Nawaf Salam

Turkey Bars Israeli Ships, Flights from Its Territory

Turkey's top diplomat said Friday that Ankara had closed its ports and airspace to Israeli ships and planes, with a diplomatic source telling AFP the ban applied to "official" flights. "We have closed our ports to Israeli ships. We do not allow Turkish ships to go to Israeli ports.... We do not allow container ships carrying weapons and ...

Julia Roberts Shakes Up Venice with Campus Drama After the Hunt

Julia Roberts hopes to "stir it all up" for viewers of her new film about a university professor grappling with fraught US campus politics, as the Hollywood star made her debut at the Venice Film Festival on Friday. The Pretty Woman star was attending the city's festival for the first time in her career for After the Hunt, a cancel-culture ...

Israel Army Declares Gaza City 'a Dangerous Combat Zone'

The Israeli military declared Gaza City "a dangerous combat zone" on Friday, as it prepared to conquer the Palestinian territory's largest city after almost two years of devastating war. Israel is under mounting pressure at home and abroad to end its offensive in Gaza, where the vast majority of the population has been displaced at ...

Sectarian Violence in Syria's Druze Heartland Killed Nearly 2,000

A Syria monitor said Friday that the death toll from sectarian violence in Sweida province in July has climbed to nearly 2,000, after dozens more bodies were identified. The week of bloodshed erupted on July 13 with clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin, but rapidly escalated, drawing in government forces and fighters from other parts ...

Lebanon Welcomes UN Security Council’s Renewal of UNIFIL Mandate

President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed on Thursday the United Nations Security Council’s decision to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until December 31, 2026. President Aoun thanked all 15 Security Council members for their unanimous support, singling out France as penholder for ...

Macron Announces Two Conferences to Support Lebanese Army and National Reconstruction

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on X on Friday that two major conferences will be held by the end of the year to support Lebanon: one focused on the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), described as the “pillar of national sovereignty,” and a second dedicated to the country’s recovery and reconstruction. Macron said his personal envoy, ...

Lebanon Welcomes UN Decision on UNIFIL Mandate

President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed on Thursday the United Nations Security Council’s decision to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until December 31, 2026. President Aoun thanked all 15 Security Council members for their unanimous support, singling out France as penholder ...

UN Security Council Votes for Lebanon Peacekeepers to Leave in 2027

The Security Council voted Thursday for UN peacekeepers to leave Lebanon in 2027, allowing one final extension after pressure from Israel and its US ally to end the nearly 50-year-old force. Israel hailed the termination of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and urged the Beirut government to exert its authority after an Israeli ...

Yemen's Huthis Say Israel Launches Attack on Sanaa

The Israeli military attacked the Huthi-controlled capital of Yemen on Thursday, four days after a deadly round of bombings against the Iran-backed group, both Israel and the rebels said. Israeli forces "struck a Huthi terrorist regime military target in the area of Sanaa", the military said in a statement. The Huthi news channel ...

Israeli Forces Dismantle Turkish Spy Equipment Near Damascus

Israeli forces conducted an overnight airborne raid on a site near the Syrian capital after bombing it several times, Syrian state media reported Thursday. Israel has not confirmed the raid, but Defense Minister Israel Katz said its forces operate "in all combat zones" to ensure the country's security. If verified, it would be the ...

Jon Batiste’s "Big Money": A Musical Call to Climate Action

Celebrated US musician Jon Batiste wants to use his music to fire up listeners to act against climate change, naming his new album after what he sees as the root of the problem, Big Money. The track Petrichor in particular is a call to arms for a younger generation who may have turned their backs on mainstream news and analysis about global ...