This is Beirut - United States

Saudi Top Diplomat in US to Prepare for Trump Visit

This is Beirut, 09/04 17:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia United States Faisal bin Farhan

Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan is in Washington to lay the groundwork for US President Donald Trump's upcoming visit, the first foreign trip of his second term, a Saudi government source told AFP Wednesday. Last month, Trump said he may visit Saudi Arabia as early as April in a reprisal of 2017, when the oil-rich, conservative kingdom ...

Japan to Sell More Rice Reserves as Prices Soar

This is Beirut, 09/04 12:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States USA White House

Japan will sell more rice from its emergency stockpile through July in an attempt to stabilize soaring prices, the agricultural minister said Wednesday. After rice prices nearly doubled year-on-year, the government began auctioning its stockpile last month -- the first time since it was started in 1995. "In order to stabilize rice prices ...

Is Hezbollah Open to Discussions on the Future of Its Weapons?

This is Beirut, 09/04 11:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Donald Trump Joseph Aoun UN Security Council United States

A senior Hezbollah official told Reuters on Tuesday that the group “would be willing to hold talks on the future of its weapons, in particular with the President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, provided that the Israeli army withdraws from southern Lebanon and halts its continuous airstrikes against the country.” The aforementioned official ...

Judge Orders White House to Restore AP Access

This is Beirut, 09/04 10:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

White House Donald Trump Gulf United States USA

A US federal judge ordered the White House on Tuesday to restore the Associated Press's access to President Donald Trump's official events, saying it had no right to bar media for their "viewpoints." AP journalists and photographers have been barred from the Oval Office and from traveling on Air Force One since mid-February ...

US Strikes China With 104% Tariffs

This is Beirut, 09/04 05:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States China Tariffs Economy Markets

US President Donald Trump's punishing tariffs on dozens of economies came in force Wednesday, including over 100 percent in levies against Chinese goods, dramatically ramping up a devastating global trade war. Following the imposition of sweeping 10 percent tariffs have rocked the global economy since coming into force over the weekend, rates ...

US and Russia to Meet Thursday in Istanbul on Restoring Embassy Operations

This is Beirut, 08/04 23:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United States Russia Turkey Donald Trump

The United States and Russia will hold talks on Thursday in Istanbul on restoring some of their embassy operations that have been drastically scaled back following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the US State Department said. The talks, the second of their kind, come after President Donald Trump reached out to Russia following the start of his ...

US Says Witkoff to Speak with Iran, Rejects 'Negotiation'

This is Beirut, 08/04 22:33 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United States Steve Witkoff Donald Trump Oman Iran nuclear

The United States confirmed Tuesday that envoy Steve Witkoff would speak with Iran this weekend and said he would issue demands on Tehran's nuclear program rather than negotiate. Witkoff, a friend who has served as President Donald Trump's envoy on both the Gaza and Ukraine wars, will take part in the talks Saturday on Oman, State ...

Iran Says Deal Can Be Reached if US Shows Goodwill

This is Beirut, 08/04 21:21 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States Iran Iran Nuclear Program

Iran said Tuesday a new nuclear deal could be agreed with the United States provided Tehran's longtime foe shows sufficient goodwill in upcoming talks but warned it would never accept coercion. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, warned that "the military option" would become "inevitable" if talks between Washington and Tehran ...

Musk Slams Trump Trade Advisor as a 'Moron'

This is Beirut, 08/04 18:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Elon Musk Peter Navarro United States Donald Trump

Elon Musk on Tuesday described Peter Navarro, a senior White House trade advisor, as "truly a moron" and "dumber than a sack of bricks" in a growing rift over Donald Trump's tariff policy. Musk, a key aide to the president, has signaled his opposition to the tariffs, and the Tesla CEO hit out after Navarro described his electric vehicle company ...

Major Trade Wars Since the 19th Century

This is Beirut, 08/04 17:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Trade World Trade Organization European Economic Community European Union

As the world reels from US President Donald Trump's tariff onslaught, here is a look back at some major trade wars since the 19th century: 19th century Opium Wars In the mid-19th century, two conflicts over the opium trade, which became known as the Opium Wars, pitted China against the British Empire. The first began in 1839, when Britain ...

Pentagon Chief Fires US Military Representative to NATO

This is Beirut, 08/04 16:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United States Pete Hegseth Pentagon NATO

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the US military representative to NATO, the Pentagon announced Tuesday, saying her removal was due to a loss of confidence in her ability to lead. Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield is the latest in a string of top officers to be dismissed by President Donald Trump's administration, part of a major ...

Trump Announces Direct Nuclear Talks With Iran, While Tehran Describes Them as "Indirect"

This is Beirut, 08/04 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Donald Trump United States Israel

President Donald Trump said the United States was starting direct, high-level talks with Iran over its nuclear program on Saturday, in a shock announcement during a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaking Monday in the Oval Office, Trump said he was hopeful of reaching a deal with Tehran, but warned that the ...

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