Middle East

Trump Optimistic About Potential Ukraine Ceasefire

This is Beirut 2025-03-13 09:25 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Donald Trump Ukraine Ceasefire Volodymyr Zelensky

President Donald Trump expressed optimism that US negotiators could secure a ceasefire in the Ukraine war, even as Kyiv and Moscow launched fresh aerial attacks early Thursday. The United States wants Russia to agree to an unconditional halt to hostilities, officials said Wednesday. The Kremlin said it was awaiting details of a US-Ukrainian ...

Op-edBashar Masri’s Gaza: Why Trump Is Betting on a Palestinian Billionaire

Salam El Zaatari 2025-03-13 09:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Gaza Donald Trump USA

If you want to understand why Bashar Masri is the man rebuilding Gaza, you must start in Rawabi, the city he built from scratch—the first planned Palestinian city, rising from the West Bank’s rocky terrain like an Arab version of Silicon Valley. Wide boulevards, luxury apartments, tech startups, a shopping mall—Rawabi was his bet on a modern ...

EditorialIt Feels Like the South... but Now, It's the North!

Marc Saikali 2025-03-13 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Syria USA

Suddenly, all eyes and fears turned to Tripoli and Akkar. At least 7,000 Syrian refugees, mostly Alawites, have crossed the border to escape the violent clashes unfolding along Syria’s coastline. These confrontations, marked by extreme brutality and condemned by numerous human rights organizations, have sent shockwaves through the international ...

Trump Administration Plans to Cancel Biden-era Green Policies

This is Beirut 2025-03-13 05:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States Environment Donald Trump Joe Biden

President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday announced a wave of environmental rollbacks targeting Biden-era green policies, including carbon limits on power plants, tailpipe emissions standards and protections for waterways. The 31 actions are part of what Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin called "the ...

Arab Ministers, US Mideast Envoy Meet on Gaza Reconstruction

This is Beirut 2025-03-12 22:44 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Qatar Gaza United States Steve Witkoff

Arab foreign ministers met in Qatar on Wednesday with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss reconstruction for Gaza, devastated by war with Israel, the Gulf state said. "The Arab foreign ministers discussed the Gaza reconstruction plan, which was approved during the Arab League Summit held in Cairo on March 4, 2025," Qatar's foreign ...

Trump Says Negotiators Headed to Russia 'Right Now'

This is Beirut 2025-03-12 21:36 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Ukraine Donald Trump Vladimir Putin Russia

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that envoys were headed to Moscow and expressed optimism for a 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine war but officials said the United States wants Russia to agree an unconditional halt to the conflict. The Kremlin said it was awaiting details of a proposal agreed by Ukrainian and US officials this week, and gave ...

Putin Orders Army to 'Fully Liberate' Kursk Region After Rapid Gains

This is Beirut 2025-03-12 21:25 - Reading : less than a minute

Vladimir Putin Russia Ukraine Kursk

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered his army to "fully liberate" Russia's Kursk region after days of pushing back Ukrainian troops that have held territory there since August. "I am counting on the fact that all the combat tasks facing our units will be fulfilled, and the territory of the Kursk region will soon be completely liberated ...

ICJ Hearing Next Month on Israel Aid Obligations to Palestinians

This is Beirut 2025-03-12 19:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

International Court of Justice UN General Assembly Gaza Humanitarian Aid

The International Court of Justice will hold hearings next month on Israel's humanitarian obligations towards Palestinians, amid claims the Israeli government is blocking aid access to Gaza. The United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution in December requesting that the world body's top court give an advisory opinion on the matter. The ...

Iran's Khamenei Says US Threats of Military Action 'Unwise'

This is Beirut 2025-03-12 19:32 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran Abbas Araghchi Donald Trump United States Ali Khamenei

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Wednesday that US threats were "unwise" after President Donald Trump sent him a letter urging negotiations and warning of possible military action if Tehran refused. "The US is threatening militarism. In my opinion, this threat is unwise," Khamenei said in a meeting with ...

Egypt Asks to Host Some 2034 World Cup Matches

This is Beirut 2025-03-12 17:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

World Cup World Cup 2034 Egypt FIFA

Egypt has requested the right to host a set of group-stage matches for the 2034 World Cup which will be held in Saudi Arabia, the African country's football federation president said on Wednesday. "Saudi Arabia will stand up and organize a historic edition of the World Cup, and we wish our Saudi brothers every success," Hany Abo ...

US Trading Partners Hit Back on Steel, Aluminum Tariffs

This is Beirut 2025-03-12 17:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States European Union Tariffs

Major US trading partners announced countermeasures Wednesday to President Donald Trump's blanket steel and aluminum tariffs, hours after the levies took effect in a salvo that fueled trade tensions globally. The steep 25-percent levies came into place after midnight with no exemptions despite countries' efforts to avert them, in an escalation of ...

Rubio Says Not Going to Discuss How to 'Take Over Canada' at G7

This is Beirut 2025-03-12 15:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

G7 Donald Trump US Secretary of State USA Saudi Arabia Ukraine

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would not raise Canada's sovereignty when he visits Quebec later on Wednesday, for Group of Seven talks, despite taunts by President Donald Trump. "We're going to be focused in the G7 and all of those things," he said, mentioning the war in Ukraine. "That's what the meeting is ...