damascus

ISIS Suicide Bomber Attacks Church in Damascus, Killing at Least 22

The Syrian Interior Ministry reported on Sunday that a member of the Islamic State (ISIS) carried out a suicide bombing at St. Elias Church in Damascus. The attacker opened fire before detonating an explosive belt, killing at least 20 people and injuring others, according to emergency services.

Aoun Condemns Damascus Church Bombing

President Joseph Aoun on Sunday expressed his strong condemnation of the terrorist bombing that struck the St. Elias Greek Orthodox Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus, offering his condolences to the Greek Orthodox Church and the families of the victims. In a statement following the attack, Aoun extended his wishes for a swift recovery ...

Aramaic Has Not Yet Uttered Its Final Word

From Berlin, 28-year-old Jarjoura logs into his Aramaic class every week. “It’s the language my grandparents spoke in Maaloula, but my parents stopped using it after moving to Germany. Thanks to the Yawna association, I’m reconnecting with my roots,” he says. Founded by linguist Rimon Wehbi, the program offers structured lessons in ...

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 ...

The Twilight of the Shia Crescent

For 45 years, Khomeini and his successor Ali Khamenei have sought to forge a Shia crescent stretching from Kabul to Beirut, passing through Baghdad, Damascus and Sana'a. This sweeping “revolutionary” project – religious, military and political – was built on the margins, fueled by communal suffering, billions in diverted public funds and ...

Local and Regional Air Travel Disrupted Amid Escalation

According to several Lebanese media outlets, Lebanon’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has decided to suspend operations at Beirut’s international airport between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Any exception during this timeframe will require prior approval from the Lebanese aviation authorities. At Rafic Hariri International Airport, the ...

Can Ahmad al-Sharaa Deliver on His Anti-ISIS Policy?

Ahmad al-Sharaa, once a senior figure in the jihadist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has emerged as a central player in post-Assad Syria. Since taking power in December 2024 in a country ravaged by 13 years of war, Sharaa has positioned himself as a pragmatic and reform-minded leader, both to foreign governments and Syria’s deeply ...

Lebanon/Iran: The Root Causes of the Crisis

Nine buildings were completely destroyed; nearly 70 others damaged; 115 homes reduced to rubble and more than 850 seriously affected; around 50 cars wrecked; and some 175 businesses damaged – this is the toll borne by residents of Beirut’s southern suburb following a wave of roughly twenty Israeli airstrikes on Thursday, June 5. The raids ...

EU official says 175 mn euro Syria recovery package 'clear message' of support

Visiting EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica said Thursday that a 175 million euro package for war-torn Syria was a "clear message" of support for its reconstruction. Suica announced the package in Damascus Wednesday, saying it would focus on sectors including energy, education, health, and agriculture, helping rebuild Syria's ...

Between Freedom and Restrictions, Syrians Navigate New Reality

Syrian singer Ishtar halted concerts when Islamist-led forces seized power nearly six months ago. She's now back on stage, but lingering fears have reshaped Damascus's nightlife scene. Performing an international repertoire to a packed venue in the capital's Old City, she told AFP that "some bars and restaurants were closed and others had ...