This is Beirut - Middle East

Geopolitical Variations and Political Challenges

Charles Chartouni, 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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The past week was replete with events that cannot be overlooked if we are to address critical conflicts around the world: the death of Pope Francis and its reverberations ; the evolutions of the Ukraine war ; the ultimate scope of the US-Iranian negotiations; the shifting facades of Turkey’s Islamic authoritarianism; and the normalization ...

Conflicts spur 'unprecedented' rise in military spending

This is Beirut, 08:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Europe Israel Middle East Palestine Ukraine

Worldwide military expenditure saw its steepest rise in 2024 since the end of the Cold War, reaching $2.7 trillion as wars and rising tensions drove up spending, researchers said Monday. Military spending rose worldwide with particularly large increases in Europe and the Middle East, according to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace ...

Servant of the World: The Heavy Mantle Facing the Next Pope

Marie de La Roche Saint-André, 24/04 21:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

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Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, a conclave is set to convene in early May to elect his successor as the leader of the Catholic Church. The 267th pope will face formidable challenges in continuing the mission of this 2,000-year-old institution and spreading the message of Jesus. This responsibility is particularly daunting in a ...

Gold: The Unsteady Safe Haven

Christiane Tager, 24/04 15:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Middle East

Christiane Tager Since the beginning of the year, gold has been on a rollercoaster ride, swinging between sharp rallies and sudden pullbacks. On April 22, gold soared more than 2% in a single day—only to face an unexpected correction less than 24 hours later. This dramatic back-and-forth raises a pressing question: what’s happening in ...

Netanyahu Slams Iran, Hamas as Israel Commemorates the Holocaust

This is Beirut, 23/04 22:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking Wednesday at an annual Holocaust commemoration, said Iran was an existential threat and warned that "the fate of all humanity" was at stake if it acquired nuclear arms. Netanyahu was speaking at the start of Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which commemorates the murder of six million Jews ...

In Washington, Morgan Ortagus Praises President Joseph Aoun’s Leadership

This is Beirut, 23/04 10:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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At a reception held on Tuesday at the Lebanese Embassy in Washington, Morgan Ortagus, Deputy Special Envoy of US President Donald Trump for the Middle East, reaffirmed the Trump administration’s focus on the region and delivered a strong message of support for Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. A Tribute to President Aoun In her remarks, Ortagus ...

Iranian Foreign Minister to Visit China on Tuesday

This is Beirut, 21/04 11:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to visit China on Tuesday, the ministry said, ahead of a third round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States. The visit to China, which was a signatory to a since-abandoned 2015 nuclear agreement that reined in Tehran's nuclear programme, was announced by foreign ministry spokesman ...

Iranian Press Trumpet Strength in Ongoing US Talks

This is Beirut, 20/04 15:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iranian media portray Tehran as holding a strong position after Saturday's nuclear talks with the United States, ahead of further discussions in Oman in the coming days. "Iran's military might has forced America to negotiate," headlines the Kayhan newspaper, whose editorial line has long opposed any compromise or negotiations with the United ...

The Sacred Fire Arrives in Lebanon: A Beacon of Faith and Unity

This is Beirut, 19/04 20:55 - Reading : less than a minute

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The Sacred Fire, originating from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, passed through Jordan before arriving at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut. Its first stop on Lebanese soil was the Saint Dimitrios Church in Ashrafieh. This symbolic journey, illuminated by divine light, brings together Christian communities across the ...

Iran: Diplomacy on the Edge of Collapse

Paul Guillot, 17/04 21:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Speaking from Tehran on Thursday, April 17, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, warned that “time is running out” to reach a new agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. His visit comes at a tense moment, with European diplomatic efforts largely sidelined and fears of military confrontation ...

Le Figaro: Network Supplying Hezbollah With Drone Manufacturing Equipment Dismantled

This Is Beirut, 12/04 11:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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A European network that has been supplying Hezbollah with equipment needed to manufacture hundreds of drones has been dismantled, French daily Le Figaro said in a report published Friday evening. The newspaper noted that "the most significant event between the summer of 2024 and last week was the dismantling of Hezbollah's logistical support ...

Hamas Leadership Operating Behind Veil of Secrecy

This is Beirut, 10/04 09:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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After Israel killed a string of its leaders, Hamas anointed new commanders to top ranks, this time shrouding their identities in secrecy to protect them from assassination. Israel vowed to crush Hamas in retaliation for the October 7 attack, launching a blistering offensive in Gaza that has massively weakened the movement while reducing much of ...

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