Most of the coronavirus cases in Lebanon are being treated at the Rafik Hariri University Hospital in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
Middle East
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Bethlehem holy sites to be closed after coronavirus reported at hotel
The affected areas were in the West Bank: Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour and Jericho for 14 days following seven reported cases of the coronavirus in the Bethlehem and Beit Jala area.
Posted inFaith, News
Bethlehem’s storied Nativity Church closes amid coronavirus fears
Built on the grotto where Christians believe Jesus was born, the church joins a list of prominent tourist and holy sites to shutter their doors in the wake of rising fears over the spread of coronavirus.
Posted inFaith, Features
This Syrian Catholic priest was kidnapped and tortured by ISIS. He still has hope in humanity.
I had traveled to Iraq to hear more about how this man had survived, a Catholic priest rescued by his Muslim friend. He would tell me that story, too.
Posted inOf Many Things, Politics & Society
What we owe U.S. veterans who fought in Afghanistan
The war, the horror, the death and devastation have not disrupted my life in any meaningful way.
Posted inFaith, News
Pope Francis: Knights of Columbus counter culture of indifference
A delegation led by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and including the organization’s board of directors was in Rome to celebrate the 100th anniversary of their active presence in Rome.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
As tensions rise with Iran, Afghanistan becomes the longest war in U.S. history
If there is a lasting lesson to emerge from the experience of the United States in Afghanistan, it could be one shared by Ms. Cusimano Love: “It’s much easier to start a war than it is to finish it,” she said. “It’s much easier to get in than it is to achieve objectives by force.”
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
U.S. sanctions against Iran continue a decades-long failed policy
The long-term objective of the Trump administration’s campaign against Iran is unclear, writes Margot Patterson, raising comparisons to U.S. failures in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Key points in Trump’s Mideast peace plan
The peace plan would leave most of annexed east Jerusalem, including its Old City and holy sites, under Israeli control while allowing the Palestinians to establish a capital on the outskirts of the city outside Israel’s separation barrier.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Francis meets with Iraqi president amid growing tensions after Soleimani assassination
Francis has shown a great interest in Iraq and its people that have suffered so much since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.