Middle East

Rice for Sustainable Housing
VideosRice for Sustainable Housing

In southern Kyrgyzstan, rice waste is changing the way people build. In Kyzyl-Kiya and Batken, homes made from rice husk blocks are lowering building costs, keeping families warm in winter and turning farm leftovers into the future of sustainable construction.

France's Macron Kicks Off Pomp-Filled UK State Visit
France's Macron Kicks Off Pomp-Filled UK State Visit

French President Emmanuel Macron began a three-day state visit to Britain on Tuesday which will see him address parliament and try to rekindle a purportedly warm relationship with King Charles III. Macron and his wife Brigitte were greeted off the presidential plane at an air base northwest of London by heir-to-the-throne Prince William and his ...

Has America Reversed Itself on Hezbollah?
Op-edHas America Reversed Itself on Hezbollah?

US Envoy to Syria and Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack has reversed three decades of US policy by no longer labeling Hezbollah a terrorist organization. The shift de-internationalizes the issue of the Iranian proxy militia, whose disarmament is mandated by UN Security Council resolutions and the November ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and ...

Europe in Crisis: Heatwaves, Fires and Storms Batter the Continent
Europe in Crisis: Heatwaves, Fires and Storms Batter the Continent

Authorities across southern and central Europe scrambled Tuesday to respond to a deadly mix of heatwaves, wildfires, and severe storms as soaring temperatures and extreme weather battered multiple countries from Greece to Spain. In Greece, the Acropolis in Athens was partially closed for safety reasons amid a four-day heatwave, with temperatures ...

Iran President Faces Backlash Over 'Soft' US Stance
Iran President Faces Backlash Over 'Soft' US Stance

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian came under fire Tuesday after voicing support for renewed talks with the United States, with critics accusing him of being "too soft" in the wake of last month's attacks on the country. The backlash followed the release of an interview with US media personality Tucker Carlson, in which Pezeshkian said Iran had ...

Red Sea Cargo Ship Under Continuous Attack Off Yemen (Monitor)
Red Sea Cargo Ship Under Continuous Attack Off Yemen (Monitor)

A cargo ship has been under attack in the volatile Red Sea since Monday after losing power and suffering major damage, a maritime monitor said on Tuesday. "The vessel has sustained significant damage and has lost all propulsion. The vessel is surrounded by small craft and is under continuous attack," the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations ...

Tripoli of the Levant and the Challenges of Regional Maps
Op-edTripoli of the Levant and the Challenges of Regional Maps

Israel is keenly aware that the Middle East’s numerous religious minorities harbor deep-rooted anxieties. As for the religious majority—namely, the Sunni community—its historical perspective is shaped less by the framework of modern nation-states and more through the prism of empire, inherited from the Ottoman era and substantially ...

Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Negotiations Resume as Trump Pushes For Deal
Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Negotiations Resume as Trump Pushes For Deal

Indirect negotiations on a Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas resumed in Qatar on Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a deal to end the war. "Indirect negotiations are continuing this morning in Doha, with a fourth meeting being held... the discussions are still focused on the ...

Five Israeli Soldiers Killed in Gaza: Military
Five Israeli Soldiers Killed in Gaza: Military

Five Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in the northern Gaza Strip, Israel's military said on Tuesday, as Israel and Hamas held indirect talks in Qatar on an elusive ceasefire. Two of the soldiers "fell during combat in the northern Gaza Strip", the Israeli military said in a statement, adding that three others were killed and two severely ...

Airport Operations Restored After Cairo Telecom Blaze Disrupts Internet
Airport Operations Restored After Cairo Telecom Blaze Disrupts Internet

A major fire erupted at a key telecommunications hub in the Egyptian capital on Monday, the Cairo governorate said in a statement, causing significant phone and internet disruption. The health ministry said in a statement that 14 people had been injured in the fire. The blaze began on the seventh floor of the historic 10-storey telephone ...

Bulgaria to Get Final Green Light to Adopt Euro in 2026
Bulgaria to Get Final Green Light to Adopt Euro in 2026

EU ministers are set to give the final green light on Tuesday for Bulgaria to adopt the euro on January 1, 2026, when the country would become the single currency area's 21st member. The European Commission said last month that the EU's poorest country had fulfilled the strict conditions to adopt the euro, while the European Central Bank (ECB) ...