Economy

Oil Prices Plunge Amid Trade War Fears and OPEC+ Production Boost
Oil Prices Plunge Amid Trade War Fears and OPEC+ Production Boost

Oil prices plunged on Thursday after the announcement of U.S. protectionist measures by President Donald Trump, triggering fears over the potential impact on global economic growth and oil demand. Adding to the downward pressure, OPEC revealed a larger-than-expected increase in production. By 12:05 GMT (14:05 Paris time), Brent crude for June ...

Fitch Downgrades China's Rating to 'A', Outlook Stable
Fitch Downgrades China's Rating to 'A', Outlook Stable

Global ratings agency Fitch downgraded China's long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating from 'A+' to 'A' on Thursday, noting weakening finances and debt concerns. "The downgrade reflects our expectations of a continued weakening of China's public finances and a rapidly rising public debt trajectory during the country's economic ...

Dollar, Stocks Sink as Gold Hits High on Trump Tariffs
Dollar, Stocks Sink as Gold Hits High on Trump Tariffs

The dollar and equity markets tumbled Thursday after President Donald Trump's latest tariffs salvo against countries worldwide, fanning a trade war that many fear will spark recession and ramp up inflation. The dollar slumped by as much as 2.6 percent versus the euro, its biggest intraday plunge in a decade, and suffered sharp losses also against ...

Finance Minister and Banque de l’Habitat CEO Sign Agreement for Online Property Certificate
Finance Minister and Banque de l’Habitat CEO Sign Agreement for Online Property Certificate

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber and General Manager of the Banque de l'Habitat (BDH) Antoine Habib signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday, launching an electronic link between the two organizations. This new system allows the bank to instantly and at no cost access an online certificate of non-ownership for borrowers, streamlining the ...

The Ongoing Gold Rush
The Ongoing Gold Rush

Gold prices continue to soar, drawing increased interest from investors and central banks worldwide. Since January 2025, the price of an ounce of gold has surged by 12%, fueling a surge in demand for the precious metal. This surge is driven by President Donald Trump’s protectionist policies and his pledge of “the mother of all trade ...

US Stocks Advance Ahead of Looming Trump Tariffs
US Stocks Advance Ahead of Looming Trump Tariffs

Wall Street stocks rose ahead of US President Donald Trump's fresh wave of tariffs, while European stocks ended the day lower. The dollar was mostly lower, oil prices wobbled, while gold, viewed as a safe-haven investment, came close to achieving a fresh all-time high. After Tokyo's stock market closed up slightly and Chinese indices steadied, ...

Launch of the National Wine and Alcoholic Beverages Commission
Launch of the National Wine and Alcoholic Beverages Commission

On Wednesday, Minister of Agriculture Nizar Hani signed a decree establishing the National Commission for Wine, Arak and Alcoholic Beverages. The commission, chaired by Louis Lahoud, the General Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, aims to strengthen the impact of Lebanon's wine and alcoholic beverage sector on the national economy. The ...

Tesla First Quarter Sales Sink Amid Anger Over Musk Politics
Tesla First Quarter Sales Sink Amid Anger Over Musk Politics

Tesla reported a 13 percent drop in first-quarter auto sales Wednesday amid lower production during factory upgrades and blowback over CEO Elon Musk's work for the Trump administration. Musk's electric vehicle company delivered 336,681 autos in the quarter ending March 31, missing analyst expectations, as it pointed to the "loss of several weeks ...

Switch 2: The Legacy of a Global Success
ExplainerSwitch 2: The Legacy of a Global Success

Gaming giant Nintendo is set to unveil the successor to its phenomenally popular Switch console on Wednesday. Here are some facts about its success: 150 million sold Nintendo has sold around 150 million Switch machines since the gadget's launch in March 2017. That makes it the third best-selling console in video game history, behind Sony's ...

Eid Celebrations: Joy Amid Conflict’s Shadow
SpotlightEid Celebrations: Joy Amid Conflict’s Shadow

Despite the psychological impact of the airstrikes, Ramzi Salman, the President of the Lebanese Guesthouses Syndicate, told This is Beirut on Tuesday that the Eid al-Fitr weekend saw a significant influx of visitors. According to Salman, guesthouses experienced relatively strong bookings, highlighting the sector’s resilience amid the ongoing ...

OpenAI Secures $40 Billion to Fuel AI Breakthroughs and Open-Source Shift
OpenAI Secures $40 Billion to Fuel AI Breakthroughs and Open-Source Shift

OpenAI on Monday said it raised $40 billion in a new funding round that valued the ChatGPT maker at $300 billion, the biggest capital-raising session ever for a startup. The infusion of cash comes in a partnership with Japanese investment giant SoftBank Group and "enables us to push the frontiers of AI research even further," the San ...

Trump Confident in Finding TikTok Buyer Before Deadline
Trump Confident in Finding TikTok Buyer Before Deadline

President Donald Trump again downplayed risks that TikTok is in danger of being banned in the United States, saying he remains confident of finding a buyer for the app's US business by a Friday deadline. The hugely popular video-sharing app, which has over 170 million American users, is under threat from a law that passed overwhelmingly last year ...