The upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV to Lebanon has rekindled a glimmer of hope for many in the small, crisis-battered country.

The assassination of Haytham Ali Tabatabai, the militia’s number two, exacerbates the group’s weakness and leaves it paralyzed over how to respond

Israel has attacked Beirut’s suburbs just two days after Lebanon’s president said he was open to negotiations.

Pope Leo will embark on his first trip outside Italy as the leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, travelling to Turkey and Lebanon, where he is expected to make appeals for peace in the region and urge unity among long-divided Christian churches.

Lebanon is a country where crosses rise from mountaintops, rooftops and street corners, and Christian symbols are woven into everyday life.

The Beirut-set drama stars Hasan Akil and Mounia Akl as childhood sweethearts Nino and Yasmina, who lose sight of one another, to reunite in their 20s, with their relationship developing in step with Lebanon’s tumultuous history.