Author: Steven Sahiounie

Lebanese Government Led by Nawaf Salam Gains Parliament’s Confidence The Lebanese government, headed by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, has secured the confidence of the Lebanese Parliament with a strong majority of 95 votes. Voting to grant confidence to Nawaf Salam’s government began in the Lebanese Parliament earlier on Wednesday evening. The government ultimately received the approval of 95 out of 128 MPs, marking a significant step forward for the administration. For two consecutive days, the Lebanese Parliament held sessions to discuss the ministerial statement, paving the way for the confidence vote. This followed both morning and evening sessions on Tuesday,…

The secrets of the night Bashar Assad, the ousted president of Syria, fled continue to unravel day by day. The latest revelation is the option of suicide presented by a military official at the Russian Hmeimim base on the Syrian coast just before his escape. Mahmoud al-Affandi, a researcher on Russian affairs, stated in an interview on Al-Mashhad channel—based in Dubai—yesterday that the Russian military official at Hmeimim gave Assad two choices: either commit suicide or seek humanitarian asylum in Russia and abandon politics. Al-Affandi added that the statement attributed to Assad, which was deleted shortly after his escape and…

The US president has said, however, that the flow of weapons could be sustained “for a while, until we have a deal with Russia” US President Donald Trump has claimed that Washington is currently not providing any new military assistance to Kiev, insisting that American taxpayers should first recover the money they have already invested in the conflict with Russia, while the EU and European NATO states should take on greater responsibility for Ukraine’s security. Trump has been demanding access to Ukraine’s natural resources as compensation for the aid provided to Kiev throughout its conflict with Russia. Reports suggest that…

The Syrian Dialogue: Armed Formations Deemed “Outlaw Groups” The final statement of the Syrian National Dialogue Conference, held on Tuesday in Damascus at the invitation of the authorities and attended by hundreds of figures, classified armed formations as “outlaw groups.” In the statement, read by preparatory committee member Huda Al-Atassi, the attendees called for “confining weapons to the state, building a professional national army, and considering any armed formations outside official institutions as outlaw groups.” This was an implicit reference to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and other factions and groups that have retained their weapons following the ousting of…

Steve Witkoff Postpones Middle East Visit Due to Ukraine Agreement In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Steve Witkoff, the U.S. envoy to the Middle East, commented on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, stating, “This war should never have happened. It was provoked. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Russians were the ones who did it.” He elaborated, “There was a lot of talk at the time about Ukraine joining NATO. That shouldn’t have happened. In fact, it became a threat to the Russians, and we’ll have to deal with that reality moving forward.” Witkoff has decided to delay his planned…

Saudi Arabia Welcomes Syrian National Dialogue and Supports State-Building Efforts On Tuesday, February 25, 2025, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom’s support for the Syrian National Dialogue conference, hoping it will pave the way for fulfilling the aspirations of the Syrian people and strengthening their national unity, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency. The Saudi Foreign Ministry reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting efforts to build Syrian state institutions, achieve stability, and ensure prosperity for its citizens. It reiterated Saudi Arabia’s longstanding position of advocating for Syria’s security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Key Outcomes of…

Denmark Considers Banning Smartphones in Schools On Tuesday, Denmark’s Minister of Education announced plans to draft legislation banning smartphones in schools, following recommendations from a youth welfare committee. In an interview with the Danish newspaper Politiken, Education Minister Mattias Tesfaye stated, “We in the government have chosen to support this idea, which is why we’ve started preparing a change in the law.” While the specific terms of the new legislation have yet to be finalized, Tesfaye emphasized that “mobile phones and personal tablets have no place in schools—not during breaks, nor in classrooms.” In addition to prohibiting smartphone use in…

Grand Egyptian Museum Opening Date Announced Egypt revealed on Tuesday that the highly anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum will officially open its doors in July, with celebrations spanning several days. Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly shared during a cabinet meeting that the Grand Egyptian Museum is set to open officially on July 3, following its trial operations last year. “The event, eagerly awaited by the world, will unfold over multiple days,” Madbouly stated. He added, “Several ministries and relevant authorities have been assigned tasks that will be monitored regularly to ensure the global opening ceremony is executed flawlessly.” Construction of the…

Two Martyrs in Israeli Airstrike on Eastern Lebanon On Tuesday, two people were martyred as a result of an Israeli airstrike targeting a border area in eastern Lebanon, according to the official National News Agency. The agency reported that “an enemy drone carried out an airstrike on the Al-Shaara locality in the Janta area, on the outskirts of the eastern Lebanon mountain range, resulting in the deaths of two martyrs and injuring two others.” Media outlets affiliated with Hezbollah also reported that an Israeli drone strike targeted the Al-Shaara area in the eastern mountain range above the Bekaa Valley town…

Aoun to Iranian Delegation: We’re Tired of Others’ Wars on Lebanese Soil On Sunday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told an official Iranian delegation that “Lebanon is tired of others fighting their wars on its soil.” The statement came during a meeting at Baabda Palace, where Aoun hosted Iran’s Shura Council Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, and Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani, along with their accompanying delegation. Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Ragi was also present. A Call for Non-Interference Addressing the Iranian delegation, Aoun said, “I agree with you that states should not interfere in the internal…