Author: Steven Sahiounie

Zelensky to Washington on Friday to Sign Minerals Deal Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to visit Washington this Friday to sign a significant agreement with the United States, allowing the exploitation of Ukraine’s mineral wealth. This comes as European leaders meet virtually today, Wednesday, to discuss the possibility of declaring a truce in the ongoing three-year conflict with Russia. The deal, which has been in negotiation, could mark a turning point for Ukraine’s economy. On Tuesday, when asked about the upcoming signing, U.S. President Donald Trump remarked, “I heard he’s coming on Friday, which is certainly good for me.…

Egypt Rejects Lapid’s Proposal for Gaza Guardianship Egypt emphasized on Wednesday that any proposal involving its administration of Gaza is “rejected and unacceptable.” This statement came in response to a suggestion by Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, who proposed that Cairo take control of the Palestinian enclave following the war between Israel and Hamas. Egypt’s Official Stance on Gaza’s Future The spokesperson for Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed journalists’ questions, dismissing circulating proposals about Gaza’s future as “half-solutions” that “contribute to renewing cycles of conflict rather than resolving them permanently.” Responding to inquiries about governance plans for Gaza in…

Trump: We Will Recover the Money We Gave to Ukraine US President Donald Trump has confirmed that the United States will sign a rare minerals agreement with Ukraine, announcing an upcoming visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington. Speaking at the first meeting of the US government attended by Elon Musk, Trump revealed that Zelensky will arrive in the United States on Friday. During this visit, the two nations will finalize an agreement covering rare minerals and other matters. Trump emphasized that the US intends to “recover money paid to Ukraine” during its conflict with Russia. He further stressed…

North Korea Welcomes Western Tourists After Years of Isolation For the first time in five years, North Korea has opened its doors to Western tourists, signaling a cautious step toward greater openness. This historic move marks a significant shift for a country that has remained largely closed off to international visitors since January 2020. Beijing-based travel company Koryo Tours organized a 5-day trip for a group of 13 international travelers. The tourists hailed from diverse nations, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Greece, New Zealand, France, Germany, Austria, Australia, and Italy. Crossing by land from China, they entered the northeastern North…

The French Louvre Acquires 272 Eastern Icons from a Lebanese Collector On Wednesday, the Louvre Museum announced that it has acquired a private Lebanese collection featuring 272 Eastern Christian icons. These artworks will be showcased in a dedicated wing for Byzantine and Eastern Christian art, set to open in 2027. The collection includes a diverse array of icons, notably from Greece, Russia, and the Balkan region. Spanning from the early 15th century to the early 20th century, the works represent a broad range of artists and styles. Originally owned by prominent Lebanese art collector George Abou Adal, the majority of…

France Grants Algeria a “Deadline” for Agreements French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced on Wednesday that France “will request the Algerian government to review all signed agreements and their implementation methods,” stating that Algeria would be given “one month to six weeks” to comply. He added: “In the meantime, an urgent list of individuals who must be allowed to return to their country will be provided to the Algerian government.” Bayrou also revealed plans for a “ministerial audit” regarding France’s visa issuance policy, emphasizing that Paris does not seek “escalation” with Algeria. France-Algeria relations have reached an unprecedented level of…

SDF Announces 12 Killed in Turkish Airstrikes in Northeast Syria On Wednesday, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led alliance, announced that 12 people, including civilians and military personnel, were killed in Turkish airstrikes in northeastern Syria. In a statement, the SDF said, “A squadron of Turkish warplanes launched attacks at 3:00 p.m. today, Wednesday, targeting multiple areas in the Al-Ruwaished desert near the Shadadi region, south of Hasakah.” The statement elaborated that the Turkish air force struck a military outpost belonging to SDF forces, as well as residential homes of civilian workers. Additionally, a civilian vehicle carrying shepherds…

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…