CULTURE

DERIK, North and East Syria — In a spirited event marking the end of the academic year, Sheblo Kindergarten — affiliated with the Syriac Women’s Union (Huyodo d’Neshe d’Bethnahrin, HNB) — hosted a festive celebration for its young students in Derik this week.  The gathering, held in the scenic Areen…

CAIRO / ATHENS — An Egyptian court has ruled to transfer ownership of the Monastery of Saint Catherine to the state, a decision that has raised concerns in the Greek Orthodox Church and Greek Government. In response, Egypt’s presidency issued a statement emphasizing that the ruling affirms the monastery’s legal…

PARIS — In a celebration of spiritual solidarity and cultural heritage, Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal Mar Louis Raphaël I Sako led a Divine Liturgy at Notre-Dame Cathedral on Sunday to commemorate the World Day for Eastern Christians.  This annual event, organized by the French association L’Œuvre d’Orient and held on the…

AUSTRALIA — Documentary filmmaker and writer Bedri Bet Hurmuz (40), hails from Mehre, a remote Chaldean mountain village in the Bothan region of southeastern Turkey. Growing up in a village with little access to radio or television, Bedri was immersed in the oral storytelling tradition, gathering with his family around…

STOCKHOLM — Nuri Kino, a Swedish investigative journalist and internationally recognized human rights advocate, has been awarded the 2025 Kavian Prize in the category of Spirituality and Solidarity for his relentless efforts on behalf of persecuted communities and displaced populations. The announcement, initially reported by local Södertälje outlets Länstidningen and…

PARIS — Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal Mar Louis Raphaël I Sako met with France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau on Monday to address the precarious situation facing Christians in Iraq and the broader Middle East.  The meeting, held at the Ministry of the Interior in Paris, took place against the backdrop of…

FAIRFIELD, Australia — Last week, on 20 May, Saint Narsai Christian College in Fairfield, Australia, marked a milestone with the grand opening of its state-of-the-art ssports and performing arts center. The ceremony was officiated by Assyrian Church of the East Archbishops Mar Meelis Zaia and Mar Benyamin Elya. The event…

ANKAWA, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — Despite the issuance of a public statement in early May by the Athra Alliance–which consists of four Chaldean-Syriac- Assyrian parties, including the Bethnahrin Patriotic Union Party–in which the Alliance denounced the accelerating cultural and social decay in Ankawa, the attacks on Ankawa’s cultural and social…

In the ancient alleys of Midyat in the Tur Abdin region, Gabriel Asaad was born on March 18, 1907, destined to become one of the pillars of Syriac music in the 20th century. Gabriel was more than a musician or composer; he was the voice of a people, a carrier…

POLHEIM, Germany — FC Turabdin-Babylon, a football club rooted in the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community and based in Pohlheim-Giessen, Germany, achieved a historic milestone by securing promotion from Verbandsliga Hessen-Mitte, the sixth tier of German football, to the fifth tier Hessenliga. The team earned 71 points this season, a testament to…