This is Beirut 17/03 15:19 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Germany on Monday kicked off a new pledging round of aid for Syria, as the EU hosted a donor drive for the war-torn country after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. For the first time, the Syrian authorities will be represented at the annual conference in Brussels -- with interim foreign minister Assaad al-Shibani attending. Western and regional ...
This is Beirut 17/03 12:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
The Vatican on Sunday released the first photograph of Pope Francis since the 88-year-old pontiff was admitted more than a month ago to hospital for pneumonia in both lungs. The photo shows the pope, bare-headed, seated in a wheelchair and wearing a white robe and purple shawl, in front of a simple altar with a crucifix on the wall. Taken from ...
This is Beirut 17/03 09:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Donald Trump Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky
US President Donald Trump says he plans to speak to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday about ending the war in Ukraine, adding discussions are already ongoing about "dividing up certain assets" between the warring parties. US officials had expressed optimism Sunday that a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire deal could be reached in weeks ...
Michel Touma 17/03 09:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
USA Donald Trump Gulf Hezbollah Houthi
There are times when one must confront reality and acknowledge the truth, however harsh it may be. In certain parts of the MENA region and the Gulf, specific politico-sociological factions — shaped by a distinct mindset — remain entrenched in rigid denial. The well-known “ostrich policy,” in other words. This is particularly evident in the ...
This is Beirut 17/03 09:17 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels claimed on Monday to have twice attacked an American aircraft carrier group within 24 hours, calling it retaliation for deadly US strikes. The Huthis initially said they launched 18 missiles and a drone at the "aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman and its accompanying warships" in the Red Sea, before ...
Charles Chartouni 17/03 09:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Lebanon is still dealing with the imponderables and equivocations of a very tentative peace process. The drama lies at the very heart of the transition process and the absence of a consensual approach to the problems besetting it. Initially, the ongoing actors have failed to acknowledge the nature of the transformative process and its strategic ...
This is Beirut 17/03 05:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
United States Venezuela El Salvador Justice Gangs
The United States flew over 200 alleged members of a Venezuelan gang to be imprisoned in El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele said Sunday, after US counterpart Donald Trump controversially invoked wartime legislation to expel them. The deportations took place despite a US federal judge granting a temporary suspension of the expulsions order, ...
This is Beirut 16/03 23:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Hezbollah Baalbeck Lebanese Army Lebanese Red Cross Baalbeck
The Lebanese-Syrian border saw heightened security tensions on Sunday evening. The Syrian Ministry of Defense reported that Hezbollah members from Lebanon crossed the border into the Homs region and killed three Syrian soldiers. According to the ministry, Hezbollah subsequently brought the bodies back to Lebanese territory. The ministry also ...
This is Beirut 16/03 22:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Volodymyr Zelensky Kyiv Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has replaced the chief of the general staff of the armed forces, according to a decree issued on Sunday, as Kyiv’s frontline troops continue to face challenges. According to a communiqué, Anatoliy Bargylevych has been replaced by Andriy Gnatov, who “has been tasked with increasing the efficiency of the ...
This is Beirut 16/03 20:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Israel Shin Bet Ronen Bar Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday informed the head of the Shin Bet, the country's internal security agency, that he will ask the government to dismiss him. Netanyahu and Shin Bet agency chief Ronen Bar have been engaged in a public spat in recent weeks over reforms to the agency, which has been accused of failing to prevent the ...
This is Beirut 16/03 20:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Yemen Houthi Movement United States USS Harry S. Truman
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed on Monday to have twice attacked an American aircraft carrier group within 24 hours, calling it retaliation for deadly US strikes. The Houthis initially said they launched 18 missiles and a drone at the "aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman and its accompanying warships" in the Red Sea, before ...
This is Beirut 16/03 19:56 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Israel said its negotiating team was discussing the hostage issue with Egyptian mediators on Sunday, as deep divisions persist between Israel and Hamas over the terms of a fragile ceasefire in Gaza. Mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, the initial phase of the ceasefire took effect on January 19, largely halting more than 15 months of ...