This is Beirut - European Union

Trade War: World Markets Plunge Under the Weight of New Taxes

This is Beirut, 07/04 15:35 - Reading : less than a minute

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Global markets are reeling from Donald Trump's trade war and Chinese retaliation, causing serious concerns for the global economy. After two days of decline, the European stock markets plunged to an all-time low, with indices such as the DAX and CAC 40 sharply down. In Asia, markets suffered a “Black Monday,” with Hong Kong recording its worst ...

EU Announces 'New Era' in Relations With Central Asia

This is Beirut, 04/04 13:05 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

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The EU announced a "new era" in ties with Central Asia on Friday at a major summit in Uzbekistan, as Brussels presses its influence in the region in the face of Russian and Chinese competition. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has accelerated the region's drift from Moscow's orbit, with major powers to both the West and East sensing an opening. The ...

Europe Markets Extend Losses After Tariff Rout

This is Beirut, 04/04 10:25 - Reading : less than a minute

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European equities opened in the red on Friday, extending losses after US President Donald Trump's tariff offensive sparked a global stock market rout. Paris shed 0.9 percent to 7,533.26 points, Frankfurt fell 0.7 percent to 21,566.33 and London also dropped 0.7 percent to 8,416.32. Trump's harsher-than-expected "Liberation Day" levies sent ...

Trump's New Tariffs: A Storm Brewing in Troubled Waters

Christiane Tager, 04/04 09:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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President Donald Trump's recent decision to impose historic tariffs on 185 countries and territories, announced on Thursday, has reverberated across the global economy. The repercussions of these tariffs will be felt worldwide, with Arab countries being especially impacted. Among the hardest-hit nations are Syria, Iraq, Libya, Algeria and Tunisia, ...

Dollar, Stocks Sink as Gold Hits High on Trump Tariffs

This is Beirut, 03/04 15:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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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 ...

Rubio Says US Committed to NATO - But Tells Allies to Spend More

This is Beirut, 03/04 14:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told nervous NATO members on Thursday that Washington remained committed to the alliance, but said they must agree to massively ramp up their spending targets for defense. President Donald Trump has rattled Europe by casting doubt on his willingness to defend all allies, and by reaching out to Russia over the war ...

Azerbaijan Presses Armenia to Meet 'Demands' for Peace Deal

This is Beirut, 02/04 14:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Azerbaijan on Wednesday insisted that arch-foe Armenia must meet Baku's "legitimate demands" before the Caucasus neighbours can sign a peace treaty, the text of which they agreed upon last month. The two ex-Soviet republics announced on March 14 they had wrapped up talks aimed at resolving their decades-long conflict, with both sides agreeing on ...

Ineligibility and Prison: The End of Marine Le Pen’s Presidential Dreams?

Soumia Benmerzoug, 31/03 21:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

European Union

Five years of ineligibility with immediate effect and four years in prison, two of which are to be served, in the fake jobs scandal at the European Parliament. This ruling, handed down today by the Paris Criminal Court, may well wipe out Marine Le Pen’s chances of running in the 2027 presidential election. It’s nothing less than a major ...

Le Pen's French Presidency Bid in Jeopardy after Election Ban

This is Beirut, 31/03 18:18 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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A French court on Monday threw into severe doubt far-right leader Marine Le Pen's 2027 bid for president, handing her a five-year ban on running for office after convicting her over a fake jobs scheme. She was also given a four-year prison term by the Paris court but will not go to jail, with two years of the term suspended and the other two ...

UK Imposes Travel Permit on Europeans from Wednesday

This is Beirut, 31/03 09:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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In a shake-up of long-standing travel rules, European nationals heading to the UK will from Wednesday need a mandatory entry permit, which the British government says will strengthen border security. The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) can be bought online in the next few days for £10 (12 euros), but the price is rising swiftly from April ...

UN Chief Urges S.Sudan Leaders to 'Put Down The Weapons'

This is Beirut, 28/03 18:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday urged all parties in South Sudan to "put down the weapons" amid warnings that the impoverished African country may be headed back into civil war. "South Sudan may have fallen off the world’s radar, but we cannot let the situation fall over the abyss," Guterres told reporters. The country's ...

Kremlin: EU Refusal to Ease Russia Sanctions Shows it "Doesn't Want Peace"

This is Beirut, 28/03 14:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The Kremlin said Friday that the EU's refusal to ease sanctions on Russia shows the bloc does not want peace in Ukraine. Moscow is demanding the West remove sanctions on Rosselkhozbank -- the Russian Agricultural Bank -- as a precondition to restoring a deal on the safe passage of Ukrainian cargo in the Black Sea. "An integral part of the Black ...