Middle East

Jean-Marc Ayoubi: A Leading Figure in Reproductive Medicine

March 31, 2019, is a landmark date in French medical history. On that day, Professor Jean-Marc Ayoubi led a pioneering surgical team to carry out the country’s first uterus transplant. The recipient, a 34-year-old woman born without a uterus due to MRKH syndrome, received the organ from a living donor — her own mother. Reflecting on the ...

Express Cleanup Before Change of Tenant

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 ...

They Have the Oil, We Have Human Energy

At the 5th Economic Summit, organized by the Franco-Arab Chamber of Commerce in Paris on December 12, 2024, TotalEnergies CEO addressed the potential for oil or gas discoveries off Lebanon's Mediterranean coast. He expressed regret that, at this stage of exploration, they had not found what they were hoping for, stating, “At this point, we ...

After Assad’s Fall, Erdogan Enjoys Moment ‘In the Sun'

After backing the rebels who overthrew Bashar al-Assad and brokering a key Horn of Africa peace deal, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan has boosted his international standing, leaving him well-placed to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, analysts say. Although Turkey was not directly involved in the Syrian strongman's overthrow, it has long ...

The Fall of the Captagon Empire: Assad’s Regime and the Drug Trade

The Assad regime has fallen, leaving behind the largest Captagon empire in the world. For years, the regime relied on the multibillion-dollar Captagon market to finance its war efforts, support allied militias like Hezbollah and circumvent international sanctions. Recent seizures of Captagon factories and pills in former regime strongholds ...

Navigating the Uncertainties of the Post-Assad Era

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had anticipated it well before Bashar al-Assad's downfall, pointing to the emergence of a new Middle East. Likewise, President-elect Donald Trump had set the tone during his campaign, emphasizing his commitment to forging peace in a region beset by over seven decades of armed conflict and largely ...

Egypt inaugurates $500 million solar power plant in Aswan

Egypt inaugurated a $500 million solar plant in the southern city of Aswan on Saturday as part of its push to boost renewable energy production after last summer's severe power outages. The Abydos Solar PV Plant, which was developed by Dubai-based energy company AMEA Power, has a capacity of 500 megawatts and was completed in just 18 months. The ...

Blinken Meets Turkish Counterpart in Ankara

Mr. Blinken started his meeting with Mr. Fidan at 9:40 a.m. (6:40 GMT) on Friday, according to a U.S. official. He arrived in the Turkish capital on Thursday evening and held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a lounge at Ankara's airport. "Turkey will never show weakness in the fight against ISIS," President Erdogan told ...

Abolish the Syrian-Lebanese Higher Council Immediately!

Syrian presence in Lebanon dates back to 1976, a year after the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war. Syrian forces entered Lebanon as part of the Arab Deterrent Forces, and the Syrian government successfully cemented its presence. This was later consolidated by the Arab League mandate under the Taif Agreement, signed on October 22, 1989, which ...

Blinken Embarks on Syria Crisis Tour After Assad’s Fall

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads Wednesday on an emergency tour after the overthrow of Syria's dictatorship, in a new, last-minute attempt to shape a Middle East legacy after a turbulent year. The top US diplomat of President Joe Biden, who has little more than one month in office, is set to press principles he has outlined for a ...

Trump Reaffirms Solving Ukraine Crisis his Top Priority

Donald Trump has reaffirmed that solving the Ukraine crisis would be his top priority once he assumes office next month, describing the Middle East as a "less difficult situation." "I think we have to solve the Ukraine problem with Russia," the US president-elect told French magazine Paris Match in an interview recorded on Saturday and released ...

Netanyahu Welcomes Assad's Fall, Reaffirms Israel's Hold on Golan Heights

A new chapter has unfolded in the Middle East following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the outset of a press conference in Jerusalem, his first in 99 days. Highlighting Iran's extensive financial and military support for Assad, Netanyahu emphasized the regime's brutality towards its own ...