Latest from Al Arabiya
Al Arabiya
25 minutes ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
US envoy meets top Israeli Druze leader to discuss situation in Syria's Sweida
US envoy Tom Barrack met Israeli Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Syria's Sweida, where recent armed clashes left hundreds dead and heightened concerns over instability in the south. 'Today I had a warm and informative meeting with Israeli Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif and his team,' Barrack said in a post on X. 'We discussed the situation in Sweida and how to bring together the interests of all parties, de-escalate tensions, and build understanding.' Sweida, a majority-Druze region in southern Syria, has seen rare but deadly outbreaks of violence in recent months amid deepening frustration over economic collapse, corruption, and local clashes with armed groups.
Al Arabiya
25 minutes ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Trump wants to prevent WWIII, says former US ambassador
In this episode of Global News Today, presented by Tom Burges Watson, we bring you in-depth coverage of a pivotal moment in international diplomacy with all eyes firmly fixed on Ukraine. Following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's high-stakes meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington DC, we get the very latest and ask whether a breakthrough is possible when it comes to a peace deal in Ukraine. We speak exclusively with a former NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General, who shares her insights into what peace could realistically look like and we speak to a former US ambassador under President Trump.
Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Lebanon's Patriarch: Hezbollah must surrender weapons after state asserts monopoly on arms
Lebanon's top Christian cleric escalated his criticism of Hezbollah on Tuesday, saying the Iran-backed group has no right to keep its arsenal after the government decided that only the state can bear arms. Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai said there is now a rare political consensus to strip all weapons from groups outside the Lebanese Armed Forces. 'This is the first time there is consensus among the president, the parliament speaker, and the prime minister to monopolize weapons under state control. This brings peace to Lebanon. No one can live without peace,' Rai told Al Arabiya in an interview. His comments come after months of cross-border fighting between Hezbollah and Israel that devastated southern Lebanon and large swathes of the country's capital and Bekaa Valley and displaced tens of thousands. The Lebanese government announced this month that it would enforce a monopoly on arms, a move condemned by Iran, Hezbollah's main backer. Rai said Hezbollah's credibility as an armed 'resistance' had collapsed once the state asserted its exclusive authority. 'We cannot accept one person, the secretary-general [of Hezbollah], to decide war and peace. The constitution says this is a government decision,' he said. The patriarch accused Tehran of undermining Lebanon's sovereignty. 'Iran crosses red lines because it stands with one side in Lebanon, the Shia sect and Hezbollah. It cannot give weapons to one side. This is blatant aggression and intervening in domestic affairs,' he said. Rai said he would not visit Tehran right now, citing its 'bad policies,' revealing that he turned down a previous invitation just over four years ago to visit Iran. Rai urged Hezbollah to embrace its Lebanese identity and stop taking directions from Tehran. 'You are Lebanese. Live as Lebanese and don't look to Iran like you used to,' he said, adding that the Shia of Lebanon 'were present in government and parliament long before the resistance' and that their political role does not depend on weapons. The patriarch recalled comments by Hezbollah's former secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, that the group receives its money, food, weapons and directions from Iran. 'Then how are you a Lebanese citizen? You are Lebanese, just like me. But you need to pledge allegiance to the Lebanese state, not Tehran.' He dismissed warnings of another civil war as 'an exaggeration,' saying no one was prepared to start another civil war and that the Lebanese people were fed up with constant wars since 1975. 'No one wants war anymore.' The patriarch also addressed Lebanon's fraught relationship with Israel, ruling out normalization for now but leaving the door open in the future. 'In the future, when there is no danger to Lebanon, why wouldn't there be a deal?' He acknowledged Israeli aspirations to expand its borders and create the 'Kingdom of David,' but said a strong Lebanese state that asserted its sovereignty over all its territory was the best way to prevent that from happening. Despite his sharp criticism, Rai said dialogue with Hezbollah remains open. 'We still have ongoing dialogue with Hezbollah, and we are honest with them. Bkerki will not sugarcoat, it will speak for the interests of Lebanon,' he said.
Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Speculation grows over possible Zelenskyy-Putin meeting amid peace efforts
In this episode of W News, presented by Leigh-Ann Gerrans, we report on the ongoing efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war. A day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several pro-Kyiv European leaders met US President Donald Trump at the White House, Russia said any agreement on Ukraine must also address its own security concerns. There are also growing suggestions that Zelenskyy could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. We'll also bring you the latest from Gaza, where Israel has insisted that any future deal must include the release of all hostages, after Hamas accepted a new truce proposal.
Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Health
- Al Arabiya
US pediatric group recommends COVID-19 vaccines for young children
The American Academy of Pediatrics on Tuesday recommended that all young children get vaccinated against COVID-19, differing from federal policy that no longer recommends routine COVID vaccination for healthy children. The US pediatric group, in its latest policy document, said all young children aged 6-23 months receive a COVID-19 vaccine regardless of previous doses or SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recommended vaccination for older children in certain risk groups. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in May said COVID-19 vaccines are now an option for healthy children when parents and doctors agree that it is needed. Prior to the new guidance, the agency routinely recommended updated COVID vaccines for everyone aged six months and older, in line with the advice of its panel of outside experts. 'Shared clinical decision-making (involving parents and doctors) can be difficult to implement because it lacks clear guidance and does not emphasize the importance of vaccinating people at high risk of severe disease,' the AAP said in a statement. In early July, the AAP and other major medical groups sued Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. for unilaterally removing routine vaccination recommendations. The rate of COVID-19 hospitalization for children under 2 years is the highest among pediatric age groups, and for children aged 6-23 months, it is comparable to people aged 50-64 years, the group said on Tuesday, citing CDC data. The US Department of Health and Human Services earlier this month said it is reinstating a federal task force for safer childhood vaccines after a 27-year hiatus.
