Arab World

VideosNetanyahu Rival Offers Political Truce to Help Secure Gaza Hostage Deal

This is Beirut 24/08 15:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Benjamin Netanyahu Palestine Benny Gantz Hamas

Israeli former defense minister Benny Gantz on Saturday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to forge a unity government along with members of the opposition in a bid to help release the hostages held in Gaza. Netanyahu's coalition government depends on support from far-right members who oppose ending the war and making any deal with ...

Trump Clashes with Democrats as he Expands National Guard Plans

This is Beirut 24/08 13:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Chicago U.S. National Guard

Donald Trump threatened to deploy National Guard troops Sunday to yet another Democratic stronghold, the Maryland city of Baltimore, as the US president seeks to expand his crackdown on crime and immigration. The Republican's latest online rant about an "out of control, crime-ridden" city comes as Democratic state leaders -- including Maryland ...

Syria Kurds Say Lawmaker Selection Process Undemocratic

This is Beirut 24/08 11:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Damascus USA Kurds SDF

Syria's Kurds on Sunday criticised the upcoming selection of members of a new transitional parliament as undemocratic, after authorities postponed the process for Kurdish-controlled areas in the north and northeast. After toppling longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Syria's new authorities dissolved the parliament and adopted a temporary ...

Zelensky calls for Putin talks as peace efforts stall

This is Beirut 24/08 09:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Kyiv Ukraine Vladimir Putin russia

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted Sunday that a meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin remained "the most effective way forward" as the two sides exchange prisoners and the country celebrated Independence Day. Kyiv's general said that Ukrainian troops had recaptured three villages in its Donetsk region ...

North Korea Test-Fires Two New Air Defense Missiles

This is Beirut 24/08 05:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

North Korea Nuclear Conflict

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen the test-firing of two new air defence missiles, state media said Sunday, after Pyongyang accused Seoul of fomenting tensions on the border. The test-firing, which took place Saturday, showed that the two "improved" missile weapon systems had "superior combat capability", the Korean ...

Iran Says Killed Six 'Terrorists' Linked to Israel

This is Beirut 23/08 18:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Iran

Iranian forces have killed six militants in a raid in the restive southeast, state media reported Saturday, saying they were members of a "terrorist" group linked to arch enemy Israel. "During an intense exchange of fire with terrorists in Sistan-Baluchistan province, six assailants were killed and two others arrested," ...

Syrian Parliamentary Elections Postponed in Sweida, Raqqa and Hasakah Due to ‘Security Challenges’

This is Beirut 23/08 18:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Syria Elections Raqqa Hasakah Sweida

The Supreme Committee for the People’s Assembly (Parliament) Elections in Syria announced on Saturday the postponement of parliamentary elections in the provinces of Sweida (south), Raqqa and Hasakah (northeast) due to “security challenges.” Nawar Najma, the spokesperson for the Supreme Committee for People’s Assembly Elections, reported ...

Texas Adopts Electoral Map aimed at Preserving Trump's Congress Grip

This is Beirut 23/08 15:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States U.S. Congress Elections Donald Trump

Texas legislators approved early Saturday a new electoral map aimed at carving out five new Republican-leaning seats in the state to help the party retain control of Congress in next year's midterm elections. President Donald Trump had pressured Republican-run Texas to create the new map to help prevent Democratic opponents from taking over the ...

Russia Says Captured Two Villages in Ukraine's Donetsk Region

This is Beirut 23/08 14:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Russia Ukraine

Russia on Saturday said its forces in east Ukraine had taken two villages in the Donetsk region, upping military pressure on the ground as world leaders struggle to broker an end to the conflict. Russian forces are slowly advancing in the embattled eastern region, grinding closer to Kyiv's key defensive line in costly meter-for-meter ...

Trump, Intel Announce Deal Giving US a 10% Stake in Chipmaker

This is Beirut 23/08 12:04 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Intel

Chipmaker Intel has agreed to give the US government a 10-percent stake in its business, the company and President Donald Trump announced Friday. The deal came after Trump's administration said Intel should give Washington an equity stake in exchange for large grants committed when Joe Biden was president. Under the agreement, the US government ...

Trump May 'Do Nothing' If Putin, Zelensky Fail to Meet

This is Beirut 22/08 21:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Ukraine Vladimir Putin Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump said Friday he would make an "important" decision in two weeks on Ukraine peace efforts -- specifying that Moscow could face massive sanctions or he might do nothing. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he was "not happy" about a Russian strike Thursday that hit a US-owned factory in Ukraine "and I'm not happy ...

Suicide Bombing Kills Syria Police Officer: State Media

This is Beirut 22/08 20:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Damascus IS

A suicide attack on Friday at a security checkpoint in Syria's east killed one police officer, state media said, blaming the bombing on the Islamic State group (IS). A second would-be assailant was killed by security forces, the official news agency SANA reported. "A suicide bomber of the terrorist organisation Daesh attacked the Siyasiyeh ...