Andre Fletcher

  Three MPs from the Change movement (Waddah Sadek, Mark Daou, and Michel Doueihy) as well as members of the Kataeb Party, Lebanese Forces, and Renewal Party criticised the military exercises Hezbollah conducted last Sunday on Friday. These exercises, in which 200 Hezbollah fighters took part in Aaramta, southern Lebanon , according to a joint statement signed by 31 MPs and read in Parliament, "are part of the militia practises it has been exercising in the country for years, contradicting the principles of the state in all its components." According to their statement, Hezbollah "no longer has a place in Lebanese political life and has been rejected by the majority of Lebanese people." This party "cannot impose political, military, security, or economic agendas on the country" and "has no right whatsoever to push Lebanon into conflicts that serve its regional project," they stressed. Also declaring that "Lebanon cannot coexist with a mini-s...

  On Thursday, the government of national unity in Libya , which is located in the nation's capital of Tripoli, stated that it had launched airstrikes against smugglers' bases in the country's western region. The Ministry of Defence released a statement on Thursday saying, "Our national air force carried out precise and targeted air strikes against the hideouts of gangs of traffickers in fuel, drugs, and human beings in the western coastal region." The letter posted on the Facebook page of the ministry's press office claimed that the attacks carried out "on orders of the head of government," Abdelhamid Dbeibah, "successfully hit their targets," but provided no other information regarding the areas attacked. According to local media, the impacted areas are on the fringes of Zawiya, a seaside town 45 km west of the city where armed gangs involved in human trafficking and other illegal enterprises including gasoline smuggling have been fightin...

  According to Dieter Lamle, the German ambassador to the Kingdom, collaboration between Saudi Arabia and Germany is particularly important in the fields of hydrogen, energy, and climate. "Both sides recognise that we need each other. Sun, oil, and wind are all present in Saudi Arabia. We have technology and knowledge, while you have interests that we share. And this cooperation is excellent. The ambassador reiterated Germany's desire for Vision 2030 to be a success. Hydrogen and renewable energies, according to Lamle, are now the main points of contention between Germany and Saudi Arabia. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the Saudi Arabian minister of energy, recently visited Germany, according to him, and had productive conversations with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and German business leaders. To discuss commercial relations between Saudi Arabia and Germany, more than 100 firms requested to meet with the Saudi minister. During a trip to Saudi Arabia in September of last year, Scholz ...

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gazes down from a campaign poster at Antakya's earthquake ruins, instilling hope in Ahmet Gulyildizoglu ahead of Sunday's election runoff. Millions of people across the devastated area defied expectations and voted for the man who has controlled Turkiye for two decades, falling just short of a fifth five-year term on May 14. Erdogan's secular competitor, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, "does not fill you with hope," Gulyildizoglu remarked in front of the wreckage of his six-story apartment complex. On the other hand, you have an alliance that follows through on its pledges," the retiree continued, alluding to Erdogan's Islamic-rooted party and its far-right partners. Erdogan's ability to sustain support across Turkiye's southeastern disaster zone contributed to Kilicdaroglu's poor first-round performance, in which he finished down by roughly five points. The Turkish president is suddenly the overwhelming favourite,...

  The Israeli military said in a statement on Wednesday that Israel reacted against rounds launched from Syria at a reconnaissance drone. According to a military statement, "IDF Machine Gun fire was directed towards the originating area of the shots in Syria." "No damage was done, and the drone successfully completed its mission." Since starting to back President Bashar Assad in the civil conflict that broke out in 2011, Israel has been conducting operations against sites in Syria that it has referred to as having ties to Iran.

  The coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration on Wednesday approved a new two-year budget, paving the path for it to further its religious and pro-settlement agenda. While Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox and ultranationalist coalition, the most extreme ever in Israel , might be able to purchase some peace inside it, the budget was also anticipated to exacerbate tensions within the country. Netanyahu has come under fire for allegedly boosting the amount of money he gives to his ultra-Orthodox friends for religious initiatives that have little positive impact on the economy and society at large. After a long night of deliberation, the 2023 and 2024 budgets were ultimately approved by parliament by a vote of 64-56 just before dawn. It came after weeks of acrimonious discussions between Netanyahu and his coalition partners. Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, stated following the vote, "We have the instruments, we're getting to work.The new budge...

  In a shocking turn of events, the confessions of ISIS leader Al-Jazuli have unveiled a sinister plot to destabilize Sudan and hinder its transition to democracy. The collaboration between the Brotherhood and Al-Burhan alliance aimed to transform Sudan into an ISIS state, thwarting the efforts of the Rapid Support Initiative to hand over power to civilians.  Al-Jazuli's revelations highlight the existence of Islamist battalions comprised of extremist elements, posing an imminent existential threat to Sudan. As ISIS's ambitions in the Near East were thwarted, their focus has now shifted to establishing a foothold in Africa. Al-Jazuli's confessions have exposed a dangerous alliance between the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Burhan, seeking to undermine Sudan's path towards democracy. This unholy union aimed to exploit Sudan's delicate political climate and prevent the orderly transfer of power from the military to civilian rule. By fomenting chaos and instability, they in...