Pope Leo XIV is again emphasizing the need for peace and dialogue despite criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump. Leo spoke to journalists on a flight to Cameroon on Wednesday as he continues his Africa visit. Trump has criticized Leo for his stance on the Iran war. Trump has also posted and then deleted an AI-generated image of himself as Christ. Leo stressed the importance of unity and respect among different beliefs. He emphasized his visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers on the first stop of his tour as a symbol of peaceful coexistence.
By EILEEN NG, JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI and SOPHENG CHEANG Associated Press
Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an unconditional ceasefire to end deadly border clashes. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the agreement Monday after hosting the talks as annual chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, saying the ceasefire comes into effect at midnight local time. Military commanders and officials from both countries will meet to defuse tensions. The clashes began last Thursday after a land mine explosion wounded Thai soldiers. The violence has killed at least 35 people and displaced over 260,000. The ceasefire marks a significant step towards peace and security in the region.
Pope Leo XIV has affirmed core Catholic teaching on marriage and the unborn in his first meeting with the ambassadors accredited to the Holy See. He said Friday the family is founded on the "stable union between a man and a woman" and that the unborn and elderly enjoy dignity as God's creatures. Leo also called for reviving multilateral diplomacy and promoting dialogue between religions in the search for peace. The encounter with the Vatican diplomatic corps is one of the protocol requirements after a conclave, allowing a new pope to greet representatives of world governments ahead of his formal installation Mass this Sunday.
On Dec. 10, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt became the first American to win a Nobel Prize, winning the Nobel Peace Prize for helping to negotiate peace in the Russo-Japanese War.
China appears to be keeping its distance as Russia and North Korea move closer to each other with a new defense pact that could tilt the balance of power among the three authoritarian states. Experts say Chinese leaders are likely fretting over a potential loss of influence over North Korea and how that could increase instability on the Korean Peninsula. Beijing so far has not commented on the deal and only reiterated boilerplate statements that it seeks to uphold peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and advance a political settlement of the North-South divide.
