This is Beirut

Trump's Cabinet Picks Come Under US Senate Spotlight

This is Beirut, 14/01 09:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Democrats Republicans Ukraine

Donald Trump's cabinet nominees go under the microscope in a frenzied week on Capitol Hill starting Tuesday, as US senators hold confirmation hearings that could make or break their political careers. Thirteen nominees will be grilled before 11 committees, and while many will sail through, others face controversies ranging from alleged sexual ...

Ukraine Drone Sparks Huge Fire at Russia Gas Site

This is Beirut, 14/01 09:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Donald Trump Ukraine USA

A Ukrainian drone attack hit a gas storage tank in Russia's Tatarstan region on Tuesday, sparking a huge blaze, authorities said. Local media published images showing flames and black smoke billowing toward the sky near the city of Kazan, saying that the drone had struck a liquefied gas storage site near a chemical factory. "A gas tank caught ...

President Aoun Says Government Formation Will Be 'Smooth and Quick'

This is Beirut, 13/01 21:58 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Joseph Aoun USA

Following the appointment of Judge Nawaf Salam as Lebanon’s Prime Minister (PM), President Joseph Aoun spoke to journalists outside the presidential palace on Monday, expressing his hope that the subsequent formation of the government would be “smooth and quick.” “We have plenty of work ahead of us,” he added. At the end of a long ...

Russia, Iran to Sign 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' Treaty on Jan 17

This is Beirut, 13/01 15:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Russia and Iran will sign a "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty on Friday during a visit to Russia by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the Kremlin said Monday. Raising concerns in the West, Moscow and Tehran have boosted their military and political cooperation amid Russia's full-scale military offensive on Ukraine and ...

The LACC Applauds President Joseph Aoun's Election and Inaugural Address

This is Beirut, 13/01 11:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Joseph Aoun USA

In response to President Joseph Aoun's election and his transformative inaugural speech, the Lebanese-American Coordinating Committee (LACC) conveyed a message of support and commitment. In a letter addressed on Monday to the new President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, following his election last Thursday, the LACC welcomed this new chapter for ...

Reevaluating the Era of Uncertainty in Syria: Balancing Optimism and Deep Concern

Amal Chmouny, 13/01 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Syria USA Lebanon

The Middle East stands at a crucial crossroads, where deep-rooted conflicts and power struggles continue reverberating through the region, impacting not only its immediate neighbors but also global security and stability. In light of ongoing developments in Syria, This is Beirut features the insights of renowned US foreign relations experts, ...

Iran, European Powers to Hold Nuclear Talks ahead of Trump Return

This is Beirut, 13/01 09:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Iran is set to hold nuclear talks with France, Britain and Germany on Monday, just a week before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office. They are the second round of talks over Iran's nuclear programme in less than two months, following a discreet meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland, in November between Tehran and the three European powers, ...

Fueling the Los Angeles Fires: the Santa Ana Winds

This is Beirut, 13/01 09:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Los Angeles USA Washington

Helping drive the wildfires in the US city of Los Angeles are the so-called Santa Ana winds, a weather phenomenon known to dry out "the hills and the nerves to flash point." The windstorms occur when cold air gathers in the neighboring states of Nevada and Utah. As it moves west and then rushes down California's mountains, it heats up -- and ...

California: Wildfire Victims Facing a Housing Crisis

This is Beirut, 12/01 19:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Los Angeles USA

Days after an inferno razed Pacific Palisades, Maya Lieberman is desperate to find somewhere to live. But unscrupulous landlords who are jacking up prices are making it hard. "The price gouging is going haywire, it's obscene," the 50-year-old stylist told AFP. "I can't find anywhere for us to go." Huge fires that have torn through Los Angeles ...

Fires in Los Angeles: the death toll rises to 16

This is Beirut, 12/01 13:19 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Los Angeles USA

The multiple fires that have been raging in Los Angeles for the past five days have claimed at least 16 lives, and spread to previously unscathed areas on Saturday. Besieged by flames since Tuesday, the American megalopolis continues to count its dead: the death toll, which had hitherto stood at 11, rose on Saturday evening Despite huge ...

US Special prosecutor Jack Smith ends his investigation into Trump

This is Beirut, 12/01 12:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Jack Smith, the special counsel appointed to investigate Donald Trump for his alleged effort to overturn results of the 2020 election, has left the US Department of Justice, prosecutors said Saturday in a court filing. "The Special Counsel completed his work and submitted his final confidential report on January 7, 2025, and separated from the ...

Iran Expands Military Drills to Additional Nuclear Sites

This is Beirut, 12/01 12:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Tehran USA

Iran has expanded military drills to cover two additional nuclear facilities in the west and centre of the country, state media reported on Sunday. The drills -- dubbed Eqtedar, or "might" in Farsi -- began last week and are set to continue until mid-March. They involve the army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the ideological ...

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