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Tuesday, 21 January 2025 – 07:31

Briefing – Sunday 26th August

Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini is under investigation for allegations of illegal detention of migrants. Salvini is accused of forcibly keeping around 100 migrants on board a docked ship. The allegations come after Salvini wouldn’t allow the migrants ashore without other European nations agreeing to take the majority of them in. Matteo Salvini is the leader of Italy’s far-right party and holds the interior minister position following the coalition that formed following the last election.

Pope Francis has landed in Dublin for the first Papal visit to Ireland since 1979. The visit is being considered highly controversial due to the increasing secularisation of Ireland in recent years and the passage of legislation making abortion and gay marriage legal. The visit also comes amid increasing pressure for the Catholic church to react to recent revelations of abuse.

US Senator John McCain has died after a battle with brain cancer. The Republican politician was a Vietnam war veteran and a fierce critic of the current president Donald Trump. McCain was the nominee for the US presidential election in 2008, losing to Barrack Obama, who has paid tribute to his former political adversary. McCain was infamously captured and tortured during the Vietnam war, which left him with permanent injuries. He has been hailed as a war hero by many who are remembering the man who served his country throughout his life, both in the military and in politics.

And in other news,

Donald Trump does not know the colours of the American flag. Or at least that is how it looks after the president was seen colouring thick red and blue stripes on a template of the star-spangled banner during a photo op with school kids. Twitter users were quick to pick up on Trump’s colouring in faux-pas, also pointing out that Trump’s Slovenian born wife Melania managed to colour in the flag correctly.

From the Speakerpolitics news desk, you are up to date.