This is Beirut, 19:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
In the twilight of his political career, Joe Biden is disappearing into the background even before Donald Trump returns to the White House, despite growing turmoil at home and abroad. The 82-year-old US president's silence on a looming government shutdown over Christmas is just the latest example of how critics say the aging leader is in office ...
This is Beirut, 20/12 22:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Damascus United States Syria Jolani HTS
A senior US diplomat told Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday that Washington was scrapping a reward for his arrest and welcomed "positive messages" from their talks, including a promise to fight terrorism. Barbara Leaf, Washington's top diplomat for the Middle East, made the comments after her meeting with Sharaa in Damascus, the first ...
This is Beirut, 20/12 15:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
United States Iran sanctions oil
The United States has intensified sanctions against a growing number of oil tankers and companies accused of being involved in the trade of Iranian oil, Bloomberg reported,. Nine ships and eight companies have been added to the sanctions list, according to a government statement released on Thursday. Among the vessels targeted is the MS Enola, ...
This is Beirut, 20/12 10:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Antony Blinken Barbara Leaf Damascus Donald Trump United States
US diplomats have arrived in Syria to speak directly to the new rulers, hoping to encourage a moderate, inclusive path and to find clues on missing Americans, the State Department said Friday. It is the first formal US diplomatic mission to Damascus since the early days of the brutal civil war that broke out in 2011 and culminated in a surprise ...
This is Beirut, 19/12 20:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanese Army United States US Senate
US Senators introduced on Wednesday the ‘Preventing the Undermining of Lebanon’s Sovereignty and Economy (PULSE) Act’ that authorizes strong US assistance to the Lebanese people, its army and its economy, according to a press statement by the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee. The PULSE Act was introduced by Senators ...
This is Beirut, 19/12 18:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
New Zealander Liam Lawson will race for Red Bull alongside world champion Max Verstappen next season after the decision to drop Sergio Perez, the Formula One team confirmed Thursday. Lawson, 22, who joined the Red Bull Junior Programme five years ago, steps in after just 11 grand prix over two seasons for the team. The announcement comes a day ...
This is Beirut, 19/12 13:25 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Donald Trump Ukraine United States Vladimir Putin Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the fall of ex-Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was not a "defeat" for Russia, claiming Moscow had achieved its goals in the country. Assad fled to Moscow earlier this month after a shock rebel advance ended half a century of rule by the Assad family, marked by repression and allegations of vast ...
This is Beirut, 18/12 19:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Towana Looney, a 53-year-old American, became the third living person to receive an experimental genetically modified pig kidney transplant. The procedure, performed in late November at NYU Langone Hospital in New York, marks an important step in xenotransplantation aimed at addressing the chronic shortage of human organ donors. Ms. Looney, who ...
This is Beirut, 18/12 18:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Ceasefire Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army United States UNIFIL
Israeli army spokesperson Avichae Adraee announced on Wednesday that the troops of the 188th Brigade destroyed underground Hezbollah headquarters connected by a tunnel stretching for “tens of meters.” Adraee further disclosed on his X account that Hezbollah used this site to launch missiles toward cities and villages in the northern Israeli ...
This is Beirut, 18/12 14:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Damascus United Nations United States USA
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 ...
This is Beirut, 17/12 17:55 - Reading : less than a minute
Federal Reserve United States Financial Markets
Wall Street stocks pulled back early Tuesday ahead of a Federal Reserve decision on interest rates, as markets digested stronger than expected US retail sales. US retail sales rose 0.7 percent in November from a month earlier, up from a revised 0.5 percent in October and above analysts forecasts. The data came ahead of a two-day Federal Reserve ...
This is Beirut, 17/12 15:30 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Damascus European Union United Nations United States Syria Iran
The United Nations humanitarian chief said Tuesday that he was "encouraged" after meetings in Damascus with Syria's new leaders, saying there was a "basis for ambitious scaling-up of vital humanitarian support", as Western diplomatic missions prepare to return to Damascus. "Moment of cautious hope in Syria," Tom ...