This is Beirut - Washington

Tablecoin: When Human Intelligence Becomes a Currency

Christiane Tager, 10:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump US Congress Washington dollars Artificial intelligence

As technological advances accelerate, Washington has just passed two landmark pieces of legislation: the country’s first national framework for stablecoins and the ambitious Genius Act. The aim? To regulate digital assets while safeguarding human intellectual contribution in an increasingly automated world. What Is the Genius Act? Recently ...

Japan PM Hangs on After Election Debacle

This is Beirut, 21/07 09:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Washington Shigeru Ishiba Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was clinging on Monday even after his coalition disastrously lost its upper house majority, as painful new US tariffs loom. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has governed almost continuously since 1955, and its partner Komeito had to win 50 seats in Sunday's election, but they fell three short, ...

Rubio Demands Syrian Government Forces Intervene To Prevent Jihadist Attacks

This is Beirut, 20/07 05:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday called on the Syrian government's security forces to prevent jihadists from entering and "carrying out massacres" in the conflict-stricken south of the country. "If authorities in Damascus want to preserve any chance of achieving a unified, inclusive and peaceful Syria... they must ...

Japan's Sega Eyes Return to 1990s Gaming Glory

This is Beirut, 17/07 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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The big-screen success of 1990s video game speedster "Sonic the Hedgehog" has brought new fans to Japan's Sega, which says it is poised for a comeback after two tough decades. This year all eyes have been on Nintendo, whose Switch 2 recently became the fastest-selling console in history. But unlike its former arch-rival, Sega has not sold gaming ...

Nvidia's Huang says 'Doing Our Best' to Serve Chinese Market

This is Beirut, 16/07 12:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Wednesday his firm was "doing our best" to serve China's vast market for semiconductors after meeting Beijing officials. Huang is in the Chinese capital this week to attend the China International Supply Chain Expo, a forum for the country to boost its image as the global defender of free trade in contrast to the ...

Nvidia says it Will Resume Sales of 'H20' AI Chips to China

This is Beirut, 15/07 09:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Washington Nvidia AI H20 Chips

US tech giant Nvidia said on Tuesday it will resume sales of its H20 artificial intelligence chips to China, after Washington pledged to remove licensing curbs that had put a stop to exports. The California-based firm produces some of the world's most advanced semiconductors but is not allowed to ship its most cutting-edge chips to China owing ...

Iran Says No Nuclear Talks If US Insists It Abandon Enrichment

This is Beirut, 14/07 20:51 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Iran said on Monday there would be no new nuclear talks with the United States if they were conditioned on Tehran abandoning its uranium enrichment activities. Washington and Tehran had been engaged in several rounds of negotiations seeking to strike a deal on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, but Israel derailed the talks when it ...

Trump Announces 30% Tariffs on EU and Mexican Imports

This is Beirut, 12/07 17:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Donald Trump announced on Saturday the imposition of 30% tariffs on products imported into the United States from the European Union and Mexico, a new escalation amid ongoing negotiations ahead of the August 1 deadline, which has raised alarm across Europe. The U.S. president justified the decision in a new letter published on his Truth Social ...

Syrian-Israeli Relations: The Emergence of Complex Dialogue

Amal Chmouny, 12/07 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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A significant shift is unfolding in the Middle East's diplomatic landscape as dialogue between Syria and Israel begins to take shape. This budding interaction has garnered substantial international attention, particularly as the United States and the United Arab Emirates assume pivotal roles as facilitators. Tom Barrack, the US Ambassador to ...

Ukraine: Russian Airstrike Kills Two in Kyiv

This is Beirut, 10/07 09:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine's capital Kyiv killed at least two people, Ukrainian authorities said Thursday, with around a dozen wounded. The major attack on Ukraine was the second by Moscow in as many days, and came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was set to meet his US counterpart Marco Rubio in Malaysia. AFP ...

US Urges Lebanon to Intensify Efforts Against Hezbollah

This is Beirut, 09/07 19:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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The United States is calling on the Lebanese government to intensify efforts to dismantle Hezbollah’s military capabilities and those of other non-state actors, a US State Department spokesperson revealed in a statement on Wednesday, following US envoy Tom Barrack’s mission in Beirut. “We need the Lebanese state to do more to fully remove ...

Barrack Warns: Time to Choose Change or Be Left Behind

This is Beirut, 08/07 22:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Hezbollah United States USA Washington lebanon Israel Tom Barrack

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack reiterated on Tuesday that the disarmament of Hezbollah and other factions remains a sovereign Lebanese matter, emphasizing that while Washington is committed to supporting the country, it will not wait indefinitely for Lebanon to make the right decisions. Speaking in an interview with LBCI, Barrack reminded that the United ...

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