Israeli strikes hit Syrian base, floods devastate Morocco, pope inspires youth

It happened while you slept. Here’s what global agencies reported overnight from Sunday to Monday.

• At least five people were killed as a result of Israeli attacks on military facilities in central Syria, including a research centre, reported the state-run Syrian news agency, Sana, on Sunday. Nineteen people were injured. The area of Masjaf, west of Hama, is likely used as a base for Iranian forces and pro-Iranian militias. It has been repeatedly targeted in recent years in attacks commonly attributed to Israel. Syrian air defences reportedly intercepted and shot down some of the missiles. CNN asked the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to comment on the matter. The Israeli Defence Forces stated they do not comment "on reports in the foreign media."

• Authorities reported that floods caused by heavy rains killed at least eleven people in the provinces of Tata, Tiznit, and Errachidia in southern Morocco. Reuters reported that the floods destroyed 40 houses and damaged 93 roads and electrical, water, and telephone networks.

• Pope Francis, travelling across Asia and Oceania, concludes his visit to Papua New Guinea on Monday. The final event was a meeting with youth in the capital, Port Moresby. The next stop on his pilgrimage will be East Timor, where the Pope will stay until Wednesday. "We are just concerned about ourselves and our own interests. It is all about us. It is about ego. We are not Superman. We can make mistakes. But this is also a certainty that we always have to correct ourselves," the Pope said during the meeting with 10,000 young residents of Papua New Guinea early Monday morning. In a country with over 800 languages, the Pope emphasized: "I hope that all of you speak the most profound language, the language of love."