in History
Damascus rallies behind the caliphate
During the Second Fitna, Umayyad partisans defeated the supporters of rival caliph Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr near Damascus, cementing Umayyad control over Syria. The victory was crucial for the Umayyad dynasty, which relied on Syrian loyalty as the cornerstone of its power. With Damascus secured, the Umayyads could project strength across the Islamic world.
A revolutionary who survived the Gulag
Ruth Bonner was born into an era of revolutionary ferment. A committed Soviet Communist activist, she was swept up in Stalin's Great Purge and sentenced to eight years in a labor camp. Her survival and political legacy continued through her daughter Yelena Bonner, who became a prominent human rights activist and wife of Nobel laureate Andrei Sakharov.
Brojen Das from Bangladesh swims across the English Channel in a competition as the first Bengali and the first Asian.
Brojen Das from Bangladesh swims across the English Channel in a competition as the first Bengali and the first Asian to do so, placing first among the 39 competitors.