Arab World

Renewal of UNIFIL Tied to Completion of Hezbollah’s Disarmament Plan
PoliticsRenewal of UNIFIL Tied to Completion of Hezbollah’s Disarmament Plan

The upcoming renewal deadline for the international forces, scheduled for August 31, coincides with the Lebanese Army’s deadline to submit a plan aimed at limiting weapons possession exclusively to the state. This plan is to be presented to the Cabinet. According to US sources, Washington is closely watching the outcome of this process to decide ...

Israel Prepares to Take Control of Gaza
Israel Prepares to Take Control of Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a Thursday interview on Fox News that Israel intends to take control of the Gaza Strip, though it does not plan to directly govern or maintain long-term control. He said the goal is to eventually transfer authority to Arab forces who would pose no threat to Israel and ensure a decent quality ...

Indian PM Modi Says Had 'Good' Conversation with Putin
Indian PM Modi Says Had 'Good' Conversation with Putin

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had "a very good" conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, during which they discussed Ukraine and ways to strengthen bilateral ties. "Had a very good and detailed conversation with my friend President Putin. I thanked him for sharing the latest developments on Ukraine," Modi posted ...

Iraq Divided Over Future of Pro-Iran Armed Alliance
Iraq Divided Over Future of Pro-Iran Armed Alliance

A bill in Iraq that would further formalise the role -- and perhaps, the autonomy -- of a powerful coalition of pro-Iran former paramilitaries has sparked a heated debate, fanned in part by US pressure. Few details of the bill that could decide the future of the Hashed al-Shaabi alliance have been made public. Formed in 2014 when Iraqis were ...

Abidjan: From Landfill to Lush Park
Abidjan: From Landfill to Lush Park

Once filled with 53 million tons of waste, Akouedo has been transformed into a 100-hectare urban park. With biogas energy, sports fields, gardens, and more, this $221 million project brings new life to a once-toxic site.    

Putin-Trump Summit: What we Know so Far
SpotlightPutin-Trump Summit: What we Know so Far

US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are set to hold talks in a bid to end the war in Ukraine, triggered by Russia's February 2022 invasion. Trump has spent his first months in office trying to broker peace -- after boasting he could end the war in 24 hours -- though multiple rounds of peace talks, phone calls and ...

Iraq Denies any Role in Sanctioned Iran Oil Smuggling
Iraq Denies any Role in Sanctioned Iran Oil Smuggling

Iraqi authorities denied on Friday that the country had played any part in Iranian efforts to evade US sanctions on oil exports after Washington last month linked a local businessman to the practice. In early July, the US State Department sanctioned six entities and identified four vessels as having "knowingly engaged in a significant transaction ...

Israel Approves Plan to Seize Gaza, Citing Push to ‘Defeat’ Hamas
Israel Approves Plan to Seize Gaza, Citing Push to ‘Defeat’ Hamas

Israel's military will "take control" of Gaza City under a plan proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and approved by his security cabinet, his office said in a statement Friday. Nearly two years into the war in Gaza, Netanyahu faces mounting pressure at home and abroad for a truce to pull the territory's more than two ...

Thousands Evacuated as Wildfire Spreads North of Los Angeles
Thousands Evacuated as Wildfire Spreads North of Los Angeles

A brush fire in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles triggered evacuations in two US counties, scorching nearly 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares), authorities said Friday. At least 10 zones in Los Angeles and Ventura counties were under evacuation orders, with 2,700 residents displaced as of 11 pm (0600 GMT) Thursday, Ventura County Fire Department ...

Trump to Host Armenia, Azerbaijan for Historic 'Peace Signing'
Trump to Host Armenia, Azerbaijan for Historic 'Peace Signing'

US President Donald Trump will host the leaders of sworn enemies Armenia and Azerbaijan on Friday, touting the prospect of sealing a long-sought peace deal between the two regional rivals after decades of conflict. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev will attend a "Peace Signing Ceremony" at the White ...

Trump Says Would Meet Putin Without Zelensky Sit-Down
Trump Says Would Meet Putin Without Zelensky Sit-Down

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he would meet with Vladimir Putin for upcoming talks on the Ukraine war even if the Russian leader had not sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The statement, which contradicted earlier reports that a Putin-Zelensky meeting was a prerequisite for the summit, came after Trump gave Moscow ...