Middle East

​​​​​​​Foot-and-Mouth Disease: Lebanon’s Livestock Under Pressure as a Health Emergency Takes Hold

Makram Haddad, 08:50 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Europe Middle East Foot-and-mouth disease

Nearly two-thirds of the country’s cattle are believed to be infected with a fast-spreading viral fever that slashes milk production and devastates farmers. Veterinarians describe the outbreak as “extremely dangerous but not transmissible to humans”, yet it lays bare the weaknesses of Lebanon’s preventive systems—at a time when another ...

Seeing Is Believing: Army Unveils Realities South of the Litani

Natasha Metni Torbey, 16/12 17:23 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Middle East United Nations

On Monday in southern Litani, the Lebanese army went beyond a routine field visit, staging a carefully orchestrated tour for its ambassadors, chargés d’affaires, and military attachés to showcase its operations.  From the sector command in the southern city of Tyre, the army’s commander-in-chief, General Rodolph Haykal, outlined to foreign ...

Financial Gap Threatens Depositors Amid Government Inaction

Nadia al-Hallak for Houna Loubnan, 13/12 20:12 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Banks Central Bank of Lebanon Banque du Liban Middle East

Amid ongoing government debates over the draft law addressing the financial shortfall and the fate of deposits, concern is growing within economic and banking circles over the plan’s potential direction. Each new draft leak highlights a deep disagreement—over how losses should be allocated and the extent of the burden the state must shoulder ...

Lebanon and the Vatican: A Centuries-Old Bond

Rayan Chami, 30/11 09:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Pope Francis Middle East Vatican

Lebanon and the Vatican share a relationship that predates modern diplomacy by nearly a millennium. One is a Mediterranean nation long defined by religious diversity; the other, the global center of the Catholic Church. Yet together, these two small states have forged a partnership with influence far beyond their size spiritually, culturally, and ...

Kurds at a Crossroads as Middle East Shifts

Seth J. Frantzman , 25/11 21:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Kurds Middle East Syria ISIS Iraq

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi’s November 19 trip to the autonomous Kurdistan region of northern Iraq was an important moment, underscoring that Kurdish leaders now appear to understand the importance of cooperation amid sweeping changes in the region. Abdi—a close partner of the US military in Syria who spent ...

Leo XIV: Leading the Church with Simplicity

Mario Chartouni, 20/11 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Pope Francis Lebanon Middle East Peru

When white smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel on May 8, 2025, the world was introduced to Robert Francis Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV. At 69, the Chicago-born cleric became the first pope from the United States, a choice that surprised Vatican observers. Considered an unlikely candidate due to his nationality, Prevost was nonetheless ...

Iran: The Swan Song!

Marc Saikali, 20/11 08:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Middle East

Some regimes govern with ideas; others thrive on chaos. Iran is clearly in the latter camp, lighting fires across the Middle East while hoping the smoke will hide its failures. Since 1982, Tehran has treated Lebanon—and its political-military proxy, Hezbollah—like a live grenade waved during negotiations: always a threat, never a plan. For ...

Nuclear Partnership and F-35 Sale Cement Saudi Arabia’s New Non-NATO Ally Status

This is Beirut, 19/11 09:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia Israel Middle East Mohammed bin Salman Donald Trump

The United States and Saudi Arabia announced a series of significant agreements spanning civil nuclear cooperation, advanced weapons sales, and strategic defense coordination during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s high-profile visit to the White House. The meetings marked the Saudi leader’s first official White House visit in more than ...

Trump and MBS Seal Major Economic and Military Partnerships

This is Beirut, 18/11 18:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Gulf Israel Middle East Palestine

Donald Trump received Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) on Tuesday with full protocol honors, marking his first visit to Washington since 2018. The U.S. president and the de facto leader of the Saudi kingdom made multiple announcements during a joint press conference, covering massive investments, the sale of advanced weaponry, and ...

Sale of F-35s to Riyadh: A New Test for U.S. Alliances in the Middle East

Mario Chartouni, 18/11 14:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Middle East Donald Trump Israel Saudi Arabia Mohammed ben Salman US

On the eve of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington, Donald Trump announced Monday his intention to approve the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. “We are going to sell F-35s,” the president declared from the White House, praising ties with Riyadh and describing the kingdom as “a great ally.” The announcement ...

Red Carpet and Big Deals: Trump Welcomes MBS to Washington

This is Beirut, 18/11 09:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Gulf Israel Middle East Palestine MBS

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will receive a lavish welcome from US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, signing defense and nuclear deals during his first visit to the United States since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump is expected to roll out the red carpet for the prince with a fly-by, cannon fire, and a gala dinner ...

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