VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis urged international solidarity with Lebanon Sunday, in the wake of the explosion that devastated the capital Beirut and as France hosts an international donors conference to aid reconstruction efforts.
He also called on church leaders in Lebanon to lead by example.
“Last Tuesday’s catastrophe calls on all of us, starting with the Lebanese people, to work together for the common good of this beloved country,” he said.
The church in Lebanon should stay close to the people in their hour of need, with “solidarity and compassion,” he said, speaking after weekly prayers in Saint Peter’s Square.
“I also renew my appeal for generous help from the international community.
Pope Francis was speaking as French President Emmanuel Macron hosts a UN-backed virtual conference to drum up aid for Lebanon after the massive Beirut port blast.
Pope urges international solidarity for Lebanon
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Pope urges international solidarity for Lebanon
- The church in Lebanon should stay close to the people in their hour of need, the Pope said
Nepalese team claim first winter ascent of Pakistan’s K2
ISLAMABAD: A team of Nepalese climbers on Saturday made history after becoming the first to summit Pakistan’s K2 in winter, according to a trekking company leading one of the expeditions.
Dozens of mountaineers have been competing over the past few weeks to summit the world’s second-highest mountain, the last peak above 8,000 meters to be topped in wintertime.
“WE DID IT” tweeted Seven Summit Treks.
“The Karakorum’s ‘Savage Mountain’ been summited in most dangerous season: winter. Nepalese climbers finally reached the summit of Mt K2 this afternoon at 17:00 local time.”
Since the maiden attempt in 1987-1988, just a handful of winter expeditions have been attempted on the storied 8,611-meter (28,250-feet) mountain in the Karakoram range along the Chinese border.
None had got higher than 7,650 meters until Saturday when the good conditions allowed the climbers to push ahead.
This winter an unprecedented four teams totaling around 60 climbers converged on the mountain, more than all the previous expeditions put together.
The 10 Nepalese climbers had earlier been spread across the different teams, but formed a new group in order to claim the feat in Nepal’s name.
Known as the “savage mountain,” winds on the peak can blow at more than 200 kilometers per hour (125 miles per hour) and temperatures drop to minus 60 degrees Celsius (minus 76 Fahrenheit).
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