Middle East

US Says Supports Gas Deals with Kurdistan Region after Iraq Lawsuit

This is Beirut 2025-05-27 22:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

The United States said Tuesday it supported American energy companies' contracts with Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region after the Iraqi government filed a lawsuit against them. Regional Prime Minister Masrour Barzani announced the signing of the two deals valued at tens of billions of dollars during a visit to Washington, in which he met Friday ...

Thousands Rush into New Aid Distribution Center in South Gaza

This is Beirut 2025-05-27 22:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Gaza Humanitarian Aid Benjamin Netanyahu

Thousands of Palestinians rushed into a new aid distribution center run by a US-backed group in southern Gaza on Tuesday, AFP journalists reported, leading to chaotic scenes as Israel implemented a new distribution system. The incident in Rafah came days after the partial easing of a total aid blockade on the territory that Israel imposed since ...

Iran President in Oman as Nuclear Talks Progress

This is Beirut 2025-05-27 19:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Masoud Pezeshkian Iran Oman United States

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday began a two-day visit to Oman, which is mediating ongoing nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington. Pezeshkian travelled to Muscat looking to promote "peace and stability," he said, two days after US President Donald Trump described the latest negotiations as "very, very good." "We hope to engage ...

Germany Arrests Syrian Accused of Crimes Under Assad

This is Beirut 2025-05-27 19:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Syria Germany Bashar al-Assad

An alleged former Syrian prison guard has been arrested in Germany on suspicion of committing crimes against humanity under former president Bashar al-Assad, prosecutors said Tuesday. The man, identified only as Fahad A., is accused of "acts of killing, torture and deprivation of liberty" while he worked in a Damascus facility run by Syrian ...

King Charles Highlights Canadian 'Self-Determination' after Trump Threats

This is Beirut 2025-05-27 18:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

King Charles III Canada Donald Trump United States

King Charles III stressed Canada's proud independence on Tuesday as he delivered a major speech to open parliament in Ottawa, set against US President Donald Trump's repeated threats to take over the country. "Democracy, pluralism, the rule of law, self-determination, and freedom are values that Canadians hold dear and ones that the government is ...

Trump Administration to End All Financial Contracts with Harvard

This is Beirut 2025-05-27 17:31 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

White House Donald Trump United States Harvard

The US government intends to cancel all remaining financial contracts with Harvard, a senior official said Tuesday, in President Donald Trump's latest attempt to force the prestigious university to submit to unprecedented oversight. The administration "will send a letter to federal agencies today asking them to identify any contracts ...

UN in the Dark over Gaza Aid Group Deliveries

This is Beirut 2025-05-27 17:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Humanitarian Aid Gaza Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

The United Nations said on Tuesday it had no information on whether the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US-backed aid group, had actually delivered any supplies inside the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. The little-known group, which has stirred controversy since surfacing in early May, announced on Monday it had begun distributing ...

Syria and Israel hold Direct talks Focusing on Security, According to Reuters

This is Beirut 2025-05-27 15:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Syria

Israel and Syria have recently initiated direct contacts, including several face-to-face meetings, aimed at easing tensions along their shared border and preventing military escalation, five sources close to the matter told Reuters. These talks represent a significant shift between two historically hostile nations that do not maintain official ...

Israel Military says Intercepted two Projectiles Fired from Yemen

This is Beirut 2025-05-27 14:37 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Houthi Palestine

Israel's military said Tuesday it had intercepted a missile and another projectile fired from Yemen, which Iran-backed Huthi rebels said they had fired. "Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted," the military posted on Telegram. It said ...

Israel Attorney General says PM's Nomination for Shin Bet Chief 'Illegal'

This is Beirut 2025-05-27 14:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Benjamin Netanyahu Shin Bet

Israel's attorney general has said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nomination of an army major general as head of domestic intelligence is "illegal", after the supreme court found his move to sack the incumbent chief unlawful. Netanyahu named David Zini as his pick to lead the Shin Bet last week, after months of legal and political wrangling ...

VideosYarmouk Camp Emptied of Pro-Iranian Palestinian Factions

This is Beirut 2025-05-27 13:20 - Reading : less than a minute

Damascus Yarmouk Camp Palestinian

A historic shift in Syria: Under US pressure, pro-Iranian Palestinian factions have quietly left Damascus. Offices are shut, flags removed – even in Yarmouk. Once close allies of Assad, these groups now face arrests and exile as Syria cuts ties to ease sanctions.

Iraq Sues Kurdistan Region Over US Gas Contracts

This is Beirut 2025-05-27 12:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Bagdad Kurdistan Gas

Iraq's federal authorities have filed a complaint against the autonomous Kurdistan region for signing gas contracts with two US companies, two officials told AFP on Tuesday. Oil exports have been a major point of tension between Baghdad and Arbil, with a major pipeline through Turkey shut since 2023 over legal disputes and technical ...