Trump says Gaza ceasefire deal with Hamas could happen this week
U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday there is a strong chance of reaching a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza this week....
Not long ago, the idea of an openly religious gathering in a Damascus synagogue would have seemed unimaginable. Yet, with the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime late last year, the impossible has become reality.
Among those stepping back onto the worn stones of Damascus’s Old City was Rabbi Joseph Hamra, once a leading figure in Syria’s dwindling Jewish community. Accompanied by his son Henry, Hamra returned home after more than three decades in exile. With the help of the Syrian Emergency Task Force—a Washington-based advocacy group supporting Syria’s democratic transition—the father and son made their way to the Elfrange (Faranj) Synagogue, where history was made.
For the first time since the 1990s, Hebrew prayers echoed within the synagogue’s ancient walls.
"The last time I prayed here was before I left for America," said the 77-year-old rabbi, his voice thick with emotion. "Now, after 34 years, I stand here again."
Hamra was the last rabbi to leave Syria in the 1990s, part of a mass exodus that saw the country’s Jewish population plummet. Once numbering around 5,000, only a handful remained after the Syrian government eased travel restrictions in 1992. Today, just seven elderly Jews are believed to live in Damascus.
The visit, however, was more than just a personal homecoming. Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, expressed hope that the delegation’s presence would encourage more Syrian Jews to return and help make the case for Washington to lift the sanctions imposed during Assad’s rule.
Moustafa also pointed to a broader objective: signalling that Syria’s new authorities were serious about their pledges to protect minorities.
For decades, Syria’s Jewish community had lived under heavy restrictions. While Hafez al-Assad allowed religious practice, he barred most Jews from leaving the country, fearing they harboured sympathies for Israel. Bashar al-Assad maintained an image of protecting minorities, but the outbreak of civil war in 2011 effectively erased Jewish life from public view. Synagogues across the country shut down, and the historic Jobar Synagogue—a site of pilgrimage for Jews worldwide—was looted and left in ruins.
Now, as the Assad’s grip has been broken, Syria faces an uncertain future. The new authorities have vowed to build an inclusive Syria, but deep scepticism remains.
For community elder Bakhour Chamntoub, however, Hamra’s return offered a moment of joy.
"I need Jews with me in the neighborhood," Chamntoub said in the Jewish quarter. "For nearly 40 years, I haven’t prayed with others. The feeling is indescribable."
As the prayers concluded, a quiet optimism lingered in the air. Whether Syria’s Jewish community can truly be reborn remains uncertain. But for now, in a synagogue that had stood silent for years, faith has found its voice once more.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s Tokara Islands on Wednesday, with no tsunami warning issued but residents advised to remain vigilant.
The United States has rescinded licensing restrictions on ethane exports to China, allowing shipments to resume after a temporary halt and signalling progress in efforts to ease recent trade tensions.
Italy plans to grant approximately 500,000 work visas to non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028, as announced in a cabinet statement. The initiative aims to address labor shortages by expanding legal immigration pathways
Following a deadly glacier collapse in Blatten, near the Swiss Alpine village of Kandersteg, the town is on high alert as melting permafrost and shifting rock threaten another potential disaster after it was buried a month ago.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described his latest phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump as the most productive yet, focusing on air defence and future cooperation.
The U-20 European Wrestling Championship in Caorle, Italy, is nearing its end, with Azerbaijan’s Vasif Baghirov securing a hard-earned victory in the 57 kg final against Georgia’s Nika Zangaladze.
ADY Chairman Rovshan Rustamov met with Afghanistan's Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Abdul Ghani Baradar, at the Baku Sea Port.
Armenia’s Foreign Ministry has reaffirmed that the country’s territory cannot be used by any third party to carry out military operations against neighbouring states.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says the country needs a new constitution that reflects its current realities and has a clear purpose.
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