european union

UN Refugee Chief Calls for Support to Syria to Facilitate Refugee Returns

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Friday urged the international community to support Syria’s recovery in order to speed up reconstruction and allow more refugees to return home, fourteen years after the start of the war. “I am here to appeal to the international community to provide more aid and support to the Syrian ...

EU Calls Emergency Meeting on Iran-Israel Conflict

The European Union’s top diplomat has convened a special meeting of the 27 foreign ministers for Tuesday, focused on the conflict between Israel and Iran, “given the gravity of the situation,” a senior official from her office announced on Sunday. The videoconference “will allow for an exchange of views, coordination on diplomatic actions ...

New Equipment to Boost Lebanon’s Agricultural Exports

The René Moawad Foundation donated advanced equipment for pesticide residue testing to the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture, a move hailed as a key step toward improving food safety standards and boosting Lebanon’s agricultural exports. The new equipment was officially delivered during a ceremony marking the reopening of the ministry’s ...

Syria: The New Battleground for Influence and Investment

The international community appears determined to reintegrate Syria both economically and politically after decades of isolation. This momentum stands in stark contrast to neighboring Lebanon, which fears that Syria’s reconstruction will monopolize international attention, pushing its own geopolitical and economic challenges into the ...

EU and UK Strike Deal on Gibraltar's Post-Brexit Status

The European Union and Britain on Wednesday sealed a "historic" deal on the status of the territory of Gibraltar, five years after Brexit. The deal will ease the flow of people and goods over the Gibraltar-Spain border, forming part of London's much-vaunted "reset" in ties with Brussels. When Britain left the EU in 2020, the relationship between ...

EU Adds Lebanon to High-Risk Money Laundering Watchlist

In an official announcement on Tuesday, the European Commission stated that it had added Lebanon, Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Laos, Monaco, Namibia, Nepal and Venezuela to the list of jurisdictions that require enhanced monitoring of their anti-money laundering efforts. At the same time, the Commission removed the United Arab ...

Ukraine says Russian Drone Attacks hit Kyiv, Odesa, Killing Two

Russia carried out fresh drone attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and the port city of Odesa early on Tuesday, killing two people and hitting a maternity hospital, Ukrainian officials said. Moscow has escalated its attacks on Ukraine, which has hit back with strikes deep inside Russian territory, as peace talks held in Turkey fail to yield a ...

The UN at 80: Navigating Crisis and Hope in a Divided World

On June 26, 1945, just months after World War II ended, 51 nations gathered in San Francisco to sign the UN Charter. By October 24, the organization officially came into force, born from a simple but profound purpose: to prevent another global catastrophe. Envisioned as the cornerstone of a new world order grounded in peace, justice and ...

EU official says 175 mn euro Syria recovery package 'clear message' of support

Visiting EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica said Thursday that a 175 million euro package for war-torn Syria was a "clear message" of support for its reconstruction. Suica announced the package in Damascus Wednesday, saying it would focus on sectors including energy, education, health, and agriculture, helping rebuild Syria's ...

Lebanese Wine Industry Embraces AI for a Sustainable Future

In a pioneering move toward modernizing agriculture, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union held a workshop in Lebanon focused on the integration of artificial intelligence into sustainable viticulture. Organized in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Institute of Vine and Wine ...