This is Beirut

Russia Proposes new Ukraine Talks, Kyiv Demands Terms Upfront

This is Beirut, 09:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Kyiv Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump USA

Russia said Wednesday it wanted new talks with Ukraine in Istanbul next Monday to present its plan for a peace settlement, but Kyiv said it needed to see the proposal in advance for the meeting to yield results. Diplomatic efforts to end the three-year conflict have accelerated in recent months, but Moscow has repeatedly rejected calls for an ...

US Trade Court Blocks Tariffs in Major Setback for Trump

This is Beirut, 09:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Tariffs Trade Court

A US federal court on Wednesday blocked most of Donald Trump's sweeping import tariffs from going into effect, ruling that the president had overstepped his authority with the across-the-board global levies. The opinion marks a significant setback to the Republican leader as he bids to redraw the US trading relationship with the world by forcing ...

US Vows to 'Aggressively' Oust Chinese Students

This is Beirut, 09:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump Visa Chinese Student

President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday vowed to "aggressively" revoke visas of Chinese students, one of the largest sources of revenue for American universities, in his latest broadside against US higher education. The announcement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio marked a show of defiance after China criticized his decision a day ...

OPEC+ meets as oil output hike looms

This is Beirut, 28/05 20:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Saudi Arabia USA

Ministers of the OPEC+ oil alliance, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, discussed production on Wednesday as another hike looms despite falling prices. The 22-nation group began a series of cuts in 2022 to prop up crude prices, but Saudi Arabia, Russia and six other members surprised markets recently by sharply raising output for May and June. The ...

Japan Urges Universities to Accept Students Hit by US Block

This is Beirut, 28/05 13:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump United States Washington

The Japanese government has asked local universities to consider accepting international students enrolled at US universities as President Donald Trump seeks to force Harvard to submit to unprecedented oversight. The Trump administration moved last week to block Harvard from enrolling foreign students, but on Friday a judge suspended the order ...

Ancient Bread Rises Again as Turkey Recreates 5,000-Year-Old Loaf

This is Beirut, 27/05 09:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Turkey USA Bread Ancient Recipe

In the early Bronze Age, a piece of bread was buried beneath the threshold of a newly built house in what is today central Turkey. Now, more than 5,000 years later, archaeologists have unearthed it, and helped a local bakery to recreate the recipe -- with customers lining up to buy it. Round and flat like a pancake, 12 centimetres (five inches) ...

Salam Vows to Assert State Authority Over Arms

This is Beirut, 26/05 16:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Palestine USA Lebanon Nawaf Salam Israel

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared on Monday that Lebanon will no longer tolerate the presence of weapons outside the state’s control, marking a firm stance on national sovereignty and the rule of law. “We will not remain silent about the existence of any arms outside the authority of the state,” Salam said in an exclusive interview with ...

Syria Says it Arrested Islamic State Members Near Damascus

This is Beirut, 26/05 13:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Damascus Donald Trump United States USA White House

Syrian authorities said they arrested members of an Islamic State group cell near Damascus on Monday, accusing them of preparing attacks against the country. Since the fall of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, IS attacks on the country's new rulers have been scarce, but the Islamist-led authorities have been trying to ...

Iran Rejects Push to Suspend Uranium Enrichment to Reach US Deal

This is Beirut, 26/05 12:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump Israel Iran

Iran on Monday ruled out suspending its uranium enrichment as part of any nuclear deal with the United States, a key demand from Washington in successive rounds of talks between the foes. The issue of enrichment has come into focus in recent weeks, with Iran staunchly defending its right to enrich uranium as part of what it says is a civilian ...

Israel Marks Second 'Jerusalem Day' Under Shadow of Gaza war

This is Beirut, 26/05 10:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel Palestine Donald Trump Hamas USA

Israeli police were deploying near the walls of Jerusalem's Old City on Monday ahead of an annual event marking Israel's capture of east Jerusalem, held this year under the shadow of the war in Gaza. Jerusalem Day, or "Yom Yerushalayim" in Hebrew, commemorates what Israel considers the reunification of the city under its authority in the 1967 ...

King Charles to Open Canada Parliament Tasked With Countering Trump

This is Beirut, 26/05 09:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA King Charles III Canada Commonwealth

King Charles III was set to land in Ottawa Monday for a historic visit to open Canada's parliament, a brief trip seen as part of the pushback against US President Donald Trump's annexation threats. The 76-year-old monarch, who is also Canada's head of state as part of the Commonwealth, was invited by Prime Minister Mark Carney to deliver the ...

Trump Extends EU Tariff Deadline Until July 9

This is Beirut, 26/05 09:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump European Union USA Tariffs

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would pause his threatened 50 percent tariffs on the European Union until July 9, after a "very nice call" with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen. Trump had threatened on Friday to invoke the steep tariffs as soon as June 1, saying talks with the European Union over his previous levies were "going ...

USA