Browsing: Middle East

For the latest News from the MIddle east go to our news page. Which covers headline news, Influencer news, culture, and travel news from the Arab world.

Arab Lifestyle and culture - by WTX Culture Moodie

‘I feel totally useless’: Anguish grows among Lebanese diaspora in France EU

Hundreds of Lebanese people demonstrated in Paris on Sunday to demand an immediate ceasefire since clashes between Israel and Hezbollah began a year ago.

They are more than 4,000 kilometres away from Lebanon but the conflict still hits close to home.

Since clashes between Israel and Hezbollah (an Iran-aligned Shia militant and political group) began a year ago, more than 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon.

The thousands of Franco-Lebanese nationals who are watching the conflict from afar say they’re filled with anger and guilt. Hundreds of them gathered in Paris and around other cities in France on Sunday with the main demand of an immediate ceasefire.

Israel launched overnight strikes in three areas north of Gaza which continued until this morning. At least 95 people were killed in less than 24 hours, local media reports. The overnight strikes killed at least 66 people in Beit Lahiya and injured dozens. In Sheikh Radian at least 22 people, including children, were killed in the air strikes and at least 7 people, including one child, were killed in Al-Mawasi.

The United Nations has raised alarm about dire humanitarian conditions in northern Gaza, where no significant aid has been delivered for 40 days due to an ongoing siege by Israeli forces. According to the UN, 65,000 to 75,000 people in areas like Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia, and Jabalia face severe shortages of food and other essentials.

The UN Security Council is set to vote on Wednesday on a resolution demanding an “immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza, along with the release of all hostages. However, the United States, a key ally of Israel, may block the draft, which has already drawn criticism from Israeli officials.  

Mohammed Afif, Hezbollah’s media chief and one of its prominent public figures, was killed in an Israeli air strike in central Beirut, the group confirmed. The strike targeted the Baath Party headquarters in the crowded Ras al-Naba neighbourhood, destroying much of the building, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

At least 34 people, including many women and children, were killed in an Israeli air strike targeting a five-story residential building in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency. Seven others were injured, and dozens are believed to remain trapped under the rubble.

Over the past two weeks, it has become increasingly evident that politicians, backed by powerful lobby groups, often feel unaccountable to the public except during election periods. This is precisely when the electorate must pressure and hold their representatives—whether MPs, governors, or members of Congress—to account.

We are also seeing a notable rise in interest toward BRICS. Western nations’ firm control over the global financial system has spurred Middle Eastern and Eastern European states to reassess their reliance on this framework.

A further revelation over the past fortnight has highlighted duplicity within the EU, where evidence suggests that despite sanctions, the EU is continuing to purchase Russian oil and gas through intermediaries.

Today’s main headlines

America’s U-turn on Gaza,
The knock on effect from a TRUMP,
The inquest into the Democratic Party,
The Church of England is in trouble,
Israeli hooligans in Amsterdam have been arrested,
The Guardian boycotts X,
It’s not all rosey in Saudi.
Uncover the world in 5 minutes.

Human rights activists are calling for the release of a woman detained in Tehran after she removed her clothes in an apparent protest. A video shared on social media showed the woman sitting in her underwear on the steps of the university before walking away. In another clip, she is seen removing more clothing before being forced into a car by plainclothes agents.