Pope Leo XIV’s visit comes at a critical moment for Lebanon:

At least 13 people, including children, have been killed and 25 injured as Israel launched another incursion into Syrian territory in the Damascus countryside.

Two children were among those killed in the Israeli dawn raid and strikes, which forced dozens of families to flee the town of Beit Jinn.

Israel’s latest strike in Lebanon comes at a moment of deep political and security uncertainty.

Tabatabai’s killing, the most senior Hezbollah figure targeted since the November 2024 ceasefire, is seen by analysts as a major shift in Israel’s posture, raising concerns that the truce is eroding.

Palestinian volunteers in Gaza have reopened a veterinary clinic to provide free examinations and essential care for pets, offering a small act of hope in the face of immense hardship.

Pope Francis’ former vehicle from his 2014 Bethlehem visit has been transformed into a mobile clinic for Gaza’s children. Entrusted to Caritas and blessed by the pontiff, it aims to deliver vital care and a symbol of hope to children in the enclave.

Security forces reportedly fired on rival demonstrations in Latakia as hundreds of Alawites called for a federal system and the release of detainees. Tensions have grown since Assad’s ouster, with sectarian violence and reprisals deepening fractures in the coastal region.

#Syria

Pope Leo's first foreign trip as the leader of the Catholic Church will see him visit Lebanon, where he's expected to send a message of support amid deepening internal crises and regional instability - esp. Israel's continuing ceasefire violations - have left Lebanon in a precarious situation ⬇️

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, announced a unilateral three-month ceasefire with the Sudanese army for humanitarian purposes, stating that the truce aims to facilitate aid delivery and ease civilian suffering. The Sudanese army, however, rejected the initiative.

Winter storms have torn through Gaza’s camps, destroying more than 22,000 tents and flooding shelters. With little insulation, fuel, or medicine, families face freezing nights as aid agencies warn this winter could prove deadly without urgent intervention.
#Gaza #WinterStorms #Refugees

For the first time in months, Israel carried out a strike on the Lebanese capital, hitting Beirut’s southern suburbs and killing senior Hezbollah military official Haitham Ali Tabtabai.

As the UN marks World Children’s Day, aid agencies say children displaced by Sudan’s war are among those suffering the deepest physical and psychological wounds. Families fleeing recent fighting in Al-Fashir have arrived in northern Sudan with injuries, trauma and—in many cases—sans their parents.

Taking the stage at the screening of ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ during the Doha Film Festival, Wesam Hamada, Hind’s mother, delivered a powerful speech in which she expressed her wish that the film had a different ending: one where her daughter was rescued and not murdered by Israeli forces

Despite hundreds and thousands of Sudanese people being slaughtered and we know this is happening, and yet there is no action, it begs the Q: have we really moved on from the colonial era of the 19th/20th centuries?

@yassmin.bsky.social shares a powerful call to action for Sudan. Watch & share 👇

Human Rights Watch’s report, “‘All My Dreams Have Been Erased,’” accuses Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Katz, of war crimes and crimes against humanity after about 32,000 Palestinians were displaced from Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams camps in early 2025.

#Netanyahu visited Israeli troops in occupied southern #Syria, warning the situation “could develop at any moment.” The UN raised alarm over sovereignty violations, days after Syria’s president met Trump in Washington.

On Monday, the “Hope” Tournament took place in central Gaza, bringing together Palestinian amputee athletes for a football competition.

The event featured more than 50 adult male amputee athletes, along with 10 to 15 children of both genders.