World

U.S. Confirms Plan to Sign Civil Nuclear Accord with Saudis

This is Beirut 13/04 15:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States Saudi Arabia Chris Wright Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Energy Nuclear Program

The United States and Saudi Arabia are set to sign a preliminary agreement to collaborate on Saudi Arabia's plans to establish a civil nuclear industry, according to US Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Speaking in Riyadh and cited by Reuters, Wright mentioned that both countries are on “a pathway” towards an agreement that would support the ...

Iran Says Talks with US to Focus Solely on Nuclear Issue and Lifting Sanctions

This is Beirut 13/04 14:58 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iran United States Oman Sanctions Iran Nuclear Program

Iran's foreign ministry said Sunday that talks with the United States slated for next weekend will remain "indirect" with Omani mediation and focused solely on the nuclear issue and lifting of sanctions. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff held talks Saturday in Muscat, marking the ...

Recovering Pope Delights Crowd in Vatican Square

This is Beirut 13/04 14:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Vatican Pope Francis

Pope Francis on Palm Sunday delighted worshippers with an impromptu tour of St. Peter's Square, against the advice of his doctors to avoid crowds while recovering from pneumonia. For the second Sunday in a row after the longest hospital stay of his papacy, the 88-year-old pontiff left his Vatican quarters, handing out sweets to children and ...

Israel Expanding Gaza Offensive, Seizes Key Corridor

This is Beirut 12/04 22:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Hamas Gaza

Israel said Saturday it planned to expand its military offensive in Gaza after seizing a new corridor as part of a broader effort to take large parts of the war-battered Palestinian territory. It also told tens of thousands of residents of Khan Yunis and surrounding areas in southern Gaza to evacuate and launched strikes after projectiles were ...

US in Hurry for Nuclear Deal, Iran Says After High-Stakes Talks

This is Beirut 12/04 19:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Iran Oman

The United States wants a nuclear agreement "as soon as possible", Iran said after rare talks on Saturday, as US President Donald Trump threatens military action if they fail to reach a deal. The long-term adversaries, who have not had diplomatic relations for more than 40 years, are seeking a new nuclear deal after Trump pulled out of ...

Syrian Forces Deploy at Key Dam Under Deal with Kurds

This is Beirut 12/04 17:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Syria Syrian Democratic Forces Kurds

Security forces from the new Islamist government in Damascus deployed Saturday around a strategic dam in northern Syria, under a deal with the autonomous Kurdish administration, state media reported. Under the agreement, Kurdish-led fighters of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will pull back from the dam, which they captured from the ...

US Exempts Smartphones and Computers from Global Trump Tariffs

This is Beirut 12/04 17:37 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States Tariffs

The Trump administration has exempted smartphones, computers, and other electronics from its punishing "reciprocal" tariffs -- lessening the cost impact on American consumers for a host of popular high-tech products. The exemptions, published late Friday in a notice by the US Customs and Border Protection office, cover various ...

Israel Takes Control of Key Gaza Corridor, to Expand Offensive

This is Beirut 12/04 15:56 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Hamas Gaza

Israel announced on Saturday that its military had completed the takeover of a new corridor in southern Gaza, advancing its efforts to seize large parts of the war-battered Palestinian territory. The announcement from Defense Minister Israel Katz came as Hamas expected "real progress" towards a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza, with senior ...

Trump Replaces Obama Portrait with Painting of... Himself

This is Beirut 12/04 13:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Barack Obama

Donald Trump took his rivalry with Barack Obama to the walls of the White House Friday, replacing a portrait of the former US president with one of himself surviving an assassination attempt. The 78-year-old Republican moved the picture of the Democrat, the only Black US president, to the opposite side of the famed residence's grand entrance ...

Iraqi Markets a Haven for Peddlers Escaping Iran's Economic Woes

This is Beirut 12/04 12:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iraq Iran Sanctions US economy

Every Friday, Alawi crosses the border from Iran into Iraq to sell his produce in the markets of Basra, which serve as a haven for Iranians grappling with economic sanctions. He is just one of many Iranian peddlers who endure the arduous journey into southern Iraq through the Chalamja border crossing. They bring essential goods such as chicken, ...

Trump envoy suggests allied zones of control in Ukraine

This is Beirut 12/04 10:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky Russia US Keith Kellogg

Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, suggested British and French troops could adopt zones of control in the country, in an interview with The Times newspaper published Saturday. Kellogg suggested they could have areas of responsibility west of the Dnipro River, as part of a "reassurance force", with a ...

Op-edAmerican-Iranian Talks Spring Eternal

David Hale 12/04 09:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Iran USA Donald Trump United States

President Trump prides himself on his mastery of the art of the deal. On April 12, those skills will begin to be tested for the first time in the arena of the 45-year-old contest between America and Iran. All who care about stability and peace in the Middle East should wish him well and hope he and his team come to the negotiation prepared and in ...