EU vows to respond 'firmly and immediately' to US tariffs

This is Beirut 14/02 15:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

European Union USA Donald Trump Republicans Washington

The EU vowed Friday to respond "firmly and immediately" to trade barriers after US President Donald Trump unveiled tariffs that could hit both allies and competitors. The European Commission said Trump's plans were "a step in the wrong direction" that heightened economic uncertainty and disrupted the efficiency of global markets. "The EU will ...

Alfa Clarifies Service Outage, Announces Compensation for Subscribers

This is Beirut 13/02 19:45 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Alfa

Alfa, the mobile operator, explained the reasons behind Wednesday’s disruption of several of its services. In a statement, the company attributed the outage to a technical issue that occurred while updating an outdated router used for data transmission. Alfa apologized to its subscribers and reassured them that its network is undergoing ...

France says EU working toward 'rapid' easing of Syria sanctions

This is Beirut 13/02 19:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

European Union Emmanuel Macron Europe Gulf Turkey

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Thursday that the European Union was working toward swiftly easing Syria sanctions as Paris hosted a conference on the transition in the war-torn country after president Bashar al-Assad's fall. Islamist-led rebels toppled Assad in December after a lightning offensive. The new authorities, headed by ...

Real Estate in Lebanon: Between New Hopes and Persistent Challenges

Liliane Mokbel 13/02 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Real Estate Lebanon

In an interview with This is Beirut, Ahmad el-Khatib, managing partner of Century 21 Lebanon, an international real estate brokerage agency, shares his vision of the Lebanese real estate market. “As real estate brokers, we are at the heart of the market and directly feel its fluctuations, whether positive or negative. Our daily interactions ...

ReportFacing Egg Shortage, Americans Bring Chickens Home to Roost

This is Beirut 13/02 09:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

USA eggs

A Houston poultry supply company is selling chickens like there is no tomorrow, as sky-high prices for eggs prompt some Americans to produce their own at home. A recent US outbreak of bird flu since early 2024 is exacting a heavy toll on poultry farms. More than 21 million egg-laying hens have been "depopulated" this year so far, after 13.2 ...

Scientists warn of climate threat to chocolate

This is Beirut 12/02 20:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Climate change drove weeks of crop-withering temperatures last year in the West African countries that underpin the world's chocolate supply, hitting harvests and likely further stoking record prices, researchers said Wednesday. Farmers in the region -- which account for some 70 percent of global cacao production -- have struggled with heat, ...

BDH Re-Elects Antoine Habib

This is Beirut 12/02 18:25 - Reading : less than a minute

Banque de l’Habitat (BDH) re-elected Antoine Habib as chairman and appointed a new Board of Directors during its ordinary general assembly on Wednesday, During the meeting, Habib outlined key achievements, including an increase in loan values to support low and middle-income Lebanese citizens. He highlighted a $165 million loan from the Arab ...

US stocks fall as inflation unexpectedly heats up

This is Beirut 12/02 17:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump Europe New York

US stock markets tumbled on Wednesday as an inflation reading came in hotter than expected, fanning fears that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates higher for longer. Following days of attention on US President Donald Trump's tariff moves, traders were focusing on the January consumer inflation data, which is set to play a role in the ...

Saudi Arabia to invest $5 bn in AI data centre

This is Beirut 12/02 17:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Gulf Saudi Arabia AI NEOM

A Saudi company will invest $5 billion to build an artificial intelligence data centre in the futuristic city of NEOM, state media reported. The agreement, signed between DataVolt and NEOM, would fund the creation of a fully sustainable AI data centre with a 1.5 gigawatt capacity, the official SPA news agency said. The project will be located in ...

Global Stocks Wobble, Gold Shines as Tariff Uncertainty Looms

This is Beirut 11/02 19:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump New York USA White House

United States stock markets wobbled, and gold reached fresh highs on Tuesday as traders kept a nervous eye on US President Donald Trump’s next tariff decisions, worried about inflation and interest rates. European markets rose, with both Frankfurt and London again setting records, while Asian equity markets struggled for direction. Trump has ...

US Foreign Aid Halt to Have Major Hit on Poorest Countries: Report

This is Beirut 11/02 19:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump Banks United States Washington

A suspension of US foreign aid and possible dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) will have a major impact on some of the world's poorest countries, the Washington-based Center for Global Development (CGD) warned Tuesday. For more than 20 economies, a year-long pause on US aid could mean a loss of over one percent ...

Real Estate Prices: How Have They Changed Over Time?

Liliane Mokbel 11/02 16:32 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Banks Lebanon Real Estate Market

Lebanon’s real estate market is currently defined by a mismatch between sellers’ and buyers’ expectations. While sellers are banking on a price increase, driven by hopes of an economic recovery following the election of a president after more than two and a half years of political deadlock, buyers continue to perceive a stagnant market. A ...