Pope Leo XIV urges an Easter end to the US-Israel war on Iran, calling for dialogue

VATICAN CITY (AP) —Pope Leo XIVexpressed hope that theU.S.-Israel war on Irancould be finished before Easter in remarks to reporters as he left the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome on Tuesday.

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"I'm told that President Trump has recently stated that he would like to end the war,'' the U.S.-born pope said. "I hope that he's looking for an off-ramp.''

"Hopefully he's looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing, which would be a significant contribution to removing the hatred that's being created, that's increasing constantly in the Middle East and elsewhere."

Leo called on all world leaders to return to dialogue and look for "ways to reduce the amount of violence,'' so that "peace, especially at Easter, might reign in our hearts.''

Leo's remarks came during Holy Week, the most sacred period of the year for Christians.

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"It should be the holiest time of the year. It is a time of peace, a time of reflection. But as we all know, again, in the world, in many places we are seeing so much suffering, so many deaths, even innocent children,'' Leo said. "We constantly make the call for peace, but unfortunately, many people want to promote hatred, violence, war.''

On Palm Sunday, the pontiff said God doesn't listen to the prayers of those who make war or cite God to justify their violence, as he prayed especially for Christiansin the Middle Eastduring Mass in St. Peter's Square.

Leaders on all sides of the Iran war have used religion to justify their actions. U.S. officials, especiallyDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth,have invoked their Christian faith to cast the war as a Christian nation trying to vanquish its foes with military might.

Russia's Orthodox Church, too, has justified Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a"holy war"against a Western world it considers has fallen into evil.

As Holy Week continues, Leo will carry out the Holy Thursday foot-washing tradition in the basilica of St. John Lateran, where popes have performed it for decades. On Friday, Leo is due to preside over the Good Friday procession at Rome's Colosseum commemorating Christ's Passion and crucifixion, and will carry the cross himself. Saturday brings the late night Easter Vigil, during which Leo will baptize new Catholics, followed a few hours later by Easter Sunday when Christians commemorate the resurrection of Jesus.

Leo will celebrate Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square and then deliver his Easter blessing from the loggia of the basilica.

byAlpha World

in

March 31, 2026

Pope Leo XIV urges an Easter end to the US-Israel war on Iran, calling for dialogue

VATICAN CITY (AP) —Pope Leo XIVexpressed hope that theU.S.-Israel war on Irancould be finished before Easter in remarks t...

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Man found dead inside police SUV after 3 days. 'We want answers,' family says

Video released by the Azusa Police Department this week shows the moment a man was freed from jail before he stepped into an unoccupied police car where he was found dead days later.

The surveillance video released Monday shows Eric Valencia, 37, after he was released from jail on March 23 around 1 p.m., according toKABC.He walked up to a parked patrol car outside the station. Valencia got into the back of a SUV andshut the door behind him.

Valencia had been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and child endangerment on March 20 and held over the weekend before being released, said Azusa Police Chief Rocky Wenrick at a news conference.

"Mr. Valencia was released from custody with no apparent signs of distress," Wenrick said during the conference,according to KABC."Surveillance video shows Mr. Valencia unlawfully entering the rear seat area of patrol unit 37."

Valencia was initially pulled over for driving without headlights on and police suspected he was under the influence based on signs of watery, bloodshot eyes and the smell of alcohol in the car, Wenricktold Fox during an interview.

Two children, ages 3 and 11, were in the car with Valencia, Wenrick added. Valencia had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit during his arrest.

Valencia was freed on March 23 and given his property, cellphone and food, according to Wenrick. His body was found inside the unlocked SUV three days later when Wenrick told the fleet maintenance crew to take the patrol cars to get washed.

Valencia's cellphone was found in working order and he never called 911 for help, according to Wenrick.

Officials explained out-of-service vehicles are often parked for days or weeks while awaiting equipment installation. Typically, law enforcement vehicles cannot be unlocked from the back seats.

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"We're gonna do our best in the investigation to figure out why Mr. Valencia walked out and got in the vehicle," Wenrick said. "Hopefully we'll be able to provide closure to the family and for our own sake of knowing why that decision was made and why he did what he did."

Valencia's sister-in-law Julia McCormick told NBC4 that his family wants closure.

"Come to find out that he was here in a car the whole time. The whole time," she said. "We want to know what happened. Please, please, we want answers."

Authorities said that the department's out-of-service cars are parked outside while they're waiting for equipment to be installed. Law enforcement vehicles can't normally be unlocked from the back seat.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner is conducting an investigation and the cause of death wasn't available.

Valencia's family told KABC that Valencia lived less than a mile away and didn't have any medical conditions.

"They never even called me back. No one at the police department ever called me back to let me know that he was found on Thursday morning. The only phone call I got was from the coroner's investigator to let me know he was already passed," a family member said.

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This story originally appeared inLos Angeles Times.

byAlpha World

in

March 31, 2026

Man found dead inside police SUV after 3 days. 'We want answers,' family says

Video released by the Azusa Police Department this week shows the moment a man was freed from jail before he stepped into...

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US journalist abducted in Iraq; State Department says she was warned of threats

The Iraqi government is now investigating after an American journalist was abducted in Baghdad on Tuesday.

The journalist, who was identified as freelancer Shelly Kittleson by one of the outlets she reported for, was abducted by "unknown individuals", Iraq's Ministry of the Interior said in astatement on Facebook.

According to the Ministry, security forces launched an immediate operation and were able to intercept a vehicle believed to be linked to Kittleson's abduction. Kittleson, however, was not found inside the vehicle.

One suspect has been arrested. Scripps News reached out to the Ministry to get more information about the suspect and is awaiting a response.

In a post on X, Dylan Johnson, the Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs for the U.S. State Department, said that the individual arrested is believed to be associated with Iranian-aligned militia group Kataib Hizballah.

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Without naming Kittleson, Johnson also added, "The State Department previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them, and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible."

Scripps News understands Kittleson was contacted at least 4 times in recent days about credible threats, including Monday night by the FBI.

The search for Kittleson and others involved in her abduction is ongoing.

According to Kittleson's X account, her work primarily focuses on the Middle East and Afghanistan. Kittleson has reported for several news outlets, including Al-Monitor, BBC, Politico, Foreign Policy, and more.

In a statement on their website, Al-Monitor expressed concern over Kittleson's abduction, stating, "We call for her safe and immediate release. We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work."

The Committee to Protect Journalists also called for Kittleson's safe return in a statement to Scripps News, saying "CPJ calls on Iraqi authorities to do everything in their power to locate Shelley Kittleson, ensure her immediate and safe release, and hold those responsible to account."

byAlpha World

in

March 31, 2026

US journalist abducted in Iraq; State Department says she was warned of threats

The Iraqi government is now investigating after an American journalist was abducted in Baghdad on Tuesday. The...

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Melissa Joan Hart Impressively Pulls Off Push-Ups in Heels with 15-lb Weights in Her Dressing Room

Melissa Joan Hart shared a video of herself doing push-ups with 15-lb weights while wearing stilettos

NEED TO KNOW

• The actress has been open about her health journey, losing nearly 20 pounds after lifestyle changes during perimenopause

• Hart credits cutting out alcohol and sugar with helping her feel stronger and healthier than she has in years

Melissa Joan Hartis showing off her strength — and doing it in style.

The actress, 49, shared avideo to Instagramon Tuesday, March 31, that shows her working out in her dressing room while wearing stilettos, jeans and a layered top with a sweater vest. In the clip, Hart performs push-ups using 15-pound weights, incorporating renegade rows into the move.

"Fun new project I'm working on... and I asked for 15lb weights in my room to get my pump on.... in my pumps," she wrote in the caption, adding the hashtags "#StayStrong ladies" and "#RenegadeRows."

The impressive moment comes as Hart continues to open up about her ongoing health journey.

In anexclusive interview with PEOPLEearlier this year, theSabrina the Teenage Witchalum shared that she initially believed perimenopause would prevent her from losing weight. Instead, she ended up dropping nearly 20 pounds after making lifestyle changes.

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"I actually feel stronger and better than I have in a really long time," Hart told PEOPLE atSteven Tyler's 7th Annual Jam for JanieGrammyviewing party on Feb. 1, an event benefitting the rocker'sJanie's Fund, which supports neglected and abused girls.

"I just wanted to feel better. It had nothing to do with losing weight," she said. "I really didn't think I could lose weight anymore, being in midlife and perimenopause and all those things, I was like, 'Can I really lose weight? I don't think I can.'"

Her approach started with small changes that made a big impact.

"I haven't had a drink in over a year," she said. "I just don't even enjoy drinking. So why bother? So I cut these things out of my life, and I started to feel better."

She added that cutting out both alcohol and sugar played a key role in improving her health.

"In doing that, I lost a lot of weight and kind of feel great," she added.

Read the original article onPeople

byAlpha World

in

March 31, 2026

Melissa Joan Hart Impressively Pulls Off Push-Ups in Heels with 15-lb Weights in Her Dressing Room

Melissa Joan Hart shared a video of herself doing push-ups with 15-lb weights while wearing stilettos NEED TO K...

Read More