World

Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Gaza Peace Deal

This is Beirut 09/10 08:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hamas Israel Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Ceasefire

In a pivotal development, Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire and peace deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. The agreement, announced late Wednesday, includes the release of hostages and prisoners, a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, and a large-scale humanitarian aid effort. Trump, speaking on Fox News ...

Outgoing French PM Sees New Premier Named in Next 48 Hours

This is Beirut 08/10 23:44 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Sebastien Lecornu France Emmanuel Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron will name a new prime minister within the next 48 hours, his office said on Wednesday, after the resignation of outgoing premier Sebastien Lecornu tipped the country deeper into political crisis. Lecornu told French TV in an interview earlier that he expected a new premier to be named, rather than early ...

Trump Says May go to Middle East at End of Week

This is Beirut 08/10 23:39 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States Gaza Israel Hamas

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he may travel to the Middle East later this week, as negotiators in Egypt reported "encouraging" progress toward a deal to end the Gaza war. Trump, whose 20-point peace proposal forms the basis of the talks in the resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, said a peace deal between Israel and Palestinian ...

Gaza: Paris Meeting on Post-War Plans Sparks Israeli Anger

This is Beirut 08/10 21:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Gaza Hamas France Israel Donald Trump ceasefire

A meeting scheduled for Thursday in Paris, bringing together European and Arab foreign ministers to discuss “modalities for a collective post-war engagement” in the Gaza Strip, has already drawn Israel’s ire, which denounces it as “an attempt to internationalize the conflict.” “This meeting represents a new step in France’s ...

Joan Kennedy, Matriarch in Political Dynasty, Dies at 89

This is Beirut 08/10 18:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Obituary Politics Boston US Joan Kennedy

Joan Kennedy, the poised and private former wife of Senator Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy, died Wednesday at her home in Boston. She was 89. Her death was confirmed by Steve Kerrigan, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, the New York Times reported.. Marrying into one of America’s most visible political dynasties, Ms. Kennedy often ...

Turkey and Syria Highlight Security Concerns and Gaza Talks

This is Beirut 08/10 18:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Turkey Syrian Democratic Forces Syria Hakan Fidan Gaza Asaad al-Shaibani

In a joint press conference on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Turkey and Syria addressed a wide range of issues, from ongoing negotiations in Gaza to developments in southern Syria and the future of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned that Israel’s military operations in southern Syria pose a ...

Insurrection Act: Trump’s Ultimate Card

Moncef Ait-Kaci 08/10 18:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Los Angeles New York United States US Supreme Court Insurrection Act

Enacted in 1807 during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, the Insurrection Act allows the president to call on the armed forces to restore order when a state is overwhelmed or when federal laws can no longer be enforced through normal means. But its roots go back even further. The first similar laws date from 1792, following uprisings in the ...

Iran Releases Franco-German Accused of Spying

This is Beirut 08/10 18:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran France Jean-Noel Barrot Lennart Monterlos

Iran has released a 19-year-old Franco-German national days after throwing out spying charges against him, the French foreign minister told AFP on Wednesday. "Lennart Monterlos is free," said Jean-Noel Barrot, with sources close to the case saying the young man would travel to France on Thursday. "We are relieved that our son will return to us," ...

Gaza: Turkey Takes the Lead, Leveraging Its Ties with Hamas

This is Beirut 08/10 17:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Gaza Hamas Israel Turkey Qatar Egypt

By backing the ongoing indirect negotiations in Egypt between Israel and Hamas, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey is drawing on its long-standing ties with the Palestinian Islamist movement. Erdogan said Wednesday that he had been “explicitly” asked by Donald Trump to convince Hamas to engage in peace talks with Israel. The ...

SpotlightSyria Votes Again: Is Real Change Finally Possible?

Maroun Chahine 08/10 16:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Damascus Syria

On Sunday, October 5, between 6,000 and 7,000 delegates cast votes at 62 polling stations across 11 governorates to elect Syria’s new legislative assembly. The People’s Assembly will have 210 seats, 119 of which have been filled so far, 40 fewer than under the Assad regime. Candidates must meet strict requirements, including age and ...

Hamas Says 'Optimism Prevails' in Gaza Talks With Israel

This is Beirut 08/10 15:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hamas Israel Palestine Gaza truce

Hamas said Wednesday that "optimism" was prevailing in indirect talks with Israel aimed at ending the Gaza war, with the militant group submitting a list of prisoners it wants released in exchange for freeing Israeli hostages under a deal. The talks aim to thrash out a plan to implement a 20-point peace proposal put forward last month by US ...

Trio Wins Chemistry Nobel for New Form of Molecular Architecture

This is Beirut 08/10 14:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nobel prize Chemistry Susumu Kitagawa Richard Robson Omar Yaghi

Three scientists on Wednesday won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) that can be used to capture carbon dioxide and harvest water from desert air, among other things. Japan's Susumu Kitagawa, UK-born Richard Robson, and American-Jordanian Omar Yaghi were honored for their groundbreaking discoveries ...