World

Trump Names Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary

This is Beirut 2024-11-23 09:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Republicans United States US Congress Scott Bessent

US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday named billionaire Scott Bessent as his Treasury secretary, choosing the hedge fund manager to help execute an agenda promising tax cuts and tariffs. Bessent, who is chief executive officer of Key Square Group, has called for an extension of tax cuts from Trump's first term, wants to reassert American ...

COP29 Scramble for New Deal After Poor Nations Reject Offer

This is Beirut 2024-11-23 09:40 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Donald Trump European Union Saudi Arabia United Nations United States COP29

Fierce bargaining at UN climate talks in Azerbaijan dragged into Saturday after a $250 billion a year offer from rich nations was flatly refused by developing countries hardest hit by Earth's rapid warming. Negotiators from nearly 200 nations spent another harried and sleepless night in a sports stadium trying to land a compromise figure for ...

AnalysisConfronting the Crossroads: Trump's Middle East Policy Dilemmas Ahead

Amal Chmouny 2024-11-23 08:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam USA Donald Trump Middle East Hezbollah Hamas

As Donald Trump prepares to take office again in January 2025, reflecting on his previous administration's lessons will help shape effective strategies to address the complex challenges in the Middle East. If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were to meet and speak with Trump before taking office, this engagement could signal a strong ...

US Court Delays Indefinitely Trump Sentence in Criminal Case

This is Beirut 2024-11-23 05:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump New York Republicans US Supreme Court USA White House

The judge in Donald Trump's criminal hush money case on Friday delayed his sentencing indefinitely, in what the president-elect's team called a "decisive win" as he prepares to return to the White House. Trump, who was to have been sentenced on November 26, fought to block that proceeding before he succeeds Joe Biden in ...

Zelensky Seeks New Air Defense Systems Following Latest Russian Strike

This is Beirut 2024-11-22 22:07 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Kyiv Ukraine Vladimir Putin Russia war

Ukraine is asking its Western partners for updated air defense systems after Russia fired an ultra-fast ballistic missile at the city of Dnipro this week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday. "Ukraine's defense minister is already holding meetings with our partners on new air defense systems, exactly the kind of systems that can ...

Alarm in France over fate of prize-winning French-Algerian writer

This is Beirut 2024-11-22 17:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Algeria France Boualem Sansal Islam Literature

French President Emmanuel Macron is concerned about the "disappearance" of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, his office said, after reports that the prize-winning novelist had been arrested in Algeria. Sansal, a major figure in francophone modern literature, is known for his strong stances against both authoritarianism and Islamism as well ...

Gaza: Hospitals to Cut or Stop Services 'Within 48 Hours' Over Fuel Shortages

This is Beirut 2024-11-22 16:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Gaza hospital

The Health Ministry of Gaza warned on Friday that all hospitals in the enclave would have to stop or reduce services "within 48 hours" for lack of fuel, blaming Israel for blocking its entry. "We raise an urgent warning as all hospitals in Gaza Strip will stop working or reduce their services within 48 hours due to the occupation's (Israel's) ...

ChronicleBitcoin Nears $100K: Will Trump Boost Crypto?

Maurice Matta 2024-11-22 16:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Republicans White House crypto bitcoin

On Thursday, Bitcoin surged past $98,000, raising its market capitalization to $1.9 trillion. This rally reflects expectations of robust legislative and executive support for the crypto sector, bolstered by Republican victories in the White House and Congress. The cryptocurrency market, including “meme coins” like Dogecoin, continues to surge ...

Pro-Kremlin Muscovites Galvanised by Putin's Warning

This is Beirut 2024-11-22 15:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Ukraine Vladimir Putin Russia warning

Pro-Kremlin Muscovites voiced confidence in President Vladimir Putin on Friday, a day after Russia test-fired a new intermediate-range missile at Ukraine in a stark escalation of tensions. Putin delivered an unscheduled TV address after the strike, in which he told Russians that the Ukraine conflict had taken on "elements of a global ...

World Leaders Split as ICC Issues Arrest Warrant for Netanyahu

This is Beirut 2024-11-22 13:50 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

European Union Hezbollah International Criminal Court Josep Borrell Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel and its allies denounced the International Criminal Court's decision to issue an arrest warrant Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even as Turkey -- and rights groups - welcomed the move. The court also issued warrants for Israel's former defence minister as well as Hamas's military chief Mohammed ...

Ukraine Parliament Scraps Session Over Russian Missile Strike Threat

This is Beirut 2024-11-22 13:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Kyiv Ukraine USA Vladimir Putin Volodymyr Zelensky

Ukraine's parliament has cancelled Friday's session, lawmakers said, citing the risk of a Russian missile attack on the district of Kyiv where government buildings are located. The move comes after several foreign embassies, including the US representative office, shuttered temporarily over the threat of a strike on Kyiv. "The hour of questions ...

Israel Says to End ‘Administrative Detention’ for West Bank Settlers

This is Beirut 2024-11-22 12:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam West Bank

Israeli authorities will stop holding Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank under administrative detention, or incarceration without trial, the defense ministry announced Friday. The practice allows for detainees to be held for long periods without being charged or appear in court, and is often used against Palestinians who Israel deems ...