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Off the Cuff

‘Wasta’ makes mockery of cronyism fair game for Lebanese

BEIRUT: In the Zero 4 shopping hub in Antelias, a small town just 5 kilometers outside Beirut, Elie Kesrouwany sits at a table sipping his morning coffee, surrounded by stacks of board games. With

November 23

Off the Cuff

Trials begin for new anti-COVID ‘cocktail’ drug

LONDON: An alternative anti-coronavirus jab aimed at protecting those who cannot receive vaccines will enter major trials this weekend. The drug is made by AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical company

November 23

Region

‘Substantial’ part of Spanish population to be vaccinated in first

MADRID: A substantial part of the Spanish population will be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the first half of 2021, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told a news conference on Friday. Sanchez said the

November 21

Region

‘France respects Islam’ French FM tells Muslim World League

MAKKAH: France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, told Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League (MWL) his country respects Islam and that French

November 21

Region

Biden denounces ‘irresponsible’ Trump fight to reverse election

WILMINGTON: US President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday accused Donald Trump of brazenly damaging democracy, as the incumbent’s campaign to reverse his election loss through fraud claims was dealt

November 21

Off the Cuff

Youth hold key to global future, experts tell Riyadh G20 summit

RIYADH:

November 21

Off the Cuff

KSRelief signs deal to empower Yemeni orphans

RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) signed a joined agreement worth more than $600,000 to help Yemeni children whose father has died and strengthen their resilience

November 21

Off the Cuff

Al-Turaif district to host G20 leaders, says DGDA CEO Jerry Inzerillo

RIYADH: Al-Turaif historical district will host the heads of the G20 states in a cultural night on Nov. 20, according to the CEO of Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA), Jerry Inzerillo, who, on

November 20

Off the Cuff

Sustainable energy solutions at the heart of G20 efforts to safeguard our planet: Saudi Energy Minister

RIYADH: In a G20 meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday, Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said that sustainable energy solutions have been at the heart of the group’s efforts throughout

November 20

Region

Pfizer says final results show vaccine 95% effective

WASHINGTON: The biotech company Pfizer said Wednesday that a completed study of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine showed it is 95 percent effective. Pfizer said the vaccine had no serious side

November 19

Region

‘Amal has made my life full,’ George Clooney tells interviewer

DUBAI: George Clooney rarely does interviews these days, but the Hollywood actor made an exception for GQ’s Icon of the Year issue, lavishing praise on his wife, British-Lebanese human rights lawyer

November 19

Region

South Korea sees biggest jump in coronavirus cases since August

SEOUL: South Korea has recorded its largest daily increase in coronavirus infections in nearly three months as it gets set to tighten social distancing rules in the greater Seoul area. The Korea

November 19

Off the Cuff

Saudi Arabia leads the way ‘in toughest G20 presidency’

LONDON: Kirill Dmitriev is the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, the country’s sovereign wealth fund which has close ties and joint investments with Saudi Arabia. He was awarded the King

November 19

Off the Cuff

King Salman chairs Saudi cabinet meeting

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman chaired Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting during which ministers congratulated the king on the sixth anniversary of his assumption of power. At the beginning of the

November 19

Off the Cuff

UAE national carrier Etihad Airways to start flying to Tel Aviv next

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, announced Monday it would start operating daily nonstop flights to Tel Aviv next spring, a move that

November 18

Off the Cuff

Saudi Arabia records 19 new coronavirus deaths

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s health ministry said 19 new deaths and 301 new cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in the Kingdom on Monday. The new confirmed cases bring the total number to

November 18

Region

NATO chief warns of high price if troops leave Afghanistan

BRUSSELS: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Tuesday that the military organization could pay a heavy price for leaving Afghanistan too early, after a US official said President Donald

November 17

Region

Abu Dhabi Art director looks to the future with digital fair

DUBAI: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 12th Abu Dhabi Art event will take place from Nov. 19 to 26 as an interactive virtual art fair. For Dyala Nusseibeh, the fair’s director since 2016,

November 17

Region

Les Benjamins unveils Coca-Cola collaboration with campaign shot in

DUBAI: Fashion’s fixation with food and drink is no secret. In recent years, a number of brands have cooked up edible-themed accessories, including McDonald’s cups crafted into shoulder bags from

November 17

Off the Cuff

Egypt launches ‘revolutionary’ e-invoice system

CAIRO: Egypt is set to launch a groundbreaking electronic invoice (e-invoice) system on Sunday. Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait announced the launch of the first phase of the electronic billing

November 16

Off the Cuff

Turkish competition board hits Google with $25m fine

ANKARA: Google has been hit with a 196.7 million Turkish lira ($25.6 million) fine by the Turkish Competition Board as part of an investigation against the company. The decision comes amid growing

November 16

Region

India virus surge continues in New Delhi

NEW DELHI: India’s overall tally of new coronavirus cases remained steady on Saturday, but officials were watching a surge of cases in the capital that comes as people socialize during the festival

November 15

Region

Dutch golf star Anne van Dam joins Saudi deep diver Mariam Fardous to

JEDDAH: Dutch golf star Anne van Dam joined Saudi Ladies International ‘Ladies First’ ambassador Mariam Fardous to explore Saudi Arabia’s coral reefs. The Dutch athlete, who is taking part the Aramco

November 15

Region

More than 1.3 million coronavirus deaths worldwide: AFP tally

PARIS: More than 1.3 million people have been killed by the novel coronavirus worldwide, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP. In total, there have been at least 1,303,783

November 15

Off the Cuff

Crown Prince: Saudi Arabia able to achieve unprecedented achievements

LONDON: Saudi Arabia has been able to achieve unprecedented achievements in a short period of time, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as saying on Thursday. In a

November 14

Off the Cuff

Sweden plays down immunity hopes as second COVID-19 wave gathers force

STOCKHOLM: Immunity to COVID-19 in Sweden is likely lower than previously estimated, the country’s top epidemiologist and architect of its unorthodox pandemic strategy said on Thursday, as daily

November 14

Region

Libyans to debate powers of transitional government

TUNIS: Libyans at UN-led talks were to discuss the powers of a proposed transitional government Thursday, the UN said, as it steps up efforts to end years of conflict in the country. The meetings in

November 13

Region

Libyans to debate powers of transitional government

TUNIS: Libyans at UN-led talks were to discuss the powers of a proposed transitional government Thursday, the UN said, as it steps up efforts to end years of conflict in the country.The meetings in

November 13

Region

Nowhere to go: Displaced Iraqis desperate as camps close

MOSUL: Iraq has started closing camps housing tens of thousands of people, including many who fled their homes during the final battle against Daesh, but aid groups warn this could create a second

November 13

Off the Cuff

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman opens 8th Shoura Council session

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, in the presence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, opened the eighth session of the Saudi Shoura Council on Wednesday. The king said during his speech that the

November 13