united states

Trump Announces Food Distribution Centers for Gaza

President Donald Trump announced Monday that the United States will soon set up food distribution centers in war-ravaged Gaza, citing signs of a “real famine.” In the meantime, international agencies have begun delivering aid to the Palestinian territory, taking advantage of a limited pause in hostilities announced Sunday by Israel. However, ...

The Politics of Frozen Conflicts and Their Antidotes 

Paradoxically enough, the strategic contexts throughout the Middle and Near East extending between Iran and Gaza are in a state of volatility, and none of the security issues at stake have been addressed in a conclusive manner — or were ever meant to be. After the consecutive defeats that have unraveled the strategic and political realms of ...

EU, US strike 'biggest-ever' trade deal

he United States and European Union on Sunday clinched what President Donald Trump described as the "biggest-ever" deal to resolve a transatlantic tariff stand-off that threatened to explode into a full-blown trade war. Trump emerged from a high-stakes meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at his golf resort in ...

Israel and Hezbollah Tighten the Noose Around the Lebanese Government

President Joseph Aoun’s statement that he is holding talks with Hezbollah over its weapons and that negotiations are progressing slowly was especially noteworthy. Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Joumblatt’s remarks were equally notable, as he called on Hezbollah to give up its heavy weaponry, deeming it ineffective in confronting ...

11 Injured at Walmart Store Stabbing in Us State of Michigan

At least 11 people were injured in a stabbing at a Walmart store in the Midwestern state of Michigan on Saturday, with police saying it appeared to be a random attack. A 42-year-old male suspect was in custody, Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea told a press conference. "Based on the information that we have at this time, it appears ...

US Criticizes French Release of Jailed Georges Abdallah

The United States on Saturday criticized the release from a French prison of pro-Palestinian Lebanese Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, who spent more than 40 years behind bars for the killings of two diplomats, one of them American. Abdallah was detained in 1984 and sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for his involvement in the murders of US military ...

Hamas Rejects Trump Remarks on Gaza Talks Breakdown

Hamas officials expressed surprise on Saturday at US President Donald Trump's accusation that the group "didn't really want" a ceasefire and hostage release deal for Gaza. Trump made the allegation on Friday, a day after Israel and the United States quit indirect negotiations with Hamas in Qatar that had lasted nearly three weeks. "Trump's ...

Top US Justice Official Questions Epstein Accomplice for 2nd Day

The US Justice Department's deputy chief conducted a second day of questioning Friday with Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned accomplice of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whose infamous case has dragged President Donald Trump into a political firestorm. Todd Blanche, who is also Trump's former personal attorney, has so far declined to ...

Trump Puts EU Trade Deal Odds at 50/50 Ahead of Von der Leyen Meeting

Donald Trump said Friday there was a 50 percent chance of a trade deal with the European Union as the bloc's chief, Ursula von der Leyen, announced a weekend meeting with the US president. In an attempt to slash his country's trade deficits, Trump has vowed to hit dozens of countries with punitive tariff hikes if they do not hammer out a pact ...

Senior ISIS Leader Killed in US Raid in Syria's Aleppo Province

American forces killed an Islamic State group leader in a raid in Syria's Aleppo province on Friday, the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said. The raid resulted "in the death of senior ISIS leader, Dhiya Zawba Muslih al-Hardani, and his two adult ISIS-affiliated sons," CENTCOM said in a statement, using an acronym for the jihadist ...

Reluctant Settlements with No Preconditions

Lebanon is in a position few would envy in the current round of settlements. This situation does not stem from a government crisis, but from the dominance of a single party. Had the state itself been responsible for the decisions that brought us here, the outcome—though difficult—might have been more acceptable. Unfortunately, Lebanon is now ...

Iran Meets European Powers Amid Threats of UN Sanctions Snap Back  

Iranian diplomats met counterparts from Germany, Britain and France on Friday for renewed nuclear talks, amid warnings that the three European powers could trigger "snap back" sanctions outlined under the 2015 deal. The meeting in Istanbul was the first since Israel's mid-June attack on Iran, which sparked a 12-day war and targeted ...