Soldiers’ presence underlines Moscow’s role as power broker after evacuation of US personnel Russian units have begun patrolling territory separating Turkish-backed Syrian rebels from the Syrian army around the flashpoint town of Manbij in north-east Syria, in a clear sign that Moscow has become the de facto power broker ... Read More »
Thousands take to streets after exit polls give conservative academic more than 70% of the vote A low-profile, conservative law professor has beaten a charismatic media magnate released from prison last week in Tunisia’s presidential election runoff. In a contest that reflected Tunisia’s shifting post-revolution political landscape, Kais Saied ... Read More »
Donald Trump spoke directly to the Turkish president, Tayyip Erdoğan, on Monday to demand an immediate ceasefire in Syria while announcing a series of punishments for Ankara that critics saw as an attempt to save face. The US president’s conversation with Erdoğan was revealed by the vice-president, Mike Pence, who ... Read More »
A wildfire was raging in the Chouf district of Meshref with reports saying it could engulf nearby houses and educational facilities if not contained. Civil Defense firefighters and Lebanese army teams battled the large blaze, as the weather recorded above the average temperature level for October. The fire has reportedly ... Read More »
Barnier warns negotiations may have to continue as UK’s Irish border plans are an ‘untested’ risk A breakthrough in the Brexit talks has failed to materialise after a weekend of intensive negotiations, with European Union capitals concluding that it may now be impossible for the UK to leave the ... Read More »
Agreement to hand over border towns comes after more than 700 Isis affiliates escape camp Kurdish-led forces in control of north-east Syria have reached a deal with the Assad regime to stave off a bloody five-day-old Turkish assault, as more than 700 people with links to Islamic State have ... Read More »
An Iranian oil tanker has reportedly caught fire after an explosion near Jeddah An explosion has set an Iranian oil tanker on fire near the Saudi port city of Jeddah, according to the semi-official Iranian news agency Isna. The blast set the vessel, which belongs to National Iranian Oil Company, ... Read More »
Turkey’s president has threatened to send millions of Syrian refugees to Europe in retaliation for stinging world criticism of his military operation in northern Syria that has left 17 civilians dead, including several children. Lashing out at the European Union and others that joined a global chorus of condemnation, President ... Read More »
The shock waves from Donald Trump’s surprise announcement that US troops in northern Syria would step aside and allow a Turkish offensive to obliterate its long-term Kurdish partners rippled out of Washington and shook America’s allies across the region. From Israel to the Gulf, officials, diplomats and commentators expressed fears – in private and ... Read More »
Turkey’s president faces some difficult choices after being given green light by the US For Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, it’s a case of be careful what you wish for. By most accounts, Turkey’s president bamboozled Donald Trump into giving a green light for an invasion of north-east Syria. Yet now, ... Read More »
Lebanese Ministry of Information