World

Trump and Putin: A Strained Relationship
SpotlightTrump and Putin: A Strained Relationship

Donald Trump styles himself as a strongman. And that's exactly what he sees in Vladimir Putin. Their complicated relationship will be put to the test at a summit in Alaska on Friday, where the two leaders who claim to admire each other will seek to outmaneuver one another over how to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While the two were close to ...

US Summit in Alaska a 'Personal Victory' for Putin and Zelensky
US Summit in Alaska a 'Personal Victory' for Putin and Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had scored a "personal victory" by getting invited to talks with Donald Trump on US soil and that the meeting further delayed sanctions on Moscow. Zelensky also ruled out withdrawing troops from Ukraine's eastern Donbas region as part ...

Israel PM Netanyahu Says 'We Will Allow' Gazans to Leave
Israel PM Netanyahu Says 'We Will Allow' Gazans to Leave

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said Israel would let Palestinians leave the Gaza Strip as the military prepares a broader offensive in the territory. "Give them the opportunity to leave, first of all, to leave combat zones and generally to leave the territory, if they want," Netanyahu said in a televised interview. "We will allow ...

‘Axis of Resistance’ Calculations Come Up Short
Op-ed‘Axis of Resistance’ Calculations Come Up Short

The entire “Axis of Resistance” has a recurring problem with numbers and calculations – a game it has often played and lost, sometimes with almost absurd results. If Hezbollah’s closest ally before its recent distancing to gain favor ahead of the elections – the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) – cannot get the numbers right, what hope ...

Egypt Says Working with Qatar, US to Revive 60-day Gaza Truce Plan
Egypt Says Working with Qatar, US to Revive 60-day Gaza Truce Plan

Egypt said Tuesday it was working with fellow Gaza mediators Qatar and the United States to broker a 60-day ceasefire as part of a renewed push to end the Israel-Hamas war. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have played a key role in mediating talks between Israel and Hamas since the Palestinian militant group's October 7, 2023 attack ...

Tehran’s Unease About the Zanguezur Corridor
Tehran’s Unease About the Zanguezur Corridor

The peace agreement signed on August 8 between Armenia and Azerbaijan could mark a turning point for the South Caucasus. However, for Tehran, one of its most significant elements – the creation of the Zanguezur Corridor, linking Azerbaijan directly to its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenia – poses a serious strategic ...

Sheila Jordan, the Voice of Jazz, Dies at 96
PortraitSheila Jordan, the Voice of Jazz, Dies at 96

The jazz world has lost one of its most singular voices. Sheila Jordan, singer, composer and educator known for her unique timbre and unmatched improvisational skill, died on August 11, 2025, in New York at the age of 96. The news was confirmed by her longtime bassist, Harvie S., on US public radio NPR, prompting a wave of tributes ...

Netanyahu’s Gaza Strategy: Ambiguity, Internal Divisions and Looming Chaos
Netanyahu’s Gaza Strategy: Ambiguity, Internal Divisions and Looming Chaos

As the war in Gaza enters its 22nd month, political and on the ground uncertainties continue to grow. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent statements highlight this growing strategic confusion. He says he wants to “take control of Gaza,” while specifying that Israel has “no intention of governing” the territory. This ...

How Long Will Impunity Prevail in Syria?
How Long Will Impunity Prevail in Syria?

In Sweida, the worst escalation in years erupted on July 12 after reciprocal kidnappings between Druze groups and Bedouin tribes spiraled into rapidly escalating armed clashes. The Syrian Army intervened but, according to the UN and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the fighting left more than 1,400 dead, mostly Druze civilians, and ...

Iraq Considering Exporting Oil Through Lebanese Port of Tripoli
Iraq Considering Exporting Oil Through Lebanese Port of Tripoli

The Iraqi Oil Ministry announced Tuesday that it is exploring the option of exporting oil via Lebanon's Tripoli port and is considering reopening the oil export pipeline linking Iraq and Syria, as reported by local and regional media outlets. The ministry also stated it will establish a joint committee to evaluate the pipeline's current ...

Hamas Delegation Expected in Cairo to Discuss Gaza Truce Efforts
Hamas Delegation Expected in Cairo to Discuss Gaza Truce Efforts

A senior Hamas delegation was due in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on efforts by mediators to secure an elusive ceasefire in Gaza, two Palestinian sources told AFP on Tuesday. Together with Qatar and the United States, Egypt has been involved in mediation between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas that has failed to secure ...