This is Beirut - Nawaf Salam

Cabinet Approves 2025 Budget, Initiates Reforms

Rayan Chami, 2025-03-06 15:55 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Saudi Arabia Government Nawaf Salam Budget 2025

PM Nawaf Salam confirmed the 2025 budget’s approval and pledged reforms to ease its impact. Work on the 2026 budget is underway, and future Cabinet sessions will move to a new venue. Information Minister Paul Morcos highlighted Saudi Arabia’s reform-linked support for Lebanon and announced work on tax exemptions for war victims and new ISF ...

Syria, Such a Troublesome Neighbor

Marc Saikali, 2025-03-06 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Syria Ahmad al-Sharaa Turkey

Since its independence, Lebanon has served as a mirror reflecting the events unfolding in its much larger neighboring country. Damascus has long cast a covetous eye on Lebanon, disturbed by its freedoms and economic achievements. Despite all the challenges, Lebanon has managed to preserve a semblance of political democracy, even in its darkest ...

"If You Hold Hostages, You Are DEAD!" Says Trump "To the People of Gaza"

This is Beirut, 2025-03-06 00:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump United States Gaza Palestine

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday told the people of Gaza to give up hostages or face "HELL" and told the Hamas militant group's leadership to flee the territory. "To the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR ...

Independent Arabiya Unveils US Congressional Bill Targeting Hezbollah and LAF

This is Beirut, 2025-03-05 22:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Lebanese Army Hezbollah Amal Congress

Independent Arabiya has published details of a draft bill introduced to the US Congress by Republican Representative Greg Steube, aimed at pressuring the Lebanese government and military to curb Hezbollah’s influence. The proposed legislation, titled "Preventing Armed Groups from Engaging in Extremism Act," calls for stringent measures against ...

US Confirms Direct Talks with Hamas as Israel Renews Threats to Gaza

This is Beirut, 2025-03-05 22:19 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas United States

The United States on Wednesday confirmed unprecedented direct talks with Hamas on hostages, as Israel threatened to renew its military campaign in Gaza despite a fragile ceasefire. The White House said that President Donald Trump's envoy on hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, held the talks which focused on Americans among the remaining hostages ...

Germany Set for Massive Rearmament as Divide with US Widens

This is Beirut, 2025-03-05 20:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Germany Defense Europe Russia Ukraine

Germany is set to ramp up defense spending with the incoming government saying it wants to invest hundreds of billions of euros to bolster Europe's security as US guarantees look increasingly fragile. Likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz said Tuesday he planned to reform the country's strict constitutional "debt brake" to pump up defense ...

The Arab League: Striving for Unity Amidst De Facto Divisions

Malo Pinatel, 2025-03-05 19:55 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Middle East Arab League Gaza

Countering the plans of Trump and Israel regarding the future of the Gaza Strip was the backdrop for the Arab League leaders’ gathering on Tuesday at the organization's headquarters in Cairo. At the end of the summit, they adopted a new reconstruction plan for the enclave, presented by Egypt, valued at $53 billion. This marked a rare moment of ...

Vehicle Targeted in Ras Naqoura, Several Injuries Reported

This is Beirut, 2025-03-05 19:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Hezbollah south

Several people were injured on Wednesday morning after an Israeli drone fired a missile and dropped bombs on a van in Ras Naqoura. The vehicle, belonging to two brothers of the Jouheir family, was targeted as its owners were travelling to the area to inspect land belonging to them. The van's passengers were seriously injured, but survived the ...

S.Africa Accuses Israel of Using 'Starvation' in Gaza

This is Beirut, 2025-03-05 15:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Palestine Hamas

South Africa on Wednesday denounced Israel's restriction of aid into war-ravaged Gaza since the weekend, saying it amounted to using starvation as a weapon of war. A fragile ceasefire since January saw an influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza, before Israel on Sunday announced it was blocking deliveries until Hamas accepted its terms for an ...

Israel's Mission Against Hamas 'Not Accomplished': New Military Chief

This is Beirut, 2025-03-05 14:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Benjamin Netanyahu Palestine

New armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said during his inauguration Wednesday that Israel's mission to defeat Palestinian militant group Hamas was "not accomplished". "I accept command of the (Israeli military) with modesty and humility... Hamas has indeed suffered a severe blow, but it has not yet been defeated. The mission is not ...

The Druze: Riding the Tide in a Turbulent Middle East

Samar El-Kadi, 2025-03-05 13:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Middle East Druze Syria

The Druze question has reemerged at the forefront of the current regional scene, following the regime change in Syria and Israel’s incursion into Syrian territory through the demilitarized zone in the occupied Golan Heights. All this is compounded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s warning that Israel would intervene in Syria to ...

Arab Leaders Endorse Plan to Rebuild Gaza Under Palestinian Authority

This is Beirut, 2025-03-04 23:26 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Arab League Gaza United Nations Antonio Guterres

Arab leaders endorsed on Tuesday a plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority, presenting an alternative to US President Donald Trump's widely condemned proposal to take over the territory and displace its people. The prospect of the Palestinian Authority (PA) governing Gaza remains far from ...

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