World

ExplainerUNIFIL Exit: Organizing the Withdrawal of 10,000 Peacekeepers from Southern Lebanon

Soumia Benmerzoug 01/09 20:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

South Lebanon UN Security Council United Nations Beirut International Airport Hezbollah

On August 28, the UN Security Council voted to end the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on December 31, 2026. After nearly half a century of presence in southern Lebanon, the 10,000 peacekeepers will be required to withdraw in 2027. The operation will be complex – logistically, militarily and diplomatically. How ...

VideosAfghanistan Earthquake Kills More Than 1000

This is Beirut 01/09 19:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Afghanistan Earthquake Dead Devastation

A massive rescue operation was underway in Afghanistan on Monday, after a strong earthquake and multiple aftershocks collapsed homes onto sleeping families in a remote, mountainous region, killing more than 1000 people, according to the Taliban authorities. The 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck just before midnight, rattling buildings from Kabul to ...

Op-edLebanon, UNIFIL, and the Return of Sovereignty and Peace

David Hale 01/09 18:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon UNIFIL Israel Hezbollah Iran

There was a real possibility earlier this summer that the United States was going to veto the renewal of the UNIFIL mandate in August. Ultimately, a wiser course prevailed, when the UN Security Council extended UNIFIL's mandate "for a final time" last week until the end of 2026. This step is a positive one for everyone concerned except ...

Xi and Putin Lash Out at the West Before Eurasian leaders

This is Beirut 01/09 17:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Xi Jinping Vladimir Putin China Russia Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin took turns Monday to swipe at the West during a gathering of Eurasian leaders for a showpiece summit aimed at putting Beijing front and center of regional relations. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), comprising China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan ...

Russian Drone Attacks on Ukraine Dropped in August

This is Beirut 01/09 16:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Russia Ukraine

Russia's long-range drone strikes on Ukraine dipped sharply over August, an AFP analysis published on Monday showed, during a flurry of high-profile but fruitless meetings aimed at ending Moscow's grinding invasion. The falloff in drone strikes came after months of escalating aerial attacks and meetings US President Donald Trump hosted with the ...

Iran and the Sanctions’ Reinstatement: From Balance to Isolation

Paul Guillot 01/09 15:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Banks Europe Iran Economy Sanctions

Three months after the “twelve-day war” with Israel, Iran is struggling to keep its economy afloat under severe US sanctions. With mounting military pressure, the return of European sanctions and the continuing collapse of its currency, the Islamic Republic has never been more vulnerable. Fragile Growth Despite decades of international ...

VideosFrankincense Trees... Oman’s White Gold

This is Beirut 01/09 14:45 - Reading : less than a minute

Oman Frankincense

In Oman’s Dhofar region, frankincense has been traded for millennia and was once as valuable as oil. Today, harvesters and authorities fight to preserve this ancient white gold for future generations.

EU Chief's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Jamming in Bulgaria

This is Beirut 01/09 14:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

European Union Ursula von der Leyen

A plane carrying EU chief Ursula von der Leyen was hit by GPS jamming as it readied to land in Bulgaria on Sunday, Brussels said Monday, alleging Russia was thought to be behind the incident. The European Commission said Bulgarian authorities suspected the disruption "was due to blatant interference" from Moscow but it was not clear if the ...

Yemen's Houthis Hold Funeral for PM Killed in Israeli Strike

This is Beirut 01/09 13:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Houthi Israel Funeral

Yemen's Houthis held a funeral on Monday for their prime minister and 11 other senior officials killed in an Israeli air strike that penetrated the Iran-backed group. Twelve coffins draped in flags were displayed at Sanaa's Al-Shaab mosque, as masked gunmen patrolled the area and thousands of mourners flooded in. Houthi prime minister Ahmed ...

Thousands Protest in Indonesia as Military Deployed in Capital

This is Beirut 01/09 12:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Indonesia Soldiers Protest

Thousands rallied across Indonesia Monday as the military was deployed in the capital after six people were killed in nationwide protests sparked by anger over lavish perks for lawmakers. At least 500 protesters gathered outside the nation's parliament in Jakarta on Monday afternoon as dozens of police officers watched on. Soldiers were present ...

VideosEarthquake in Afghanistan

This is Beirut 01/09 12:35 - Reading : less than a minute

Earthquake Afghanistan UN

A powerful earthquake has struck eastern Afghanistan, leaving hundreds dead and villages destroyed. The Taliban and the UN have launched a major rescue operation in a country already weakened by decades of war and a lack of international aid.

Putin Meets Erdogan, Praises Turkey's Mediation Efforts on Ukraine

This is Beirut 01/09 11:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Kyiv China

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Turkey's mediation attempts around the Ukraine war at a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in China on Monday. "I'm confident that Turkey's special role in these matters will continue to be in demand," the Russian president said during talks with Erdogan on the sidelines of the ...