Europe

With Assad Down and Sanctions Lifted, Are Syrian Refugees Finally Being Pressed to Leave?

The startling decision by United States President Donald Trump to lift economic sanctions on Syria, coupled with the collapse of the Assad regime, could fundamentally reshape how the Syrian displaced population in Lebanon is managed – unless their permanent return to Syria remains excluded from the agreement being brokered among the key parties ...

Medical Cannabis: A Booming 'Made in Germany' Industry

In a secret location in Bavaria, a thick steel door hides a booming business in Germany: the production of cannabis-based medicines, fueled by some of the most liberal legislation in Europe. Wearing surgical caps, masks, gowns and blue medical gloves, employees at the start-up Cantourage transform dried cannabis flowers—sourced from more than ...

Ruling Party Tops Portugal Polls Marked by Far-Right Surge

Portugal's incumbent centre-right party won the most seats in the country's third general election in three years on Sunday but again fell short of a parliamentary majority, while support for the far-right Chega rose. The outcome threatens to extend political instability in the NATO and European Union member state as the bloc faces growing global ...

Iran Says Ready to Rebuild 'Mutual Trust' with Europe

Iran's top diplomat said Sunday his country was ready to rebuild trust with European powers considering whether to reimpose UN sanctions on the Islamic republic under a 2015 nuclear deal. "Iran is ready, should it observe genuine will and an independent approach from the European parties, to begin a new chapter in its relations with ...

From Power Ballads to Pyrotechnics: Europe Takes the Stage at Eurovision

In a blaze of laser lights, artists from 26 countries were preparing to rip the roof off at Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest final, the world's biggest live music television event. An estimated 160 million people across Europe and beyond are expected to tune in for the TV extravaganza, where kitsch, drama, pyrotechnics and histrionics take ...

Iran and European Powers Meet in Istanbul to Discuss Nuclear Talks with US

Iran met with European powers on Friday to discuss its nuclear negotiations with Washington, while US President Donald Trump issued a new threat unless the Iranians "move quickly" towards a deal. The meeting in Istanbul followed remarks by Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warning of "irreversible" consequences if Britain, France, and ...

Eurovision Returns to Switzerland: A Legacy of Song Evolution

Switzerland is hosting Eurovision for the third time, with the extravaganza a world away from when it staged the inaugural competition in 1956—and also from 1989 when Celine Dion starred. The 2025 edition on May 17 in Basel will draw an expected TV audience of around 160 million, with viewers worldwide casting their votes. Here is a look back ...

Iran, European Powers to Hold Nuclear Talks in Turkey  as Trump Says Deal Is ‘Getting Close’

  Iran is set to meet with Britain, France, and Germany in Turkey on Friday, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement that a nuclear deal with Tehran is “getting close.” The upcoming Istanbul talks come after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned of “irreversible” consequences if European ...

Markets rally after China, US slash tariffs

Stock markets, the dollar, and oil prices rallied Monday after the United States and China declared a 90-day truce in their trade war. At the opening bell in New York, the Dow jumped by 2.7 percent, the S&P 500 by 2.9 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite by 4.2 percent. "Stocks are surging, safe havens are rapidly ...

EU Unity Urged as Germany Enforces Border Controls on Migration

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen called Friday for migration to be tackled jointly by member states as she hosted new German leader Friedrich Merz, whose government has moved to turn back asylum seekers at its borders. "Migration is a common European challenge and it needs a common European solution," the commission president told a news conference ...

Beirut 1945: De Gaulle Is Near

Before becoming the leader of Free France, the founder of the Fifth Republic or the symbolic figure of Gaullism, Charles de Gaulle was an officer stationed in the Levant, where he lived, commanded, observed. Lebanon always held a special place in his worldview—a relationship shaped by history, war and a certain idea of France. Between 1929 and ...