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Putin Meets US Envoy Witkoff Ahead of Sanctions Deadline

This is Beirut, 06/08 07:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, two days ahead of a deadline imposed by US President Donald Trump on Moscow to halt its Ukraine offensive or face fresh sanctions. Trump, who had boasted he could end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office, has given Russia until Friday to ...

America's Middle East Dilemma and Opportunity

David Hale , 05/08 19:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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Whatever you think about events since October 2023, a fundamental shift in the balance of power has occurred in the Middle East. The dilemma for Washington and its regional partners is what to do now to bring lasting security for all those who in the past were compelled to live in the shadow of threats and violence by Iran and its Arab proxies. ...

Russia Hints at Deploying Mid-Range Missiles after Ending INF Moratorium

This is Beirut, 05/08 17:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Russia on Tuesday suggested it could deploy intermediate-range missiles after ending a self-imposed moratorium on producing or deploying the weapons, which were banned for decades under a Cold War treaty with the United States. Washington and Moscow had prohibited missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (300-3,400 miles) under the 1987 ...

Trump Tariffs Don't Spare His Fans in EU

This is Beirut, 05/08 09:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban promised that the return of his "dear friend" Donald Trump as US president would usher in a new "golden age". But trade unionist Zoltan Laszlo says Hungary's auto industry has seen the opposite as the United States announced new tariffs, with order cancellations and workflow disruptions marking employees' ...

Trump Says to Raise Tariff on India over Russia Oil Purchases

This is Beirut, 04/08 21:02 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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President Donald Trump threatened Monday to hike US tariffs on goods from India over its purchases of Russian oil, a key source of revenue for Moscow's war on Ukraine. New Delhi quickly pushed back, saying the move was unjustified and vowing to protect its interests. Trump's heightened pressure on India comes after he signaled fresh ...

Trump Envoy's Visit will be 'Important', Moscow says

This is Beirut, 04/08 13:49 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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The Kremlin said Monday it was anticipating "important" talks with Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, later this week, ahead of the US president's looming deadline to impose fresh sanctions on Moscow if it does not make progress towards a peace deal with Ukraine. Trump confirmed Sunday that special envoy Steve Witkoff ...

Plastic Pollution 'Grave and Growing' Health Threat: Lancet

This is Beirut, 04/08 10:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Plastic pollution is a "grave, growing and under-recognized danger" to health that is costing the world at least $1.5 trillion a year, experts warned in a report on Monday. The new review of the existing evidence, which was carried out by leading health researchers and doctors, was published one day ahead of fresh talks opening in Geneva aiming ...

Lebanon, the Unraveling Republic

Charles Chartouni, 04/08 09:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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American political scientists in the sixties were quite pessimistic when analyzing the cascading political crises befalling Lebanon since the late fifties. Leila Meo used the label of “improbable nation” (1963), and Michael Hudson characterized it as a “precarious republic" (1965). This sense of instability prompted numerous scholars to ...

Iran Sets up New Defense Council After War With Israel

This is Beirut, 03/08 21:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iran's top security body has approved the creation of a new defence council, state media reported on Sunday, more than a month after a ceasefire ended a 12-day war with Israel. "The Supreme National Security Council approved the establishment of the National Defence Council," state television said. The new body -- which will be ...

Lebanese-American Appointed to Top Federal Judicial Post in Washington

This is Beirut, 03/08 10:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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The US Senate confirmed the appointment of Lebanese-American Jeanine Ferris Pirro as the federal Attorney General, the highest judicial position. The nomination, put forward by President Donald Trump in May 2025, was approved by a 50-to-45 vote after a direct appeal from the White House to Republican senators to expedite the process. Born in 1951 ...

US Envoy Meets Israeli Hostage Families in Tel Aviv

This is Beirut, 02/08 19:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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US envoy Steve Witkoff met anguished relatives of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza on Saturday, as fears for the captives' survival mounted almost 22 months into the war sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack. Witkoff was greeted with some applause and pleas for assistance from hundreds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv before going into a ...

Trump Orders Firing of US Official as Cracks Emerge in Jobs Market

This is Beirut, 02/08 13:19 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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President Donald Trump said Friday he has ordered the firing of a key economic official, accusing her of manipulating employment data for political reasons after a new report showed cracks in the US jobs market. US job growth missed expectations in July, Labor Department data showed, and revisions to hiring figures in recent months brought them ...

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