Johnny Kortbawi, 25/07 15:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hezbollah Israel United States Tom Barrack
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 ...
This is Beirut, 25/07 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
United Nations Israel Tehran United States 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 ...
This is Beirut, 25/07 05:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
United States Israel Palestine Gaza France
The United States "strongly" rejected on Thursday French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state, calling it a "reckless" decision that undermines peace. “This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th,” declared U.S. Secretary of ...
This is Beirut, 24/07 22:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Damascus's top diplomat Asaad al-Shaibani is set to meet an Israeli minister on Thursday in Paris to discuss recent sectarian violence in Syria's south that had drawn in Israel's military, a senior diplomat told AFP. The US-brokered talks would be the first ministerial meeting between the new Syrian authorities and Israel. The two ...
This is Beirut, 24/07 17:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
United Nations Palestine Hamas Israel United States
The United Nations said Thursday it does not know how many aid consignments are currently in Gaza awaiting distribution, as it has not been authorized by Israel to be present at the crossing points. The Israeli military denied on Wednesday that it was blocking humanitarian aid and claimed that 950 trucks were in Gaza waiting for international ...
This is Beirut, 24/07 12:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
European Union Tariffs United States
EU states on Thursday approved a 93-billion-euro ($109-billion) package of counter-tariffs on US goods that would kick in from August 7 if talks with the United States fail, European diplomats said. US President Donald Trump blind sided the European Union this month when he threatened a 30-percent levy on EU goods unless the two sides reach a ...
This is Beirut, 24/07 10:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Donald Trump United States Tariffs Trade
Japan and the Philippines bring to five the number of countries that have concluded trade deals with the United States ahead of an August 1 deadline set by President Donald Trump to avoid punitive tariff rates. The agreed levies are often higher than the new base rate of 10 percent that the United States has applied to most countries since April ...
This is Beirut, 24/07 10:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Columbia United States Donald Trump
Columbia University said Wednesday it will pay $200 million to the US government after President Donald Trump threatened to pull federal funding over what he said was its unwillingness to protect Jewish students. In a sweeping deal that will restore the prestigious New York institution's federal monies, Columbia has pledged to obey rules that bar ...
Salam El Zaatari, 24/07 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
United States Lebanon Syria Hezbollah Israel
By now, we should know that when the Middle East falls silent, it’s rarely a good sign. As if history itself were pausing for breath, the region today is locked in what I call a “violent pause”—not peace, not war, but something infinitely more dangerous: indecision. The past six months have redrawn the map of alliances and threats, but ...
Marc Saikali, 24/07 08:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon United States Tom Barrack Hezbollah
Tom Barrack left exactly as he came, with the same uncertainties and delays. The American envoy must have been tearing his hair out (figuratively speaking) at the careless attitude he observed. The hot potato of disarmament has officially been passed on. “It’s an internal matter. The United States does not negotiate with an organization they ...
This is Beirut, 24/07 05:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Barack Obama Donald Trump United States
The White House pulled out all the stops Wednesday to promote claims that Barack Obama headed a "treasonous conspiracy" against Donald Trump, seeking to redirect public attention from uproar over its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein affair. Trump's intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard told a White House press briefing there had been a ...
This is Beirut, 23/07 21:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Tehran United States Iran Nuclear
A delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency will visit Iran within two to three weeks, an Iranian official said Wednesday, adding that the group will not have access to the country's nuclear sites. "We have agreed, actually, to accept a delegation of the IAEA, a technical delegation, to pay a visit to Iran very soon, in two to three ...