World

US and UK Unveil Widespread Sanctions Against Russia's Energy Sector

This is Beirut 10/01 18:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Sanctions United States Russia Gazprom Surgutneftegas

The United States and Britain on Friday announced sanctions against Russia's energy sector, including oil giant Gazprom Neft, just days before outgoing President Joe Biden leaves office. The US Treasury Department said it was designating more than 180 ships and Russian oil majors Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, fulfilling "the G7 ...

US Judge Spares Trump Jail, Fine for Hush Money Conviction

This is Beirut 10/01 18:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump US President

A judge sentenced Donald Trump to an unconditional discharge Friday for covering up hush money payments to a porn star despite the US president-elect's last-ditch efforts to avoid becoming the first felon in the White House. New York judge Juan Merchan handed down no jail time or fine, but the discharge upholds the jury's guilty verdict ...

Canada PM Trudeau's Party to Name New Leader on March 9

This is Beirut 10/01 18:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Canada Justin Trudeau

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's party has set March 9 as the date his successor will be chosen, after the outgoing leader bowed to mounting pressure to resign before national elections. The Liberal Party, in a statement released late Thursday night, said a nationwide leadership vote "will conclude on March 9, 2025, at which ...

Iran Again Closes Schools and Offices to Conserve Power

This is Beirut 10/01 18:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Iran Energy

Iran has ordered schools and public buildings in a third of the country's provinces, including Tehran, to close on Saturday, as several power plants remain shut down by fuel shortages. Despite Iran's huge oil and gas reserves, the country hit by years of international sanctions has been forced to ration electricity in recent months as ...

Thousands of IRGC Militiamen in Iran March Against 'Threats'

This is Beirut 10/01 17:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Basij IRGC Iran

Thousands of fighters linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps paraded with heavy weapons and vehicles through the streets of Tehran on Friday showing their readiness to face "threats". The parade by paramilitary Basij volunteers comes after the weakening of Iran's allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, during wars ...

SpotlightIran Population Ageing Fast, Bucking Government Efforts

This is Beirut 10/01 16:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iran

Iran's once-youthful population is aging fast, fuelling economic fears as cash-strapped couples resist a government push for more children. Driven by rising life expectancy and dramatically declining birth rates, Iran's demographic makeup has shifted over the years, mirroring trends across much of the world. The National Population ...

Damascus National Museum Opens Its Doors Again

Vanessa Kallas 10/01 15:20 - Reading : less than a minute

Syria Bachar el-Assad Damascus

On Friday, the National Museum of Damascus opened its doors for the first time since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

ExplainerThe Future of Gaza: UAE Faces Reconstruction Challenges

Mario Chartouni 10/01 15:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

UAE Gaza Hamas Israel

As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to ravage the Gaza Strip, the territory's post-war future grows increasingly urgent. Since normalizing ties with Israel through the Abraham Accords, the United Arab Emirates has emerged as a key regional actor, positioning itself as a potential partner for the reconstruction and governance of ...

Sudan: 3.2 Million Children at Risk of Severe Malnutrition Warns UNICEF

This is Beirut 10/01 14:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United Nations Sudan

This year, 3.2 million children under the age of five are at risk of acute malnutrition in Sudan, an East African country devastated by a conflict between two warlords, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). "Among them, about 772,000 children are at risk of severe acute malnutrition," Eva Hinds, UNICEF Sudan's advocacy and ...

Gaza: The Body of an Israeli Hostage Identified, Two Days After That of His Father

This is Beirut 10/01 14:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas Israel

The body of an Israeli hostage who had been held in the Gaza Strip and whose body was brought back to Israel was identified a few days after his repatriation, the army announced on Friday in a statement. "Following the completion of the examination process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Israeli police, this morning ...

Italian Foreign Minister Meets Syria’s New Leader in Damascus

This is Beirut 10/01 13:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Damascus Antony Blinken European Union US Secretary of State Europe

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani met Syria's new ruler Ahmad al-Shareh in Damascus Friday, state media said, in the latest such visit from a European diplomat since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. State news agency SANA did not give further details about Tajani and Shareh's discussions, just over a month after Islamist-led rebels seized ...

Macron and Starmer Discuss Ukraine, Middle East at UK Meeting

This is Beirut 10/01 11:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Emmanuel Macron Ukraine Donald Trump Kyiv Middle East

French President Emmanuel Macron met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday in Britain, where they discussed the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Starmer welcomed the French head of state to his Chequers country residence northwest of London, and the two leaders "underscored the need for unity in uncertain times", according to ...