Middle East

Azerbaijan: The Triumph of Pragmatism over Religious Identity

Mario Chartouni 2025-07-31 19:05 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam European Union Damascus Middle East Tehran

In the heart of the Caucasus, Azerbaijan stands out for its unconventional geopolitical alignments. Though predominantly Shia in religious composition, this secular post-Soviet republic has positioned itself as one of Israel’s closest allies and a strategic partner to the West, all while maintaining a strained relationship with neighboring ...

US To Refuse Visas to Palestinian Authority Officials

This is Beirut 2025-07-31 17:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

USA Benjamin Netanyahu Palestine Visa Donald Trump

The United States said Thursday it would deny visas to Palestinian Authority officials, accusing the body, which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, of seeking to "internationalize" the situation. The organization is "taking actions to internationalize its conflict with Israel, such as through the International Criminal Court (ICC) ...

Trump's Envoy in Israel as Gaza Criticism Mounts

This is Beirut 2025-07-31 14:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Palestine Steve Witkoff

US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff held talks in Israel on Thursday on ways to end the crisis in Gaza, where nearly 22 months of grinding war and dire shortages of food have drawn mounting international criticism. Witkoff, who has been involved in months of stalled negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal, met Prime ...

Germany Says Israel 'Increasingly in The Minority' on Palestinian Issue

This is Beirut 2025-07-31 14:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Palestine Germany Conflict

Germany's foreign minister said Thursday that Israel was increasingly isolated diplomatically over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the push by some countries to recognize a Palestinian state. Johann Wadephul said in a statement before heading to Israel that the recent UN conference on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ...

Russia, Syria to Bolster Ties, Review Assad-Era Agreements

This is Beirut 2025-07-31 12:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Russia Syria Diplomacy Lavrov Shibani

Russia and Syria signalled Thursday they would bolster ties and review agreements made under the previous pro-Moscow government of Bashar al-Assad amid uncertainty over the future of two Russian military bases in the country. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani appealed for Russia's support at talks in Moscow, where Assad had ...

Zelensky Urges 'Regime Change' in Russia

This is Beirut 2025-07-31 12:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Ukraine United States Russia Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that the world should push for "regime change" in Russia, arguing that President Vladimir Putin otherwise would continue to destabilize Russia's neighbors. His remarks came at a conference hosted by Finland, marking 50 years since the signing of the "Helsinki Final Act," a document meant to ...

SpotlightPestalotiopsis microspora: The Fungus That Eats Plastic

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-07-31 12:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Fungus Pestalotiopsis microspora Plastic Amazon

In 2011, during a scientific expedition in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest, Yale students stumbled upon an unusual fungus. Hidden within the tissues of certain plants in Yasuní National Park, Pestalotiopsis microspora revealed a unique ability: it can break down one of the most common types of plastic, the polyurethane, even in completely ...

Iran Condemns 'Malicious' US Sanctions Targeting Oil Trade

This is Beirut 2025-07-31 11:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA US Sanctions Iran Oil

Iran on Thursday described as "malicious" fresh US sanctions targeting a shipping empire controlled by the son of a top political advisor to the Islamic republic's supreme leader. The US Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed restrictions on more than 115 individuals, companies, and ships accused of facilitating the sale of Iranian and Russian ...

SpotlightSudan Peace Bid Falters as Foreign Players Bicker Over Generals' Role

This is Beirut 2025-07-31 09:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

sudan conflict us diplomacy

The latest US attempt to chart a way out of the devastating conflict in Sudan broke down this week amid deadlock over what role its warring generals should play in any peace process. Sudan's regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been at war since April 2023 in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and driven ...

ReportVatican Embraces Social Media 'Digital Missionaries'

This is Beirut 2025-07-31 09:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Vatican Pope Religion Social Media

Sister Albertine, a youthful French Catholic nun, stood outside the Vatican, phone in hand, ready to shoot more videos for her hundreds of thousands of followers online. The 29-year-old nun, whose secular name is Albertine Debacker, is one of hundreds of Catholic influencers in Rome for a Vatican-organised social media summit this week. The ...

Millions Return Home as Pacific Tsunami Warnings Lifted

This is Beirut 2025-07-31 09:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Russia Earthquake US Japan Tsunami

Countries across the Pacific rim lifted tsunami warnings on Wednesday, allowing millions of temporary evacuees to return home. After one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded rattled Russia's sparsely populated Far East, more than a dozen nations -- from Japan to the United States to Ecuador -- warned citizens to stay away from coastal ...

Russian Attack on Ukraine Capital Kills One, Wounds More Than 40

This is Beirut 2025-07-31 09:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Ukraine Russia

Russia carried out drone and missile strikes on Kyiv early Thursday, killing one person and wounding more than 40, with damage caused to the children's ward of a hospital as well as a school, government officials said. The attacks targeted at least 10 locations around the Ukrainian capital, the city's military administration said on ...