This is Beirut

Zelensky Huddles With European Leaders as Trump Looms

This is Beirut, 2024-12-18 18:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Emmanuel Macron European Union Ukraine USA Volodymyr Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets NATO chief Mark Rutte and key European leaders in Brussels Wednesday to strategise over Russia's war ahead of Donald Trump's return to power in the United States. This evening's gathering was due to involve leaders from Germany, Poland, Italy, Denmark, The Netherlands and the European Union's main ...

Trump Jokes Canada Becoming 51st US State ‘A Great Idea'

This is Beirut, 2024-12-18 18:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Canada

US President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday it would be "a great idea" for Canada to become the 51st US state, teasing on social media that "many Canadians" welcome the idea, as Ottawa is wracked by a political crisis. "Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State," Trump posted on Truth Social. "They would save massively on taxes and ...

UN Calls for Free Elections in Syria

This is Beirut, 2024-12-18 14:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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United Nations special envoy Geir Pedersen called Wednesday for "free and fair elections" in Syria and urged humanitarian assistance to the war-torn country after Bashar al-Assad's ouster this month. Addressing reporters in Damascus, Pedersen said, "There is a lot of hope that we can now see the beginning of a new Syria," which he expressed hope ...

Assad's Fall Opens Path for US Strikes on ISIS

This is Beirut, 2024-12-18 12:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Bashar al-Assad's overthrow has cleared the way for US strikes against the Islamic State group in areas previously shielded by Syrian and Russian air defenses – but the jihadists may also try to exploit the vacuum left by his fall. The militant group,often referred to as ISIS or IS, rose out of the chaos of the Syrian civil war to seize swathes ...

They Have the Oil, We Have Human Energy

Antoine Menassa, 2024-12-18 09:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Middle East USA Oil

At the 5th Economic Summit, organized by the Franco-Arab Chamber of Commerce in Paris on December 12, 2024, TotalEnergies CEO addressed the potential for oil or gas discoveries off Lebanon's Mediterranean coast. He expressed regret that, at this stage of exploration, they had not found what they were hoping for, stating, “At this point, we ...

All (Diplomatic) Roads Lead to Damascus…

Nidal Ayoub, 2024-12-17 19:16 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Syria HTS USA European Union Qatar Turkey

This influx appears oddly under the auspices of all the imaginable paradoxes that Syria embodies: international sanctions, foreign interferences (Turkish interventions, Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, etc.), and not least, the fact that talks are being held with the ruling coalition of rebels now in power, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham ...

Francisco Fullana, a Modern-Day Paganini

Alain E. Andrea, 2024-12-17 17:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

USA

Beirut, it was time—high time to shed mourning and embrace the vibrant hues of life. Finally, it was time to rebuild, both this ruined country and its wounded souls, so this city of light could once more begin to heal. The musical evening of December 16, led by Spanish violinist Francisco Fullana as part of the Beirut Chants Festival, was a ...

After Assad’s Fall, Erdogan Enjoys Moment ‘In the Sun'

This is Beirut, 2024-12-17 12:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Middle East Turkey Ukraine USA Vladimir Putin

After backing the rebels who overthrew Bashar al-Assad and brokering a key Horn of Africa peace deal, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan has boosted his international standing, leaving him well-placed to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, analysts say. Although Turkey was not directly involved in the Syrian strongman's overthrow, it has long ...

HTS Leader Jolani Says Syrian Rebel Factions Will Be ‘Disbanded'

This is Beirut, 2024-12-17 09:10 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Damascus European Union Turkey United Nations USA Syria

Syria's rebel factions will be "disbanded," the head of the group that led the ouster of Bashar al-Assad has pledged, as the former president denounced the country's new rulers as "terrorists". Assad fled Syria on December 8, as rebels led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured the capital Damascus, ...

15-Year-Old Girl Killed Two in Latest US School Shooting

This is Beirut, 2024-12-17 01:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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A 15-year-old female student was identified by police as the assailant who opened fire Monday at a school in the US state of Wisconsin, where a fellow student and teacher were killed and the suspected shooter was found dead. Shon Barnes, police chief in the state capital Madison, told a press briefing that three people had died and seven others ...

EU kickstarts satellite network to rival Musk's Starlink

This is Beirut, 2024-12-16 14:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The EU's flagship satellite constellation project officially took off Monday, as the bloc signed a concession contract with a European consortium to develop a secure space-based communication system. Envisaging a multi-orbital network of almost 300 satellites, Iris² aims to rival US satellite internet service providers such as Elon Musk's ...

With Assad gone, Syrian pound starts to recover

This is Beirut, 2024-12-16 13:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Damascus USA dollar Syrian Pound

The Syrian pound has begun to recover against the dollar after president Bashar al-Assad's ouster, moneychangers and traders said Monday as foreign currencies again became available on the local market. On December 7 -- the day before Damascus fell to a rebel coalition led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group – the rate had plunged to ...

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