Donald Trump

Trump’s Regional Peace Play: A New Pax Americana?

Donald Trump’s whirlwind tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE was far more than a ceremonial diplomatic visit. Grounded in deep strategic, political and economic stakes, it marked a decisive attempt to recast the American role in a region long scarred by conflict and fractured alliances. Arriving with a regional peace blueprint in hand, ...

Trump Fuels Biden Cancer Cover-up Claims

US President Donald Trump fueled speculation Monday that Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis was covered up, saying he was "surprised" the public was not told about his predecessor's condition earlier. Republican Trump's extraordinary claim came just a day after it emerged that his bitter Democratic political rival, 82, had an ...

Europe’s Election Sunday Marked by Tension

Sunday, May 18 saw three significant referendums held across the European Union – in Romania, Poland and Portugal. In each case, pro-European candidates came out on top, prevailing over a far right that continues to gain ground across the continent. At a time when Europe is navigating the turbulence of war in Ukraine and increasingly strained ...

With Assad Down and Sanctions Lifted, Are Syrian Refugees Finally Being Pressed to Leave?

The startling decision by United States President Donald Trump to lift economic sanctions on Syria, coupled with the collapse of the Assad regime, could fundamentally reshape how the Syrian displaced population in Lebanon is managed – unless their permanent return to Syria remains excluded from the agreement being brokered among the key parties ...

Pope Meets Vance ahead of Ukraine Ceasefire Push

Pope Leo XIV received US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican on Monday, ahead of a US-led push to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Vatican released photographs of Vance and Rubio smiling as they met with the Chicago-born pontiff, who was elected as head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8 ...

New Middle East US Foreign Policy Shifts Put Lebanon at a Crossroads

As Lebanon finds itself at a crucial juncture, the implications of recent US diplomatic maneuvers cannot be overstated. As the US focuses more on its relationships with Sunni Gulf states, tensions with Iran are on the rise, changing the complex political dynamics in Lebanon. These changes come at a time when Iran's influence appears to be ...

Jailbreaking 

The proactive diplomacy of President Donald Trump is proceeding steadily on multiple fronts. The very fact that he is moving on multiple fronts and breaking the taboos that have hobbled international political life is a good omen. The sanctioning tariffs seem to open up the fray for negotiations on the outside and for renewed investment dynamics ...

Erdogan Sees End in Sight for US Sanctions on Turkish Defense Sector

Turkey has seen an easing of US sanctions on its defense sector since Donald Trump became president, with steps towards ending the measure advancing quickly, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday. "We can easily say that there is a softening in CAATSA," he told reporters while returning from a European summit, referring to US ...

Arab Countries Gather in Baghdad to Discuss Regional Crises

The Arab League is meeting in Baghdad on Saturday to discuss Gaza and other regional crises, but some key leaders are expected to miss the talks that come straight after US President Donald Trump's Gulf tour. Trump sparked uproar earlier this year by declaring that America would take over Gaza and turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle ...

Republican Infighting Derails Key Vote on Trump’s Signature Mega-Bill

Republican fiscal hawks on Friday sunk a key vote on advancing the mega-bill that is the centerpiece of Donald Trump's domestic agenda, in a significant setback for the US president's tax and spending policies. Trump is pushing to usher into law his so-called "One Big, Beautiful Bill," pairing an extension of his first-term tax cuts with savings ...