The Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Thursday addressed the nation on Independence Day, stressing that the time is not for speeches but rather for hard work. President Aoun stressed that the political contradictions have been behind the delay in forming the government, adding that carefulness is needed in order to ... Read More »
Turkey to test Russian S-400 systems despite U.S. pressure: media
Turkish F-16 warplanes will fly over the country’s capital Ankara on Monday to test its new Russian S-400 missile defenses, Turkish media said, despite pressure from Washington for Turkey to drop the system. Ankara’s purchase of the S-400s has been a major factor souring relations with the United States, which ... Read More »
Fresh headache for China after Hong Kong democrats rout pro-Beijing candidates
After months of sometimes-violent unrest in Hong Kong, an election with record turnout handed a big victory to pro-democracy local district council candidates, posing a new conundrum for Beijing and adding pressure on the city’s leader. In the run-up to the citywide elections on Sunday, extreme clashes had broken out ... Read More »
New Mars rover will visit perfect spot to find signs of life, says scientists
Hope of finding evidence rests in the ‘bathtub ring’ On some sunny day next summer, in front of a crowd at Kennedy Space Centre, a rocket carrying Nasa’s next, best hope at finding life on Mars will launch into the sky. Seven months later, the car-size Mars 2020 rover ... Read More »
Heavy deployment of security forces in central Beirut, banks set to reopen
A heavy deployment of Lebanese security forces fanned out in central Beirut on Tuesday, ahead of a parliamentary session protesters have vowed to prevent, as they demonstrate against the ruling elite. Banks were set to reopen for the first time in a week after announcing temporary steps, such as a ... Read More »
Gen. Aoun defends Army’s role regarding protests
The commander of the Army said Sunday that blocking roads was unacceptable, but maintained that the Army is responsible for keeping protesters safe. Speaking during a tour that involved visits to various Army units, Gen. Joseph Aoun praised the soldiers and the work that they were doing, saying they showed ... Read More »
Lebanon resembles a sinking ship, parliament speaker says
Lebanon is like a sinking ship that will go under unless action is taken, Nabih Berri, the speaker of parliament was quoted as saying on Monday, referring to the country’s deep economic and political crisis. “The country is like a ship that is sinking little by little,” al-Joumhuria newspaper cited ... Read More »
How Western media dehumanization of Palestinians allows Israel to get away with murder in Gaza
An Israeli attack on Gaza was imminent, and not because of any provocations by Palestinian groups in the besieged, impoverished Gaza Strip. The Israeli military escalation was foreseeable because it factors neatly in Israel’s contentious political scene. The war was not a question of “if”, but “when”. The answer came ... Read More »
Norway’s capital Oslo has now banned all Israeli settlement products and services
“The Palestinian people, who have to deal with the illegal occupation of their territory every single day, deserve international attention and support. It is a shared global responsibility to help ensure that human rights and international law are not violated.” The City Council of Oslo, Norway’s capital, has passed ... Read More »
Chile’s finance minister expects job losses, fuel hike in wake of protests
Chile’s finance minister predicted on Thursday that as many as 300,000 jobs could be lost because of the impact of four weeks of rioting on one of Latin America’s strongest economies. Newly appointed Finance Minister Ignacio Briones told a legislative committee it was “highly likely” unemployment would jump 3% in ... Read More »