united states

Macron Declares July 12 Annual Dreyfus Commemoration Day

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday declared July 12 a French day of national commemoration for Alfred Dreyfus, a French army captain wrongly convicted of treason in 1894 in a notorious act of antisemitism. "From now on, there will be a commemoration ceremony every July 12 for Dreyfus, for the victory of justice and the truth ...

Trump Announces 30% Tariffs on EU and Mexican Imports

Donald Trump announced on Saturday the imposition of 30% tariffs on products imported into the United States from the European Union and Mexico, a new escalation amid ongoing negotiations ahead of the August 1 deadline, which has raised alarm across Europe. The U.S. president justified the decision in a new letter published on his Truth Social ...

Syrian-Israeli Relations: The Emergence of Complex Dialogue

A significant shift is unfolding in the Middle East's diplomatic landscape as dialogue between Syria and Israel begins to take shape. This budding interaction has garnered substantial international attention, particularly as the United States and the United Arab Emirates assume pivotal roles as facilitators. Tom Barrack, the US Ambassador to ...

Over 1,300 State Department Employees Laid Off in Trump Government Downsizing

The US State Department began laying off more than 1,300 employees on Friday as part of President Donald Trump's campaign to massively downsize the federal government workforce. A State Department official said 1,107 members of the civil service and 246 Foreign Service employees were being informed that they were being fired. The layoffs at ...

Cabinet Approves New Administrative, Judicial Appointments

The Council of Ministers approved several administrative and judicial appointments during a regular session convened on Friday at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, chaired by President of the Republic Joseph Aoun.  The Cabinet appointed Judge Maher Shaito as the new Financial Public Prosecutor. Mazen Soueid was appointed Chairman of the ...

Trump Says Canada To Face 35% Tariff Rate Starting August

Canada will face a 35 percent tariff on exports to the United States starting August 1, President Donald Trump said Thursday in a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney. It was the latest of more than 20 such letters issued by Trump since Monday, as he continues to pursue his trade war threats against dozens of economies. Canada and the US are ...

From Nasser to Khamenei: The End of Resistance Politics in the Middle East

For decades, the Palestinian cause served as both a rallying banner and a political tool, used by leaders from Cairo to Tehran not always to uplift Palestinians, but to build empires. Radicalism on the Palestinian issue was once a measure of legitimacy for Middle Eastern leaders. Now, something is shifting. With Arab states striking deals with ...

Trump Pushes Japan to Import More American Rice, a Major Political Challenge for Tokyo

Donald Trump’s demand that Japan, described as “spoiled”, buy more American rice is creating additional pressure for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is already facing a tough election that could bring his time in office to an end after less than a year. Japan is one of more than 20 countries receiving letters this week from the US ...

Brazil, Trump up the Ante in Row Over Bolsonaro Coup Trial

Brazil and the United States escalated their row Wednesday over President Donald Trump's support for coup-accused ex-leader Jair Bolsonaro, with the American president slapping a 50 percent tariff on one of its main steel suppliers. Leftist Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva threatened to reciprocate. Trump has strongly ...

US Sanctions UN Rights Expert for Palestinian Territories

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday announced Washington was sanctioning the United Nations special expert on the Palestinian territories, following her criticism of Washington policy on Gaza. "Today I am imposing sanctions on UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her illegitimate and shameful efforts ...