French foreign minister says it will be hard for UK to strike deal by end of year given differences Britain and the European Union are going to rip each other apart in talks over a future trade deal, the French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, has predicted, while also ... Read More »
The Lebanese government will request “technical assistance” from the IMF to draw up a stabilisation plan to resolve the country’s financial and economic crisis, including plans to restructure public debt, a government source told Reuters today. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri previously suggested yesterday that a decision on whether to pay ... Read More »
Iran will respond forcefully to any Israeli action against its interests in the region, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, according to the Mehr news agency, Reuters reports. “The Islamic Republic of Iran will give a crushing response that will cause regret to any kind of aggression or stupid action from this regime against ... Read More »
The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution calling for a “lasting ceasefire” in Libya, where a fragile truce has been in place since January. The text, drafted by Britain, was approved by 14 votes out of 15, with Russia abstaining. It was subject to weeks of wrangling, reflecting ... Read More »
Palestinian officials welcome report, while Israel condemns it as ‘shameful blacklist’ The UN has published a list of companies with business ties to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the US-based TripAdvisor and Airbnb and the British truck and digger maker JCB. Most of the 112 companies ... Read More »
The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, urged Israel on Tuesday not to annex the Jordan Valley, a large swathe of the occupied West Bank, warning of Palestinian protests if it went ahead. Israel captured the West Bank in a 1967 war. The Palestinian Authority wants to make the area part ... Read More »
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, appearing before the United Nations Security Council, angrily rejected US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace proposal on Tuesday as a gift to Israel and unacceptable to Palestinians. Waving a copy of a map that the US plan envisions for a two-state solution for Israel and ... Read More »
Support for Nato drops dramatically in Germany and France as east European members cling to it more over Russia fears On the eve of a major Nato defence ministers’ summit in Brussels, malaise and uncertainty hung over the 29-member alliance. Donald Trump is demanding members of Nato take up more tasks ... Read More »
Lebanon’s new government won parliament’s vote of confidence on Tuesday, as 63 MPs voted in favor, 20 voted against and one MP abstained. The MPs of Hizbullah, the Free Patriotic Movement, the AMAL Movement and their allies granted confidence to Hassan Diab’s government as those of al-Mustaqbal Movement, the Progressive ... Read More »
Israeli occupation forces escalated their aggression against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, wounding several citizens, arresting 16 civilians including boys, closing the entrances of three villages with iron gates, and bombing sites in Gaza. In Bethlehem, two Palestinians were wounded after the Israeli occupation forces ... Read More »
Lebanese Ministry of Information