Middle East

Brussels Warns Trump: Tariffs on US Cars, Planes if No Deal Reached

This is Beirut 2025-05-08 16:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

European Union Donald Trump United States Tariffs

The EU on Thursday threatened to target US cars and planes among a raft of products worth 95 billion euros ($107 billion) if negotiations with President Donald Trump's team fail to avert a trade war. The European Commission said it would, in parallel, file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over Trump's imposition of swingeing ...

Amnesty Links UAE to Chinese Arms in Sudan's Escalating Civil War

This is Beirut 2025-05-08 16:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Sudan Amnesty United Arab Emirates

Chinese-made weapons supplied by the United Arab Emirates have been identified with Sudan's paramilitaries, Amnesty International said Thursday, as drone attacks prompted civilians to flee the army-held aid hub of Port Sudan. The Britain-based watchdog said that its research had detailed the use by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of ...

Trump Announces US-UK Trade Agreement Amid Tariff Tensions

This is Beirut 2025-05-08 14:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States Keir Starmer United Kingdom

US President Donald Trump announced Thursday an agreement with Britain on trade, which would be the first such deal since he launched his global tariffs blitz. Trump provided no details about the scope of the agreement, which comes a month after he imposed sweeping tariffs on US trading partners on his April 2 "Liberation Day." "The agreement ...

Iran Denies Involvement in Alleged Plot Against Israeli Embassy in London

This is Beirut 2025-05-08 13:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Iran United Kingdom Embassy

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected on Thursday allegations his government was involved in a plot to target the Israeli embassy in London, following the arrest of seven Iranian nationals. British police said seven Iranian nationals were arrested on suspicion of "terrorism offenses" in separate operations -- three on Saturday and four ...

Black Smoke from Sistine Chapel Chimney, Cardinals to Vote Again

This is Beirut 2025-05-08 13:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Vatican Pope Conclave

Thick black smoke billowed Thursday from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in a sign that cardinals again failed to elect a new head of the Catholic Church. Among the thousands of Catholics and curious tourists massed in St. Peter's Square, there was applause but also sighs at the result, which came after the second and third ballots. The ...

Xi and Putin Present United Front Against West on Victory Day Eve

This is Beirut 2025-05-08 12:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

China Russia Xi Jinping Vladimir Putin

China's Xi Jinping was in Moscow on Thursday for a state visit ahead of the Kremlin's grand Victory Day celebrations, as Ukraine accused Russia's army of launching air strikes just hours into a supposed truce. More than 20 foreign leaders are in Russia to attend a vast military parade on Friday marking 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany in ...

VideosNo Pope Yet: Black Smoke Billows from the Conclave

This is Beirut 2025-05-08 12:20 - Reading : less than a minute

Pope Francis Conclave Vote

In Rome, all eyes remain on the Sistine Chapel as cardinals begin their second day of voting in one of the most uncertain papal elections in recent history.

Israeli Forces Close UN Schools in East Jerusalem

This is Beirut 2025-05-08 12:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam UNRWA Jerusalem

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Thursday that Israel closed three of its schools in annexed East Jerusalem, months after an Israeli ban on its activities took effect. An AFP photographer at the scene reported that a closure notice in Hebrew was left at the entrance of at least one of the schools, and UNRWA said at least one of its ...

Analysis1945 Revisited: Memory Still at War, 80 Years On

Ryan Chaba 2025-05-08 12:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Europe World War II Remembrance

This Thursday, May 8, marks a day of remembrance. Across the globe, heads of state, veterans and institutions will honor the heroes and victims of the Second World War. But behind the wreaths, anthems and solemn speeches lies a deeper truth: memory is not just remembered, it is contested and increasingly weaponized. Eighty years later, the war is ...

How Much Does the Conclave Cost ?

This is Beirut 2025-05-08 11:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Vatican Conclave Pope

Cardinals from all over the world began voting Wednesday to elect a new pope – but what's the cost of finding a new leader for the Catholic Church? The Holy See has not disclosed how much the conclave will weigh on its shaky finances. But arranging it is understood to be an expensive affair, running into the millions of euros. More ...

SpotlightCardinals Enter Second Day of Conclave to Elect New Pope

This is Beirut 2025-05-08 10:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Vatican Conclave Pope

Anticipation gripped the Catholic world Thursday as the cardinals tasked with choosing a new pope prepared to retreat behind the heavy doors of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel for their second day of voting. A plume of black smoke rose over the crowds thronging St. Peter's Square late Wednesday, confirming that the conclave's first ballot had not ...

India and Pakistan Exchange Fire After Deadly Escalation

This is Beirut 2025-05-08 10:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

India Pakistan

Indian and Pakistani soldiers exchanged gunfire overnight in Kashmir, New Delhi said Thursday, a day after the worst violence between the nuclear-armed rivals in two decades. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to retaliate after India launched deadly missile strikes on Wednesday morning, with days of repeated gunfire along their border ...