This is Beirut

France Hails 'Positive Process' as Europe, US Discuss Ukraine Ceasefire

This is Beirut, 18/04 09:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

France said talks Thursday between top US and European officials on the war in Ukraine had launched a "positive process", as Europe seeks to be included in efforts to end the three-year-old conflict. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio again pressed a US peace plan during the discussions in Paris. The meetings included French President Emmanuel ...

More Than 130 Students in US Join Federal Lawsuit Over Revoked Visas

This is Beirut, 17/04 15:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

US Justice Politics Education Immigration

More than 130 international students across the United States have joined a federal lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of unlawfully canceling their visas, jeopardizing their legal status in the country, court documents show. The students allege the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency abruptly and illegally terminated their status ...

Asia's Big Exporters Open Tariff Negotiations with US

This is Beirut, 17/04 14:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

US Tariff Trade Asia Economy

Asia's major exporters Vietnam, Japan and Taiwan are among the first economies to open negotiations with Washington over US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, taking advantage of a 90-day reprieve from the global trade war. Notably absent from those trying to reach a compromise with Washington is China, which faces levies of up to 145 ...

Europe Sidelined in US-Iran Nuclear Talks, Say Experts

This is Beirut, 17/04 13:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Europe Iran Nuclear Diplomacy US

Europe played a central role in a 2015 accord that led Iran to restrict its nuclear programme enrichment but has become just an observer as the United States leads new efforts to reign in Tehran's uranium enrichment, analysts say. Alarm bells are ringing again in Western capitals with UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi warning on Wednesday ...

The Freida McFadden Phenomenon Confuses French Literary Critics

This is Beirut, 16/04 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Movie Literature US France Thriller Culture

Why are American author Freida McFadden’s psychological thrillers selling so well in France? French literary critics are trying to understand the craze but remain doubtful about the true merit of her work. The Housemaid was the best-selling book in France in 2024, with over 600,000 copies sold. By the end of February 2025, it had crossed the ...

Tehran–Washington: Toward a Thaw or a Deadlock?

Mario Chartouni, 14/04 17:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Tehran Washington nuclear talks Iran US

Iran and the United States held indirect negotiations on Saturday, mediated by the Sultanate of Oman, focused on Iran’s nuclear program. These talks are making headlines amid a lack of transparency about their content and progress. A Second Round in Rome According to Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, a second round of negotiations is set ...

'A Minecraft Movie' Breaks Records, Tops Box Office Again

This is Beirut, 14/04 14:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Movies Cinema Culture Art US

A Minecraft Movie easily held on to the top spot in North American theaters this weekend with estimated ticket sales of a solid $80.6 million, analysts said Sunday. That was roughly half the total of its huge opening last weekend. But with $281 million in domestic ticket sales to date, along with $269 million internationally, Minecraft has set ...

Iraqi Markets a Haven for Peddlers Escaping Iran's Economic Woes

This is Beirut, 12/04 12:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iraq Iran Sanctions US economy

Every Friday, Alawi crosses the border from Iran into Iraq to sell his produce in the markets of Basra, which serve as a haven for Iranians grappling with economic sanctions. He is just one of many Iranian peddlers who endure the arduous journey into southern Iraq through the Chalamja border crossing. They bring essential goods such as chicken, ...

Trump envoy suggests allied zones of control in Ukraine

This is Beirut, 12/04 10:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky Russia US Keith Kellogg

Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, suggested British and French troops could adopt zones of control in the country, in an interview with The Times newspaper published Saturday. Kellogg suggested they could have areas of responsibility west of the Dnipro River, as part of a "reassurance force", with a ...

When Trump Applies the Zelensky Treatment to Netanyahu

Mario Chartouni, 09/04 17:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Israel Iran US

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent visit to Washington, initially expected to be a diplomatic summit reinforcing US-Israel ties, ultimately became a series of disappointments. According to several observers, including Israeli publication Haaretz, Netanyahu sought unwavering support from President Donald Trump for a hardline ...

Nothing Is Going Well for the Mullahs…

Marc Saikali, 03/04 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Iran Donald Trump Nuclear US

By playing Russian roulette for too long, one eventually gets shot. This is the situation Iran's leaders are now facing. Since 1979, Khomeini and his successors have tried to export their so-called Islamic Revolution throughout the region. Without any success, but with plenty of blood, wars and tears. First in Iraq, then in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon ...

Nuclear: Trump and the Iranian Dilemma

Marie de La Roche Saint-André, 02/04 16:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Donald Trump Tehran Nuclear Iran US

Since his return to power, US President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Iran, particularly targeting its nuclear program. In March, he sent a letter to Tehran urging it to negotiate a new nuclear agreement and issued a two-month ultimatum. Then, in an interview with NBC on Sunday, Trump threatened the Iranians, stating that “if they do ...

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