NEW YORK — Iraq and Turkey have agreed to transfer the Turkish military base in Bashiqa to the Iraqi federal government and restore state authority in Shigur (Sinjar / Shengal), potentially reshaping the security landscape of Nineveh Plains, homeland of Suraye (Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian) communities. The agreement, announced after Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in New York on Wednesday, links Turkey’s gradual handover of the camp to measures aimed at ending the presence of foreign armed groups in Shigur.

As the Suraye — the Syriac–Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean people — like other Christian peoples, underwent a process of great expansion and modernization, they acquired the intellectual capital and professional expertise necessary to shape social developments. They made significant strides in medicine, journalism, law, industrialization, commerce, and many other fields. The Enlightenment movement, which began in Europe with the Renaissance, gradually spread to other parts of the world at various times and through different channels, becoming the source of modern consciousness.

SYDNEY — Suraye (Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian) organizations and institutions in the homeland of Beth Nahrin (Mesopotamia) and the diaspora held commemorative events to mark Assyrian Martyrs’ Day and the 93rd anniversary of the Simele Massacre, carried out by the Iraqi Army in cooperation with its British counterpart against members of the Suraye people. Among the events was a commemoration organized in Sydney by…

AARAU, Switzerland — When visitors enter Shamiran Istifan's exhibition at the Aargauer Kunsthaus, they encounter familiar things. Swiss mailboxes, paving stones, imitation leather, cosmetics. Yet nothing remains ordinary for long. Through sculpture, installation, video, and textiles, these everyday objects become carriers of memory, identity, and power, revealing the unseen worlds that coexist beneath the surface of contemporary Switzerland. The exhibition marks a significant moment in the career of the 39-year-old artist.

ANKAWA, Iraq — Fifty-seven years after dozens of Iraqi civilians and members of the Suraye (Chaldeans–Syriacs–Assyrians) were killed in the Sorya village massacre, the victims were remembered once again in Arba'ilo (Erbil), where government officials, political, religious, and social figures, and residents of Ankawa gathered to commemorate the killings. The 57th annual commemoration ceremony was held on Wednesday outside the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Ankawa District.

BAGHDAD — Ongoing searches for mass graves across Iraq, particularly in Shigur (Sinjar / Shengal), Nineveh Plains, Mosul, and other areas where the Islamic State (ISIS) carried out massacres against thousands of Yezidis and Suraye (Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian) Christians between 2014 and 2017 have led to the discovery of the remains of dozens of victims. Iraqi authorities have identified the remains of 25 Yezidi victims of ISIS and are preparing to hand them over to their families during a ceremony scheduled for early October, after their identities were…

SORYA, Iraq — The modern history of the Suraye (Chaldeans-Syriacs-Assyrians) is overshadowed by massacres and genocides. After the Sayfo Genocide, the Kafno, and the Simele Massacre, the wronged Suraya people were subjected to another massacre on 16 September 1969, in the remote village of Sorya, in the Zakho district of Nohadra (Duhok Governorate) in what is now the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). 

BAGHDAD — After decades of national struggle to secure the rights of the Suraye (Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian) people in Beth Nahrin, Iraq and the Nineveh Plain, and to ensure their presence in their ancestral homeland with dignity, security and peace, the veteran patriotic leader and former head of the Beth Nahrin Patriotic Union (Huyodo d’Beth Nahrin Athroyo, HBA) Gorgis Khushaba Mikhail (known as Shoraya), has passed away.

BAGHDAD — Doctor Tamara Ablahad Hanna Saka, a member of the Suraye (Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian community) in Iraq, has achieved a scientific milestone in forensic medicine after earning the Iraqi Board certification from the Iraqi Council for Medical Specializations, ranking first in her cohort. The achievement places Dr. Saka among prominent specialists in forensic medicine in Iraq. According to the information provided by the source, she is the first female doctor in Iraq to obtain the Iraqi Board certification in forensic medicine inside the country, and the third female doctor in forensic medicine in the Middle East.

DETROIT — Chaldean-American lightweight boxer Jonny “Magic” Mansour remained undefeated on after his 29 August bout with Ernest Bustos in front of more than 3,200 fans at Detroit’s historic Fox Theatre. Mansour, 26, knocked down the Texas fighter three times before the referee stopped the bout at 1:47 of the second round, improving his professional record to 8-0 with three knockouts.

BAGHDAD — As the issue of demographic change in areas inhabited by the Suraye (Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian) people in Iraq and the Nineveh Plain continues without any signs of a solution or government efforts to address it, despite condemnations and protests organized by the Suraye national parties in Nohadra (Duhok), Tel Keppe (Tel Keif) and elsewhere, the parties — the Beth Nahrain Patriotic Union (Huyodo d’Bethnahrin Athroyo, HBA), the Assyrian Democratic Movement (Zowaa) and the Assyrian Patriotic Party (Atranaya) — issued a letter and appeal to Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih Al-Zaidi titled, “Halting Demographic Change, Addressing Its Effects and Restoring Suraye Lands in the Nineveh Plain.”

By Ablahad Hanna Saka  A true parliamentarian may be that leader who was born from the heart of his people, grew up amid their suffering and hardships, experienced their injustices and the bitterness of their days, and endured the harshness of circumstances and the betrayal of time. He therefore carried his people’s cause in his conscience and made defending their rights, existence, and identity a national and nationalistic responsibility that allows neither compromise nor submission to narrow interests.

ARMOUTA, ARBA'ILO (ERBIL) — Patriarch of the Chaldean Church Mar Paulos III Nona presided Friday, 21 August 2026, for the first time since his enthronement as patriarch, over the Divine Liturgy and the evangelical diaconal ordination of seminarian Mifan Nazem of the Chaldean Archdiocese of Arba'ilo (Erbil) at the Church of the Virgin Mary in the Suraye (Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian) town of Armouta, in the presence of clergy and a large number of worshippers.

ANKAWA, Beth Nahrin — The fourth edition of the 2026 Grape Basket Festival has kicked off in the Ankawa district of Arba'ilo (Erbil). The opening drew the participation of clergy, government officials, representatives of civil society organizations, residents, and members of the Suraya (Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian) people from all over the Kurdistan Region in Iraq. The festival is organized by the Ankawa District Administration in cooperation with the Ankawa Festival and with support from farmer Silwan Sardar Saka.

MODESTO, California, USA — Three deacons were ordained as priests at Blessed Mart Shmune Cathedral in Modesto, California, in a ceremony presided over by Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Mar Awa III as the church marked the Feast of the Dormition of Mary, Mother of Christ. The ordination ceremony drew a large gathering of clergy and parishioners. Priests and deacons participated in the Divine Liturgy alongside the cathedral choir and a large congregation of worshipers.

By Ablahad Hanna Saka | Member of the Bethnahrin National Council Bartella (Baritle) is one of those towns in the Nineveh Plain which carries a profound historical, cultural, and religious legacy. For centuries, this ancient town has been deeply intertwined with Christian heritage and the Syriac language. It produced prominent figures who have left an indelible mark on the history of the Syrian Church in the realms of thought, literature, and spirituality.

MOSUL, Iraq — The Beth Nahrin Progressive Youth Council held its annual organizational camp at the Syriac Orthodox Monastery of Mor Mattai from 13–16 August 2026. Named the Comrade Saeed Malki Camp, the event was held under the motto Unquenchable Flame, Undying Identity and brought together 65 young women and men.  The camp opened with a commemoration of the arrest of Syriac political leader Saeed Malki, reflecting on his struggle and sacrifices and their role in reinforcing commitment to the community and its identity. 

GOTHENBURG, Sweden — Members of the Suraye (Syriac–Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community and others interested in Suraye affairs gathered on 9 August 2026 for a ceremony organized by the Gothenburg bra...

GOTHENBURG, Sweden — Members of the Suraye (Syriac–Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community and others interested in Suraye affairs gathered on 9 August 2026 for a ceremony organized by the Gothenburg branch of the Assyrian Democratic Movement (Zowaa), in cooperation with the Ashur Banipal Club, to mark Assyrian Martyrs’ Day and the 93rd anniversary of the Simele Massacre. The event was held at the hall of the Old Eastern Church of the Virgin Mary.

BAGHDAD / YEREVAN — Two painful events in the history of the Suraye (Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian) people are marked on 7 August, namely the 1933 Simele Massacre in Iraq and the 1915 Sayfo Genocide, perpetrated against Suraye, Armenians, and Pontic Greeks by the Ottoman army and allied Kurdish tribes during World War I. On the occasion, calls have been renewed for official recognition of these tragedies, as well as for justice, the protection of diversity, and the promotion of peaceful coexistence.

BAGHDAD — Patriarch of the Chaldean Church Mar Paulos III Nona said rebuilding Christian areas destroyed by wars in Iraq is not enough to ensure the survival of the Christian presence, stressing that the greatest challenge is encouraging residents to return to their historic communities and regain confidence in the future. In an interview with Vatican News, details of which were published by…