2+ day, 23+ hour ago (1336+ words) Egypt-Chad highway becomes road to nowhere amid African conflict US, Israel push Gaza partition as Amnesty says genocide persists Gaza's secret flights: Inside Israel's push for forced transfer Occupation and opportunity: Israel's strategy in the new Syria Lebanon a year on: Ceasefire with Israel is war by another name Gaza is the litmus test for Western free speech Italy's witch-hunt of Francesca Albanese reveals a fear of truth Migrant Ethiopian women see no relief from Pope's Lebanon visit How Hani Dajani built a safe space for Arab diaspora voices Dior gets a Kuwaiti touch through Alymamah Rashed's artwork As the clergymen filed past the congregation, the women, wrapped in traditional white netela shawls, bowed and pressed a wooden cross to their foreheads and then to their lips. Sunday Mass begins at dawn in the Ethiopian Orthodox church in Ain Aar,…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago (317+ words) Egyptian scholar, geologist Zaghloul El-Naggar dies aged 92 Israel reiterates opposition to Turkish troops in Gaza Fire kills six at Turkish perfume warehouse Egyptian Islamic scholar and geologist Zaghloul El-Naggar, a leading figure in the field of scientific interpretation of the Qur'an, has died at the age of 92. El-Naggar passed away in Amman, Jordan, after a battle with illness, according to statements released on his official social media accounts on Sunday. His funeral prayer will be held on Monday at Abu Aisha Mosque in Amman, followed by burial at Umm Al-Qutain Cemetery. Born on 17 November 1933 in the village of Mashal in Egypt's Gharbia Governorate, El-Naggar showed an early passion for science. He graduated with honours in geology from Cairo University in 1955, earning the Mustafa Baraka Award in Earth Sciences. He obtained a PhD from the University of Wales in 1963 and became…...

4+ hour, 30+ min ago (752+ words) Inside Pope Leo's tour of Lebanon's important Christian sites Gaza death toll tops 70,000 as Israel continues bombing Ayoub Khan urges fellow independents to rejoin UK's 'Your Party' As MAGA turns on Zionism, Israel First right stokes Islamophobia How Yalla! Let's Talk became the Arab diaspora's leading podcast Inside Amir: A quiet portrait of leaving Iran Lebanese are preparing to welcome Pope Leo XIV on Sunday for what many are calling a historic moment for the country. After years of overlapping crises, many hope the visit will offer a measure of comfort to a nation still recovering from the 2020 Beirut blast and living under the threat'of renewed war as Israeli attacks continue along the border. The three-day trip is expected to be one of the most significant papal visits to Lebanon in decades, with stops at some of the country's most…...

1+ day, 2+ hour ago (928+ words) Iran Guards seize foreign ship carrying 'smuggled' fuel Pope Leo heads to Lebanon Sunday under shadow of Israeli strikes Trump ramps up Venezuela threats, warns airspace 'closed' As MAGA turns on Zionism, Israel First right stokes Islamophobia How Yalla! Let's Talk became the Arab diaspora's leading podcast Inside Amir: A quiet portrait of leaving Iran Pope Leo XIV visited Istanbul's Blue Mosque on Saturday but didn't stop to pray, as he opened an intense day of meetings and liturgies with Turkey's religious leaders and a Mass for the country's tiny Catholic community. The head of Turkey's Diyanet religious affairs directorate showed Leo the soaring tiled domes of the 17th-century mosque and the Arabic inscriptions on its columns, as Leo nodded in understanding. The Vatican had said Leo would observe a "brief minute of silent prayer" there, but it didn't appear…...

4+ day, 20+ hour ago (902+ words) US, Russia hold talks on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi: reports Turkish prosecutors accuse three defence execs of spying Flash floods collapse West Bank apartheid wall amid MENA storm From votes to vetoes: The race for Iraq's next prime minister Yellow lines and green zones: The de facto partition of Gaza A fractured front: Autonomy or integration for Syria's Kurds? Farook Mohammed paints Gaza onto Africa's anti-apartheid canvas Rising electricity costs push Syrians into financial strain Pope Leo will embark on his first trip outside Italy as the leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, travelling to Turkey and Lebanon, where he is expected to make appeals for peace in the region and urge unity among long-divided Christian churches. Leo, the first US pope, will give his first speeches to foreign governments and visit some sensitive cultural sites as part of…...

4+ day, 5+ hour ago (547+ words) Australian senator suspended from Parliament for wearing burqa Ethiopian volcano ash forces Indian carriers to cancel flights The Libya link: How Haftar is helping to fuel Sudan's war From votes to vetoes: The race for Iraq's next prime minister Yellow lines and green zones: The de facto partition of Gaza How Israel set a dangerous precedent in international law Farook Mohammed paints Gaza onto Africa's anti-apartheid canvas Rising electricity costs push Syrians into financial strain The popemobile used by the late pope Francis on his 2014 visit to Bethlehem re-emerged on Tuesday as a mobile children's clinic to be deployed in Gaza. The vehicle is still unmistakeable as a popemobile: pristine white inside and out, and with the familiar raised canopy. But instead of transporting the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Roman Catholics, the re-branded "Vehicle of Hope" is now set…...

3+ day, 30+ min ago (930+ words) Pope Leo XIV in Turkey, Lebanon: What's on the agenda and why US halts Afghan immigration requests after attack near W. House Gaza's secret flights: Inside Israel's push for forced transfer Occupation and opportunity: Israel's strategy in the new Syria Lebanon a year on: Ceasefire with Israel is war by another name Gaza is the litmus test for Western free speech Italy's witch-hunt of Francesca Albanese reveals a fear of truth How Hani Dajani built a safe space for Arab diaspora voices Dior gets a Kuwaiti touch through Alymamah Rashed's artwork The hidden struggles of Gaza's autistic children Pope Leo XIV is embarking on the first foreign trip of his papacy, a high-profile regional visit that will take him to Turkey from 27 to 30 November and then to Lebanon until 2 December. Turkey is the Pope's first overseas destination since his election in…...

3+ day, 2+ hour ago (676+ words) US halts Afghan immigration requests after attack near W. House Pope Leo XIV lands in Turkey on first overseas trip of papacy French media demand release of journalist Christophe Gleizes Gaza's secret flights: Inside Israel's push for forced transfer Occupation and opportunity: Israel's strategy in the new Syria Lebanon a year on: Ceasefire with Israel is war by another name Gaza is the litmus test for Western free speech Italy's witch-hunt of Francesca Albanese reveals a fear of truth How Hani Dajani built a safe space for Arab diaspora voices Dior gets a Kuwaiti touch through Alymamah Rashed's artwork The hidden struggles of Gaza's autistic children Pope Leo XIV arrived in Turkey on Thursday on his first trip outside Italy as leader of the Catholic Church and was expected to make appeals for peace in the Middle East and urge unity…...

2+ day, 39+ min ago (713+ words) Pope, Orthodox leader to celebrate early Christian milestone Despite Gaza genocide, Morocco opens Israeli drone factory Pope Leo to meet Middle East Christian leaders in bid for unity How Gaza is entering an uncharted era of foreign guardianship Testing the waters: Is Saudi Arabia re-engaging with Lebanon? The Dutch election shows the far-right never lost its grip Lebanon a year on: Ceasefire with Israel is war by another name Inside Amir: A quiet portrait of leaving Iran How Hani Dajani built a safe space for Arab diaspora voices Migrant Ethiopian women see no relief from Pope's Lebanon visit Pope Leo XIV will meet in Turkey on Friday with Christian leaders from across the Middle East, and is expected to urge unity among denominations divided for centuries during his first overseas trip as leader of the global Catholic Church. The first…...

6+ day, 1+ hour ago (655+ words) Pope heads to Turkey, Lebanon in first overseas trip Hamas calls on mediators to stop Israel breaching Gaza ceasefire Hezbollah: Israel crossed red line after Tabatabai assassination Pope Leo XIV embarks on his debut overseas trip Thursday, travelling to Turkey and Lebanon to promote Christian unity and urge peace efforts amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. The six-day trip is the first major international test for the US pope, who was elected head of the Catholic Church in May and whose understated style contrasts with that of his charismatic and impulsive predecessor, Francis. In Turkey, Leo will celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, where the Creed -- a foundational declaration of the Christian faith -- was written. While the Chicago-born pontiff's upcoming visit has so far garnered little attention in the predominantly Muslim country, where Christians represent only 0.2 percent…...