Middle East

Macron visits Lebanon after massive blast, promises help for nation

Editorial Bureau August 6, 2020

BEIRUT (LEBANON) – French President Emmanuel Macron called for urgent support to help Lebanon when he arrived there on Thursday, two days after a massive explosion ripped through the capital, leaving 145 dead and generating a seismic shock across the region. A blast at the port injured

Middle East

Toll in Beirut explosion likely to rise, PM promises action

Editorial Bureau August 5, 2020

BEIRUT (LEBANON) – Rescue workers in the Lebanese capital dug through the rubble on Wednesday in search for survivors of a powerful blast in a warehouse that rocked Beirut on Tuesday. The explosion killed nearly 100 people and injured 4,000 and the toll is slated to rise. The blast on Tuesday was the most powerful […]

Middle East

Fire breaks out at industrial area, says Iran state TV

Editorial Bureau August 4, 2020

DUBAI (UAE) – Iran’s state television reported on Tuesday that a fire broke out at an industrial area near Tehran. It is the latest in a series of fires and blasts at some sensitive sites. “The fire broke out at the industrial area of the Jajrud district in the Pardis county this morning … there […]

Middle East

Israeli troops foil 4-member squad’s bid to place explosives along Syrian border

Editorial Bureau August 3, 2020

JERUSALEM (ISRAEL) – The Israeli army said on Monday it targeted a group of four people who placed explosives along the border fence with Syria on the Golan Heights. The troops stumbled upon the group near a frontier outpost overnight and with the help of air support “fired simultaneously towards the squad of four, a […]

Middle East

IS militants attack Afghan prison, more than 75 inmates escape

Editorial Bureau August 3, 2020

JALALABAD (AFGHANISTAN) – An overnight attack on a prison in Jalalabad by IS gunmen led to a massive jailbreak early on Monday. The militants are battling security forces in the city. On Sunday evening, the militants detonated a car bomb at the entrance of the prison and opened fire on the guards. There were also […]

Middle East

Lebanon foreign minister announces resignation

Editorial Bureau August 3, 2020

BEIRUT (LEBANON) – Nassif Hitti, the foreign minister of Lebanon, said he will resign on Monday over “the government’s performance on a number of issues”, according to Sky News Arabia. The minister decided to step down following differences with the prime minister and disappointment over being sidelined, said a source. (Photos syndicated via

Middle East

Egypt records 321 new coronavirus cases, lowest since May 3

Editorial Bureau August 1, 2020

CAIRO (EGYPT) – The country recorded as many as 321 new coronavirus cases on Friday, said the health ministry, adding that it is the lowest figure since May 3. Across Egypt, 94,078 COVID-19 cases have been reported of which 39,638 have recovered. The number of fatalities stands at 4,188, including 31 on Friday, said the […]

Middle East

US trying to stoke protests against govt in Iran: Khamenei

Editorial Bureau July 31, 2020

DUBAI (UAE) – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, blamed the US on Friday for trying to stoke anti-government protests in the country by imposing sanctions. He said they were targeted at making the country bankrupt. The clerical rulers of the country have tried to suppress a revival of anti-go. Although the protests […]

Middle East

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Tweets Eid greetings after leaving hospital

Editorial Bureau July 31, 2020

RIYADH (SAUDI ARABIA) – The kingdom’s ruler King Salman bin Abdulaziz, 84, posted his Eid al-Adha greetings on Twitter on Friday, shortly after leaving hospital. The custodian of Islam’s holiest sites left King Faisal hospital on Thursday after undergoing surgery to remove his gallbladder earlier in the week, according to the state news agency SPA. […]

Middle East

Eid sacrifices drop in West Bank, with a spike in coronavirus cases

Editorial Bureau July 30, 2020

BETHLEHEM (WEST BANK) – Slaughterhouses were usually crowded with Palestinian Muslims buying sheep for the annual Eid al-Adha, which is also called “feast of sacrifice”. However, it was nearly empty this week with coronavirus curbs restrictions in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Authority (PA) has enforced a partial lockdown over areas under its