Middle East

Israeli Cabinet to Vote Thursday on Gaza Ceasefire and Hostage Deal

This is Beirut 2025-10-09 12:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Ceasefire Hostage

After nearly two years of war in Gaza, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire and the release of hostages in what is being hailed as a historic step toward ending the conflict. The agreement, brokered through intense negotiations in Egypt with the support of the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, represents the first phase of US ...

Israel says Gaza Deal to Take Effect only After Receiving Cabinet Approval

This is Beirut 2025-10-09 12:35 - Reading : less than a minute

Nawaf Salam Palestine Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that an agreement to secure the release of hostages in Gaza will take effect only after receiving cabinet approval. "Contrary to Arab media reports, the 72-hour countdown will begin only after the agreement is approved in the cabinet meeting, which is expected in the ...

Op-edHow Trump’s Plan Tries to Rewire the Middle East’s Deterrence Map

Salam El Zaatari 2025-10-09 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Hezbollah Gaza Donald Trump

In a region addicted to repetition, President Donald Trump is once again attempting to rewrite the script. His new “Gaza Peace Plan,” a 20-point proposal for a ceasefire, hostage exchange and technocratic governance under a US-chaired “Board of Peace,” is more than a humanitarian play. It’s a geopolitical lever meant to corner Tehran, ...

China Bolsters Export Controls on Rare-Earth Industry

This is Beirut 2025-10-09 09:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United States Washington China Technologie Rare Earth

China announced further controls Thursday on the export of rare-earth technologies and items, adding to existing regulations on the critical industry. Rare earths have represented a major sticking point in recent trade negotiations between China and the United States, with Washington accusing Beijing of slow-walking export license ...

US Faces Travel Delays as Government Shutdown Wears On

This is Beirut 2025-10-09 09:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA Air traffic controllers Shutdown

Concerns over flight delays and missed paychecks due to the US government shutdown escalated Wednesday, as senators rejected yet another bid to end the standoff. Democrats voted for a sixth time to block a Republican stopgap funding measure to reopen government departments, keeping much of the federal workforce home or working without pay. With ...

Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Gaza Peace Deal

This is Beirut 2025-10-09 08:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas 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 2025-10-08 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 2025-10-08 23:39 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump United States Gaza 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 2025-10-08 21:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Gaza Hamas France 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 2025-10-08 18:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Obituary Politics Boston 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 2025-10-08 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 2025-10-08 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 ...