World

"Make NATO Great Again": US Pressures Allies on Defence Spending

This is Beirut 13/02 19:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

US defence chief Pete Hegseth issued a call Thursday to "make NATO great again" -- urging European countries to spend more on defence with a twist on Donald Trump's trademark slogan. Meeting NATO partners the day after Trump revealed plans to start peace talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin, the Pentagon head said Washington remained committed to ...

Musk Freezes the National Endowment for Democracy's Funding, Causing a Crisis

This is Beirut 13/02 18:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Republicans Donald Trump US Congress

Elon Musk is targeting the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), an organization funded by the U.S. Congress since 1983 to support democracy abroad. He accuses the organization of corruption and calls for its dissolution. Since these statements, the NED has been unable to access its U.S. Treasury funds, putting many beneficiary organizations at ...

Israel Threatens to Resume War If Three Hostages Are Not Released by Saturday

This is Beirut 13/02 17:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hamas Israel Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu

Hamas must release three living hostages on Saturday under the terms of the ongoing Gaza truce deal or Israel will return to war in the Palestinian territory, an Israeli government spokesman said Thursday. The ceasefire "framework makes clear that three live hostages must be released by Hamas terrorists on Saturday", spokesman David Mencer told ...

Afghan Held after Suspected Ramming attack Injures 28 in Germany

This is Beirut 13/02 15:26 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Munich Germany

An Afghan asylum seeker was arrested after a suspected car ramming attack injured at least 28 people in the southern German city of Munich on Thursday, police said. The incident comes on the eve of a high-profile international conference in Munich and amid an election campaign in which immigration and security have been key issues after a spate ...

UK Plans to Ease Syria Sanctions after Assad Fall

This is Beirut 13/02 14:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United Kingdom Syria

The UK plans to ease sanctions on Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, under a new plan announced by the government on Thursday. Still weighed down by heavy international sanctions, the new Syrian government is aiming to persuade Western capitals that the jihadist origins of the rebels that toppled Assad, after 14 years in charge, are ...

Russians Cautiously Upbeat after Putin-Trump Call

This is Beirut 13/02 14:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Kyiv Ukraine Vladimir Putin

Russians were cautiously upbeat after Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump spoke by phone Wednesday, praising it as a "first step" towards repairing ruptured ties between the two nuclear-armed superpowers. In the first presidential contact between Moscow and Washington in three years, Trump said the pair agreed to "immediately" kick off talks on ...

China's 2024 Coal Projects Threaten Climate Goals

This is Beirut 13/02 13:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

China Climate Energy

China began construction last year on projects with the greatest combined coal power capacity since 2015, jeopardizing its goal to peak carbon emissions by 2030, according to a report published on Thursday. The world's second-largest economy is the biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases that drive climate change but is also a renewable energy ...

ExplainerDOGE: A Controversial Revolution in American Administration

Karl Hajj Moussa 13/02 12:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

États-Unis Elon Musk Donald Trump budget

The DOGE, Department of Government Efficiency, is a new initiative launched by US President Donald Trump. Led by Elon Musk, this advisory body aims to significantly reduce public spending and reform the US federal administration. Presented as a revolution in government management, the DOGE generates both enthusiasm and questions regarding its ...

Palestinian Sources Close to Talks Report Progress in Ending Gaza Truce Crisis

This is Beirut 13/02 11:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Palestine Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas Israel

The Palestinian militant group Hamas said Thursday it was committed to the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza, as negotiators push to overcome an impasse regarding the implementation of the agreement. "We are keen to implement it (the ceasefire) and oblige the occupation to fully abide by it. Mediators are pressuring (Israel) to complete the full ...

ReportFacing Egg Shortage, Americans Bring Chickens Home to Roost

This is Beirut 13/02 09:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

USA eggs

A Houston poultry supply company is selling chickens like there is no tomorrow, as sky-high prices for eggs prompt some Americans to produce their own at home. A recent US outbreak of bird flu since early 2024 is exacting a heavy toll on poultry farms. More than 21 million egg-laying hens have been "depopulated" this year so far, after 13.2 ...

Grenade Blast in French Bar Wounds 12

This is Beirut 13/02 09:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

France bar

Twelve people were wounded when a grenade exploded in a bar in France's southeastern city of Grenoble on Wednesday, officials said. "Someone came in and threw a grenade, apparently without saying a word, and ran away," prosecutor Francois Touret-de-Courcy told journalists at the scene, where emergency workers had cordoned off the area. Two ...

India's Modi Seeks to Avoid Trump's Wrath

This is Beirut 13/02 09:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Narendra Modi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will try to rekindle his bromance with Donald Trump – and avoid the US president's wrath on tariffs and immigration – when they meet on Thursday at the White House. Modi will also hold a joint press conference with Trump, the White House said – a rare move from the Indian leader, who is a prolific social ...