World

Three Years after Russia Invasion, UN Faces Difficult Votes on Ukraine

This is Beirut 24/02 10:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Defying Kyiv and its European allies, Washington plans on Monday to submit to the UN Security Council and General Assembly a draft text that calls for a "swift end" to the Ukraine conflict but makes no reference to its territorial integrity, in an early test of Donald Trump's muscular approach to the crisis. Since Russian forces invaded Ukraine ...

Israel Ready to Resume Gaza War, PM Warns after Truce Delay

This is Beirut 24/02 09:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Palestine Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel was prepared to resume fighting against Hamas after the Palestinian group accused it of endangering a five-week-old Gaza truce by suspending prisoner releases. The first phase of the truce, which has largely halted more than 15 months of devastating war in the Gaza Strip, is due to ...

Summit in Kyiv For The Third Anniversary of the War

This is Beirut 24/02 09:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Ukraine Donald Trump Europe

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky hailed his country's "resistance" and "heroism" on Monday on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion as EU leaders arrived in Kyiv in a show of solidarity. Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to launch what he called a "special military operation" set off the biggest conflict in Europe since World ...

German Vote Winner Merz Faces Tough Talks to Build Govt

This is Beirut 24/02 09:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Ukraine USA

Germany's conservative election winner Friedrich Merz vowed to get to work Monday on the arduous task of building a new coalition government, warning "the world isn't waiting for us". Merz has warned against more paralysis in Berlin at a time US President Donald Trump is driving head-spinning change, the German economy is in ...

US Federal Agencies Try to Resist Elon Musk's Pressure

This is Beirut 24/02 05:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States Elon Musk Donald Trump Politics

Multiple US federal agencies, including some led by prominent Donald Trump loyalists, have pushed back against a move by Elon Musk to force employees to explain what they had achieved at work or risk losing their jobs. The resistance signaled a possible rift between key Trump administration figures and Musk, who has spearheaded a campaign to ...

Russia's top diplomat arrives in Turkey

This is Beirut 23/02 22:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Turkey Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Kyiv Saudi Arabia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Turkey late Sunday, Moscow's state news agency TASS reported, a day ahead of talks with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan. Turkish diplomatic sources had said that Lavrov would visit Turkey Monday, the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. TASS released footage Sunday of Lavrov ...

Syria to Hold National Dialogue Conference Starting Monday

This is Beirut 23/02 19:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Syria

Syria will hold a two-day national dialogue conference in the coming week, a member of the organizing committee told AFP on Sunday, months after an Islamist-led coalition, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ousted Bashar al-Assad. The conference "will begin Monday afternoon and continue Tuesday", said Hind Kabawat, one of seven organizers preparing ...

Netanyahu Vows Continued Israeli Military Presence in Lebanon

This is Beirut 23/02 19:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Israel Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday reaffirmed that Israeli forces will maintain their positions in Lebanon, citing strategic oversight of several Israeli areas. “We expect the Lebanese army and government to uphold their commitments under the ceasefire agreement,” Netanyahu stated during a military ceremony in Holon, ...

Zelensky Offers to Resign in Exchange for Ukrainian NATO Membership

This is Beirut 23/02 18:49 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Ukraine NATO Russia United States

Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday -- the eve of the third anniversary of Russia's invasion -- that he was ready to quit as Ukraine's president if it meant Kyiv would be admitted to the NATO military alliance. Zelensky has faced fierce criticism from the new US administration and said he wantss to meet Donald Trump before the US president ...

$350 Billion Ukraine's 'Critical' Resources in Russian-Held Territory

This is Beirut 23/02 17:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Ukraine Russia Precious Metals

Around $350 billion of worth of Ukraine's critical resources are in areas captured by Russia, Ukrainian authorities said Sunday, as Washington pushes for a deal to secure preferential access to the country's resource base. Kyiv is pushing back against President Donald Trump's calls for Ukraine's resources to be used as compensation to the United ...

Trump Envoy Says Headed to Middle East This Week to Discuss Gaza Peace Deal

This is Beirut 23/02 16:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Steve Witkoff

US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that he was headed to the Middle East this week to discuss an extension to phase one of the Israel-Hamas peace deal. "We have to get an extension of phase one, and so I'll be going into the region this week, probably Wednesday, to negotiate that," Witkoff told CNN. "And we're hopeful ...

Israel Says Army to Stay in Evacuated West Bank Camps for 'Coming Year'

This is Beirut 23/02 14:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel West Bank Benjamin Netanyahu Palestine

Israel on Sunday said troops would stay in West Bank refugee camps for the coming year, announcing expanded military operations including tank deployments, after the displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians. The military one month ago began a major raid against Palestinian militants in the West Bank just after a truce began in the Gaza ...