united states

Iran-US: Fourth Round of Nuclear Talks Scheduled for This Weekend in Oman

A fourth round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States is expected to take place this weekend in the capital of Oman, with Iranian state media mentioning May 11 as a likely date. Iran's Nournews site was the first to report the resumption of nuclear talks between Iran and the US on Sunday, citing an anonymous source. Stating that the ...

Israel Intercepts Missile Launched from Yemen

Israel's military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen on Friday, with AFP journalists reporting explosions heard in the Jerusalem area. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the missile fire, which follows attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels, including a strike on Sunday on Israel's main airport. The Israeli ...

Where Things Stand in the US-China Trade War

US and Chinese officials meet this weekend in Geneva for their first formal talks aimed at resolving a grueling tit-for-tat tariff war that threatens hundreds of billions in trade and roils global markets and supply chains. AFP looks at how the trade row between the world's two economic superpowers is playing out. What Steps Have the Two Sides ...

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 ...

Reactions to the election of Pope Leo XIV

Worldwide reaction to the election of the new pope, the American Leo XIV, has been swift.   President Donald Trump on Thursday hailed the election of new Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff from the United States, as a "great honor" for the country. "Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It ...

Brussels Warns Trump: Tariffs on US Cars, Planes if No Deal Reached

The EU on Thursday threatened to target US cars and planes among a raft of products worth 95 billion euros ($107 billion) if negotiations with President Donald Trump's team fail to avert a trade war. The European Commission said it would, in parallel, file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over Trump's imposition of swingeing ...

Trump Announces US-UK Trade Agreement Amid Tariff Tensions

US President Donald Trump announced Thursday an agreement with Britain on trade, which would be the first such deal since he launched his global tariffs blitz. Trump provided no details about the scope of the agreement, which comes a month after he imposed sweeping tariffs on US trading partners on his April 2 "Liberation Day." "The agreement ...

France and the Oil Monarchies' Support for Ahmad al-Sharaa

More than ten key players, including states and militias, have been present for many years on Syrian soil: the Syrian army, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Hezbollah, Russia, the Turkish and American armies in the northwest of the country, the Kurds of Rojava, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) led by Commander Mazloum Abdi, a former member of ...

What Trump’s 'Good News' Could Mean for the Middle East

Don't listen to what he says if you want to understand how foreign policy works under Donald Trump in 2025. Watch who gets fired, what trip doesn’t happen, and where the “very good news” is going to land. Because when President Trump teased an “earth-shattering” announcement ahead of his May 13 Middle East visit—skipping Israel in ...

Lebanon Among World’s Most Expensive Destinations for Remittances

Lebanon continues to rank among the costliest countries for receiving money transfers, with recent data highlighting the financial strain on expatriates sending money home. In the third quarter of 2024, the average cost of transferring $500 from the United States to Lebanon rose to $31.23, representing 6.25% of the amount sent. This marks an ...

US VP Declares Iran Nuclear Talks on 'Right Pathway'

US Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that talks on Iran's nuclear program are heading in the right direction, saying Tehran can have civil nuclear power but not enrichment that can lead to atomic weapons. "We're on the right pathway," Vance told the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington. "We don't care if people want nuclear power. We're ...