USA

Maaloula: The Silent Exile of an Ancient Language

Nestled on the cliffsides at the foothills of the Qalamoun mountains, Maaloula gazes out over the void. Behind the picturesque façade of its alleys and its millennia-old language lies a harsher reality: a language and culture under siege. A minority identity caught in the grip of centralizing nationalism, institutionalized othering and a century ...

Maaloula: The Last Sanctuary of the Language of Christ

Nestled on the mountainside of Syria’s Qalamoun range, the village of Maaloula clings to time as it does to stone. Its sand-colored houses blend into the rock, its winding alleys read like pages from an ancient tale and women greet you with “Shlomo,” a traditional Aramaic salutation. In the dry air of this Christian enclave, a language the ...

Belarus frees jailed opposition leader after appeal from US

Belarus freed top opposition figure Sergei Tikhanovsky and over a dozen other political prisoners on Saturday following an appeal from the White House, Minsk said, a sign of warming ties between Washington and Belarus-ally Moscow. The release came just hours after US special envoy Keith Kellogg met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in ...

Haliburton Warns Pacers Ahead of NBA Finals Game 7

Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton says the Pacers must keep their focus firmly on the Oklahoma City Thunder and block out the "poison" of narratives popping up around game seven of the NBA Finals. The Pacers pushed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder to a winner-take-all game seven with a stunning blowout victory on Thursday, Haliburton ...

Iran-Israel War: Latest Developments

Here are the latest developments: Iran Arrests 22 Over Israeli Spy Links Police in Iran's Qom province said 22 people "linked to Israeli spy services" had been arrested since June 13. "22 people were identified and arrested on charges of being linked to the Zionist regime's spy services, disturbing public opinion and supporting the criminal ...

Flamengo Floor Chelsea at Club World Cup, Bayern Edge Out Boca

Flamengo produced a brilliant second-half fightback to beat Chelsea 3-1 at the Club World Cup on Friday and qualify for the last 16, while Bayern Munich joined them in reaching the knockout phase with a battling win over Boca Juniors. In Philadelphia, Pedro Neto gave Chelsea an early lead but Flamengo, roared on by their frenzied supporters who ...

Lebanon’s Tense Summer: When Fear Meets Humor

As summer gets underway, a new conflict, this time between Israel and Iran, has once again cast a shadow over Lebanon. “Our summers are always ruined,” says Karl bitterly. In his forties, he launches into a familiar lament, recalling the many local and regional summers marred by war that inevitably spill over into Lebanon and wear down the ...

Washington Deploys Third Aircraft Carrier Near the Middle East

The USS Gerald R. Ford will depart for Europe next week, a Navy official said Friday, placing a third American aircraft carrier in closer proximity to the Middle East as Israel and Iran trade strikes. Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign against Iran last week, and US President Donald Trump has said he is weighing whether to join Israel ...

Tactical Nukes Worry Strategists

The Kremlin, via spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, reiterated on Friday its firm opposition to the use of tactical nuclear weapons, describing any potential US strike on Iran as “catastrophic.” Peskov was responding to “media rumors” about a possible nuclear strike aimed at destroying Iran’s uranium enrichment facility at Fordow, stressing ...

Tehran Condemns ‘Betrayal’ After Israeli Strikes Amid Talks with the U.S

Iran's foreign minister on Friday condemned the Israeli attacks against the Islamic republic as a "betrayal" of diplomatic efforts with the US, saying Tehran and Washington had been due to craft a "promising agreement" on the Iranian nuclear programme. "We were attacked in the midst of an ongoing diplomatic process," Foreign Minister Abbas ...

PSG Stunned by Botafogo in Club World Cup Upset

Paris Saint-Germain suffered a shock 1-0 Club World Cup defeat against Brazilian side Botafogo on Thursday in a hardfought battle between the reigning champions of Europe and South America. A first-half goal from Brazilian international Igor Jesus proved the difference as Botafogo all but sealed a place in the knockout rounds in front of a 53,699 ...