Pope Leo gets rock star's reception in Lebanon, drawing cheers, celebrations Pope Leo began his second day in crisis-hit Lebanon with visits to notable Christian shrines in the country and an interfaith meeting in the capital, Beirut. Lebanon
Lebanon celebrates Pope Leo’s visit as Israel escalates attacks The pontiff's visit to Lebanon comes as many in the country fear a potential restart of the war between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanon
In first foreign visit, Pope Leo meets Erdogan, urges Turkey to uphold pluralism On his inaugural foreign visit to Turkey, Pope Leo called for respect for pluralism after meeting with the Turkish president. Turkey
Analysis Pope Leo in Turkey, navigating faith, politics and Orthodox tensions The visit will bolster Turkey’s image on religious tolerance and shared positions with the Vatican while Ankara navigates sensitive issues surrounding the Halki Seminary and the Greek Patriarchate’s ecumenical status. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis Israel scrambles for strategy as Mamdani’s NYC victory sparks alarm By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Analysis As Trump hosts Sharaa, Israel cautiously seeks Syria security deal By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Baghdad, Erbil reach security, administrative agreement on Sinjar district The deal will address major security and structural obstacles, but local communities criticize the accord for failing to bring their people to the table. Iraq
Christians make strong showing in Egyptian Parliament More Christian candidates are running in this year’s parliamentary elections in Egypt. Egypt
Turkey targets Yazidi militia in Iraq over PKK links The Sinjar Resistance Units have been targeted by Turkish forces in Iraq for its connection with the Kurdistan Workers Party. Iraq
Syriac manuscripts recovered from suspected Islamic State fighter in Mosul Stolen manuscripts resurface as Iraqi security forces engage Islamic State cells, but safety concerns for minority communities still loom large. Iraq
Trump mum on refugee admissions despite pleas from Congress The administration has drastically reduced the number of refugees resettled annually in the United States. United States
Iraqi Jews want to regain their citizenship As the region witnesses a wave of normalization with Israel, Iraqi Jews demand restoration of their citizenship. Iraq
Turkey’s tilt toward Pakistan provokes India’s ire An Indian intelligence reports sees Turkey as becoming a hub for anti-India activities second only to Pakistan. Turkey
Erdogan converts another historic church into a mosque The centuries-old Chora church, which has served as a museum since 1945, will soon be open to Muslim worship. Turkey
Israeli-Ethiopian community divided on bringing 8,000 Falash Mura Minister of Immigration and Absorption Pnina Tamano-Shata presented last week a plan to bring to Israel 8,000 Falash Mura from Ethiopia by the end of 2022. Israel
Egypt shows interest in Nubian community after years of marginalization The marginalized Nubian community is back at the forefront in Egypt with a boat race festival to preserve Nubian heritage, held for a second time in Aswan governorate. Egypt
The lesser of two evils: Yemen’s Bahais from prison into exile Shortly after their release, six members of the Bahai community in Yemen were sent into exile, in a stark example of the political climate in this war-ravaged country. Yemen
Intel: Syria to build Hagia Sophia replica with Russian backing With support from Russian officials and the Orthodox Church, Syria will begin construction on a small-scale replica of the Hagia Sophia that will serve as an Orthodox cathedral. Syria
