This is Beirut

US Embassy Statement: Ortagus Called for Disarmament of Hezbollah and Reforms During Visit to Lebanon

This is Beirut, 07/04 18:45 - Reading : less than a minute

The US Embassy in Beirut issued a statement on Monday announcing that Morgan Ortagus, Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East, expressed her enthusiasm for returning to Lebanon to meet with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Speaker Nabih Berri and Minister of Foreign Affairs Youssef Rajji. The statement highlighted that ...

Trade War: World Markets Plunge Under the Weight of New Taxes

This is Beirut, 07/04 15:35 - Reading : less than a minute

Donald Trump European Union USA Global economy Tariffs

Global markets are reeling from Donald Trump's trade war and Chinese retaliation, causing serious concerns for the global economy. After two days of decline, the European stock markets plunged to an all-time low, with indices such as the DAX and CAC 40 sharply down. In Asia, markets suffered a “Black Monday,” with Hong Kong recording its worst ...

China vows to stay 'safe and promising land' for foreign investment

This is Beirut, 07/04 10:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States USA

A top Chinese official has vowed to protect US firms and pledged his country will remain a "promising land" for foreign investment, Beijing said Monday, after it slapped 34 percent tariffs on US imports. China retaliated last week against levies at the same level announced by US President Donald Trump on what he called "liberation day". It also ...

Political Fraud and the Bungled Peace

Charles Chartouni, 07/04 09:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon USA Israel

Monitoring the Lebanese political scene is quite disturbing since the hypothetical new political era seems to be bungling. The new incumbents, who came into power incidentally, were unlikely to be co-opted if it were not for the military and political upheaval induced by the Israeli destruction of the operational platforms weaved by the Iranian ...

Iran Top Diplomat Rejects Direct Negotiations With US

This is Beirut, 06/04 15:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Iran Abbas Araghchi USA Donald Trump

Iran's top diplomat has dismissed direct negotiations with the United States as pointless, his office said Sunday, after US President Donald Trump said he preferred face-to-face talks over its nuclear program. Trump sent a letter to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, last month calling for negotiations but warning of military ...

Senate Republicans Move Forward with Trump Tax Cuts

This is Beirut, 05/04 16:37 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Republicans Democrats US Congress USA

US senators on Saturday approved a budget blueprint unlocking trillions of dollars for sweeping tax cuts promised by President Donald Trump, despite bitter infighting among the majority Republicans over the savings that will be needed to fund them. Working deep into the night, lawmakers voted 51-48, mostly along party lines, to approve the ...

Ortagus Meets with Top Lebanese Officials

Chelsea Al Arif, 05/04 15:30 - Reading : less than a minute

Morgan Ortagus Joseph Aoun USA

Saturday marked a busy day for the US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus. Ortagus’ day began at the Presidential Palace and continued to involve the Prime Minister, Speaker of Parliament and other Lebanese officials.

France Advises Lebanon to Engage in Negotiations with Israel

This is Beirut, 04/04 17:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Donald Trump USA Lebanon Morgan Ortagus

France has advised Lebanese officials to respond positively to US calls for negotiations with Israel on the prisoners’ issue, Israel’s withdrawal from five strategic positions it occupies in South Lebanon, the settlement of disputed border points and the demarcation of the land border. According to Western diplomatic sources, France conveyed ...

US Will Not let Greenland 'Become Dependent on China': Rubio

This is Beirut, 04/04 15:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

USA US Secretary of State Greeland Marco Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday Washington respected the self-determination of Greenlanders but was not going to allow the resource-rich autonomous Danish region to become dependent on China. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to take over the Arctic island for security reasons – to the anger of Copenhagen, a ...

Trump Sued Over Emergency Powers to Impose Tariffs on China

This is Beirut, 04/04 15:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA China Tariffs

A nonprofit group sued US President Donald Trump and his administration on Thursday over alleged misuse of emergency powers to impose tariffs on all imports from China earlier this year. The lawsuit disputed the legality of Trump's executive order from February 1, not the broader set of tariffs announced on Wednesday that also target a number of ...

China Says to Slap Extra 34% Tariffs on US Imports

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

Donald Trump USA China Tariffs economic war

China said on Friday it would slap 34 percent tariffs on all imports of US goods from April 10 after Washington imposed steep new levies on Chinese products. "For all imported goods originating from the US, an additional tariff of 34 percent on top of the current applicable tariff rate will be imposed," Beijing's finance ministry said. Beijing's ...

US Senators Back Lebanese Army in Curbing Hezbollah

This is Beirut, 04/04 11:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah USA Lebanese Army International Monetary Fund Joseph Aoun US Senate

US Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), ranking members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a joint statement on Friday calling on Lebanon’s new government to seize the moment to reduce Hezbollah’s influence and implement crucial economic reforms. “We are at a critical moment in Lebanon,” the senators ...

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