia, by reason of their race or otherwise', but were intended to provide 'support and spiritual comfort to members of the Muslim community by placing the current events in Gaza in a historical religious context'. Haddad's legal team also argue an exemption in section 18D of the law applies because the sermons amounted to 'a fair comment on any event or matter of public interest', and the comments were 'an expression of a genuine belief' held by him. But the legal team for Wertheim and Goot say Haddad 'acted neither reasonably nor in good faith'.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Thumb war
DONALD TRUMP: He's the only reason we can now send American astronauts into space … MARK STONE: We have all wondered when these two would fall out. But could anyone have predicted that when it happened, it would spiral so fast. - Sky News UK, June 6 2025 Hullo, welcome to Media Watch I'm Linton Besser, and yes, millions around the world watched on slack-jawed as the world's most famous pal-athon came to its ugly end last week. ALISON PIOTROWSKI: The bromance, it's well and truly over … - Today, Nine Network, 6 June 2025 CONAN NOLAN: It appears the bromance is over … - NBCLA , 4 June 2025 JOSH HAMMER: … Trump Musk bromance … - The Rita Panahi Show, Sky News Australia, 5 June 2025 PRESENTER: … bromance … - India Today, 6 June 2025 KRISTEN WELKER: This bromance … - Today, NBC, 4 June 2025 CHRIS KENNY: The end of the bromance… - The Kenny Report, 4 June 2025 The psychodrama playing out in real-time amid a fusillade on social media: JOE ROGAN: Jesus Christ… KASH PATEL: I'm just stayin' out of the Trump Elon thing … JOE ROGAN: What the fuck are they doing? - The Joe Rogan Experience, 5 June 2025 And providing a rich source of protein for headline writers everywhere: I HATE MY X! Big, beautiful breakup … - New York Post, 6 June 2025 The spectacle of two clownish billionaires, one a president, the other a providore of rocket ships setting fire to bureaucracy resetting the world order and pretending their friendship was anything other than transactional? I mean who could have predicted it was going to end like this? Um, everyone. KARA SWISHER: … there can be only one and that's gonna be Donald Trump. - CNN, The Chris Wallace Show, 9 November 2025 ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI: … Elon Musk is Donald Trump's peach right now and the peach is ripening. But you know what happens with fruit like this - it gets stale and mouldy very quickly. - The Rest is Politics US, 1 March 2025 Elon did indeed quickly moulder, busy as he was riding roughshod over Republican grandees and riding high … ELON MUSK: This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy … - Associated Press, 21 February 2025 On his own supply: … he was taking so much ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, that it was affecting his bladder … - The New York Times, 30 May 2025 Musk denied this report and when the White House announced the departure of the Department of Government Efficiency architect, Trump handed his chum the booby prize, a golden key. But Elon Musk previously charged with putting a scythe through government spending began firing shells at Donald Trump's so-called Big Beautiful Bill which will increase America's debt ceiling by up to 5 trillion US-dollars and at his signature tariffs policy. On Thursday U.S.-time Trump finally erupted: Elon was 'wearing thin' … I took away his EV Mandate … and he just went CRAZY! … - Truth Social, @realDonaldTrump, 5 June 2025 The easiest way to save money in our Budget … is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts … - Truth Social, @realDonaldTrump, 5 June 2025 Which amounts to $5.5 billion a year. But the bloke has 100 times that under his mattress which might be why Elon Musk was very relaxed about hitting back chastising Donald for his lack of manners: Without me, Trump would have lost the election … - X, @elonmusk, 5 June 2025 Such ingratitude - X, @elonmusk, 5 June 2025 And tossing in this little grenade for good measure: … realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT! - X, @elonmusk, 5 June 2025 Have a nice day? Musk later rethought this sweet but uncorroborated claim and deleted the tweet. Perhaps most stark about this wee spat was the speed at which we knew what was going on. While the skirmishes that occur inside other governments might only be brought to light by diligent correspondents these blows were being traded on public platforms the combatants both happen to own raising questions about whether these really are social networks or: … when it comes to their mega-rich, mega-wealthy owners … simply megaphones to holler at the world. - Business Insider, 6 June 2025 And at such volume that other consequential world events are for many completely drowned out like the issuing of sanctions by the White House against four judges of the International Criminal Court, a barrage of deadly Russian strikes on Ukraine and China's sale of propellant to Iran for ballistic missiles. Elon Musk and Donald Trump are not just financially wealthy or politically powerful in the internet age they are also influence-rich beyond the wildest dreams of former tycoons and presidents with a direct line to hundreds of millions of people consuming news in snack-size portions. So simply by firing from the hip they can drive the public conversation in any direction they choose sharpening ever more the crisis of relevance engulfing much of the press.
