Today’s news briefs include Christian palace in Bahrain; LeBron James at Olympics; Netanyahu and Congress; Biden 1-minute warning.
First Christian building discovered in Bahrain
Archaeologists have discovered the earliest Christian structure in the Gulf states. It is significant as the community disappeared after Islam swept the area and left little to posterity. The find reveals the first physical evidence of the Church of the East, also known as the Nestorian Church, in Bahrain. Researchers from the University of Exeter and the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities have found the structure that is believed to be a palace belonging to a bishop and dates back to between the mid-fourth and mid-eighth centuries, as confirmed by radiocarbon dating, announced the university on its website. The presence of multiple Christian symbols and artifacts, such as plaster crosses and early Christian symbols like Chi-Rho and a fish scratched into plaster, further solidifies the Christian identity of its inhabitants, reports the Christian Post.
LeBron James Olympic flag-bearer
LeBron James has been picked by his fellow U.S. Olympians to serve as the male flagbearer for the Americans in Friday night’s opening ceremony for the Paris Games. He becomes the third basketball player — and the first men’s player — to carry the U.S. flag at the start of an Olympics, joining Dawn Staley for the Athens Games in 2004 and Sue Bird for the Tokyo Games that happened in 2021, according to the AP. “It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on this global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together,” James said.
Netanyahu departs for speech before Congress
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has departed Israel for his address to Congress on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Eastern. He was invited by a bi-partisan group including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), and the Senate’s majority and minority leaders who stated the invite “symbolizes the U.S. and Israel’s enduring relationship and will offer Prime Minister Netanyahu the opportunity to share the Israeli government’s vision for defending their democracy, combating terror, and establishing just and lasting peace in the region,” they said in June. The speech will mark the fourth time the Israeli premier has addressed the legislatures, a record for a foreign leader.
Biden gave top staff 1-minute warning
The BBC reports that President Joe Biden gave his top staff just one minute notice before announcing he was ending his campaign. “He said he had been reflecting on it over the past couple of days,” a senior White House official told the BBC. “It was a closely-held decision.” He becomes the first sitting president to withdraw from a race since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968 — a move that shook the Democratic Party and set up the grueling Chicago convention. Biden endorsed Vice President Harris. Polls continue to show Trump leading Harris and Harris and Kennedy if it were a three-way race.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice and wire services