The Daily Star Lebanon Breaking News, Lebanon News, Middle East News & World News

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri asserted that municipal elections in Lebanon would not proceed without the inclusion of the southern regions, where ongoing exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah occur daily. This statement came as a rebuttal to Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, who suggested on Tuesday that the elections could go ahead without the southern areas, attributing election delays …

Japan has faced a trade deficit for three consecutive fiscal years, driven by rising import costs for energy and other items, compounded by a weakening yen. The most recent fiscal year, ending in March, closed with a deficit of 5.89 trillion yen ($38 billion), as reported by the Finance Ministry. The country saw its most substantial trade deficits with Middle …

President Joe Biden is set to propose a significant increase in tariffs on Chinese steel, aiming to triple the current rates to protect U.S. steelmakers from the surge of cheaper imports. This policy announcement was scheduled during his speech to steelworkers in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state for the upcoming November elections. While the administration asserts that the tariff hike …

Scientists have uncovered what they are calling the largest black hole within the Milky Way galaxy so far. This colossal black hole is over 33 times the mass of our Sun and resides 2,000 light-years away. It was identified by astronomers participating in the European Southern Observatory’s Gaia mission after they observed unusual movements of a nearby star, suggesting it …

Tesla is set to reduce its workforce by approximately 10% following a disappointing first quarter in sales, as reported by various news outlets on Monday. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, communicated the decision through a memo to the employees, indicating that the layoffs could impact around 14,000 of the company’s 140,473 workers as of the end of the previous …

China’s economy outperformed expectations in the first quarter, posting a 5.3% growth rate on an annual basis, surpassing forecasts that suggested a 4.8% increase, according to recent data. Quarter-over-quarter, the economy grew by 1.6%. Despite difficulties recovering from the pandemic’s economic impacts, the Chinese economy has shown signs of acceleration due to government measures supporting the housing market and investment. …

The Biden administration has agreed to allocate up to $6.4 billion to Samsung Electronics to establish a cutting-edge computer chip manufacturing and research hub in Texas. Announced by the Commerce Department on Monday, this funding is part of a larger investment expected to surpass $40 billion, including private contributions. This initiative stems from the CHIPS and Science Act, enacted by …

The upcoming Champions League quarterfinal second legs are set to ignite excitement as Barcelona clashes with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Camp Nou this Tuesday, April 16. This crucial match could define the season for both clubs, with Barcelona aiming to claim their first Champions League title since 2015, and PSG still seeking their inaugural win. The same evening, Atletico Madrid …