By Agency Staff
Bengaluru — US secretary of state Marco Rubio will travel to the Vatican and Italy for meetings this week, two Italian newspapers reported on Sunday.
Their visit comes weeks after President Donald Trump drew criticism from Christians across the political spectrum by attacking Pope Leo on social media.
Reports in national dailies La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera did not indicate whether Rubio, a Catholic, would meet personally with Leo but said he was expected to meet with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s lead diplomatic official.
Rubio last met Leo, the first US pope, in May 2025, alongside vice-president JD Vance. The two US officials attended the new pope’s inaugural Mass in St Peter’s Square and had a private meeting with the pontiff the next day.
The pope, who maintained a relatively low profile on the global stage in the first months of his papacy, emerged in recent weeks as an outspoken critic of the US-Israeli-led war on Iran and sharply criticised the Trump administration’s hard-line anti-immigration policies. Reuters
A woman sits next to graves of Hezbollah members killed amid conflict with Israel, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on April 8 2026. Picture: REUTERS (Stringer) Israeli military warns Lebanese towns amid Hezbollah clashes
The Israeli military issued an urgent warning on Sunday to residents of 11 towns and villages in southern Lebanon, urging them to evacuate their homes and move at least 1,000m away to open areas.
The military said it was conducting operations against Hezbollah following what it described as a violation of their ceasefire agreement, warning that anyone near Hezbollah fighters or facilities could be at risk. Reuters
US President Donald Trump. Picture: (Kylie Cooper) Trump ‘waiting for wording’ as he weighs Iran deal
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had been told about the concept of a deal with Iran but was waiting for the exact wording, while warning there was still the possibility of restarting strikes on the country if Tehran misbehaves.
A senior Iranian official said on Saturday that an Iranian proposal so far rejected by Trump would open shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and end the US blockade of Iran while leaving talks on Iran’s nuclear programme for later.
When asked about Iran’s proposal before boarding a flight to Miami at West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump replied: “They told me about the concept of the deal. They’re going to give me the exact wording now.” Reuters
Robert Fico speaks to the media in Bratislava, Slovakia, on October 1 2023. Picture: JANOS KUMMER/GETTY IMAGES Slovakia leader to attend Moscow parade as EU ties shift
Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico is among only a handful of global leaders due to attend a scaled-back edition of Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow this month, Russian state TV said on Sunday.
Following Viktor Orban’s election loss in Hungary last month, Fico is now viewed as the EU’s most pro-Russian leader.
Both Hungary and Slovakia have maintained Russian gas supplies despite EU efforts to end the bloc’s reliance on Russian energy. Reuters