This is Beirut 11/07 11:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Solar power became the European Union's biggest single energy source for the first time in June, an energy think tank said Thursday. The Ember group that researches the clean energy transition said that 22.1 percent of Europe's power in June came from solar panels. That came ahead of nuclear power on 21.8 percent and wind turbines on 15.8 ...
Christiane Tager 10/07 18:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Middle East MEA Lebanon economy low-cost Beirut airport airline
Facing soaring fares and near-monopoly on direct routes, Lebanon’s national carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) is preparing to shake up the market. Led by Chairman Mohamad El Hout, MEA plans to launch a low-cost subsidiary in March 2027, according to insiders. The new airline will start with 4 aircraft and offer tickets up to 30% cheaper than ...
This is Beirut 10/07 10:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Donald Trump United States Japan Rice
Donald Trump’s demand that Japan, described as “spoiled”, buy more American rice is creating additional pressure for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is already facing a tough election that could bring his time in office to an end after less than a year. Japan is one of more than 20 countries receiving letters this week from the US ...
This is Beirut 09/07 19:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Banks Palestine Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates lebanon Egypt
Lebanon ranks among the Arab countries most affected by skyrocketing food prices, according to a new cost-of-living index published by global data platform Numbeo. In a nation still gripped by a severe and prolonged economic crisis, securing basic nutrition has become a daily struggle for much of the population. To meet the minimum nutritional ...
This is Beirut 08/07 18:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Banque du Liban Central Bank of Lebanon
The Banque du Liban (BDL) has issued a directive requiring all banks, financial institutions, money exchange companies and electronic money transfer firms operating in Lebanon to accept all authentic US dollar banknotes, regardless of whether they are from older or newer series. In a statement released on Tuesday, the central bank emphasized that ...
This is Beirut 08/07 11:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
NSSF Reforms Benefits Compensation
The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has introduced major reforms, particularly in the calculation of end-of-service benefits and the distribution of family allowances. In a statement released on July 8, NSSF Director General Mohammad Karaki announced two official memos, which were part of a broader institutional reform plan. The measures ...
This is Beirut 08/07 09:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
EU ministers are set to give the final green light on Tuesday for Bulgaria to adopt the euro on January 1, 2026, when the country would become the single currency area's 21st member. The European Commission said last month that the EU's poorest country had fulfilled the strict conditions to adopt the euro, while the European Central Bank (ECB) ...
This is Beirut 08/07 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
US President Donald Trump reignited his trade war by threatening more than a dozen countries with higher tariffs Monday -- but then said he may be flexible on his new August deadline to reach deals. Trump sent letters to trading partners, including key US allies Japan and South Korea, announcing that duties he had suspended in April would snap ...
This is Beirut 07/07 20:48 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Donald Trump United States South Korea Tariffs Japan
US President Donald Trump said Monday he was slapping 25 percent tariffs on Japan and South Korea in his first letters to trading partners ahead of a deadline to reach a deal with Washington. Trump had said at the weekend that starting from Monday he would send a first batch of up to 15 letters to countries informing them that he would reimpose ...
Liliane Mokbel 07/07 18:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
One month after Nawaf Salam’s government took office, Lebanese citizens are facing a surprising drop in public electricity supply. In Beirut and surrounding areas, daily power from Électricité du Liban (EDL) has fallen sharply—from nine hours to just six. This sudden decline has reignited frustration among a population already exhausted by ...
Christiane Tager 07/07 17:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
International Monetary Fund Israel Iran economy
The war may be over in Iran, the missiles silenced — but another battle rages on: the economy. After decades under crippling sanctions, battered by soaring inflation and a plunging currency, Tehran is still holding on. But for how long? While the military front has quieted, the economic one remains on high alert. For years, the Islamic Republic ...
This is Beirut 07/07 09:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
USA Donald Trump European Union Trade Tariff
US President Donald Trump has said he will send letters to select trade partners facing tariff hikes as early as Monday, piling pressure on countries to strike a deal with Washington before a new August 1 deadline. The White House announced sharp levies on dozens of economies in April, citing a lack of "reciprocity" in trade relations, which were ...