By Christopher Lamb, CNN

Luanda, Angola (CNN) — Pope Leo XIV said Saturday “it’s not in my interest” to debate US President Donald Trump, insisting his trip to Africa is focused on peacebuilding rather than any personal clash.

The first American pope, speaking to reporters on board the papal plane from Cameroon to Angola, said the “political situation” caused by Trump’s attacks on him had led to some inaccurate commentary during his 11-day trip to Africa.

Before Leo departed on his four-country tour on April 13, the president launched a broadside against the pope through his Truth Social platform, with the criticisms continuing for several days.

But on Saturday, the pope said he was not seeking to debate Trump and that “a certain narrative” about the trip had been fostered by the “political situation” created by the president.

“There has been a certain narrative (about the visit) that has not been accurate in all of its aspects but because of the political situation created when, on the first day of the trip, the President of the United States made some comments about me,” the pope said on board the plane from Yaoundé to Luanda. “Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said.”

The pope pointed to the speech he made Thursday in Bamenda, Cameroon, in which he spoke of the world being ravaged by a “handful of tyrants” and leaders spending “billions of dollars” on war.

“The talk that I gave at the prayer meeting for peace a couple of days ago was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president had ever commented on myself and the message of peace that I am promoting,” he said on board Saturday’s flight. “And yet, as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all.”

On board the plane to Algeria on 13 April, Leo responded to the president’s online attacks, saying he was not afraid of the Trump administration and would keep pushing his message of peace. But recent days have seen an unprecedented clash – albeit largely one-sided – between a US pope and US president.

The pope’s visit to Africa is the longest of his pontificate and takes him to a continent where the Catholic Church is growing. According to Vatican statistics, around a fifth of the world’s Catholics live in Africa.

“I primarily come to Africa as a pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church, to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all of the Catholics throughout Africa,” Leo said Saturday.

He added that his time in Africa was about “dialogue, promotion of fraternity, true understanding, acceptance, peacebuilding with people of all faiths.”

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By Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an executive order aimed at encouraging expanded research into psychedelic drugs, part of a broader push to explore emerging mental health treatments.

“In many cases, these experimental treatments have shown life-changing potential for those suffering from severe mental illness and depression, including our cherished veterans,” Trump said during a signing event in the Oval Office.

The president also announced that the federal government is making a $50 million investment for further research into the psychedelic drug ibogaine.

Trump, ahead of signing the order, pointed to initial research he said demonstrates the drug’s potential and quipped that he wanted some himself.

“Can I have some, please? I’ll take some,” Trump said, adding that he would “take whatever it takes,” prompting laughter in the Oval. “I don’t have time to be depressed. You know, if you stay busy enough, maybe that works, too. That’s what I do.”

The president invited Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others, including podcast host Joe Rogan, a supporter of ibogaine, to speak about the initiative.

Rogan, who backed Trump in 2024 but has recently made headlines for his opposition to some of the president’s policies, including his handling of the Iran war, said his outreach to the president helped spark the policy move.

“I want to tell everybody how this happened,” Rogan said from the Oval Office. “I sent President Trump some information.”

“The text message that came back,” Rogan said, “’sounds great, do you want FDA approval? Let’s do it,’” he added that it was “literally that quick.”

Kennedy said the move is part of a broader effort to address the nation’s mental health crisis.

“HHS will accelerate research approval and access to new mental health treatments, including psychedelic therapies, such as for taking this decision, this decisive step to confront one of the most urgent public health challenges facing our nation, the mental health crisis,” Kennedy said.

“This executive order for most legal impediments that block American researchers, scientists, physicians and clinicians improperly studying these medicines and, where appropriate, establishing protocols for their safe therapeutic use,” he added.

The order also aims to accelerate the approval timeline for certain psychedelic-based treatments, with US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary saying the process could move far faster under the new initiative.

“Drugs can get approved in weeks, not a year or a year-plus but in weeks, if they are in line with our national priorities,” Makary said in the Oval Office.

Ibogaine lacks FDA approval

On the campaign trail in 2024, Kennedy said his son and several friends used psychedelic drugs to deal with trauma and depression. He told Congress in July that psychedelics have “tremendous advantage if given in a clinical setting, and we are working very hard to make sure that happens within 12 months.”

However, scientists have expressed concern that the administration will bypass the rigorous benchmarks of medical research and potentially put patients at risk.

Ibogaine has not been approved by the FDA, but it’s used in some countries to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms. It’s been classified as a Schedule I substance, a designation for substances with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, for decades.

The compound — extracted from the iboga plant in Central Africa — has been used to decrease opioid cravings and treat depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in veterans.

Early research suggests that ibogaine

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Por Clare Sebastian y Anna Chernova, CNN

“Vladimir Vladimirovich, la gente te teme”. Esas fueron las palabras iniciales de una publicación en Instagram dirigida al presidente Vladimir Putin publicada por la influencer de belleza rusa Victoria Bonya, conocida por sus consejos de maquillaje y su contenido sobre estilo de vida.

“El pueblo le tiene miedo, los blogueros le tienen miedo, los artistas le tienen miedo, los gobernadores le tienen miedo. Y usted es el presidente de nuestro país”, continuó.

En un llamamiento directo a Putin —a quien, según afirma, apoya—, Bonya enumera una amplia gama de males que aquejan a Rusia. Entre ellos se incluyen una supuesta respuesta tardía ante las inundaciones en Dagestan, las acusaciones de que el Gobierno gestionó de manera brutal y deficiente las recientes matanzas de ganado en Siberia, y las crecientes restricciones a las redes sociales en línea. Esto último, alegó en su publicación del martes, está impidiendo que las personas se comuniquen con sus seres queridos. “Existe la sensación de que ya no vivimos en un país libre”, afirmó.

Para la tarde del viernes, Bonya —quien actualmente reside en Mónaco y posee su propia línea de cosméticos— había acumulado 26 millones de reproducciones en su video de Instagram, así como más de 75.000 comentarios, muchos de los cuales elogiaban su valentía.

Otra popular influencer rusa de belleza y estilo de vida —conocida como Aiza, quien también reside en el extranjero— recurrió a su cuenta de Instagram para respaldar a Bonya. Afirmó que las últimas restricciones impuestas a la plataforma de mensajería Telegram supondrían un “duro golpe para la economía rusa”, y añadió otras quejas, tales como los elevados impuestos y la desigualdad. “¿Cuánto dinero necesitan robar para que sea suficiente?”, preguntó, haciendo referencia al “diputado promedio que posee propiedades valoradas en miles de millones —o millones— de dólares y que cuenta con múltiples pasaportes (extranjeros)”. Posteriormente, eliminó el video.

Esta reacción pública contra el Kremlin se produce en un momento en que varias encuestas recientes revelan un declive en el apoyo a Putin, quien ha intensificado la represión en internet mientras prosigue con su ofensiva —que ya dura años— contra Ucrania, todo ello en un contexto de crecientes dificultades económicas internas para la mayoría de los rusos, incluidos sus propios partidarios.

“Parece que algo está cambiando”, señaló Tatiana Stanovaya, fundadora de la firma de análisis político R.Politik. Incluso en una sociedad tan acostumbrada a las restricciones propias de la guerra y a las dificultades económicas —relató a la CNN—, los cortes intermitentes del internet móvil y la represión contra Telegram de las últimas semanas constituyeron “algo que se asemeja más a un momento decisivo”.

Las restricciones de internet en Rusia se han intensificado desde principios de la primavera (boreal), llevando el espacio informativo del país —ya de por sí estrictamente controlado— hacia un terreno inexplorado. Los cortes intermitentes del internet móvil, que trastocaron la vida cotidiana —incluso en las ciudades más grandes de Rusia, Moscú y San Petersburgo—, coincidieron con la ralentización del servicio de Telegram y con nuevas medidas represivas contra las VPN, herramientas ampliamente utilizadas en Rusia para eludir las restricciones existentes al acceso a internet.

Las autoridades han alegado que los apagones del internet móvil forman parte de labores de seguridad destinadas a contrarrestar “métodos de ataque ucranianos cada vez más sofisticados”. El Kremlin, por su parte, ha prometido que “tan pronto como esta medida deje de considerarse necesaria, el servicio de internet se restablecerá por completo a la normalidad”.

Las restricciones a Telegram han resultado particularmente perjudiciales para los