Middle East

Trump Says US Rare Earth Minerals' Deal with Ukraine Soon

This is Beirut 2025-03-20 23:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Donald Trump Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky United States Earth minerals

President Donald Trump declared Thursday that the United States would soon sign a deal with Ukraine for access to its rare earth minerals. In a White House address, Trump said he had signed an order to "dramatically increase" US production of critical minerals and would "very shortly" sign a pact with Ukraine. "We're also signing agreements in ...

Canada PM Carney to Call April 28 Snap Election

This is Beirut 2025-03-20 22:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

United States Canada Mark Carney Elections

New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to call a snap election for April 28, triggering an intense campaign dominated by how to react to President Donald Trump's trade war and demands to turn the close US ally into a 51st state. Carney, who replaced prime minister Justin Trudeau just last week, is set to announce the election ...

Zelensky Tells EU to Keep Pressure on Russia Ahead of New Talks

This is Beirut 2025-03-20 21:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky European Union Donald Trump Europe Saudi Arabia

President Volodymyr Zelensky urged EU leaders Thursday to step up weapon supplies to Ukraine and keep pressuring Russia, as officials from Kyiv and Moscow readied to hold fresh talks with the United States next week. Europe is scrambling to weigh on the outcome as US President Donald Trump forges ahead with Russia on ending its war on Ukraine, ...

Israel Military Says Intercepted Missile From Yemen

This is Beirut 2025-03-20 20:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Houthi Yemen

Israel's military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen on Thursday for the second time within a day, after air raid sirens sounded in several areas, including Jerusalem. "Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in a number of areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted by the IAF (air force) prior to ...

Four US Strikes Against Houthis in Yemen's Al-Kathib Region

This is Beirut 2025-03-20 19:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump Houthi Middle East Iran Yemen

US warplanes carried out four strikes on Thursday evening against Houthi positions in the Al-Kathib region, in the Al-Minaa district of the Yemeni province of Al-Hodeida. These strikes come just hours after the Israeli army announced that it had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen early on Thursday morning, against a backdrop of intensifying ...

Trump Brings The Bling With Gold-Plated Oval Office Makeover

This is Beirut 2025-03-20 19:35 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Donald Trump Oval Office White House

Donald Trump promised a new "Golden Age" for America. In the Oval Office, at least, he has lived up to his promise with a blingy makeover. The Republican has decked out the inner sanctum of the US presidency with gilded trophies and gold-plated, Trump-branded coasters, and filled almost every available inch of wall space with portraits of his ...

Germany Urges Syrian Interim Leaders to Control Extremist Groups

This is Beirut 2025-03-20 18:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Damascus Syria Germany Annalena Baerbock

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said after meeting Syria's interim leaders on Thursday that they must bring under control and hold accountable groups behind sectarian massacres committed this month on the Syrian coast. "It is imperative that extremist groups in their ranks are brought under control and those responsible for ...

Trump Signs Order to Close Education Department

This is Beirut 2025-03-20 18:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States Education White House

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an order aimed at shutting down the Department of Education, a decades-long goal on the US right that objects to federal involvement in school systems run by individual states. "We're gonna shut it down and shut it down as quickly as possible. It's doing us no good. We want to return our ...

Nine Hamas and Islamic Jihad Security Officials Killed by the Israeli Army

This is Beirut 2025-03-20 17:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Palestine

The Israeli army and the Internal Security Service (Shin Bet) announced on Thursday that they had eliminated several Hamas and Islamic Jihad security officials in the Gaza Strip. Among the targets was Rachid Jahjouh, head of Hamas' General Security Service, who had taken up his post after the elimination of his predecessor, Sami Ouda, in July ...

Ukrainian and US officials to Meet in Saudi Monday

This is Beirut 2025-03-20 17:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky USA Donald Trump Kyiv Saudi Arabia

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that Ukrainian and US officials would meet in Saudi Arabia next Monday to make progress on a proposed halt in Russian and Ukrainian strikes on energy facilities. His announcement came shortly after the Kremlin confirmed that Russian officials would also hold talks with the United States in Saudi Arabia ...

Kremlin Accuses Europe of Planning 'Militarisation'

This is Beirut 2025-03-20 17:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Europe Donald Trump European Union Russia Putin

The Kremlin on Thursday accused European countries of planning to "militarize" rather than seek peace, as Western military chiefs gathered in Britain to discuss how to protect Ukraine. Major European powers, including France and the UK, have sought to boost military spending since Donald Trump took office in January, amid fears the US is no ...

Hamas Fires at Tel Aviv in First Riposte to Deadly Israel Assault

This is Beirut 2025-03-20 16:20 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Palestine Tel Aviv

Hamas said it fired rockets at Israeli commercial hub Tel Aviv on Thursday in its first military response to the growing civilian death toll from Israel's resumption of air and ground operations in Gaza. Israel said it had closed off the territory's main north-south route as troops expanded the ground operations they resumed on Wednesday. Gaza's ...