United States

US Strike on Yemen Kills Al-Qaeda Members

The number of Al-Qaeda members killed in strikes on southern Yemen blamed on the United States increased to nine, a Yemeni security source told AFP on Saturday. The official in Abyan province, which borders the seat of Yemen's internationally recognised government in Aden, said the strikes killed nine members of the group including a local ...

Lebanon’s Exports Surge 30% in Q1 2025

Lebanon’s exports surged by 30% in the first quarter of 2025, reaching $957 million, up from $735 million during the same period in 2024. This marks a significant improvement for a country with a chronically negative trade balance. Jewelry, Lebanon’s top export category (43% of total exports), played a major role in this increase, with ...

Trump Undermines United States 'Soft Power'

The Trump administration’s decision to revoke the visas of foreign students at Harvard University – an enduring symbol of American global influence – risks further damaging the United States’ "soft power." Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has launched an ideological campaign to ...

Tom Barrack Appointed US Special Envoy for Syria

The Trump administration announced on Friday the appointment of Tom Barrack, the current US ambassador to Turkey and a longtime ally of the president, as the new Special Envoy for Syria. The announcement marks a significant shift in US engagement in the Middle East following the fall of the Assad regime. Barrack is a billionaire real estate ...

Alleged US Killer of Israel Embassy Staff Charged With Murder

The suspect accused of gunning down two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington was charged Thursday with murder, as international tensions over anti-Semitism erupted over the attack. Elias Rodriguez, 31, shouted "Free Palestine" as he was taken away by police after the shooting late Wednesday outside the Capital ...

Several Dead in Fiery Plane Crash on California Neighborhood

Several people were killed when a small plane crashed in a California neighborhood before dawn Thursday, destroying a home and setting more than a dozen cars on fire. At least 10 houses were hit by debris and vehicles on both sides of a street went up in flames when the Cessna 550 slammed into the ground, spewing burning jet fuel in a part of San ...

Iran Says 'Fundamental Differences' Remain With U.S. Ahead of Nuclear Talks

Iran warned it would hold the United States responsible if Israel attacks its nuclear facilities, but President Donald Trump's administration voiced optimism for a peaceful solution Thursday before new talks. Trump spoke about his diplomacy on Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said, in a telephone call ...

The Trump Administration Withdraws Harvard University's Right to Host International Students

Donald Trump's administration on Thursday revoked Harvard's right to enroll foreign students -- more than a quarter of its annual enrollment -- in a major escalation of the president's fight with one of the world's most storied universities. Trump is furious at Harvard -- which has produced 162 Nobel prize winners -- for rejecting his demand that ...

Iran Says Will Hold US Responsible For Any Israeli Attack On its Nuclear Sites

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would hold the United States responsible for any Israeli attack on its nuclear facilities, after US media reported that Israel was preparing for a strike. The report came even as Iran and the United States were set to meet in Rome on Friday for a fifth round of Omani-mediated nuclear talks. "We ...

Lines in the Sand: Syria on the Brink, and Lebanon’s Vanishing Moment

If you want to understand the Middle East in 2025, don’t look at the maps. Look at the fault lines. They’re not drawn in ink – they’re drawn in fear, legacy and a deep unease that this time, the region isn’t just shifting, it’s splintering. This week, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio sounded an alarm loud enough to rattle ...