Pope to visit Lebanon days after Israeli strikes in the capital

Pope Leo XIV is set to travel to Lebanon later today in what's being framed as an important national moment. The visit comes just days after Israeli strikes in the capital Beirut against the militant group Hezbollah.

Also, Ukrainian negotiators are set to hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff over Washington's plan to end the war with Russia. We hear from Russian former Foreign Deputy Minister Andry Federov about the talks, and we speak to two members of Jamaica's bobsleigh team that won its first ever gold at the North American Cup in Canada on Monday.

Joining presenter Julian Worricker to discuss these stories are journalist Oana Lungescu, former Nato spokesperson and now distinguished fellow at RUSI in Brussels, and Anthony Gardner, senior adviser at Brunswick Group in London and a former US diplomat.

(Photo: Pope Leo XIV arrives to attend a Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of St George in Istanbul, Turkey, 30 November, 2025. Credit: Umit Bektas/Reuters)