Middle East

Russia Says Intercepted 159 Ukrainian Drones

This is Beirut 2025-05-21 09:45 - Reading : less than a minute

Volodymyr Zelensky Ukraine USA Drone Russia

Russia intercepted 159 drones launched by Ukraine over 12 hours at several Russian regions, including Moscow, the military said in a statement on Wednesday. The drones mostly targeted Russian regions bordering Ukraine and were launched from 8:00 pm Moscow time (1700 GMT) Tuesday until 8:00 am on Wednesday, said a defense ministry statement. The ...

Q&AUK, EU Hail new Partnership deal, but Questions Remain

This is Beirut 2025-05-21 09:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

European Union Europe United States United Kingdom

Britain has hailed Monday's strategic partnership agreement with the European Union as the start of a new era, but the effects of the deal on defense and trade remain unclear. Will the agreement boost UK economic growth? That is one of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's key arguments for restoring closer ties with the EU. This deal, along with ...

Canadian Host of G7 Finance Talks 'Optimistic' Despite Trade Turmoil

This is Beirut 2025-05-21 09:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

G7 USA Canada Ukraine

Canada's Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne expressed cautious optimism Tuesday at the start of a G7 finance leaders' gathering in his country, even as the advanced economies grapple with fallout from trade turbulence. His comments came as finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of Seven economies -- the United States, ...

China Slams US 'Bullying' Over new Warnings on Huawei Chips

This is Beirut 2025-05-21 09:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump Huawei China Semiconductor

Beijing condemned on Wednesday new US warnings on the use of AI chips by Chinese tech giant Huawei, vowing it would take steps against "bullying" efforts to restrict access to high-tech semiconductors and supply chains. Washington has sought in recent years to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China, concerned that they could be used to ...

US Expects Russia Offer Soon as Zelensky Sounds Warning

This is Beirut 2025-05-21 05:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Russia Ukraine

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday he expected Russia to present a Ukraine ceasefire outline within days that will show if it is serious, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of buying time. President Donald Trump spoke separately by telephone on Monday to Zelensky and Russia's Vladimir Putin, after Russian and ...

Trump Unveils Plans for 'Golden Dome' Missile Shield for US

This is Beirut 2025-05-20 23:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States Golden Dome

US President Donald Trump unveiled new details Tuesday on his plan for a "Golden Dome" missile shield system to protect the country against attacks, saying it should be operational in about three years. The president announced $25 billion in initial funding for the plan, which he said could eventually cost a total of some $175 ...

Armed Group Attacks Russian Base in Syria

This is Beirut 2025-05-20 23:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Syria Russia SOHR Hmeimim Air Base

An armed group linked to Syria's new government briefly attacked Russia's Hmeimim air base in western Syria on Tuesday, a war monitor and a witness have said. Located in the coastal Latakia province, the Hmeimim base served as a refuge for thousands of people who fled March's sectarian violence, where over 1,700 mostly Alawite people were ...

Israel Recalls Senior Gaza Hostage Negotiators and Leaves Team in Doha

This is Beirut 2025-05-20 22:46 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas Qatar

Israel said Tuesday that it was recalling its senior Gaza hostage negotiators from Doha "for consultation", days after launching an intensified campaign in the Palestinian territory. The indirect talks in Qatar, which has played a mediating role throughout the war, began over the weekend, just as Israel's new offensive was getting ...

EU to Review Cooperation Deal with Israel over Gaza

This is Beirut 2025-05-20 20:56 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam European Union Kaja Kallas Gaza

The European Union on Tuesday agreed to review its cooperation deal with Israel over alleged human rights abuses in Gaza, the bloc's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said. Kallas said Brussels was acting after "a strong majority" of its 27 member states backed the move in a meeting of EU foreign ministers in a bid to pressure ...

U.S. Asking Countries for 'Voluntary' Palestinian Relocation

This is Beirut 2025-05-20 20:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Gaza Marco Rubio United States

The United States has reached out to countries about accepting "voluntary" relocations of Palestinians fleeing Israel's offensive in Gaza, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday. Israel has again warned the population of Gaza -- nearly entirely displaced since the war broke out over the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas -- to move ...

EU to Lift All Economic Sanctions on Syria

This is Beirut 2025-05-20 19:59 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

syria EU conflict sanction

EU countries agreed Tuesday to lift all their remaining economic sanctions on Syria in a bid to help the war-torn country recover after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. "Today, we took the decision to lift our economic sanctions on Syria," the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas posted on X after a meeting of the bloc's foreign ...

Israel Arrests Two Accused of Spying on Defense Minister for Iran

This is Beirut 2025-05-20 19:21 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Iran

Israeli authorities said Tuesday that they had arrested two citizens suspected of carrying out "intelligence-gathering missions" at Iran's behest near the defense minister's home. The arrests are the latest in a spate of cases in which Israel has charged its own citizens with spying for the country's arch-foe since the start of the war in Gaza in ...