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Sci-fi epic ‘Tenet’ nears $150m globally

LOS ANGELES: After months of delays, Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic “Tenet” finally arrived in US theaters and generated $20.2 million over Labor Day weekend, taking global sales closer to the $150

September 07

Off the Cuff

Bisri: Lebanon’s dam of contention

BEIRUT: The World Bank has announced the cancellation of $244 million in funds for the Bisri Dam project in Lebanon after repeatedly raising concerns about the project since January. The Bank said on

September 07

Off the Cuff

Egypt and UAE discuss Eastern Mediterranean

CAIRO: With the escalation of tension between Egypt and Turkey, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed with his Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed the latest developments in the

September 07

Region

Erdogan raises rhetoric in Greece standoff in Mediterranean

ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday warned Greece to enter talks over disputed eastern Mediterranean territorial claims or face the consequences.“They’re either going to

September 06

Region

Poison in the well of the Merkel-Putin friendship

When a German laboratory confirmed that Russian dissident Alexei Navalny had been poisoned by a substance from the novichok family of Soviet-era nerve agents, it marked a further deterioration in the

September 06

Region

UK police investigating suspicious item on Manchester bus

LONDON: Police in Manchester, north west England, said on Saturday they were responding to reports that a suspicious item had been found on a bus at Manchester Piccadilly bus station.Greater

September 06

Off the Cuff

What is the US aiming for by lifting the Cyprus arms embargo?

ANKARA: A new element has been introduced to ongoing disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announcing on Tuesday that a 1987 arms embargo on Cyprus was being

September 06

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French schools in Turkey on shaky ground

ANKARA: Amid a diplomatic escalation of tension between Turkey and France over the East Mediterranean, the closure of French schools both in Ankara and Istanbul ranks high on the agenda of the

September 06

Region

Huge library of online Daesh propaganda uncovered

LONDON: One of the biggest collections of extremist online material belonging to Daesh has been uncovered by researchers at a London-based anti-extremism think tank. The digital library, which was

September 05

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

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‘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

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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

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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