Middle East

Ukraine: Putin Orders Surprise Three-Day Ceasefire in May

This is Beirut 2025-04-28 14:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Ceasefire Donald Trump Kyiv Ukraine Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a surprise three-day ceasefire in Ukraine from May 8-10, coinciding with Moscow's World War II Victory Day commemorations, the Kremlin said Monday. The announcement came after US President Donald Trump urged Putin to "stop shooting" and "sign a deal" to end the three-year conflict, which the White ...

Syria Group Says Military Chief Arrested in UAE

This is Beirut 2025-04-28 12:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Gulf United Arab Emirates Jaish al-Islam Syria

Two sources from Jaish al-Islam, a military faction now part of Syria's transitional authorities, told AFP on Monday that its leader had been arrested at Dubai airport several days ago. Since 2015, Issam Buwaydani has been head of Jaish al-Islam, a group that fought against now ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad and once controlled the Eastern Ghouta ...

Fires Rage 2 Days After Iran Port Blast Killed 46

This is Beirut 2025-04-28 12:02 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Tehran Port

Firefighters in Iran battled raging fires on Monday at the country's largest commercial port, two days after a massive explosion killed at least 46 people, state TV reported. The blast took place on Saturday at Shahid Rajaee Port in Iran's south near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil output ...

ReportHilarius or Simplicius, the Papal Name Dilemma

This is Beirut 2025-04-28 11:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Pope Francis Vatican

From Pius to Clement, Hilarius to Simplicius, papal names through the centuries are inextricably linked to the brilliant or wretched legacies of the men who have ruled the Vatican. Cardinals who will elect a new pontiff following the death of Pope Francis will already be mulling over the name they would choose if they were picked. Very little ...

Electing a New Pope: Glossary of Key Terms

This is Beirut 2025-04-28 11:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Pope Francis Vatican Pope

Cardinals will take part in a conclave in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope. Here is a brief glossary of the event's key terms: - Camerlengo: Between the death or resignation of a pope and the election of his successor, the cardinal camerlengo takes over the day to day running of the Vatican. Dublin-born Kevin Farrell, appointed by ...

Cardinals Set to Pick Conclave Date to Elect New Pope

This is Beirut 2025-04-28 11:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Pope Francis Roma Cardinal

Red-hatted cardinals were expected to pick a date Monday for the conclave to elect a new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, following the death of Pope Francis. Dozens of so-called "Princes of the Church" from across the world have been gathering at the Vatican since the 88-year-old Argentine pontiff died on April 21. But so far there ...

Yemen’s Houthi Rebel Media Says 68 Killed in US Strikes on Migrant Centre

This is Beirut 2025-04-28 10:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Houthi USA Hamas

Houthi rebel-controlled media in Yemen said Monday that US strikes targeted a migrant detention centre in the movement's stronghold of Saada, killing at least 68 people. The US military has hammered the Iran-backed Huthis with near-daily strikes since March 15 in an operation dubbed "Rough Rider," seeking to end the threat they pose ...

ExplainerCanada’s Election: How Things Work

This is Beirut 2025-04-28 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Canada

Canada holds an election on Monday after a campaign dominated by US President Donald Trump's trade war. Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Liberal Party leader, is slightly favored in the polls, but the Conservative Party, headed by Pierre Poilievre, has closed the gap in recent days. Here are some key facts about the vote. The date Canada had ...

US Says It Struck 800 Targets in Yemen, Killed 100s of Huthis Since March 15

This is Beirut 2025-04-28 09:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump Hamas Houthi

The United States has hit more than 800 targets in Yemen since mid-March, killing hundreds of Huthi rebel fighters, including members of the group's leadership, the US military said Sunday. Washington's forces have hammered the Huthis with near-daily air strikes since March 15 in an operation dubbed "Rough Rider," seeking to end the threat they ...

Canada Votes for New Government to Take on Trump

This is Beirut 2025-04-28 09:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Canada Poilievre

Canada elects a new government on Monday to confront annexation threats from the United States and deal directly with President Donald Trump, whose trade war has defined the campaign. The Liberal Party, led by new Prime Minister Mark Carney, looked set to lose easily to the Conservatives' Pierre Poilievre until the US president's attacks on the ...

Brics Set to Meet Over Trump Trade Policies

This is Beirut 2025-04-28 09:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump BRICS Brazil Russia India China

Senior diplomats from BRICS countries will meet on Monday in Brazil to present a united front in the face of threats emerging from US President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policies. The meeting comes at a critical moment for the world economy after the International Monetary Fund this week slashed growth forecasts over the impact of the ...

Washington-Tehran Dialogue: A Question of Trust

Michel Touma 2025-04-28 09:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Tehran UN Security Council Negotiations nuclear Hezbollah

Can the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran be trusted? Should they be? Are they truly serious, strategically speaking, in their talks with the Trump administration? Are they genuinely capable of pursuing a path toward reintegration into the international community — with all the implications this would entail — and of breaking ...