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ope Leo XIV waves to the faithful at the end of a mass at Beirut's waterfront on December 2, 2025. Tens of thousands of people gathered at Beirut's waterfront as Pope Leo XIV held mass in the morning of December 2, the highlight of the Catholic leader's visit to the capital. Credit - Giuseppe CACACE—AFP or Licensors

Pope Leo XIV will spend July 4 visiting a Mediterranean island known for migrant crossings into Europe.

The Vatican announced this week that thefirst American leaderof the Catholic Church will visit Lampedusa, a small Italian island that has for years served as a gateway for migrants and refugees traveling to Europe from Africa and the Middle East.

The island is a stop on one of the deadliest migration routes in the world, and migrants who arrive there have often made a perilous journey across the sea.

Pope Leo expressed a desire to visit Lampedusa in avideo messagesent to volunteers there last year, in which he said they "have shown … the smile and the attention of a human face to people who have survived in a desperate journey of hope."

Read More:Pope Leo Condemns 'Diplomacy Based on Force' as Trump Threatens Further Military Actions

His predecessor, Pope Francis, celebrated Mass on the island in 2013 on an altar made of shipwrecked migrant boats, throwing a wreath into the ocean in honor of migrants who lost their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea.

The Vatican announced earlier this month that Pope Leo would not be visiting the U.S.this year, after Vice President J.D. Vance personally delivered an invitation from President Donald Trump during a visit to the Vatican in May last year.

Back home, Trump haspromisedto give the U.S. "the most spectacular birthday party the world has ever seen" this year, with a slate of programming called "Freedom 250." Among the events rumored so far are an Ultimate Fighting Championship bout, an IndyCar street race through Washington, D.C., and a four-day athletic event featuring high school athletes.

Pope Leo's visit to Lampedusa follows a year of tensions between the Vatican and the Trump Administration over the President's sweeping immigration crackdown in the U.S., which Pope Leo has spoken out against on several occasions.

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Before he became Pope, then-Cardinal Robert Prevost sharedseveral posts critical of both Vanceand Trump's policies.

In his first public address, he announced his commitment to the dignity of migrants and claimed that the issue was personal to him and his own story as a "descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate."

"In a world darkened by war and injustice, even when all seems lost, migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope," Pope Leo then wrotein a letteron the World Day of Migrants and Refugees last year.

In September, he was more direct in his criticism of the Trump Administration's immigration policy by name, questioning whether the poor treatment of immigrants was in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

"Someone who says I am against abortion but I am in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don't know if that's pro-life," he told journalists in September outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo.

He also spoke out in support of migrants again when hishometown city of Chicago, Illinois, became the focus of Trump's crackdown inOctober 2025.

"You stand with me and I stand with you, and the church will continue to accompany and stand with migrants," Pope Leoreportedlysaid after a meeting with a group of visiting American Bishops and Catholic leaders in October, who raised concerns about the deportation campaign.

In December, he replaced New York Archbishop, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a friend of President Trump, withpro-migrantsuccessor Bishop Ronald Hicks. In November, Hicks released astatementsupporting amessagefrom the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that expressed its opposition to "the indiscriminate mass deportation of people" in the United States.

The decision also comes just days after Pope Leo declined an invitation to join Trump's Board of Peace, a U.S.-led initiative launched by the president with the ostensible aim of rebuilding Gaza and solving other conflicts.

A statement from the Vatican cited "certain critical issues" as a reason for the refusal. "One concern," Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin toldVatican News, "is that at the international level it should above all be the U.N. that manages these crisis situations."

Contact usatletters@time.com.

NEW YORK (AP) — Nurses at a big New York hospital system approved a new contract Saturday, voting to enda major nursing strikeafter more than a month.

More than 4,000 nurses in the privately run NewYork-Presbyterian system went on strike Jan. 12. They are now due to start returning to work in the coming week. The union, called the New York State Nurses Association, said 93% of its members at NewYork-Presbyterian voted to ratify the three-year contract.

Two other big private hospital systems, Montefiore and Mount Sinai, ended their nurses' walkout earlier this month byinking contract agreementswith the same union.

"We are so happy with the wins we achieved, and now the fight to enforce these contracts and hold our employers accountable begins," union President Nancy Hagans said in a statement Saturday.

NewYork-Presbyterian said that it looked forward to its nurses' return and that the contract "reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play as part of our exceptional care teams."

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Both sides had said Friday that they hadreached a tentative deal. Union members voted on it Friday and Saturday.

Provisions included staffing improvements, raises topping 12% over three years and safeguards on the use ofartificial intelligence, according to the union.

The union has said the strike initially involved about 15,000 nurses overall at Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian. It affected only some facilities within the three systems and didn't involve any city-run hospitals.

During the strike, Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian brought on thousands of temporary nurses, transferred some patients and canceled some procedures. The hospitalsinsisted they were smoothly deliveringcare, including complex surgeries. But some vulnerable patients and their families said someroutine tasks took longer.

The strikers complained of unmanageable workloads and accused the hospitals of trying to chip away at health benefits. The hospitals contested those claims and said the union's demands were exorbitant.

Nurses at some Mount Sinai and Montefiore hospitals alsowalked out in 2023. That strikeended in three days.

The US ambassador in Jerusalem, Mike Huckabee, has said it would be "fine" if Israel took control of a vast swathe of the Middle East.

Huckabee was asked in an interview with US conservative commentator Tucker Carlson about his understanding of a biblical verse suggesting that land including parts of Egypt, Syria and Iraq had been divinely promised to the Jewish people.

Carlson said that according to the Old Testament, the boundaries would be "basically the entire Middle East."

He continued: "Does Israel have the right to that land?"

"Not sure we'd go that far," Huckabee said in reply. "It would be a big piece of land."

Carlson then pressed him: "Does Israel have the right to that land?"

"It would be fine if they took it all," Huckabee responded, before adding, "I don't think that's what we're talking about here today."

Carlson asked: "You think it would be fine if the state of Israel took over all of Jordan?"

"They're not trying to take over Jordan. They're not trying to take over Syria. They're not trying to take over Iraq or anywhere else, but they do want to protect their people," Huckabee responded.

"I think you're missing something because they're not asking to go back to take all of that, but they are asking to at least take the land that they now occupy, they now live in, they now own legitimately, and it is a safe haven for them," Huckabee added.

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In November 2024, shortly after President Donald Trump announced Huckabee as his pick for ambassador to Israel, Huckabee made clear that he supports Israel's annexation of the occupied West Bank.

He told Israel's Army Radio, "I won't make the policy, I will carry out the policy of the president. But (Trump) has already demonstrated in his first term that there's never been an American president that has been more helpful in securing an understanding of the sovereignty of Israel."

Last September,Trump said: "I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Nope, I will not allow it. It's not going to happen."

Suggesting even nominal support for Israeli sovereignty over much of the Middle East is an unprecedented departure from American foreign policy. It also goes well beyond what much of Israel's far-right is willing to call for publicly.

Nearly every Middle Eastern country aside from Israel, condemned Huckabee's comments ina joint statementon Sunday.

Led by the United Arab Emirates and backed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan and others, the statement denounced Huckabee's expansionist comments as "dangerous and inflammatory."

The Arab and Islamic states statement added that Huckabee's remarks were a "flagrant violation of international law" that jeopardized Trump's plans for Gaza, some of which wereoutlinedearlier this week at the Board of Peace meeting in Washington.

The Palestinian Foreign ministry said Saturday that Huckabee's remarks "contradict religious and historical facts, international law, and the position expressed by US President Donald Trump rejecting the annexation of the West Bank."

CNN has reached out to the State Department for comment on Huckabee's remarks.

CNN's Max Saltman and Jonny Hallam contributed.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

Chance Mallory made three free throws with 3.6 seconds left and No. 14 Virginia extended its winning streak to eight with an 86-83 win against Miami in Atlantic Coast Conference action Saturday in Charlottesville, Va.

Reserve Jacari White led six players in double figures with 17 points for the Cavaliers (24-3, 12-2 ACC), who improved to 13-1 at home and beat the Hurricanes for the ninth time in their last 10 meetings.

Virginia shot 58% from the field and 50% (12 of 24) from 3-point range in a tightly contested game that featured 14 ties and 12 lead changes. The Cavaliers, who trailed by 11 in the first half, held on to second place in the league behind No. 3 Duke (13-1 in conference play).

Sam Lewis had 15 points, De Ridder scored 14, Mallory and Johann Grunloh each tallied 12 and Malik Thomas had 10 points for Virginia. Mallory added six assists and six rebounds and Grunloh blocked five shots.

The Hurricanes (21-6, 10-4) had their four-game winning streak snapped and fell to 1-4 against Top 25 teams. Tre Donaldson and Shelton Henderson each scored 18 points, while Malik Reneau added 16 and Tru Washington had 15 off the bench.

Virginia started the second half with a 12-3 run, seizing a 51-47 lead on Mallory's long 3-pointer.

An 11-2 run capped by Mallory's transition layup gave the Cavaliers a 68-61 cushion with 8:54 remaining.

Miami stormed back with a 12-2 run, pulling ahead 73-70 on Reneau's dunk with 5:06 to play.

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The lead ping-ponged back and forth until White's fifth 3-pointer put Virginia up 83-79 with 1:16 to play.

After the Hurricanes cut it to 83-81 on Ernest Udeh Jr.'s putback with 51 seconds left, De Ridder missed a 3.

Reneau's reverse layup with seven seconds left tied it at 83-83 before Miami fouled Mallory on a 3-point try.

The Hurricanes never got a shot off after that as De Ridder's steal ended the game.

The Hurricanes built a 24-13 lead midway through the first half following a 17-2 run.

The Cavaliers rallied, surging ahead 31-30 on consecutive 3-pointers by White and Grunloh.

Miami scored the last eight points of the half to take a 44-39 lead at intermission.

--Field Level Media

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz raced to a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Arthur Fils to win the final of the Qatar Open in just 50 minutes on Saturday.

Qatar Open Tennis

The 22-year-old Spanish star extended his winning streak to 12 matches in 2026, 20 days after he became the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam at the Australian Open — that's winning all four of the tennis majors.

"It's been a really strong start to the year," Alcaraz said.

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Winning the title in Doha brought his tally to 26 tour-level titles.

AP tennis:https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

The Dallas Cowboys reportedly agreed to terms with running back Javonte Williams on a 3-year, $24 million deal, according to theteam. Williams will reportedly have $16 million in guaranteed money. His $8 million annual salary ties him with D'Andre Swift as the 16th-highest-paid running back in the NFL.

The Cowboys signed Williams to a 1-year, $3 million contract last offseason. Williams is the first running back the Cowboys have extended since re-signing Ezekiel Elliott in 2019.

Williams broke out in his first season with the Cowboys, quickly outperforming his contract. He came into the season healthy, rushing for a career-high 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns. The 25-year-old running back also provided a spark to the Cowboys' overall rushing offense. The Cowboys were ninth in rushing yards last season after finishing 27th in 2024.

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He also added 35 catches for 137 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. He played in 16 games last season after missing Week 18 with shoulder and neck injuries. Despite suffering injuries late in the year, he still performed well.

Williams spent his first four seasons with the Denver Broncos after being drafted in the second round out of the University of North Carolina in 2021. His role decreased in his last two years with the Broncos. Williams was part of a running back committee under Broncos head coach Sean Payton and was still trying to return to form after suffering an ACL, LCL and posterolateral corner injury in his right knee in 2022.

The Cowboys will now turn their attention to deciding on free-agentwide receiver George Pickens, while the free-agent running back class takes a hit after the loss of Williams.

BEIRUT (AP) — TheIslamic State grouphas blasted Syria's interim president calling him a "puppet without a soul" controlled by Western countries, adding that his fate eventually will be similar to that of ousted leader Bashar Assad.

In an audio message released late Saturday by the group's spokesman, who identifies himself as Abu Huzaifa al-Ansari, he called on IS followers around the world to attack Jewish and Western targets as they have in past years.

Al-Ansari sent greetings to IS fighters from the group's leaderAbu Hafs al-Hashemi al-Qurayshiwho was named as the head of the group three years ago.

The audio is the first to be released by the group in months and comes after IS was blamed for attacks that left dozens dead or wounded in recent months inSyria, Iraq,Pakistanand other parts of the world.

In December, the group was blamed for an attack in central Syria thatleft three Americansdead and triggered intense U.S. airstrikes on the extremists' suspected hideouts in the country.

Despite its defeat in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria two years later, IS sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks in both countries, where they once declared a caliphate.

The U.N. chief said earlier this month in a reporton threats posed by ISthat Syria's president, interior minister and foreign minister were the targets of five foiled assassination attempts last year.

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In December 2024, insurgents led by now interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, marched to Damascus andremoved then-President Bashar Assadfrom power, striking a severe blow to Iran's influence in the war-torn country. Assad belonged to the minority Alawite sect in the predominantly Sunni Muslim country.

Since then, al-Sharaa, a former leader of al-Qaida's branch in Syria, has improved his relations with Western countries and last year becamethe first Syrian head of stateto visit Washington since Syria's independence in 1946.

Al-Ansari said that Iran and Assad in Syria were replaced "with a regime that is subjected to American influence."

"Syria today is ruled by the Crusaders after they placed a leader who is a puppet without a soul," al-Ansari i said. He vowed new attacks in the country saying that "Syria has entered a new era of defense and the convoys of jihad will eventually march in Syria."

The audio, which is supposed to mark the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan did not mention the transfer of 5,704 suspectedIS detaineesfrom prisons in northeast Syria to Iraq in recent weeks. Al-Ansari only said that everyone is scared of the detainees whom the Americans, Shiites and Kurdish fighters are doing all they can to make sure they don't escape.

Al-Ansari also did not mentional-Hol campthat used to house more than 24,000 people, mostly women and children linked to IS, that is now almost empty after government forces took control of it last month from the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

He acknowledged that IS lost fighters over the past two years because of attacks by the U.S.-led coalition against IS. The Syrian government officially joined the coalition in November.