Layers of Lies

Persian Heritage, #111, Spring 2024 —  Returning to Iran after many years in exile in Finland, Sam (Ramin Sohrab) finds that he has not yet escaped his past. A shady figure kidnaps... Read more »

Norooz: The Iranian (Persian) New Year

David N. Rahni —  Persian Heritage, #111, Spring 2024 —  Norooz, commemorating the New Year, has been celebrated in Iran, formerly Persia, throughout nearly three millennia of its recorded history. Norooz begins at the vernal equinox, the first... Read more »

Homa — or Bearded Vulture

Persian Heritage, #111, Spring 2024 —  Footage circulates on social media purportedly showing the sighting of a bird similar to “Homa,” or Bird of Saadat in the Alborz Highlands. This bird, which... Read more »

Problems Facing Iran in the Persian New Year

Shahrokh Ahkami —  Persian Heritage, #111, Spring 2024 —  Norouz-e Bastani, the ancient Persian New Year, marks the beginning of a new year for nature, the awakening and the staying awake of... Read more »

An audible sigh of relief in the Middle East

BBC — The latest round in the region’s most dangerous rivalry appears to be over, for now. Israel still has not officially acknowledged that the attack in Iran in the early hours... Read more »

Oil price eases as Iran downplays attack

BBC — Oil and gold prices have eased after Iranian authorities appeared to downplay reports of an attack from Israel. Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell after jumping briefly to over $90 a barrel... Read more »

White House says plans to address causes of migration show results

VOA — WASHINGTON — The White House’s strategy for curbing migration to the United States from Central America zeroes in on job creation, economic investment and support for human rights. Biden administration... Read more »

Israel conducts airstrike in Iran, US media say, citing Israeli, US officials

VOA — WASHINGTON — Israel carried out a predawn aerial strike inside Iran on Friday, local time, U.S. media cited unnamed Israeli and U.S. officials as saying. The overnight incident was the... Read more »

Gallup: Confidence in US institutions continues to decline

VOA — Public confidence in the U.S. government, judiciary and military has plummeted, placing the country behind most other Group of Seven (G7) nations, according to a new Gallup analysis. Approximately 68%... Read more »

NASA chief warns of Chinese military presence in space

VOA — WASHINGTON — China is bolstering its space capabilities and is using its civilian program to mask its military objectives, the head of the U.S. space agency said Wednesday, warning that... Read more »