This is Beirut

American Singer Katy Perry Roared into First All-Woman Spaceflight

This is Beirut, 15/04 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Pop star Katy Perry became the biggest name in an all-woman group to safely blast off into space Monday, roaring into the cosmos on one of billionaire Jeff Bezos's rockets. The Firework and California Girls singer was lofted more than 60 miles (100 kilometers) above the Earth's surface in a vessel from Blue Origin, the space company owned by ...

Pandemic Treaty Talks Inch Towards Accord

This is Beirut, 15/04 09:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Covid-19 USA

Countries hope more than three years of negotiations on battling future pandemics will finally end Tuesday, after reaching a preliminary agreement last week. It has been more than five years since the Covid-19 pandemic began, killing millions of people and devastating economies. Experts say an accord has become even more crucial with new health ...

Trump Envoy Says Putin Open to 'Permanent Peace' Deal with Ukraine

This is Beirut, 15/04 09:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Ukraine USA Kyiv

US President Donald Trump's special envoy said Monday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin was open to a "permanent peace" deal with Ukraine, following talks seeking to end the more than three-year war. Trump has been pressing Moscow and Kyiv to agree to a ceasefire but has failed to extract any major concessions from the Kremlin, despite repeated ...

Israel Demands Hostage release for Gaza Ceasefire

This is Beirut, 15/04 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Hamas said Monday that Israel has offered a 45-day ceasefire if it releases half of the remaining hostages held in Gaza, which the United Nations said is now in the grip of its worst humanitarian crisis since the start of the war. A Hamas official told AFP that Israel had also demanded that the Palestinian militants disarm to secure an end to the ...

Iran's Top Diplomat to Visit Russia after US Nuclear Talks

This is Beirut, 15/04 08:57 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Iran's foreign minister is to visit ally Russia this week to discuss nuclear negotiations with the United States, ahead of a new round of talks planned between the foes. On Saturday, Abbas Araghchi held talks with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman -- the highest-level discussions since the 2015 nuclear accord ...

From Taif to Oman: The Long Road to State Sovereignty in Lebanon

Philippe Abi-Akl, 15/04 08:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hezbollah USA Donald Trump Iran negotiations Oman

For the past 34 years, Hezbollah’s weapons have remained a central point of contention both domestically and internationally. On September 30, 1989, Lebanon’s political factions convened in Taif, Saudi Arabia, and signed the National Accord, known as the Taif agreement, to end the devastating 15-year civil war. One of the key provisions ...

Russian Attacks Kill Four in East Ukraine, Kyiv Says

This is Beirut, 14/04 15:08 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Russian attacks Monday on the Kharkiv region of east Ukraine killed four elderly residents, local officials said, a day after more than two dozen were killed in neighbouring Sumy. Moscow's forces have gained ground in the Kharkiv region, home to Ukraine's second largest city, which was also targeted in overnight Russian drone ...

How Washington Dismantled Its Rivals and Reclaimed Global Leverage in 100 Days

Baker Halawi, 14/04 14:15 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

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It took the United States less than one hundred days to begin redrawing the global strategic map—on its own terms. In just over three months, President Donald Trump’s returning administration—resurrected not through elections, but through political maneuvering and ideological momentum—reignited an assertive and ...

Yemen's Huthis say Seven Killed in US Strikes West of Sanaa

This is Beirut, 14/04 13:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Yemen's Huthi rebels said on Monday the number of dead from US strikes carried out overnight Sunday, west of the capital Sanaa, had risen to seven dead with dozens wounded. The strikes targeting a factory in the in the al-Sawari industrial zone in the Bani Matar region led to "the martyrdom of seven citizens and the injury of 29 others, including ...

European Stocks Jump Over 2% After Tech Tariff Exemptions

This is Beirut, 14/04 11:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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European stock markets rose sharply Monday after the United States announced exemptions from sweeping tariffs for smartphones, laptops, semiconductors and other electronic products, tempering trade war fears. Despite US President Donald Trump suggesting that the exemptions could be short-lived, European stocks rallied around two percent at the ...

Meta Faces Landmark US Antitrust Trial

This is Beirut, 14/04 11:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Social media juggernaut Meta stands trial on Monday facing serious US government allegations that it abused its market power to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp before they could become competitors. By moving forward, the trial in a Washington federal court dashes the hopes of Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg that the return of Donald Trump to the White ...

Asian Stocks Rise on Electronics Tariffs Exemption, Gold Hits New High

This is Beirut, 14/04 10:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Asian stocks rose Monday as trade war fears were tempered by Donald Trump's announcement of tariff exemptions for electronics, though the dollar weakened and safe-haven gold hit a fresh record amid fears the relief would be short-lived. After the wild gyrations witnessed last week, markets got off to a relatively stable start following news ...

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