World

Trump’s Shadow Looms Over EU Summit as Ukraine Appeals for Unity

This is Beirut 19/12 11:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump European Union Ukraine Vladimir Putin Syria

Donald Trump loomed large over EU leaders Thursday at their last summit before he reclaims power in the United States, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying only transatlantic unity can "save" Ukraine. The upheaval in Syria after the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, and how to deal with the new leadership, was also high-up on the agenda of the ...

Houthis Claim Missile Attack as Israel Hits Key Yemen Sites

This is Beirut 19/12 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Houthi Israel Palestine

Yemen's Houthi rebels on Thursday claimed a missile attack against Israel that was intercepted and prompted Israeli strikes on key infrastructure in Yemen including ports and energy facilities. The Iran-backed fighters, who control most of Yemen's population centres, have repeatedly launched missile attacks against Israel since the war in Gaza ...

At Least 100 North Koreans Killed While Fighting for Russia

This is Beirut 19/12 10:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Ukraine North Korea Russia

At least 100 North Koreans deployed to support Russia's war effort in Ukraine have been killed since entering combat in December, South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun told reporters Thursday. Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to reinforce the Russian military, including to the Kursk border region, where Ukrainian forces seized territory ...

AnalysisFall of Assad's Regime and Syria’s Fractured Struggle for Unity

Salam Zaatari 19/12 09:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Syria Bashar el Assad

There’s a saying in the Middle East: “The house divided will collapse under its own weight.” For over a decade, Syria has been that house. But now, with the hypothetical fall of the Assad regime—a specter many Syrians have dreamed of or dreaded—the question looms larger than ever: Can Syria, shattered into a mosaic of ideologies, sects ...

Express Cleanup Before Change of Tenant

Marc Saikali 19/12 08:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Hamas Hezbollah Middle East Irran

Just a few weeks ago, the defunct “Axis of Resistance” still managed to maintain its facade. From Iran — both a bystander and instigator — to Lebanon, passing through Gaza, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, the fronts were numerous. But the pretense has crumbled, revealing an empty shell. The turning point began in Lebanon. Defying ...

SOHR Says 21 Pro-Turkey Fighters Killed Near Flashpoint Northern Town

This is Beirut 18/12 21:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Turkey USA SDF Kurds

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) war monitor said 21 pro-Turkey fighters were killed Wednesday after they attacked a Kurdish-held position near a flashpoint northern town despite a US-brokered ceasefire extension in the area. The persistent fighting between Turkish-backed factions and US-backed Kurdish-led forces comes more than a ...

UN Humanitarian Chief Urges Massive Aid Boost for Syria

This is Beirut 18/12 20:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United Nations USA Syria

Visiting UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called Wednesday for a massive aid boost for Syria to respond to "this moment of hope" after the ouster of longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad. "Across the country, the needs are huge. Seven in 10 people are needing support right now," Fletcher told AFP in a telephone interview as he visited Syria. "I ...

Can the Treaty of Brotherhood, Cooperation and Coordination Be Cancelled?

Maurice Matta 18/12 19:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Syria Lebanon Treaty Cooperation

On May 22, 1991, the late Lebanese President Elias Hrawi and former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad signed the “Treaty of Brotherhood, Cooperation and Coordination,” which came into effect with the implementation of the Taif Agreement. The treaty, which governed Lebanon’s politics for more than 15 years and presumably safeguarded its ...

France Counts Cyclone Cost as Aid Reaches Mayotte

This is Beirut 18/12 18:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Emmanuel Macron European Union Mayotte

French authorities Wednesday searched for survivors and raced to supply aid as they sought to work out the full scale of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Chido on the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte. France's President Emmanuel Macron will be in Mayotte on Thursday, his office announced, with officials warning of a death toll reaching ...

Zelensky Huddles With European Leaders as Trump Looms

This is Beirut 18/12 18:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Emmanuel Macron European Union Ukraine USA Volodymyr Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets NATO chief Mark Rutte and key European leaders in Brussels Wednesday to strategise over Russia's war ahead of Donald Trump's return to power in the United States. This evening's gathering was due to involve leaders from Germany, Poland, Italy, Denmark, The Netherlands and the European Union's main ...

Trump Jokes Canada Becoming 51st US State ‘A Great Idea'

This is Beirut 18/12 18:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Canada

US President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday it would be "a great idea" for Canada to become the 51st US state, teasing on social media that "many Canadians" welcome the idea, as Ottawa is wracked by a political crisis. "Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State," Trump posted on Truth Social. "They would save massively on taxes and ...

VideosTime Travel: Start of the Arab Spring

Chelsea Al Arif 18/12 16:22 - Reading : less than a minute

Time Travel Arab Spring Tunisia

Travel back in time to 2010. What happened in Tunisia on December 17, 2010? Join us weekly on Time Travel as we explore historical events under a different theme every month. This November, we're exploring Middle Eastern history!