Noontime News Recap: Congo Ebola vaccine arrives as Iran tensions, Lebanon outlook and Somalia aid crisis deepen
More than 16,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine have arrived in Kinshasa as the Democratic Republic of the Congo moves to slow the outbreak, with officials seeking to contain the spread before it widens further. đź”—Iran has allowed several Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after repeated requests from Baghdad, even as tensions with Washington remain high. Tehran also condemned a new United States sanctions threat as a violation of sovereignty, after the White House signalled a tougher economic campaign. đź”— đź”—The World Bank says Lebanon's economy is set to contract by 6.4% in 2026,... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews Recap | 22 Aug 2026 12:19 LONDON
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More than 100 former UK and French diplomats urge action over Israel's 'erasure' of Palestine
More than 100 former British and French diplomats have called on their governments to take urgent action over what they describe as the "erasure" of Palestine. In an open letter addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, they urge trade and arms-sales bans on Israel. The signatories accuse Israel of ethnic cleansing and say the situation demands a stronger response from London and Paris.The letter was signed by 52 former French diplomats and 50 former British ambassadors, according to the text. Among the British signatories are two former United Nations envoys, Jeremy Greenstock and Emyr... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 22 Aug 2026 10:32 LONDON
UN Security Council straw poll puts Guyana's Rodrigues Birkett ahead in race for next secretary-general
The United Nations Security Council has held a second informal straw poll in the race to choose the next secretary-general, with Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett emerging as the leading candidate. The vote took place on Friday as the council continued its search for consensus ahead of Antonio Guterres' departure at the end of December. The poll is non-binding, but it is one of the main steps used to narrow the field before a formal recommendation is sent to the General Assembly.According to the results circulated after the vote, Rodrigues Birkett received eight votes to encourage, three to discourage and four... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 22 Aug 2026 01:59 LONDON
Fear the Shia, Arm the Sunnis: The Uncomfortable Numbers Behind America’s War Narrative
“When fear is managed carefully enough, a nation can be taught to look away from the blood on the floor and stare instead at the shadow on the wall.” A friend of mine, whose name I will not reveal because he asked me not to, sat across from me over dinner and placed a question on the table that would not leave me alone. He was born into a Muslim Shia background, and for the angle of this article, that detail matters, not because I wish to reduce a man to a sect, but because sect has become one of... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews-Opinion | 23 May 2026 08:00 LONDON
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GAS, GOD, AND GUNS: The Secret Agenda Behind the Washington Talks and the Death of the Maritime Border
The mahogany tables of the U.S. State Department are hosting a ghost today. As official delegations from Israel and Lebanon convene for a third round of high-stakes negotiations this Friday, May 8, 2026, the air in Washington is thick with the scent of a "peace" that looks increasingly like a strategic ambush. While the world watches the diplomatic theatre, the reality on the ground in Southern Lebanon tells a story of a predatory recalibration. Prime Minister Netanyahu isn’t just looking for a ceasefire; he is aiming to hit three birds with one single, devastating stone: the annexation of land, the... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews-Opinion | 08 May 2026 12:29 LONDON
The Glass Elevator to Nowhere: A World Trapped in a Chocolate Factory
As a journalist in my mid-fifties, I thought my skin had thickened to the point of being impenetrable. I have covered the rise and fall of regimes, the grinding gears of the Cold War's leftovers, and the digital revolutions that promised to unite us. I thought I had seen every trick in the political playbook. Then came Donald Trump’s 2026 foreign policy, and I realized I was not watching a statesman; I was watching a child play with a chemistry set he does not understand. The Willy Wonka of the West: Rule by Whim Walking into a press briefing lately... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews-Opinion | 02 Apr 2026 09:44 LONDON
Shadows of Fire: The Long Arc of Iran–United States Tensions
A Region on Edge: The Latest Escalation In recent months, tensions between Iran and the United States have intensified once again, fueled by disputes over regional security, nuclear development, maritime incidents in the Persian Gulf, and the broader strategic balance in the Middle East. Officials in Washington have expressed renewed concern over Iran’s uranium enrichment levels, while leaders in Tehran have accused the United States of economic warfare through sanctions and diplomatic isolation. The fragile equilibrium that followed earlier rounds of indirect negotiations appears increasingly strained, with both sides engaging in sharp rhetoric at the United Nations, reinforcing military postures... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews-Opinion | 19 Feb 2026 08:49 LONDON
