Zelensky Announces European Summit on Saturday to Support Ukraine

European leaders from the "coalition of the willing", a grouping of countries which have pledged strengthened support for Kyiv, will meet in Ukraine on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Zelensky did not say who would attend or where the summit would take place. Around 30 countries are part of the coalition, led by Britain ...

Zelensky and Trump Holding Phone Talks: Ukrainian Presidency

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US counterpart Donald Trump are holding a telephone call, the details of which will be made public later, the Ukrainian presidency said Thursday. "President Zelensky is holding a telephone conversation with President Trump. We will provide details following the outcome of the conversation," ...

Hamas Says no Point in Further Gaza Truce Talks

A senior Hamas official said Tuesday the group was no longer interested in truce talks with Israel and urged the international community to halt Israel's "hunger war" against Gaza. "There is no sense in engaging in talks or considering new ceasefire proposals as long as the hunger war and extermination war continue in the Gaza Strip," Basem Naim ...

Macron to Host Syrian President's First European Visit

French President Emmanuel Macron will host Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Chareh on Wednesday for the former Islamist rebel's first European visit, the French presidency told AFP. Macron will "reiterate France's support for the construction of a new Syria, a free, stable, sovereign Syria that respects all components of Syrian society", the ...

UAE to Lift Travel Ban on Lebanon Starting May 7

The United Arab Emirates will lift its travel ban on Lebanon starting Tuesday, May 7, the Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday. In a statement posted on its website, the Ministry said, “In line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates, and as part of ...

Municipal Elections Set Stage for Legislative Showdown

The municipal elections, even indirectly, will have a significant impact on the upcoming parliamentary elections. Many of these coalitions may not endure, but they reveal how political actors are positioning themselves—not just in relation to their allies, but more tellingly, to their rivals. In Metn, the alliance between the Free Patriotic ...

Africa's Cardinal Turkson is Continent's Papal Frontrunner

Ghana's Cardinal Peter Turkson is seen as one of the Church's most influential men from Africa, where Christianity is quickly growing -- and which some believe could be the birthplace of the next pope. The 76-year-old born into a humble family of 10 children is the first clergyman from the west African country to receive a red hat, having been ...

UN Condemns 'Unacceptable' Syria Violence

The United Nations special envoy for Syria on Wednesday condemned the "unacceptable" violence rocking the country after deadly sectarian clashes and called for an immediate halt to Israeli air strikes. The envoy, Geir Pedersen, was "alarmed" at "the potential for further escalation of an extremely fragile situation" after violent clashes around ...

China Insists No trade Talks With US, Despite Trump's Claim

China repeated Saturday that it had held no talks with the United States on trade issues, despite President Donald Trump's claim that he had taken a call from Xi Jinping. In an interview conducted on April 22 with Time magazine and published Friday, Trump did not say when the call with the Chinese leader took place or specify what was ...

Servant of the World: The Heavy Mantle Facing the Next Pope

Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, a conclave is set to convene in early May to elect his successor as the leader of the Catholic Church. The 267th pope will face formidable challenges in continuing the mission of this 2,000-year-old institution and spreading the message of Jesus. This responsibility is particularly daunting in a ...

Shia Clans in the Upcoming Municipal Elections

After nine years of waiting, municipal elections will be held starting early next month. This vote carries strategic importance, as it precedes the parliamentary elections by a year and serves as a political barometer, particularly in the Shia regions of Lebanon, which have been affected by the repercussions of the war between Hezbollah and ...

In Washington, Lebanon’s Central Bank Governor Calls for a Structured National Recovery

During the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington, Banque du Liban Governor Karim Souhaid delivered a stark and candid assessment of Lebanon’s critical condition. Speaking to an audience of international experts and policymakers, Souhaid described a country “at a crossroads—between fragility and ...