The United States is incapable of ceasing the advancement of war. The ruling class has now attacked what it called “Iranian targets” within Syria. If this continues, we will see a third world war. Eventually, those countries being bombed will fight back against the aggression of the U.S. military-industrial complex. The U.S. military has carried …

American forces on Tuesday carried out strikes against targets linked to an Iran-backed group in Syria, the U.S. military said, with a war monitor saying the attacks killed five fighters. The raids were in response to a rocket attack on U.S. troops in the country, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. The strikes targeted the group's "weapons storage and logistics headquarters facility... in response to a rocket attack on U.S. personnel," CENTCOM said in a post on social media that did not identify the group by name. "There was no damage to U.S. facilities and no injuries to US or partner forces during the attack," CENTCOM added. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said "five pro-Iranian fighters were killed and others injured, after American jets targeted" one of their bases in the city of Albukamal, in Syria's eastern Deir Ezzor province. The previous day, U.S. forces bombed nine targets associated with Iran-backed groups in response to recent drone and rocket attacks, according to the Pentagon. The Observatory said those strikes killed four members of groups loyal to Iran. The U.S. military has around 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq as part of the international coalition that was established in 2014 to help combat the Islamic State jihadist group. Since war broke out in the Gaza Strip after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, pro-Iran groups have repeatedly targeted US forces in Iraq and Syria in response to Washington's support for Israel. The United States has on multiple occasions responded to such attacks with strikes on Iran-backed groups.

Some Syrian refugees were placed in the same hotel as a Furry convention for temporary housing after arriving in Canada. Syrian kids and furries alike made the best of what is undoubtedly a weird situation. The organizers of VancouFur made sure to alert the attendees to be extra kind to the newcomers and it looks like they did just that.

OM worker joins a new Arabic-speaking ministry among Syrians in Turkey.

Joe, a long-term OM worker and ministry leader, shares a glimpse into the work of God inside the war-torn Syria.

Global crises provide unprecedented opportunities for OM workers to share truth with least-reached people from Syria, Somalia and Sudan.

Driven apart by the Syrian civil war, an extended family experiences miraculous healing and dreams and believes in Jesus.

Since the Syrian war began, OM workers have served alongside locals, including Muslim background believers, to spread hope amongst desperate people.

Syrian Kurdish refugee families profess faith in Jesus Christ.

Philip the Arab (Latin: Marcus Julius Philippus Augustus; c. 204 - 249), also known as Philip or Philippus Arabs, was Roman Emperor from 244 to 249 A.D. He came from Syria, and rose to become a major figure in the Roman Empire. He achieved power after the death of Gordian III, quickly negotiating peace with the Sassanid Empire. During his reign, Rome celebrated its millennium. Among early Christian writers Philip had the reputation of being sympathetic to the Christian faith. It was even claimed that he converted to Christianity, becoming the first Christian emperor, but this is disputed. He supposedly tried to celebrate Easter with Christians in Antioch, but the bishop Babylas made him stand with the penitents. Philip and his wife received letters from Origen. Philip was overthrown and killed following a rebellion led by his successor Decius. -- Religious beliefs: Some later traditions, first mentioned in the historian Eusebius [Eusebius of Caesarea (c. AD 263 - 339) also called Eusebius Pamphili, was a Roman historian, exegete and Christian] in his Ecclesiastical History, held that Philip was the first Christian Roman Emperor. According to Eusebius (Ecc. Hist. VI.34), Philip was a Christian, but was not allowed to enter Easter vigil services until he confessed his sins and sat among the penitents, which he did so willingly. Later versions located this event in Antioch. However, [modern] historians generally identify the later Emperor Constantine, baptised on his deathbed, as the first Christian emperor, and generally describe Philip's adherence to Christianity as dubious, because non-Christian writers do not mention the fact, and because throughout his reign, Philip to all appearances (coinage, etc.) continued to follow the state religion. Critics ascribe Eusebius' claim as probably due to the tolerance Philip showed towards Christians. Saint Quirinus of Rome was, according to a legendary account, the son of Philip the Arab.

The 400-year-old Assyrian bazaar in Mardin, located in Türkiye's southeastern region known for its rich cultural heritage, has reopened following a comprehensive restoration as part of the "Street Health Project.

PHOENIX (AP) -- It was Donald Trump's mispronunciation that first caught attention. "Also, we have many Asur-Asians in our room," Trump said at a weekend rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona.

Donald Trump's mispronunciation of 'Assyrians' at a rally inadvertently spotlighted the Assyrian community in America. Despite their small numbers, Assyrians are influential in swing states like Michigan and Arizona.

Former President Donald Trump's recent mispronunciation of 'Asur-Asians' at a rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona, brought attention to the Assyrian community's presence and influence in key swing states like Michigan and Arizona.

A multitude of Victorian community organisations and local constituents have expressed support for a proposed Motion to recognise the Genocide of Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks which is expected to be tabled in the Victorian Parliament later this month, Greek Herald reports.

(PBS) -- This video report is from the Public Broadcasting Service in America. Related: Timeline of ISIS in IraqRelated: Attacks on Assyrians in Syria

Archbishop Bashar Warda, Archbishop of Erbil in Iraq. ( Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk)Ten years ago he was on the frontline over helping over 13,000 families who fled the terrorists of ISIS and found refuge in Erbil -- since then he has overseen the reconstruction of towns and villages, but has also watched tens of thousands of his faithful leave the

Paul Mascia's first book, "Nazar's Journey," tells the story of people in 2014 fleeing ISIS on the highway between Mosul and Erbil. Proceeds benefit Brooklyn-based Aid to the Church in Need-USA.

In a groundbreaking discovery, archaeologists have unearthed an ancient relic that offers a vivid snapshot of life nearly 3,000 years ago. However, it wasn't a precious gem, intricate artifact, or a hidden scripture, but rather a seemingly mundane brick.

File photo of Catholicos Mar Awa III meeting Pope Francis in the Vatican in 2022 . ( Vatican Media)It was 11 November 1994, when Pope St. John Paul II and the then-Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, signed the Common Christological Declaration, which marked, as the text states, "a basic step on the w

The Holy Father announced on Saturday that St. Isaac of Nineveh, a seventh-century Assyrian bishop venerated across Christian traditions, will be added to the Roman Martyrology.

Trump Iraq Syria Genocide Relief Act President Donald J. Trump is joined by legislators and Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil-Kurdistan, Iraq, left, as he signs H.

Two University of Dayton students created a digital exhibit about notable 20th century Assyrian women this summer for the Syriac Heritage Museum in Iraq.

New trenches and berms are being constructed along the frontier in the occupied Golan Heights.

Yesterday Israel killed Hasan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader for more than 20 years. In doing so Israel allegedly flattened 6-8 residential apartment blocks with bunker buster bombs. According to...

Fr. John shares from 2 Kings 5.

He is often called "The Harp of the Holy Spirit" for the sublimity of his writings. He was born in Nisibis of Mesopotamia about the year 306. He embraced the Christian faith while young and for this was driven from his home by his father, a pagan priest. He came under the care of St James of Nisibis (January 13), who was one of the bishops at the Council of Nicaea. He took up a strictly ascetical life, renouncing all possessions and denying himself all comforts. It is said that his eyes constantly flowed with tears: tears of compunction for his own sins, or tears of joy as he contemplated the wonders of God's grace.   He was baptized at the age of twenty and withdrew to the desert, then settled in Edessa. Once, as he was walking to the city, a harlot approached him. Pretending to accept her proposition, he took her to the city's public square and suggested that they lie together there, in plain view. Horrified, the woman rebuked him, saying 'Have you no shame?' The Saint answered, 'Poor woman, you are afraid of being watched by other people; buy why are you not afraid of being seen by God, who sees everything and, on the last day, will judge all our actions and most secret thoughts?' The woman repented and, with the Saint's help, embarked upon a new life.   The Saint returned to the desert for a time, then to Nisibis to aid the Persian Christians, persecuted because they were seen as allies of the Romans. When Nisibis finally fell under Persian rule, St Ephraim and his spiritual father St James both settled in Edessa. At that time Edessa was troubled by the gnostic heretic Bardaisan, one of whose devices was to compose attractive hymns, which became popular and enticed many away from the truth. Taking up Bardaisan's own weapons, St Ephraim composed a number of hymns, beautiful in word and melody, which poetically set forth the true Faith.   Hearing of the sanctity of St Basil the Great, St Ephraim traveled to Cappadocia to meet him. It is recorded that at their first meeting, St Basil greeted him: 'Art thou the Ephraim who hath beautifully bended his neck and taken upon himself the yoke of the saving Word?'; to which St Ephraim replied, 'I am Ephraim who hinder myself from traveling the way to heaven.' After discoursing with the Syrian Saint for some time, St Basil cried out 'O, if only I had thy sins!' Basil then ordained St Ephraim to the diaconate. He would have ordained him a priest but St Ephraim, feeling unworthy, refused to be ordained, then and for the rest of his life.   The Saint returned to a life of solitude; but when a famine broke out in Edessa in 372, he came forth to rebuke the wealthy for failing to share their wealth with the poor. Some replied that they knew no one whom they could trust with their goods, so St Ephraim persuaded them to give their alms to him for distribution to the poor. A true deacon, he cared for the sick with his own hands. The following year, he reposed in peace.   St Ephraim was the first to use hymnody and song to express the teaching of the Church, and so might be called the Church's first hymnographer. His works were probably an inspiration to St Romanos the Melodist, also a Syrian. He is said to have written more than three million lines of verse in Syriac, in addition to many homilies and treatises. Only a fraction of his work has been translated.   A beautiful selection of St Ephraim's writings can be found in A Spiritual Psalter, a collection edited by St Theophan the Recluse, available in English.

This is not the famed Isaac of Syria (commemorated Jan 28) who wrote the Ascetical Homilies, but a monk who settled in Spoleto and was famed for his holy, solitary life, his miracles, and his discernment. The people of Spoleto sought to honor him with money and other gifts, but he refused everything and withdrew to a cell in the forest. Soon a large monastery grew up there as others joined him in his life of prayer.   Once, two nearly naked men came begging clothing from Isaac. He told a monk to go to a hollow tree some distance away, and to bring back what he found there. The monk returned with some clothing, and gave it to the beggars. They were shamed to find that it was their own clothing, which they had hidden in the tree.   A man gave two beehives to the monastery. A monk hid one of them and brought the other to the abbot. Isaac said to him, 'Be careful when you go back to the beehive that you hid: it has been taken over by poisonous snakes. Be careful that they do not bite you.'

At the time of Diocletian's persecutions, he was a very old man, having served as a reader for sixteen years, then a deacon for twenty-eight years, and finally as a priest for thirty years, for a total of seventy-four years. The pagan judge put him in the Temple of Aesculapius, where large snakes were kept and worshiped as gods. Though the judge meant for Artemon to be attacked by the snakes, the holy priest immobilized them with the sign of the Cross, brought them out of the temple and, in front of the pagan priests, breathed on the snakes, which died instantly. The chief priest, Vitalis, fell to his knees and cried 'Great is the Christian God!' Artemon baptised him along with several of his friends.   The unrepentant judge then condemned Artemon to be thrown into burning pitch, but the judge himself was thrown off his horse into the pitch and died. After this, Artemon went free for a time and spent his time teaching the Faith to his people ("accompanied always by two tame deer," says St Nikolia Velimirovic!). But he was arrested again and beheaded in the year 303.

An honored Roman commander in Tripoli of Phoenicia, he was described as being 'of great physical stature, powerful, strong and bold in battle'. When it was learned that he was a Christian and had given grain to the poor from the imperial storehouse, the governor Hadrian, a great persecutor of Christians, sent Hypatius, a military commander, and Theodoulus, a soldier, along with some others to arrest him. On the way Hypatius fell gravely ill with a fever, and the company had to delay its mission. One night an angel of the Lord appeared to Hypatius and said, 'If you desire to be healed, you and your soldiers must cry to heaven three times: "O God of Leontius, help me!"'. Hypatius told his comrades of his vision, and when they all cried out as instructed Hypatius was instantly healed. Hypatius and Theodoulos then went on ahead of the other soldiers and found Leontius. Leontius received them hospitably and offered them refreshment. As they rested in his house, he proclaimed his faith in Christ and their hearts began to burn within them. While Leontius was still speaking, a bright cloud descended upon the two soldiers and shed dew on them while Leontius said 'In the name of the All-holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.' Thus were they baptized by the Holy Spirit Himself.   When the cruel Hadrian discovered this, he had the two soldiers beaten fiercely, then beheaded; he then subjected Leontius to the cruelest tortures, under which he finally died, unwavering in his faith. This was during the reign of Vespasian.

He is often called "The Harp of the Holy Spirit" for the sublimity of his writings. He was born in Nisibis of Mesopotamia about the year 306. He embraced the Christian faith while young and for this was driven from his home by his father, a pagan priest. He came under the care of St James of Nisibis (January 13), who was one of the bishops at the Council of Nicaea. He took up a strictly ascetical life, renouncing all possessions and denying himself all comforts. It is said that his eyes constantly flowed with tears: tears of compunction for his own sins, or tears of joy as he contemplated the wonders of God's grace.   He was baptized at the age of twenty and withdrew to the desert, then settled in Edessa. Once, as he was walking to the city, a harlot approached him. Pretending to accept her proposition, he took her to the city's public square and suggested that they lie together there, in plain view. Horrified, the woman rebuked him, saying 'Have you no shame?' The Saint answered, 'Poor woman, you are afraid of being watched by other people; but why are you not afraid of being seen by God, who sees everything and, on the last day, will judge all our actions and most secret thoughts?' The woman repented and, with the Saint's help, embarked upon a new life.   The Saint returned to the desert for a time, then to Nisibis to aid the Persian Christians, persecuted because they were seen as allies of the Romans. When Nisibis finally fell under Persian rule, St Ephraim and his spiritual father St James both settled in Edessa. At that time Edessa was troubled by the gnostic heretic Bardaisan, one of whose devices was to compose attractive hymns, which became popular and enticed many away from the truth. Taking up Bardaisan's own weapons, St Ephraim composed a number of hymns, beautiful in word and melody, which poetically set forth the true Faith.   Hearing of the sanctity of St Basil the Great, St Ephraim traveled to Cappadocia to meet him. It is recorded that at their first meeting, St Basil greeted him: 'Art thou the Ephraim who hath beautifully bended his neck and taken upon himself the yoke of the saving Word?'; to which St Ephraim replied, 'I am Ephraim who hinder myself from traveling the way to heaven.' After discoursing with the Syrian Saint for some time, St Basil cried out 'O, if only I had thy sins!' Basil then ordained St Ephraim to the diaconate. He would have ordained him a priest but St Ephraim, feeling unworthy, refused to be ordained, then and for the rest of his life.   The Saint returned to a life of solitude; but when a famine broke out in Edessa in 372, he came forth to rebuke the wealthy for failing to share their wealth with the poor. Some replied that they knew no one whom they could trust with their goods, so St Ephraim persuaded them to give their alms to him for distribution to the poor. A true deacon, he cared for the sick with his own hands. The following year, he reposed in peace.   St Ephraim was the first to use hymnody and song to express the teaching of the Church, and so might be called the Church's first hymnographer. His works were probably an inspiration to St Romanos the Melodist, also a Syrian. He is said to have written more than three million lines of verse in Syriac, in addition to many homilies and treatises. Only a fraction of his work has been translated.   A beautiful selection of St Ephraim's writings can be found in A Spiritual Psalter, a collection edited by St Theophan the Recluse, available in English.