This is Beirut - European Union

Google Proposes Adtech Changes to Avoid Breakup After EU Fine

This is Beirut, 14/11 09:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Google on Friday announced changes to its advertising services to avert the risk of a breakup, two months after Brussels hit the US giant with a massive fine. The European Commission slapped a 2.95-billion-euro ($3.43 billion) antitrust fine on Google for favoring its own services in September, giving the company 60 days to resolve the issues ...

French Ex-Leader Sarkozy Appeal Trial to Open March 16

This is Beirut, 13/11 12:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy will go on trial on appeal over Libyan campaign-funding allegations starting March 16, a Paris court said Thursday. A lower court in September found the right-wing politician -- who was head of state from 2007 to 2012 -- guilty of seeking to acquire funding from Moamer Kadhafi's Libya for the campaign ...

Hungary's Orban to Meet Trump in Face of Russia Oil Sanctions

This is Beirut, 07/11 11:31 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban is due to meet Donald Trump in Washington on Friday for the first time since his ally was re-elected US president, as he seeks a waiver on American sanctions on Russian oil. The United States hit Russia's two biggest oil producers with sanctions last month, the first such measures ...

Qatar Warns Will Cut Gas Supply to Europe over EU's Green Rules

This is Beirut, 03/11 22:03 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Qatar's energy minister on Monday warned the Gulf state would halt its supply of liquefied natural gas to Europe over Brussels's planned environmental and human rights rules. The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) requires large companies to fix the "adverse human rights and environmental impacts" of their supply chains ...

Lebanon's Industry: Resilient Yet Transforming

Christiane Tager, 31/10 12:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Banks European Union

In Lebanon, industry remains both a social buffer and a key provider of foreign currency. Yet its macroeconomic footprint has shrunk, reflecting an economy battered by currency collapse, weak domestic demand, and high energy costs. Caught between export momentum and fragile profit margins, the “made-in-Lebanon machine” moves forward ...

German FM Urges 'Fair' Rare Earth, Chip Trade with China

This is Beirut, 27/10 18:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Monday called for "fair" trade with China in chips and rare earth minerals, amid heightened tensions between China and the European Union. Wadephul, who last week was forced to cancel a planned visit to China, said he plans to speak with Chinese representatives by phone "as soon as possible and ...

Hungary Looking at Ways Around US Sanctions on Russian Oil: Orban

This is Beirut, 24/10 17:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Friday that his government was working on "ways to circumvent" US sanctions against Russian energy companies. The United States on Wednesday hit Russia's two biggest oil producers -- Rosneft and Lukoil -- with sanctions, the first against Russia since US President Donald Trump returned to ...

EU Takes Small Step Towards Using Russian Assets for Ukraine

This is Beirut, 24/10 09:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

European Union Ukraine Donald Trump Russia Frozen Assets

EU leaders Thursday tasked the European Commission to move ahead with options for funding Ukraine for two more years, leaving the door open for a mammoth loan using frozen Russian assets. In broadly-worded conclusions adopted after marathon talks in Brussels, EU leaders stopped short of greenlighting plans for the 140-billion-euro ($162-billion) ...

Trump Slaps ‘Tremendous’ Sanctions on Russian Oil for Ukraine War

This is Beirut, 22/10 23:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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US President Donald Trump slapped sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies on Wednesday, complaining that his talks with Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraine war "don't go anywhere." The European Union also unveiled a fresh wave of sanctions to pressure Russia to end its relentless, three-and-a-half-year invasion of its ...

From Protection to Precaution: Reassessing Pandemic-Era Chemicals

Michael al-Andary, 22/10 10:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Some of the chemicals widely used for protection during the 2020 – 2021 coronavirus pandemic are now raising concerns among scientists, with new research suggesting they may have posed unexpected health risks. According to a recent report published by the Financial Times on Tuesday, the European Union (EU) is considering classifying ...

Why Did Trump Pick Hungary for His Next Summit with Putin?

Mario Chartouni, 22/10 09:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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In a move that surprised European capitals and drew sharp criticism from Kyiv, Donald Trump confirmed that his next summit with Vladimir Putin will be held in Budapest, hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Far from being a neutral choice, this decision reflects a political alignment among three nationalist leaders and highlights ...

France's Former President Sarkozy Jailed, Proclaiming his Innocence

This is Beirut, 21/10 12:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy became the first former head of an EU state to be jailed Tuesday, proclaiming his innocence as he entered a Paris prison. France's right-wing leader from 2007 to 2012 was found guilty last month of seeking to acquire funding from Moammar Kadhafi's Libya for the campaign that saw him elected. AFP ...

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