Lebanon’s prime minister-designate steps down in blow to French initiative
Lebanon’s prime minister-designate quit on Saturday after trying for almost a month to line up a non-partisan cabinet, failing despite French pressure on sectarian leaders...
Middle East
Palestinian leader calls for U.N.-led peace conference early next year
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday called for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to convene an international conference early next year to launch “a genuine...
Israel tightens second-wave lockdown as PM, critics argue over protest curbs
Israel tightened COVID-19 lockdown measures on Friday and critics accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to curb protests against his handling of the health...
Saudi King Salman targets Iran during debut at United Nations
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz took aim at Iran during his debut on Wednesday at the annual United Nations meeting of world leaders, calling...
Israel imposes second coronavirus lockdown during high holidays
Israel will enter a second nationwide lockdown today Friday at the onset of the Jewish high-holiday season, forcing residents to stay mostly at home amid...
White House says five more countries seriously considering Israel deals
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said on Thursday that five more countries are seriously considering striking a normalization deal with Israel after the...
Arrivals to Abu Dhabi must wear Covid-19 tracking device
International passengers arriving at Abu Dhabi airport will now have to wear a tracking device while they complete a mandatory 14-day home quarantine due to...
Ancient inscription reminds modern Egypt of drought risk
A granite inscription tells us that for seven years during the reign of the ancient Egyptian king Djoser, the Nile failed to go through its annual...
Dubai’s DP World to partner with Israeli firm in bid for Haifa Port
Dubai’s DP World is partnering with an Israeli group to bid for one of Israel’s two main ports and to examine opening a direct shipping...
Gaza rockets, Israeli air strikes accompany Israel-Gulf pacts
Militants in Gaza fired rockets at Israel and Israeli aircraft hit targets in the Palestinian enclave in an explosive backdrop to the signing of pacts...
As Arab Gulf starts opening to Israel, Palestinians face a reckoning
Israel’s rapprochement with Gulf Arab states has left the Palestinians feeling abandoned by traditional allies and clutching an old playbook in a rapidly changing Middle...
Another fire in Beirut unnerves shattered residents
A fire erupted in a landmark building in Beirut’s commercial district on Tuesday, the second blaze this month to send shudders through a capital still...
Israel announces second lockdown amid COVID-19 surge
Israel will enter a three-week nationwide lockdown starting on Friday to contain the spread of the coronavirus after a second- wave surge of new cases, Prime...
Netanyahu sees direct Israel-Bahrain flights after normalisation deal
A deal establishing relations between Israel and Bahrain will result in direct flights between the countries, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. “There...
Macron calls Lebanese politician as cabinet deadline looms
French President Emmanuel Macron has held a call with Lebanon’s parliamentary speaker to try to remove an obstacle to meeting this week’s deadline for forming...
Oman welcomes Bahrain-Israel normalisation decision
Oman welcomes Bahrain’s decision to normalise relations with Israel and hopes it will contribute to Israeli-Palestinian peace, Oman state media said on Sunday. Bahrain on...
Iran executes wrestling champion Afkari despite global outcry
Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari was executed on Saturday after being convicted of stabbing a security guard to death during anti-government protests in 2018, state media...
Iran says Bahrain normalising ties with Israel ‘shameful’
Iran said on Saturday that Bahrain’s move to normalise relations with Israel meant it would be complicit in Israeli policies which threatened regional security, Iranian...
Afghan peace talks open in Doha, 19 years after 9/11 triggered war (Update 1)
Afghan government representatives and Taliban insurgents gathered on Saturday for historic peace talks aimed at ending two decades of war that has killed tens of...
Large fire erupts in Beirut port area, a month after massive blast (Update 3)
A large fire erupted at Beirut port on Thursday, engulfing parts of the Lebanese capital in a pall of smoke weeks after a massive blast devastated the...
