Articles

Negotiators say Israel and Hamas are inching toward a ceasefire deal. This is what it may look like

  Muhamad Yehia After months of deadlock, Israel and Hamas appear to be moving closer toward a ceasefire to end their 14-month war. Top officials from the U.S., Qatar and Egypt have resumed their mediation efforts in recent weeks and reported greater willingness by the warring sides to wrap up a deal. In …

Read More »

Russian presence in Syria remains. But it’s unclear for how long

Muhamad Yehia HMEIMIM, Syria (AP) — A convoy of Russian military vehicles rolled down the highway towards the Syrian city of Tartus on Monday as soldiers stood guard. Planes periodically descended and rose from Russia’s Hmeimim air base in the Syrian coastal province of Latakia while smoke rose from the base. It …

Read More »

A bomb kills the head of Russia’s nuclear defense forces and his assistant in Moscow

  Muhamad Yehia MOSCOW — An explosive device planted near an apartment building in Moscow killed the head of Russia’s nuclear and chemical forces early Tuesday, officials said. Russia’s Investigative Committee said the bomb, which was triggered by the device placed in a scooter, killed Lt. General Igor Kirillov and …

Read More »

Middle East latest: Assad says he wanted to stay in Syria but Russia evacuated him

Muhamad Yehia Ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad says he had no plans to leave the country after the fall of Damascus a week ago but the Russian military evacuated him from their base in western Syria after it came under attack. “I did not leave the country as part of …

Read More »

Israel will close its Ireland embassy over Gaza tensions as Palestinian death toll nears 45,000

    Muhamad Yehia DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip  — Israel said Sunday it will close its embassy in Ireland as relations deteriorated over the war in Gaza, where Palestinian medical officials said new Israeli airstrikes killed over 46 people including several children. The decision to close the embassy came in …

Read More »

Serbia’s main gas supplier that is controlled by Russia faces US sanctions

  Muhamad Yehia BELGRADE, Serbia — The United States plans to introduce sanctions against Serbia’s main gas supplier that is controlled by Russia, Serbia’s president said Saturday. President Aleksandar Vucic told state RTS broadcaster that Serbia has been officially informed that the decision on sanctions will come into force on Jan. …

Read More »

Candid photos of Syria’s Assad expose a world beyond the carefully crafted and repressive rule

  Muhamad Yehia BEIRUT (AP) — Personal photos of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad have surfaced from his abandoned residences, sparking ridicule among Syrians who until days ago were persecuted for criticizing his carefully crafted public image. The intimate and candid photos, reportedly discovered in albums from Assad’s mansions in the hills …

Read More »

Apple Recommends Blinkist, The Best App For Intellectuals Around The World

  Muhamad Yehia Let’s start with the question, how does one become an intellectual? Well, it often involves a lot of dedication to studying and research. If we don’t put the time in, we risk experiencing something psychologists call the Dunning-Kruger effect, a situation where people with limited knowledge of a given …

Read More »

Who was in ousted Syrian President Assad’s inner circle and where are they now?

  Muhamad Yehia BEIRUT  — After insurgents toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad this month, many senior officials and members of his dreaded intelligence and security services appear to have melted away. Activists say some of them have managed to flee the country while others went to hide in their hometowns. For …

Read More »

A diminished Hezbollah is made even weaker by the toppling of Assad in Syria

Muhamad Yehia BEIRUT— A severely hobbled Hezbollah was in no position to help defend former Syrian President Bashar Assad, a longtime ally, from the lightning-fast insurgency that toppled him. With Assad gone, the militant group based in Lebanon is even weaker. Hezbollah was dealt a major blow during 14 months …

Read More »