World

US, China Agree to Slash Tariffs in Trade War De-Escalation

This is Beirut 12/05 21:34 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump United Nations United States US Treasury

The United States and China announced Monday an agreement to drastically reduce tit-for-tat tariffs for 90 days, an outcome President Donald Trump dubbed a "total reset," as he said that talks with counterpart Xi Jinping could soon follow. After the first meetings between Washington and Beijing since Trump ratcheted up his trade war, ...

Al Jazeera Says Allowed to Resume Work in Palestinian Territories

This is Beirut 12/05 21:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Al Jazeera Qatar Gaza Israel Mahmoud Abbas

Al Jazeera's Ramallah bureau chief said on Monday the news channel could resume working in the Palestinian territories after President Mahmud Abbas lifted a ban in place since January. "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has decided to lift the ban on the Al Jazeera network and allow its crews to resume work in the Palestinian ...

ExplainerFrom Iran’s Nuclear Program to Gaza: The Gulf as the New Hub of Global Diplomacy (1/2)

Malo Pinatel 12/05 21:00 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Gulf United Arab Emirates Bahrain Hamas Qatar Oman

On December 8, 2024, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stated that the member states of the GCC “are committed to strengthening dialogue and diplomacy, ensuring that the Gulf region remains a hub for peace and cooperation amid growing global competition.” This was said during a roundtable on the future of cooperative ...

Iraq: PKK Decision to Disband Boosts Regional Stability

This is Beirut 12/05 20:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Kurdistan Workers' Party Iraq Turkey

Iraq welcomed Monday the Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK) decision to disband and end its armed struggle against Turkey, saying it would strengthen regional stability. The PKK decision is a "significant opportunity to promote peace efforts and end long-standing conflicts," a foreign ministry statement said. It would also "strengthen security and ...

Hamas Releases US-Israeli Hostage

This is Beirut 12/05 20:46 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Israel Gaza Hamas

The armed wing of Palestinian militant group Hamas handed over a US-Israeli hostage held in Gaza since October 2023 on Monday, ahead of a regional visit by US President Donald Trump. "The (Ezzedine) Al-Qassam Brigades have just released the Zionist soldier and American citizen Edan Alexander, following contacts with the US administration, as ...

Op-edWhat Will Donald Trump Do While in the Middle East?

David Hale 12/05 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Donald Trump Saudi Arabia Gulf United States Normalization Israel

It is no surprise that President Trump's first major foreign trip (not counting the late Pope's funeral) since returning to office will be to the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia was also his first stop in 2017. It is only natural: the center of power in the Arab world rests in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. And the Saudis, Qataris, and Emiratis are his ...

Trump’s Middle East Tour: Diplomacy Under the Billion-Dollar Sign

Mario Chartouni 12/05 17:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Middle East Gulf Saudi Arabia Qatar UAE

Donald Trump begins the first diplomatic tour of his second term with a strategic visit to Gulf monarchies. This tour — which includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates — aims to strengthen already solid economic ties with these hydrocarbon-rich states, with the hope of securing massive trade and investment deals. Riyadh has ...

Edan Alexander's Release: A Diplomatic Turning Point Between Washington and Hamas

Sana Richa Choucair 12/05 17:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hamas Donald Trump US Gaza Israel Hostages

Edan Alexander, 21, is the only American national still held alive in Gaza. After moving from New Jersey to Israel in 2022, he joined an elite unit of the Israeli army and was taken by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attack. In a statement released on Sunday, the spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, said: “The ...

Israel PM Says to Send Gaza Negotiators to Qatar Tuesday

This is Beirut 12/05 17:10 - Reading : less than a minute

Israel Gaza Hamas Benjamin Netanyahu US

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he would send mediators to Qatar on Tuesday to discuss the release of hostages held in Gaza after Hamas announced the release of US-Israeli Edan Alexander. Following a meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff and ambassador Mike Huckabee, "the Prime Minister instructed to send a negotiation ...

Germany, Israel Mark 60 Years of Ties as Gaza War Casts Shadow

This is Beirut 12/05 15:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Germany

Israeli President Issac Herzog will visit Germany on Monday to mark 60 years of relations with the country that perpetrated the Holocaust, at a time when ties are complicated by the Gaza war. His German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier will then visit Israel with Herzog, to emphasise Germany's historic responsibility as one of its staunchest ...

Pope Leo XIV’s First Speech: Peace, Charity and Compassion to the Most Vulnerable

This is Beirut 12/05 14:30 - Reading : less than a minute

Vatican Pope Leo XIV

In front of tens of thousands of faithful gathered at the Vatican, Leo XIV, the first American pope, delivers his first speech, centered on peace, charity, and compassion to the most vulnerable, affirming his vision of a Church in motion.

Pope Urges Release of Reporters Held for 'Seeking Truth'

This is Beirut 12/05 12:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Vatican Pope Leo

Pope Leo XIV called on Monday for the release of journalists jailed "for seeking and reporting the truth" and warned reporters against using their words to fan hatred. The former Robert Francis Prevost, the first US pope, was speaking at an introductory audience with the media after being elected by cardinals in a secret conclave on ...