World

ReportWith Trump Inauguration Indoors, Supporters Say ‘Winging It’ but Still Thrilled

This is Beirut 20/01 18:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

With glacial temperatures forcing US President-elect Donald Trump's swearing in indoors, the National Mall, normally jam-packed for inaugurations with hundreds of thousands of revelers, was eerily dead on Monday. We're "winging it," Trump supporters Lorri Williams and Ellie Hymes told AFP from the mall. The pair, who traveled to Washington from ...

Hamas Claims Gaza Will 'Rise Again' and Rebuild After Israeli Destruction

This is Beirut 20/01 16:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hamas Gaza Israel

Palestinian militant group Hamas said Monday that Gaza and its people "will rise again" and rebuild the territory battered by more than 15 months of Israeli bombardment. "Gaza, with its great people and its resilience, will rise again to rebuild what the occupation has destroyed and continue on the path of steadfastness until the ...

VideosInauguration Day Explained

Chelsea Al Arif 20/01 16:10 - Reading : less than a minute

USA

What happens on Inauguration Day? Does it always fall on the same day? What events await the US President?

VideosIsrael and Hamas Swap Hostages as Ceasefire Agreement Takes Effect

This is Beirut 20/01 13:20 - Reading : less than a minute

Ceasefire Hamas Israel

Palestinians and Israelis celebrated the release of hostages as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement took effect on Sunday.

Op-edThe New Middle East: A Struggle Between Two Visions

Pierre Nahas 20/01 13:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Middle East Lebanon Hezbollah Hamas Syria USA

Over the past 80 years, the Middle East has consistently defied the predictions of analysts and commentators. The impulsive decisions of individual autocrats, and the complex interplay of geopolitics, wealth, religion, and great-power rivalry have made the region uniquely vulnerable to rapid and often catastrophic upheavals. We can cite countless ...

The Trump Team Takes Shape: Part 2 – Nominations Not Subject to Senate Confirmation

Sana Richa Choucair 20/01 12:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Donald Trump Republicans Middle East

In the United States, the Constitution mandates that certain presidential appointments receive Senate approval through a confirmation vote. A new president is tasked with filling over 1,200 positions within the Executive Branch, subject to the Senate’s advice and consent, according to the Center for Presidential Transition. These appointments ...

Iran Says Hopes Trump Will Take 'realistic' Approach to Region

This is Beirut 20/01 11:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Hamas Israel Tehran United Nations

Iran said Monday it hoped the incoming US administration under Donald Trump would adopt a "realistic" approach and show "respect" for the interests of countries in the region. Trump will be sworn in for a second term as US president on Monday. "We hope that the approaches and policies of the (new) US government will be realistic and based on ...

ExplainerThe Trump Team Takes Shape: Part 1 – Nominations Requiring Senate Confirmation

Sana Richa Choucair 20/01 11:30 - Reading : 17 minute(s)

Donald Trump Republicans Democrats United States US Congress

President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in on Monday, January 20, officially signaling his return to power. In the lead-up to the inauguration, Senate confirmation hearings have begun, giving the public a chance to watch committees evaluate Trump’s nominees and their suitability for their designated roles. But how does the confirmation ...

ExplainerThe Trump Administration and the Challenge of Multiple US Presidential Envoys to the Middle East

Amal Chmouny 20/01 11:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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As the second Donald Trump administration begins its term, it is poised to tackle significant global challenges, particularly in the Middle East. The conflict dynamics are in constant flux between escalation and de-escalation, which brings ongoing concerns about the potential for costly US intervention. Recent surveys by the Council on Foreign ...

TikTok Restores Service in US, Thanking Trump

This is Beirut 20/01 09:50 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Donald Trump Tik Tok US Supreme Court Europe Los Angeles

TikTok restored service in the United States Sunday after briefly going dark, as a law banning the wildly popular app on national security grounds came into effect. The video-sharing platform credited President-elect Donald Trump, who retakes power on Monday, for making the reversal possible – though the outgoing administration of President ...

Inauguration Day, Trump-Style: What Will Happen?

This is Beirut 20/01 09:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Republicans Tik Tok US Supreme Court

Every four years America's president is sworn in on Inauguration Day, whether newly elected or returning to office, in a long-established ceremony held amid pageantry shaped by the incoming leader's personal flourishes. What does that mean for the inauguration of Donald Trump? Cue the Village People and social media titans – and leave the ...

Israeli Hostages, Palestinian Detainees Freed on first Gaza Truce Exchange

This is Beirut 20/01 09:08 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

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Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Monday after Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages, completing the first exchange under a long-awaited truce aimed at ending more than 15 months of war in Gaza. The three hostages released Sunday, all women, were reunited with their families and taken to hospital in central Israel where a doctor said ...