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Region

Russian vaccine ‘has good safety profile,’ says study

DUBAI: A study of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine has been peer-reviewed and published in the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet, demonstrating some significant advantages over competing

September 05

Region

Interview with the King of Rai: Cheb Khaled’s fervent homage to Beirut

PARIS: Algerian singer and musician Cheb Khaled has released a brand new song in tribute to Beirut in the wake of the devastating explosion in the city on August 4 and which claimed the life of at

September 05

Off the Cuff

Saudi project saves Yemenis from Houthi landmines

RIYADH: The Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance (Masam) in Yemen has cleared mines from across the country to allow displaced people to return home, according to the project director. Osama

September 05

Off the Cuff

US sanctions 11 businesses for helping Iran export oil products

LONDON: The US imposed sanctions on 11 businesses on Thursday, which it accused of helping Iran bypass a ban on oil exports. The US Treasury said it had designated six entities in various countries

September 05

Region

How next US president can curb Iran’s hegemonic ambitions

Any policy that the US adopts vis-a-vis Iran will have major implications not only for the ruling clerics, but also for the wider region. If Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden wins the 2020

September 04

Region

Dubai launches retirement visa scheme for expats

DUBAI: The Dubai government announced Wednesday a retirement program that offers resident expatriates and foreigners the chance to retire in the emirate. The “Retire in Dubai” scheme would allow

September 04

Region

Pakistan’s online agony aunt tearing down taboos

LAHORE: “Women in Pakistan are really, really strong. We have a voice. We just don’t have enough spaces to use that voice,” says Kanwal Ahmed, an agony aunt to some 260,000, determined to change the

September 04

Off the Cuff

‘Service to humanity’: Volunteers in Bahrain sign up for vaccine trial

MANAMA: In a Bahrain exhibition centre that used to hold jewellery shows and book fairs before the coronavirus pandemic, Mohammed al-Blooshi and other masked volunteers wait for a dose of a Chinese

September 04

Off the Cuff

US suspends some aid to Ethiopia over dam dispute with Egypt

JOHANNESBURG: On the guidance of President Donald Trump, the State Department said Wednesday the US is suspending some aid to Ethiopia over the “lack of progress” in the country’s talks with Egypt

September 04

Region

Prince Harry and Meghan sign deal with Netflix to produce programs

LONDON: Britain’s Prince Harry and his American wife Meghan have signed a multiyear contract with Netflix to produce different types of programs, the company said on Wednesday. The couple, who have

September 03

Region

PSG star Neymar positive for COVID-19

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar, the world’s most expensive footballer, has tested positive for coronavirus, sources told AFP on Wednesday. The 28-year-old Brazilian has COVID-19 as well as

September 03

Region

Pompeo: Iranian threats in the region must be confronted

LONDON: The US has emphasized the need to confront Iranian threats in the region, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday. Pompeo also said that the international community should hold the

September 03

Off the Cuff

Tesla plans capital raise after share surge

LONDON: Tesla Inc. unveiled its biggest program of new share sales in a decade as a public company on Tuesday, seeking to cash in on soaring Wall Street interest in the company to raise $5 billion

September 03

Off the Cuff

Supply curbs and uncertain demand to keep oil above $40

BENGALURU: Oil prices will see little change this year and a modest uptick in 2021 as output cuts take effect, with the demand picture clouded in uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic, a

September 03

Region

Macron warns Lebanese politicians of ‘last chance’

BEIRUT: French President Emmanuel Macron issued a stern warning to Lebanon’s political class Tuesday, urging them to commit to serious reforms within a few months or risk punitive action, including

September 02

Region

Bahrain king tells Kushner Gulf stability relies on Saudi Arabia

DUBAI: The king of Bahrain told White House adviser Jared Kushner on Tuesday that stability in the Gulf region relies on Saudi Arabia “in all situations,” state news agency BNA said. Kushner is

September 02

Region

Morocco’s trade deficit shrinks 18.2% year/year

RABAT: Morocco’s trade deficit shrank by 18% to 100 billion dirhams ($11 billion) in the first seven months of 2020, the foreign exchange regulator said on Tuesday. The global coronavirus pandemic

September 02

Off the Cuff

What a petition for return of French mandate says about Lebanon

LONDON: When the League of Nations issued a decree on Aug. 31, 1920 for the creation of Greater Lebanon under a French mandate, the Arab population was reeling from years of despair under Ottoman

September 02

Off the Cuff

Why Franco-Lebanese ties transcend strategic, economic interests

PARIS: The symbolism could not have been stronger. On Sept. 1, 1920, French Gen. Henri Gouraud, representing the French mandate authority, proclaimed the State of Greater Lebanon from the Pine

September 02

Region

Terror risks remains ‘extremely high’ in France: minister

PARIS: The risk of terror attacks in France remains extremely high, the interior minister said on Monday, adding that over 8,000 people were on a national warning list of Islamist radicalization. The

September 01

Region

Platini quizzed in Swiss investigation of $2M FIFA payment

BERN: Football great Michel Platini arrived at Switzerland’s federal prosecution office Monday morning to be questioned about a $2 million payment he received from FIFA in 2011. Platini is formally a

September 01

Region

‘Woke’ investment falls short in pandemic volatility

It has been accepted wisdom for some time that companies that adhere to the ESG rules — standards associated with environmental regulation, social responsibility and corporate governance — deserve a

September 01

Region

Israel and the UAE show they mean business

If the announcement of the normalization agreement between the UAE and Israel this month caught almost everyone by surprise, then the quick progression of relations between the two countries is a

August 31

Region

Lebanese designer Rami Kadi launches new initiative for Beirut

DUBAI: A number of celebrities and businesses around the world have pledged to support Lebanon after a massive explosion broke through Beirut on Aug. 4 killing over 200 people and injuring

August 31

Region

Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee passes away

NEW DELHI: Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, who had tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, died on Monday after weeks in hospital, his son and the current president’s office said.

August 31

Off the Cuff

Lulu joins with Saudi Royal Commission to develop 300 million riyal

RIYADH: The Royal Commission of Yanbu has signed an agreement with the UAE-based retailer Lulu Group to jointly develop a shopping mall in the port city of Yanbu. The project, worth SR300 million

August 29

Off the Cuff

Berlin police demand end to ‘anti-corona’ protests

BERLIN: Berlin police on Saturday called for the dispersal of a mass demonstration against pandemic restrictions and mask wearing because participants were not respecting social distancing measures.

August 29

Off the Cuff

Detained Colombia businessman was negotiating with Iran for Venezuela, lawyers say

CAPE VERDE: A Colombian businessman detained in Cape Verde in June was on a mission to Iran as a special envoy of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to negotiate fuel and humanitarian supplies at

August 28

Off the Cuff

India battles black market in used gloves and masks

NEW DELHI: Indian police are battling a booming black market in used face masks and surgical gloves scavenged in some cases from hospital refuse tips, as people scramble for cheap coronavirus

August 28

Off the Cuff

UK team helps free Iranian hostages from Somali pirates

LONDON: A British team has helped secure the release of three Iranian sailors from Somali pirates, amid heightened tensions between the UK and Iran over the case of the imprisoned charity worker

August 27