Thousands of people of all ages were gathering in Beirut’s central square Sunday waving Lebanese flags and chanting the “people want to bring down the regime.” BEIRUT (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese protesters of all ages flooded major cities and towns nationwide Sunday demanding an end to ... Read More »
Trump warned Erdogan in letter: ‘Don’t be a tough guy’ or ‘a fool’
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a letter about Turkey’s incursion into Syria, “Don’t be a tough guy” and “Don’t be a fool!” The Oct. 9 letter was released by the White House on Wednesday as Trump battled to control the political damage following his decision ... Read More »
US ‘carried out secret cyber attack’ on Iran after Saudi oil attack
Official says cyber operation affects ‘physical hardware’ as Tehran denies impact The US conducted a secretive cyber operation against Iran in September shortly after Tehran was accused by Donald Trump’s administration of carrying out attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities. Two officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity ... Read More »
Russian troops patrol between Turkish and Syrian forces on border
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 »
Tunisia election: ‘Robocop’ Kais Saied wins presidential runoff
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 »
Trump asks Turkey for ceasefire and orders sanctions as violence escalates
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 »
Firefighters Battle Wildfires Raging in Chouf
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 »
Brexit talks fail to yield breakthrough with timely deal feared ‘impossible’
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 »
Kurds reach deal with Damascus in face of Turkish offensive
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 »
Iranian oil tanker on fire after blast near Saudi port city – report
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 »