Lebanon Speaker Nabih Berri “waged the fiercest campaign” against Foreign Minister Jebarn Bassil and his request to amend the electoral system. Berri stressed that he won’t allow any changes and assured the people that the country will stage timely polls, al-Joumhouria daily reported Saturday. Berri was quoted by his visitors as emphasizing he “won’t open […]
Turkey aims to create 30km ‘secure zone’ in Syria, says PM
Turkish troops and Syrian opposition forces attacked a Kurdish enclave in northern Syria on Sunday in their bid to drive a U.S.-allied Kurdish militia from the region. Turkish officials said the troops entered the enclave of Afrin a day after dozens of Turkish jets and Turkish artillery units at the border pounded Syrian Kurdish targets […]
25,000 Syrian rebels back Turkish force in Syria, says FSA commander
Around 25,000 Free Syrian Army rebels are joining the Turkish military operation in northern Syria with the goal of recapturing Arab towns and villages seized by the YPG Kurdish militia almost two years ago, a rebel commander said on Sunday. Major Yasser Abdul Rahim, who is also the commander of Failaq al Sham, a main […]
Jordan’s king tells Pence U.S. must rebuild trust after Trump’s Jerusalem decision
Jordan’s King Abdullah told U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday he looked to Washington to rebuild “trust and confidence” in moving towards a two-state solution in Israel after President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the country’s capital. With Pence sitting across from him in the royal palace, King Abdullah said Jordan viewed the Israel-Palestinian […]
First anniversary: Trump has not made America great again. The country is more deeply divided
After one year in office, President Donald Trump has not made America great again. Instead, he has presided over a country that is more deeply divided along partisan lines, proposed staggeringly racist reforms to the immigration system, supported a tax bill that will see economic inequality grow, pulled the US out of the Paris Accord, […]
Pence starts Middle East tour in Egypt amid Arab anger over Jerusalem
US Vice President Mike Pence kicked off a trip to the Middle East on Saturday with a visit to Egypt, where he pledged firm US backing to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the nation’s fight against militants. Pence said ties between the two countries had never been stronger after a period of “drifting apart” and […]
15 Syrian refugees found frozen to death while trying to flee into Lebanon
Fifteen Syrian refugees – some of them children – have been found frozen to death while trying to cross the mountainous border into Lebanon. Thirteen bodies were found on Friday and two more were discovered on Saturday after the area was hit by a fierce snowstorm. Lebanese civil defence officials found the bodies after being […]
HRW launches a campaign to end Lebanon waste crisis
Beirut, Lebanon – Human Rights Watch will launch a billboard and online campaign on January 19, 2018, to end the waste management crisis in Lebanon, Human Rights Watch said today. The campaign calls for an end to the dangerous practice of open burning of waste and for parliament and the cabinet to adopt a national […]
Spy scam: Lebanon Interior Minister does not deny espionage reports
Lebanese Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq did not deny on Friday claims that the country’s General Security had carried out cyber-espionage through hacking smartphone applications. He announced after a Higher Defense Council meeting that the CIA report on the spy claims “was exaggerated, but that does not mean that it is not true.” Mobile security firm […]
For Russia, the sweet taste of Trump’s victory has turned sour
On the night of Donald Trump’s inauguration as US President, champagne corks popped in Moscow. Literally, on the floor of the Russian parliament, MPs cracked open bottles of sparkling wine and toasted his victory. The thing is, they saw Trump’s victory as their victory, too. And why wouldn’t they? As presidential candidate, Trump promised to […]