Can Nazareth achieve XMAS appeal? 'Pilgrimage won't come to a shabby city plagued by crime'

COVID-19, war and crime emptied Nazareth of tourists. But this Christmas, optimism is slowly returning: 'We can be like Athens and Rome'

Haaretz • 4h

Last Christians gather in ruins of Turkey's quake-hit Antakya

Saint Peter's, one of the world's oldest rock churches, is a sacred rallying point for the isolated Christians still left in quake-hit Antakya in southeastern Turkey, the city known in ancient times as Antioch. "Since the earthquake, our community has scattered," said

Al Monitor • 5h

Diplomacy, not war: How the Israeli-Lebanese-Syrian triangle could transform the Middle East

Instead of renewing escalation, Israel should take the opportunity to establish a 'northern framework' to stabilize relations with both Syria and Lebanon in the security sphere and beyond – choosing to follow the opportunities arising from American engagement instead of

Haaretz • 5h

In first Christmas sermon, Pope Leo decries conditions for Palestinians in Gaza

By Joshua McElwee VATICAN CITY, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Pope Leo decried conditions for Palestinians in Gaza in his Christmas sermon on Thursday, in an unusually direct appeal during what is normally a solemn, spiritual service on the day Christians across the globe celebrate the

Al Monitor • 6h

Christmas celebrations muted at Bondi as Australians grieve after deadly shooting

By Cordelia Hsu SYDNEY, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Christmas celebrations were muted at Sydney's famed Bondi Beach on Thursday in the aftermath of a terror attack that killed 15 people there more than a week ago, as the community continued to grapple with the country's deadliest mass

Al Monitor • 10h

'We hold onto one another and keep fighting,' says wife of jailed Istanbul mayor

Turkish democracy has taken a heavy beating since the jailing of Istanbul's popular opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, his wife told AFP, saying it has been painful for his family but that the ordeal has made them stronger. "It's an extremely difficult time for our children and

Al Monitor • 12h

Tehran's tightrope: Fighting Israel – or the Iranians' deepening economic crisis

The Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic in June united the country's citizens around the regime. Now, as the threat of war reemerges, Iranians are more concerned about the cost of living

Haaretz • 12h

UK, Canada, Germany and others condemn Israel's West Bank settlement plan

LONDON, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Countries including Britain, Canada, Germany and others on Wednesday condemned the Israeli security cabinet's approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying they violated international law and risked fuelling instability. "We call on

Al Monitor • 17h

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