U.S. issues warrant to seize Iranian tanker off Gibraltar
The United States has issued a warrant to seize an Iranian oil tanker caught in the standoff between Tehran and the West in a last ditch effort to prevent the vessel from leaving Gibraltar.
Tom Perry
Syrian rebels shoot down government warplane in northwest
BEIRUT Rebels shot down a Syrian warplane in the opposition stronghold of Idlib province on Wednesday as Russian-backed government forces closed in on a strategically important town.
Syrian government gains ground from rebels in northwest
BEIRUT Syrian government forces seized ground from insurgents in northwestern Syria on Thursday, sources on both sides said, building on advances since the military declared an end to a brief ceasefire earlier this week.
At vital moment, Lebanon paralysed by political conflict
BEIRUT The political repercussions of a deadly shooting in Lebanon have paralyzed government at a critical moment and risk complicating efforts to enact reforms needed to steer the heavily indebted state away from financial crisis.
On hard road to reform, Lebanon may need old friends
BEIRUT/LONDON Heavily indebted Lebanon has passed a budget seen as a "first step" towards fixing its public finances but still has much to do to steer the country away from crisis.
Lebanon bank deposits expected to recover from dip: senior banker
BEIRUT Deposits in Lebanese banks are expected to recover from a dip in the first five months of 2019 as customer optimism returns after approval of the state budget, the chairman of the Association of Banks in Lebanon said on Monday.
Assad hits a wall in Syrian war as front lines harden
BEIRUT/AMMAN President Bashar al-Assad's assault in the northwest has been met with a painful rebel counterpunch that underlines Turkish resolve to keep the area out of his hands and shows why he will struggle to take back more of Syria by force.
Lebanon vows to restore security after deadly shootout
BEIRUT The Lebanese government vowed on Monday to restore security to an area of a deadly shooting that has stirred fear of renewed strife in the Chouf Mountains, one of the bloodiest theaters of the 1975-90 civil war.
Trump Mideast plan hits nerve in Lebanon, stirs old fears
BEIRUT U.S. President Donald Trump's vision for Mideast peace has hit a raw nerve in Lebanon, reviving fears of any plan that would permanently settle Palestinian refugees in the country and shift its Christian-Muslim sectarian balance.
UPDATE 2-Lebanon c.bank backs debt servicing cost cuts plan; no deal yet
BEIRUT, June 25 Lebanon's central bank governor backs government efforts to cut public debt servicing costs in the 2019 budget, but an agreement has yet to be reached on how that will be done, he said on Tuesday.
Trump Mideast plan hits nerve in Lebanon, stirs old fears
BEIRUT U.S. President Donald Trump's vision for Mideast peace has hit a raw nerve in Lebanon, reviving fears of any plan that would permanently settle Palestinian refugees in the country and shift its Christian-Muslim sectarian balance.