World News Roundup: Two killed in Russian strike on Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia; Pope appeals to Russians on Ukraine, decries Middle East violence, in Easter message and more

Ukraine's State Emergency service also reported that a 46-year-old woman, who it identified as the wife and mother of the victims, was pulled from the wreckage. Israel hits Syria after rockets fired towards Golan Heights Israeli jets hit Syrian military targets on Sunday in response to rockets launched towards Israeli controlled territory overnight, Israel's military said, as violence flared again following cross-border exchanges of fire during the week.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Two killed in Russian strike on Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia

A 50-year-old man and his 11-year-old daughter were killed after Russian forces struck a residential building in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia early on Sunday, authorities said. Ukraine's State Emergency service also reported that a 46-year-old woman, who it identified as the wife and mother of the victims, was pulled from the wreckage.

Pope appeals to Russians on Ukraine, decries Middle East violence, in Easter message

Pope Francis appeared to ask Russians to seek the truth about their country's invasion of Ukraine in his Easter message to the world on Sunday and appealed for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians following recent violence. Francis, 86, presided at a solemn Easter day Mass in a sunny St. Peter's Square after unseasonal cold forced him to skip an outdoor service on Friday - a precaution following his hospitalisation for bronchitis at the end of March.

Israel hits Syria after rockets fired towards Golan Heights

Israeli jets hit Syrian military targets on Sunday in response to rockets launched towards Israeli controlled territory overnight, Israel's military said, as violence flared again following cross-border exchanges of fire during the week. State media in Syria reported explosions in the vicinity of the capital Damascus as Israel said its forces continued to hit Syrian territory after six rockets were fired overnight towards the Golan Heights.

'It was heartbreaking' - Ukraine children back home after alleged deportation

More than 30 children were reunited with their families in Ukraine this weekend after a long operation to bring them back home from Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea, where they had been taken from areas occupied by Russian forces during the war.

Mothers hugged sons and daughters as they crossed the border from Belarus into Ukraine on Friday after a complex rescue mission involving travel across four countries.

Chinese fishing crews navigate troubled waters as tensions with Taiwan flare

As China sends warships and fighter jets to the Taiwan Strait after a U.S. visit by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, deemed a separatist by Beijing, fishing crews plying the narrow waterway say they fret more about their livelihood than politics. For years, Chinese fishermen trawling for fish, shrimp and crab have played cat and mouse with Taiwanese authorities as they closely track boats that near the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

After days of violence, Jerusalem prayers end peacefully

Ramadan prayers and Jewish Passover visits at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound passed without incident on Sunday, after days of tension at the flashpoint Jerusalem site which led to cross-border exchanges of fire. Small groups of Jewish visitors under heavy police guard walked through the mosque compound, known in Judaism as Temple Mount, as thousands of worshippers gathered for the Passover holiday's special "Priestly Blessing" at the Western Wall below.

British royals gather for first Easter of King Charles' reign

King Charles and senior British royals gathered at Windsor Castle for their traditional Easter service on Sunday, the first of the new monarch's reign. Charles was joined by his wife Camilla, the queen consort, and his extended family including son and heir Prince William, his wife Kate and their three children, in a walk from the castle to the nearby St George's Chapel.

Hamburg police warn of possible toxins due to fire; 140 evacuated

Police and fire officials in the German city of Hamburg warned locals of possible toxins in the air after fires broke out early on Sunday at multiple storage facilities. Some 140 people were evacuated, and it is not yet possible to say exactly how dangerous the situation is, a police spokesperson said.

Two buildings collapse in Marseille, up to 10 people still under the rubble

As many as 10 people were thought to be under the rubble after an explosion that caused two residential buildings to collapse in the southern French city of Marseille on Sunday, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said. The cause of the explosion was not yet known.

China simulates striking Taiwan on second day of drills

China's military simulated precision strikes against Taiwan in a second day of drills around the island on Sunday, with the island's defence ministry reporting multiple air force sorties and that it was monitoring China's missile forces. China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, began three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday, the day after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a brief visit to the United States.