The Palestinian leadership has roundly rejected Donald Trump’s long-awaited peace plan for the Middle East calling it “the slap of the century”. The deal, released with a flourish on Tuesday, is widely seen to meet Israel’s key demands in the decades-old conflict while creating a Palestinian state with limited control ... Read More »
Iran prepares site for satellite launch that U.S. links to ballistic missiles
Iran is preparing a site for launching a satellite, a government minister said on Monday, highlighting a program the United States says is a cover for ballistic missile development. “Yes, a site is being prepared for placing the Zafar satellite into orbit,” Iranian Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad ... Read More »
Trump Says His Plan ‘Very Good’ for Palestinians, to Be Unveiled Tuesday
President Donald Trump hosts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his arch rival Benny Gantz on Monday ahead of unveiling his so-called “Deal of the Century” already flatly rejected by the Palestinians. The White House meeting with Netanyahu and, separately, with Gantz, thrusts Trump right into Israeli tense election scheduled in just ... Read More »
Oil chief urges west to call out foreign meddling in Libya conflict
Mustafa Sanalla says country facing disaster as blockade disrupts oil production World powers will be complicit in the collapse of the rule of law in Libya if they do not do more to call out the countries backing those responsible for disrupting the country’s oil exports, the head of ... Read More »
Hundreds of thousands protest US troop presence in Iraq
Hundreds of thousands of protesters marched through Baghdad on Friday calling for US troops to leave Iraq, heeding the call of powerful Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr who called for a “Million Man March.” Families and children held aloft signs that read “no, no to America” and “no, no to occupation” ... Read More »
Macron hopes new govt fulfills Lebanese people’s aspirations
French President Emmanuel Macron over the weekend congratulated President Michel Aoun on the formation of a new government and reiterated his country’s support for Lebanon. Speaking over the phone to Aoun Saturday, Macron expressed his hope that the new government will work to fulfill the aspirations of the Lebanese, according ... Read More »
PM Diab Presides 20-member Government: Names & Portfolios
After around one month of consultations, Prime Minister Hassan Diab concluded the government’s line-up and visited Baabda Palace where he met with President Michel Aoun before the two men signed the formation decree. The new government is composed of 19 members in addition to the premier: 1. Prime Minister: Hassan ... Read More »
Boris Johnson warns Trump both their countries will suffer if US starts trade war over tech tax
Boris Johnson has warned Donald Trump that both their countries will suffer if the US starts a trade war in the increasingly bitter dispute over the UK’s “tech tax”. The prime minister hit back after Washington threatened retaliation – probably a tax on UK car exports to the US – ... Read More »
Cabinet deadlock persists, fears mount of drift to chaos
Despite a surge in violent clashes between protesters and security forces in Beirut over the weekend that threatened to plunge the country into turmoil and chaos, the formation of a new government remained stalled Sunday over the representation of some parties. The weekend’s clashes, in which riot police fired tear ... Read More »
Taliban offer ceasefire in bid to restart talks with US
The Taliban will implement a 10-day ceasefire with US troops, a reduction in violence with Afghan forces and discussions with Afghan government officials if it reaches a deal with US negotiators in talks in Doha, two sources have said. If an agreement is sealed, it could revive hopes for a long-term solution ... Read More »