Top Russia, US Officials to Meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday

This is Beirut 17/02 17:20 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

USA Saudi Arabia Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Russia

Top US and Russian diplomats will meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for talks on resetting the countries' fractured relations and possibly paving the way to ending the Ukraine war. Kyiv said it was not invited to the discussions in Riyadh, while European leaders -- reeling from Washington's dramatic change in policy towards Moscow -- hosted ...

Videos'Fear' and 'Fatigue' on Greek Tourist Island After Earthquake Swarm

This is Beirut 17/02 17:05 - Reading : less than a minute

The inhabitants of the Greek island of Amorgos, in the Aegean Sea, have been in a state of constant anxiety since the end of January due to the seismic tremors that keep shaking the land. All schools are closed and a state of emergency has been declared.  

EU Pushes to Boost Weapons Deliveries for Ukraine

This is Beirut 17/02 16:41 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Ukraine USA Donald Trump European Union Russia

The EU is pressing its member states to bolster supplies of key weaponry to Ukraine this year, including air defences, missiles and at least 1.5 million artillery shells, a proposal seen by AFP Monday said. Europe is scrambling to offer backing to Kyiv after US President Donald Trump blindsided allies by launching peace efforts with Russia over ...

M23 Seize Key City as Fears of DR Congo Breakup Mount

This is Beirut 17/02 11:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United Nations Congo M23

Columns of M23 fighters allied with Rwandan troops on Sunday entered the center of another key city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as the African Union highlighted growing fears that the strife-torn country could break up. Scores of people have fled since the fighters reached outlying districts of Bukavu, capital of South Kivu ...

Q&AChatbot vs National Security? Why DeepSeek is Raising Concerns

This is Beirut 17/02 11:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump New York USA DeepSeek

Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek upended the global industry and wiped billions off US tech stocks when it unveiled its R1 programme, which it claims was built on cheap, less sophisticated Nvidia semiconductors. But governments from Rome to Seoul are cracking down on the user-friendly Chinese app, saying they need to prevent potential leaks of ...

Musk's DOGE Seeks Access to US tax System

This is Beirut 17/02 11:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has sparked alarm by seeking access to a system with the US tax office that has detailed financial data about millions of Americans, US media reported. Spearheaded by Musk, the world's richest man, US President Donald Trump has embarked on a campaign to slash public spending deemed wasteful ...

Israel Security Cabinet to Discuss new Phase of Gaza Truce after Rubio Visit

This is Beirut 17/02 11:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas Rubio

Israel's security cabinet was set to discuss on Monday the next phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, after top US diplomat Marco Rubio and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu presented a united front against Hamas and Iran. Rubio was in Israel on his first Middle East trip as President Donald Trump's secretary of state, and landed on Monday in Saudi ...

UK Says Ready to Send Troops in Ukraine

This is Beirut 17/02 05:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was prepared to deploy troops to Ukraine if needed, hours before European leaders meet in Paris on Monday to address Washington's shock policy shift on the war. US President Donald Trump sidelined Kyiv and its European backers last week by calling his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to talk about ...

US, Israel Present United Front on Gaza, Iran

This is Beirut 16/02 17:35 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Israel Palestine USA Benjamin Netanyahu Marco Rubio

Top US diplomat Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a united front Sunday against their common enemies, threatening to "open the gates of hell" on Hamas and "finish the job" against Iran. The pledges came during a joint address to reporters in Jerusalem, where Rubio began his first Middle East trip as secretary of ...

Zelensky Warns Russia Will 'Wage War' on NATO

This is Beirut 16/02 17:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Europe NATO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes Russia is preparing to "wage war" against a weakened NATO should President Donald Trump dilute US support for the alliance. In an interview with broadcaster NBC on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky also said Trump had the leverage to push Vladimir Putin into ceasefire ...

AnalysisThe European Union Overshadowed by 'Pax Americana'

Mario Chartouni 16/02 16:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Vladimir Putin Europe

The announcement of direct talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine marks a major geopolitical shift. By deliberately sidestepping the European Union (EU), this move signals a strategy to weaken Europe’s influence, despite its long-standing role in the Ukrainian crisis. Here’s how ...

Egypt's Sisi Discusses Mideast Peace with World Jewish Congress Chief

This is Beirut 16/02 13:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Middle East Palestine Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Egypt

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told the head of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder on Sunday that the establishment of a Palestinian state is "the only guarantee" for lasting peace in the Middle East. During his meeting with Lauder in Cairo on Sunday, Sisi called for starting the reconstruction of war-battered Gaza "without ...