Syrian President Bashar Assad's government benefited from variations in foreign currency exchange rates, boosting state coffers with at least $100 million in international aid money over the last two years, according to new research.

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea on Friday attended the inauguration of the Pop-Up Spaces program in Sidon.

"This one year-long program, which is implemented by Tatweer Baladna, will empower youth and young professionals in South Lebanon, North Lebanon, and the Bekaa through civic education and social entrepreneurship training and hands-on activities," the U.S. Embassy said in a statement.

Snapchat's corporate parent disclosed Thursday that its ad sales are being hurt by a privacy crackdown that rolled out on Apple's iPhones earlier this year, raising investor fears that the app's financial growth is going into a tailspin.

The revelation in Snap Inc.'s third-quarter earnings report sparked a sell-off in after-hours trading that could foreshadow one of the biggest one-day drops in the company's stock since it went public in 2017.

European Union leaders struggled to find a common ground during a long debate Thursday on how to ease the pain of soaring energy bills.

The hours-long energy discussion at the EU leaders' summit came amid spiraling prices that are pummeling households and businesses still reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In need of immediate solutions, leaders are also seeking to safeguard energy supplies to the 27-nation bloc by speeding up the transition away from polluting fossil fuels to sustainable alternatives.

A troubled Chinese developer whose struggle to avoid a multibillion-dollar debt default has rattled global financial markets wired $83.5 million on Friday to make an overdue payment to foreign bondholders, a government newspaper reported.

Evergrande Group's struggle to reduce its 2 trillion yuan ($310 billion) of debt to comply with tighter official curbs on borrowing has prompted fears a default might trigger a financial crisis. Chinese officials have tried to allay investor fears by saying the debt problems can be controlled and there should be no impact on the financial industry.

Asian shares were mixed Friday after a late-in-the-day wave of buying pushed the S&P 500 to a fresh record high.

Benchmarks rose in Hong Kong and Tokyo but fell in Sydney and Shanghai.

The Turkish lira has plunged to a record low against the U.S. dollar after a harsher-than-expected cut in interest rates.

The decision by the Central Bank's monetary committee to cut the rate from 18% to 16% surprised analysts. The lira dropped to 9.45 against the dollar, compounding a long run of losses.

Carlos Ghosn, the former auto industry superstar whose career screeched to a halt with his arrest three years ago, isn't about to settle into quiet retirement.

The former head of the Nissan-Renault alliance fled to Lebanon in late 2019, while out on bail facing financial misconduct charges in Japan. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Ghosn was confident, energized and determined to fight to restore his reputation.

The number of workers taking sick days has surged in Italy since the introduction last week of mandatory coronavirus certificates for all employees, official data showed Thursday.

Israel said on Wednesday it would issue 3,000 more permits for merchants from Gaza to enter Israel, the latest measure aimed at boosting economic conditions in the blockaded strip.