• Everyone is Talking About the Egyptian Olympian Facing an Israeli Opponent

    News of Egyptian Judo player, Islam el-Shehaby, competing against Israeli Or Sasson, is becoming a source of uproar social media.  The reactions in Egyptian social media ranged from some objecting and demanding his withdrawal, and some challenging this view and asserting that he should go through with it. Those who object believe it is a choice the Egyptian judoka should not even contemplate, because according to them, it is a given that relations with Israel must be avoided, even in international sports arenas. As for those who believe he should go through with it, they are certain that el-Shehaby is strong enough to take the Israeli judoka down – a win that will metaphorically represent Egypt,

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  • Rihanna to be awarded MTV Video Music Award lifetime achievement prize

    Rihanna will receive MTV's lifetime achievement award at the Video Music Awards later this month. It's MTV's highest honour and is known as the Michael Jackson video vanguard award. Last year Kanye West won the trophy, with Beyonce, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears previously getting it. "[The award] reflects an artist's impact not just on music but on pop culture, fashion, film and philanthropy," says MTV. She will also perform at the ceremony in New York, as well as being nominated for best collaboration and best female video. Beyonce leads the nominations though with 11 nods, while Adele is up for eight. It's the first time the event has been held at Madison Square Garden and it will feature

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  • 23 Absurdly Fab Photos from Karim El Chiaty & Victoria's Secret Model Ana Beatriz Barros' Wedding

    You might have noticed people making the move to Sahel, Gouna, and other such dreamy beachy lands during the Eid weekend, but what about the mysterious case of Mykonos? Why were our social media feeds suddenly flooded with images of the Greek tropical island? A coincidence? We think not. Everyone in the country (or world) has been buzzing – about what can only be described as the biggest, most glam wedding of the year where Brazilian Victoria’s Secret supermodel Ana Beatriz Barros tied the knot with Egyptian-Greek billionaire Karim El Chiati. You could say a few celebrities made an appearance. Nothing special. A slew of luxurious villas held over 400 guests who flew from all over the world for

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  • Khomeinism is malice

    Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif wrote a strange article in the New York Times calling for unity against “Wahhabism.” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir replied in an article at The Wall Street Journal stating the crimes of the Iranian Khomeini regime.The truth is, the world should not unite against “Wahhabism” that the Iranian minister spoke of, rather against the dangers of “Khomeinism.” Whether we agree or not, “Wahhabism” is almost 300 years old and contributed to the building of a state that fell and rose, then fell and rose again. It is the safety net for the area, the Arab and Islamic world, a source of security and a reliable international ally. It is well known that “Wahhabism”

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  • India needs more than Rafale to match China: experts – Peninsula OnQatar Daily Star

    New Delhi: India might have only spent billions of dollars on hi-tech French warrior jets, though experts contend it needs to do a lot some-more if it is going to face adult to an increasingly noisy China. The world’s tip counterclaim importer has sealed several big-ticket deals as partial of a $100-billion ascent given Hindu jingoist Prime Minister Narendra Modi took energy in 2014. But it has been delayed to reinstate a shrinking swift of Russian MiG-21s — dubbed “Flying Coffins” since of their bad reserve record. An agreement to buy 36 slicing corner Rafale jets from France’s Dassault aims to repair that. “It will give a atmosphere force an arrowhead. Our atmosphere force has aged aircraft,

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  • China covers portions of Great Wall with cement

    Public decries the Chinese government's decision to repair a 700-year-old stretch of China's Great Wall with a smooth, white trail of cement.

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  • $139bn speech wins plaudits at UN summit

    RIYADH: A cross-section of people, including human rights activists and academics, have welcomed on Tuesday the pronouncements made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif in his address at the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants in New York.The crown prince is currently leading a high-profile Saudi delegation to the 71st session of the UN General Assembly in New York. “The highlight of the speech of Crown Prince Mohammed was the Kingdom’s commitment for continued assistance to impoverished nations,” said Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor general of King Salman Humanitarian and Relief Center. Al-Rabeeah said that the crown prince shared his views with world leaders very candidly. He said that Saudi Arabia

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  • Iran parades new arms, tells US not to meddle in Gulf

    Iran marked the anniversary of its 1980 invasion by Iraq by showing off its latest ships and missiles and telling the United States not to meddle in the Gulf. At a parade in Tehran on Wednesday, shown on state TV, the military displayed long-range missiles, tanks, and the Russian-supplied S-300 surface-to-air missile defense system. US officials say there have been more than 30 close encounters between US and Iranian vessels in the Gulf so far this year, over twice as many as in the same period of 2015. On Sept. 4, a US Navy coastal patrol ship changed course after an Iranian Revolutionary Guard fast-attack craft came within 100 yards (90 meters) of it in the central Gulf, at least the fourth such incident in less than a month, US Defense Department officials said.

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  • Singapore pair 'tried to buy iPhones at airport without flying'

    The launch of the latest iPhone last week saw the usual excited queues forming outside Apple shops. But two Singaporeans allegedly thought they had found a new way of queue jumping, and saving some money, by buying plane tickets so they could pick up the iPhone 7 at Changi Airport. They were arrested on 16 September for breaking airport laws. Police said they had "no intention" of leaving Singapore so should not have been in the departure hall. The two have been charged under the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act. They face a fine of up to 1,000 Singapore dollars ($735; £565) and a jail term of up to two years if convicted. Police have warned others not to misuse their boarding passes

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  • Blake Lively doesn't want you praising her post-baby body

    Blake Lively says new mums shouldn't feel pressure to lose weight straight after having a baby. She's been on Australian breakfast show Sunrise, where she was complimented on how great she looked in a bikini in her new film The Shallows. The presenter commented on how the film was shot just months after Blake had her first baby. But the 28-year-old called it unfair that slimming down after birth is "so celebrated". "It's like, this is what someone looks like after having a baby," she said. "I think a woman's body after having a baby is pretty amazing. You gave birth to a human being. I would really like to see that celebrated." The ex-Gossip Girl star's now expecting her second child with husband

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  • Five ways India could respond to Pakistan over Kashmir raid

    NEW DELHI: India’s Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under pressure to act against Pakistan after Sunday’s attack on an army base in divided Kashmir killed 18 soldiers. The army blamed the raid-the worst on troops for over a decade in the region-on Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad. Politicians, army veterans and others have called for a muscular response, including air strikes on training camps on the Pakistan side of the de facto border that divides Kashmir between the two countries. “India knows it can’t sustain a 15-day war against Pakistan and Pakistan knows it can’t sustain a similar war against India,” Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Institute of Conflict Management, told AFP.

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  • Saudia pilot triggers false hijack alarm

    MANILA: A pilot of a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight accidentally pressed a hijack alarm and triggered a major security response at Manila airport yesterday, authorities said. Police isolated and surrounded the Saudia flight after it landed yesterday afternoon just after one of its pilots issued a distress signal indicating a hijack was underway, the Philippine aviation authority said in a statement. Hundreds of passengers aboard the Boeing 777 flight from the Red Sea city of Jeddah were forced to remain on the plane for more than two hours, but were allowed to disembark about 5:00 pm (0900 GMT) after it was confirmed there was no threat. Soon after the distress signal was activated, authorities

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  • iPhone 7 woes: Is 'Hissgate' the new 'Bendgate'?

    If your new iPhone 7 is making a strange hissing or buzzing noise, you're not alone. Apple has received a series of complaints that the Phone 7 and 7 Plus are emitting an unusual humming sound when processor-intensive apps, such as gaming, are used. The phenomenon has already been called "Hissgate" on Twitter, with people tweeting clips of their phones making the noise.Two years ago, Apple faced "Bendgate," a term coined by the internet after users discovered the iPhone 6 Plus bent under certain amounts of pressure. It is unknown as of now how many devices are affected or the cause of the issue. Apple has not yet responded to a request for comment. This isn't the only issue plaguing the latest

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  • Meet the world's richest young billionaires as Hugh Grosvenor inherits £9bn

    He had three daughters but only one son, 25-year-old Hugh Grosvenor, who is heir to the dukedom. Hugh has now inherited "half of London" after his father's estate covers most of Belgravia and Mayfair - the most expensive area on the Monopoly board. He hasn't had to work for his father's money. But he does have a job as an account manager for Bio-bean - a green technology company. According to the 2016 Forbes Rich List there are nine other under-30s worth more than $1bn - so we thought we'd find out who some of them are. At 20 and 21, Alexandra and Katharina Andresen are the youngest Johan, a Norwegian industrialist and investor, transferred his fortune to his two daughters in 2007. Norway is

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  • Rita Ora confirms she's leaving The X Factor

    Rita Ora has confirmed that she's leaving The X Factor. The singer, who joined the show last year, tweeted: "I had a ball on The X Factor last year and will miss the team. "@simoncowell can't wait to work with you again... I'll be round for dinner soon. Thank you for the experience & love X" Rita took on the role after moving from The Voice UK, which is moving from the BBC to ITV. The singer mentored the girls category and went on to win the show with her act, Louisa Johnson. In a statement ITV told Newsbeat: "Rita brought a great energy to the show last year and did a brilliant job mentoring the girls' category, leading Louisa to victory. "We wish her all the best with her music and film plans

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  • Philippines: Threats against journalists denounced

    Manila, Philippines - International and local journalists' groups have strongly condemned online threats made by alleged pro-government supporters to at least two female journalists in the Philippines, urging President Rodrigo Duterte to launch an investigation and penalise the perpetrators. The two Manila-based journalist became targets of social media attacks in recent days, receiving threats of rape and harm to them and their families. Since June 30, when Duterte took office, more than 3,500 people have been killed in police operations and by unknown attackers. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) on Tuesday called on Martin Andanar, Duterte's senior spokesperson, to investigate the threats under a special government body, announced by Duterte in July to investigate media killings in the country.

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  • Russia to send flagship aircraft carrier to Syria coast

    Russia’s defense minister said on Wednesday that Moscow was dispatching its flagship aircraft carrier to bolster its forces in the eastern Mediterranean off Syria. The Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier would be sent to join Russia’s current naval deployment there, minister Sergei Shoigu said during a televised meeting. “Currently the Russian naval deployment to the east Mediterranean consists of no less than six battleships and three or four support vessels,” he said. “In order to bolster the military capabilities of the group we plan to add the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier to the group,” Shoigu said, without specifying a timeframe.  Bombing campaign Last Update: Wednesday, 21 September

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  • India wants to add Saudi, UAE oil for strategic reserve

    NEW DELHI: India is talking to Saudi Arabia and the UAE to fill half of the 1.5 million tons (mt) of the Mangalore strategic storage, along with Iranian crude, its oil minister said. Dharmendra Pradhan told a news conference India is exploring two to three other models for sourcing oil to fill the remainder of the storage. During Saudi Energy Minister Kahlid A. Al-Falih’s visit to New Delhi in October, India plans to discuss the filling of the Mangalore strategic storage, and investments in refinery and petrochemical projects. Globally, most of the biggest crude oil consuming countries have a strategic storage capacity of at least 50 days, but India currently stands less than 10 days. In 2005,

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  • China space station to fall to Earth in 2017

    China's first space station is expected to fall back to Earth in the second half of 2017, amid speculation authorities have lost control of it. The Tiangong-1 or "Heavenly Palace" laboratory was launched in 2011 as part of an ambitious Chinese plan to catch up with other space powers. However, a senior space official has said the lab had "comprehensively fulfilled its historical mission". The lab is currently intact and orbiting at 370km above ground. Speaking at a press conference last week, Wu Ping, deputy director of the manned space engineering office, said: "Based on our calculation and analysis, most parts of the space lab will burn up during falling." She added that it was unlikely to

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  • Free no more: Emirates to charge for advance seat selection

    Nabil Sultan, Divisional Senior Vice President for Emirates Airline, left, with another Emirati official arrive for the official opening of the Emirates SkyPharma facility at Dubai International Airport, United Arab Emirates. Emirates airline opened a new specialized facility for refrigerated pharmaceuticals in Dubai as the world's sixth-busiest cargo airport looks to capture a bigger slice of the growing medical supplies trade. DUBAI — The Mideast’s biggest airline, which touts luxuries like onboard showers and an extensive movie selection, is adding something a bit more down-to-earth for those in the back of the plane: charges to pick your own seat ahead of time. Dubai-based Emirates said on Tuesday that the new fees will apply to its two lowest fare categories of economy-class seats on tickets issued after Oct. 3.

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