On May 18, Robert Francis Prevost, a Chicago-born Augustinian priest and former missionary in Peru, began his first 100 days as Pope Leo XIV, leader of the Catholic Church. For Catholics worldwide – and I am one – the Pope is more than a spiritual leader. He is believed to be the successor to Saint Peter, whom Jesus appointed to lead his disciples. In essence, Pope Leo is regarded as the earthly representative of Jesus and is sometimes referred to as the Vicar of Christ.
Pope Leo had enormous shoes to fill, not only as the first American pontiff but as the successor to Pope Francis, who was beloved, especially by Christians in the Middle East, whom he embraced and protected.
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2021, and weakened by illness, Pope Francis insisted on travelling to northern Iraq to say Mass for embattled Christians displaced and persecuted by ISIS. His advisers, horrified by the danger, tried to stop him but he went anyway, holding a poignant service at Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil that was attended by thousands and a service on the site of a church destroyed by ISIS in Mosul.
He shares Pope Francis’s progressive political instincts but is quieter, more methodical
At the time, I was working in the Nineveh Plains alongside Christian communities who were under siege. Pope Francis’s visit was a profound declaration that they had not been forgotten. Iraqi Christians – a community that was 1.5 million strong before the 2003 US-led invasion – had dwindled to around 300,000 people, many desperate to flee ISIS and other forms of rising extremism. Pope Francis knew how much his presence mattered and he also visited Najaf to meet Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani.
During Israel’s siege and bombardment of Gaza, Francis regularly called Father Gabriel Romanelli of the Holy Family Church in Gaza, often simply to ask: “What did you eat today?” or “How are you?” Even as the pontiff’s health failed, he continued making those nightly calls – right up until two days before his death in April.
Pope Leo has sought to carry forward Pope Francis’s deep compassion. The first pontiff from the Augustinian order, he has emphasised global leadership, appointed priests from Peru and China to senior Vatican roles, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and proposed peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
One hundred days is too soon to define his papacy, but like Pope Francis, he shows a firm commitment to protecting civilians – especially those facing poverty, war, hunger and displacement. He has continued his predecessor’s outreach to the LGBTQ+ community and supported greater transparency in the Church. Pope Leo is modern, embracing technology with a planned Vatican AI ethics summit, supports climate action and engages with leaders such as Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, even as her politics lean further to the right.
Challenges loom. These include the Church’s dark legacy of sexual abuse, a €60 million ($70.29 billion) budget deficit, and a €1 billion pension shortfall. Conservative voices are growing louder, including that of US Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert. And there is the tide of unrest in the Middle East – such as in Syria, where Christians fear reprisals after Bashar Al Assad’s fall, and in Palestine.
Pope Leo has underscored the importance of the Eastern Churches and at the end of the 12-day Israel–Iran conflict, he urged all sides to “reject the logic of bullying and revenge”. In June, he expressed solidarity after the attack on Damascus’s Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church where an assailant opened fire on worshippers gathered outside before blowing himself up with an explosive belt, killing 25 people and injuring dozens more.
Following decades of the Assad family’s reign of terror, Syria’s government is now trying to win the support of the country’s minorities. Syria’s Christian community – once 10 per cent of the population and now reduced to a few hundred thousand – was left deeply shaken.
Can the Vatican meaningfully engage in peace negotiations? Pope Francis was outspoken in his support for civilians in Gaza and Syria yet the Vatican has often been side-lined, although many back-channel Christian peace efforts exist. In 2014, for example, Pope Francis hosted a “Prayer for Peace” in the Vatican with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas – the first time both sides had publicly prayed together. He also met Iranian leaders during nuclear talks and called for humanitarian corridors in Syria and Iraq, referring to the former as “beloved and tormented”.
As his first 100 days close, Pope Leo emphasises unity and listening – urgent virtues in a time of polarisation and misinformation. He shares Pope Francis’s progressive political instincts but is quieter, more methodical. A Vatican insider told The Guardian: “He likes to do his homework.” Still, Pope Leo has been unequivocal in condemning Israel’s treatment of Gaza’s civilians, especially after Israeli strikes on churches and attacks on civilians waiting for food.
I cried when Pope Francis died. I felt like a child who had lost my father all over again, stranded in a troubled world. But I have faith in Pope Leo. His first 100 days suggest a pontificate rooted in patience and unity, foundations on which I hope he will soon raise a bold, moral voice for our wounded world.
The writer is also the author of The Vanishing, a book about Christians in the Middle East
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
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The%20specs
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars
Honeymoonish
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The%20Roundup
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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
