This is Beirut

A Month After Ceasefire with Israel, Iranians Fear Another War

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

Israel Ceasefire USA Tehran United States

The ceasefire that ended Iran's 12-day war with Israel has held for nearly a month without incident, but many Iranians remain uneasy, struggling with uncertainty as fears of another confrontation linger. "I don't think this ceasefire will last," said Peyman, a 57-year-old resident of Shiraz in Iran's south, one of numerous cities hit last month ...

Trump Media Bets on Bitcoin: $2 Billion Invested in Cryptocurrency

This is Beirut, 21/07 19:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA dollars

Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the parent company of the Truth Social platform, the upcoming streaming service Truth+ and the FinTech project Truth.Fi, announced that it has invested nearly $2 billion in bitcoin and bitcoin-related financial products. This initiative is part of the cryptocurrency treasury strategy previously outlined by ...

Tsunami Alert Lifted after Powerful Quakes Off Russian Coast

This is Beirut, 20/07 13:44 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

USA

A tsunami alert was lifted after a series of powerful earthquakes off the coast of Russia's far east on Sunday did not result in deadly waves, according to the Russian emergencies ministry. Earlier on Sunday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) issued a tsunami alert, forecasting "hazardous waves" after a 7.4-magnitude quake at 0849 ...

Druze Fighters Regain Control of Syria’s Sweida City

This is Beirut, 19/07 22:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel USA

Druze fighters pushed rival armed groups out of Syria's Sweida on Saturday, a monitor and an armed group said, regaining control of the city even as clashes persisted in other parts of the violence-hit province. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said that "tribal fighters withdrew from Sweida city on Saturday evening" after Druze ...

Gaza Civil Defense Says Israeli Attacks Kill 26 Near Two Aid Centers

This is Beirut, 19/07 11:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hamas Israel United Nations USA Gaza

Gaza's civil defense agency on Saturday said Israeli attacks killed 26 people and wounded more than 100 near two aid centers in the south of the Palestinian territory. Agency spokesman Mahmud Basal told AFP that 22 were killed near a site southwest of Khan Yunis and four near another center northwest of Rafah, blaming "Israeli ...

US Congress Approves $9 Bn in Trump Cuts to Foreign Aid, Public Media

This is Beirut, 18/07 09:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

US Congress Donald Trump USA Cuts Aid

US Republicans early Friday approved President Donald Trump's plan to cancel $9 billion in funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, vowing it was just the start of broader efforts by Congress to slash the federal budget. The cuts achieve only a tiny fraction of the $1 trillion in annual savings that tech billionaire and estranged Trump ...

Trump Diagnosed With Vein Issue After Leg Swelling, Hand Bruising

This is Beirut, 17/07 23:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA White House

US President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a long-term but benign vein condition, the White House said Thursday following speculation about his heavily bruised hand and swollen legs. The 79-year-old was found to have "chronic venous insufficiency" after he "noted mild swelling in his lower legs" in recent weeks, White House Press Secretary ...

Grand Canyon: North Rim Closed After Major Wildfire

This is Beirut, 17/07 16:02 - Reading : less than a minute

USA Grand Canyon Wildfire

The Grand Canyon National Park has closed its North Rim for the 2025 season after a wildfire ignited by lightning on July 4th. Fueled by strong winds over the weekend, the fire destroyed numerous buildings and forced the evacuation of more than 500 visitors and staff. Arizona’s governor has called for an investigation into the fire’s ...

Russia says Ukraine Drone Strikes Kill One, Wound Four

This is Beirut, 17/07 09:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Donald Trump Ukraine USA Russia

Russia said on Thursday that it had intercepted 126 Ukrainian drones in attacks that killed one person and left four civilians wounded. Air defences shot down 122 drones overnight and four others early in the morning, most of them over regions in Russia's southwest that border Ukraine but also three over the Moscow region, the defence ministry ...

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Says 20 Dead at Aid Point

This is Beirut, 16/07 12:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Palestine Hamas Israel United Nations USA

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said 20 people died at an aid point in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Palestinian territory on Wednesday, blaming armed "agitators" in the crowd. "Our current understanding is that 19 of the victims were trampled and one was stabbed amid a chaotic and dangerous surge," the US- and Israel-backed organisation said ...

Does Your Cat Talk to You? An AI Claims It Can Understand

Bélinda Ibrahim, 16/07 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Cats AI USA Decode Feline Vocalizations Science

When it comes to human-animal communication, cats have always had the upper hand. They observe us, manipulate us with their gaze, wake us up for mysterious reasons and sometimes meow endlessly. But what are they really trying to say? For years, cat owners have wondered: Is this meow a request for food, a complaint or just a greeting? Until now, ...

The US-China Chip War in Dates

This is Beirut, 16/07 09:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump United States China War

The United States has in recent years sought to curb exports of cutting-edge semiconductors to China, with Nvidia and other US chip companies lobbying against its tough restrictions. As Nvidia says it will resume sales of a less powerful AI semiconductor model to China, here is a run-down of the microchip conflict: August 2022: Biden's Chips ...

USA