European Union

The Dollar Slides, Lebanon Worries

The US dollar is weakening against major global currencies amid heightened geopolitical tensions and a tariff escalation spearheaded by President Donald Trump. This open trade war is undermining the dollar’s status in global markets. Can the American currency still maintain its dominant role in international trade? The question is especially ...

Iran: Diplomacy on the Edge of Collapse

Speaking from Tehran on Thursday, April 17, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, warned that “time is running out” to reach a new agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. His visit comes at a tense moment, with European diplomatic efforts largely sidelined and fears of military confrontation ...

EBRD Launches New SME Support Programs in Tripoli

The Lebanon office of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Tripoli and the North, and the Business Incubation Association in Tripoli (BIAT), held a session this week to present its latest consulting programs for small and medium-sized enterprises ...

Europe Seeks to Break its US Tech Addiction

With President Donald Trump more unpredictable than ever and transatlantic ties reaching new lows, calls are growing louder for Europe to declare independence from US tech. From Microsoft to Meta, Apple to Uber, cloud computing to AI, much of the day-to-day technology used by Europeans is American. The risks that brings were hotly debated before ...

Aoun Reaffirms Anti-Corruption Drive and State Sovereignty

President Joseph Aoun conducted a series of high-level visits to key security and military institutions on Tuesday, underscoring his administration’s firm stance against corruption and its commitment to asserting the sovereignty of the Lebanese state. Early in the day, Aoun visited the General Directorate of State Security in Ramlet el-Bayda, ...

London Hosts Talks to Find 'Pathway' to End Sudan War

Senior officials gather in London on Tuesday aiming to chart a pathway to peace for Sudan on the second anniversary of its brutal civil conflict, but without the presence of the warring parties. Dubbed the "forgotten war", the conflict which erupted on April 15, 2023 between Sudan's regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in ...

EU Announces 1.6 bn Euros in New Aid for Palestinians

The European Union on Monday announced a new three-year financial support package for the Palestinians worth up to 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion). The fresh aid pledge came just ahead of a meeting between Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa and EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg. "We are stepping up our support to the Palestinian ...

EU Tariffs on US Goods Suspended Until July 14

The EU's retaliatory tariffs on US goods worth 21 billion euros will be on hold until July 14, Brussels said on Monday, to give time for negotiations with Washington. The European Union was hit with a 20 percent rate as part of Trump's sweeping tariffs on April 2, before he suspended the measures for 90 days a week later. To give breathing room ...

Lebanon’s Forests Are Crying Out. Will We Answer in Time?

Lebanon, a country where forests cover only 13.6% of its total land area, is confronting a severe environmental crisis. Recent estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture (2021), the CNRS and FAO show that Lebanon has approximately 137,000 hectares of natural forests. Yet, this crucial forest cover continues to diminish due to illegal logging, ...

EU Pauses Tariffs as Trump Eases Trade Pressure, China Left in the Crosshairs

The EU paused plans for retaliatory tariffs on US goods Thursday after President Donald Trump abruptly suspended higher US duties on the bloc and other countries, leaving China in the crosshairs of his trade war. Trump's about-face on Wednesday triggered a massive market rebound, but Wall Street's rally fizzled on Thursday, and the dollar slumped ...

Hamas Launches Appeal Against UK Ban

UK-based lawyers said they have asked the British government to lift a ban on the Palestinian militant group Hamas, a petition that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition politicians. The legal submission argues the ban contravenes Britain's human rights commitments, with the militants insisting on "the legitimacy of the struggle of ...