CULTURE

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…

By Denho Bar Mourad-Özmen | Journalist and Moderator at Suroyo TV  For stateless and often displaced peoples like the Assyrians and the Mhalmoye (Arabic: Mahalmi, Mhalmi), culture and tradition serve not only as identity markers but also as survival tools. These communities, originating from ancient Mesopotamia and Southeastern Turkey respectively, have…

İZNIK, Turkey — The historic town of İznik, formerly the ancient city of Nicaea, welcomed religious leaders and pilgrims from around the world to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, a landmark event in Christian history. Delegations from various Christian denominations gathered for the occasion, with…

ANKAWA, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — The Ankawa Christmas Festival organizing committee has continued its initiative of providing financial grants to public schools in the Ankawa, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). This effort aims to support students from local Christian communities in their educational journeys, from primary school to university. …

BUDAPEST / ROME — Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Mar Awa III Royel took part in significant discussions in Budapest this week, focusing on the plight of Christians in the Middle East and efforts to preserve their presence in their ancestral homelands. His visit came at the…

SÖDERTÄLJE, Sweden — The Syriac Orthodox St. Ephrem Church in Södertälje, Sweden, introduced an expanded series of Syriac language courses, drawing participants from across generations, including young people and the elderly. Traditionally focused on children, the program now reflects a broader interest in preserving the Syriac language within the community.…

VATICAN — Syriac Catholic Patriarch Mar Ignatius Youssef III Younan met with US Vice President Vance on 18 May in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. The meeting occurred on the sidelines of the inaugural mass marking the enthronement of Pope Leo XIV and the beginning of his papacy.  During…

VATICAN — At the directive of Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, two prominent archbishops of the Syriac Orthodox Church — Patriarchal Vicar of the Archdiocese of Sweden and Archbishop of Switzerland and Austria Mor Dioscorus Benjamin Atash — visited the Vatican to foster inter-Church unity. The archbishops were…

BAGHDAD — The Iraq Football Association announced the passing of former national team player and long-time association administrator Korkis Ismail on Saturday evening. He was 81 years old.  In an official statement, the association expressed its deepest condolences to Ismail’s family and praised his contributions to Iraqi football, both on…

BETH ZALIN, North and East Syria — The Syriac Cultural Association in Syria celebrated its 17th anniversary with a vibrant event held at the Armenian General Benevolent Union Hall in Beth Zalin (Qamishli), North and East Syria.  The celebration brought together representatives from the Bethnahrin National Council (Mawtbo Umthoyo d’Bethnahrin,…