This is Beirut, 08:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Damascus European Union US Treasury USA
Syrian authorities said Wednesday they had reached a settlement with Mohammad Hamsho, a prominent businessman accused of ties to Bashar al-Assad's rule and of profiting from the country's war, their first such announcement since taking power. Two sources told AFP that Hamsho, a former lawmaker, had benefited from links to Qatar, a key ...
Salam El Zaatari, 04/01 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon Nawaf Salam European Union Gulf Hezbollah Syria
Entering 2026, Syria and Lebanon stand at an inflection point along the region’s active fault line. While both nations shook off paralysis at roughly the same time a year ago, neither has become truly stable. What separates them is the nature of the risks they face in the near and medium-term as the Middle East undergoes uneasy post-war ...
This is Beirut, 2025-12-31 15:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Israel European Union Hamas United Nations Gaza NGO
Israel has said that 37 aid organizations will be banned from operating in Gaza starting on Thursday unless they comply with its new guidelines requiring detailed information on Palestinian staff. "They refuse to provide lists of their Palestinian employees because they know, just as we know, that some of them are involved in terrorism or linked ...
This is Beirut, 2025-12-15 19:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
UN Security Council Lebanon European Union Hezbollah Israel Rajji
Speaking at the Lebanon–European Union Partnership Council meeting in Brussels on Monday, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said the full implementation of the decision to restrict the bearing of arms in Lebanon exclusively to the state should be completed by the end of 2026, with the first phase expected to be completed by the end of this ...
Mario Chartouni, 2025-12-09 20:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Damascus European Union Washington Russia Syria ISIS
In the narrative promoted by Moscow and Damascus, Russia and Bashar al-Assad’s regime are credited with delivering the decisive blow against ISIS in Syria. This account frames Russia’s military intervention, which began in September 2015, as the turning point in the fight against the terrorist group. Yet, a closer look at the data paints a ...
Bassam Abou Zeid, 2025-12-09 18:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Israel United States UNIFIL France European Union
Through Jean Yves Le Drian and the French military team in Lebanon, France has informed Lebanon’s political and military leadership that it is ready to take charge of an international force to be stationed south of the Litani River once UNIFIL pulls out at the end of 2026. The message added that Paris is working to rally backing for this ...
This is Beirut, 2025-12-08 19:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Nawaf Salam Emmanuel Macron UN Security Council Lebanon European Union Nabih Berry Jean-Yves Le Drian Le Drian France Israel
President Joseph Aoun told French special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian on Monday that Lebanon is open to an enhanced French role within the framework of the “Mechanism Committee,” stressing that any such involvement must support the committee’s core negotiation goals. During the meeting at Baabda Palace, Aoun outlined ...
This is Beirut, 2025-12-08 15:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
European Union Lebanon Hezbollah
The European Union is examining ways to reinforce Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF) so the Lebanese army can focus on disarming Hezbollah, according to an EU diplomatic document seen by Reuters. The confidential paper, circulated among the 27 EU member states, outlines consultations with Lebanese authorities and a scoping mission ...
This is Beirut, 2025-12-01 18:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Europe European Union Porcelain Tweed Culture
Traditional crafts, from French Limoges porcelain to Irish Donegal tweed, became entitled to EU protected status as of Monday, placing them on par with agricultural products such as Champagne and Parma ham. Europe’s glassblowers, potters, jewellers, and other artisans will now be able to register their product names under the bloc’s new ...
This is Beirut, 2025-11-19 12:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
An EU court on Wednesday rejected an Amazon challenge against the bloc's digital content law, confirming that the tech giant must comply with its strict rules. Amazon was seeking to overturn its designation as a "very large online platform," which is subject to tougher rules than smaller players under the European Union's behemoth Digital ...
This is Beirut, 2025-11-17 16:12 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Volodymyr Zelensky Ukraine Emmanuel Macron European Union
France's President Emmanuel Macron and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday signed an accord for Kyiv to acquire up to 100 fighter jets and other hardware, including drones, in a boost for Ukraine as it fights Russia's invasion. Delivery of the Rafale fighter jets, the crown jewel of French combat aviation, is only ...
This is Beirut, 2025-11-14 09:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
European Union USA Google Fine Advertising
Google on Friday announced changes to its advertising services to avert the risk of a breakup, two months after Brussels hit the US giant with a massive fine. The European Commission slapped a 2.95-billion-euro ($3.43 billion) antitrust fine on Google for favoring its own services in September, giving the company 60 days to resolve the issues ...