BEIRUT – The Syrian government launched new airstrikes Saturday on insurgent-held neighborhoods in Aleppo while rebels shelled government-held parts of the northern city, as a truce in other parts of the country appeared to be holding.
Contested Aleppo has been the scene of intense shelling and air raids, killing nearly 250 civilians over the past nine days. The surge in fighting has caused the collapse of a two-month cease-fire brokered by the U.S. and Russia. It also has raised fears of an all-out government assault on Aleppo.
JERUSALEM – Thousands of Christians gathered Saturday in Jerusalem for an ancient fire ceremony that celebrates Jesus’ resurrection.
In a ritual dating back at least 1,200 years, they crowded into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christian tradition holds that Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.
During the annual ceremony, top Eastern Orthodox clerics enter the Edicule, the small chamber marking the site of Jesus’ tomb.
They then emerge to reveal candles said to be miraculously lit with “holy fire” as a message to the faithful from heaven.
Associated Press
