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Abu Dhabi, UAEThursday 15 April 2021

The US has announced economic sanctions on Russia and the expulsion of 10 diplomats in retaliation for alleged election interference, a cyber attack and other hostile activity. AFP 

US slaps sanctions on Russia, expels 10 diplomats
A demonstrator waves an American flag with the words "Not Free" painted on it in front of the Washington Monument. AFP

US Congress panel backs slavery reparations for African Americans

The Americas
Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown backed a called to make Covid-19 vaccines more widely available. Reuters

Waive Covid-19 vaccine property rules, ex-world leaders urge US

The Americas
Turkish restaurateur and chef Nusret Gokce, also known as Salt Bae, is most famous for his 'salt-sprinkling' pose, which Logan Hicks captured in a mural that is now the source of a lawsuit in New York. Getty Images

'Salt Bae' sued for $5 million over artwork

Food
EDITOR'S PICKS
A worshipper reads the Quran before taraweeh at Chicago's Muslim Community Centre. AP

American Muslims observe Ramadan as US ramps up Covid-19 vaccination campaign

The Americas
Kent State University student Regan Raeth of Hudson, Ohio, looks at her vaccination bandage as she waits for 15 minutes after her shot in Kent, Ohio. AP Photo

One in a million: the truth about blood clots and Covid-19 vaccines

Science
Domino's is using Nuro's R2 robot to deliver pizzas in Houston. Images & video courtesy Domino's 

Domino’s teams up with Nuro to roll out autonomous pizza deliveries in the US

Technology

The US will leave Afghanistan - it owes Afghans a hefty exit fee

The National Editorial
Mick Jagger and Dave Grohl have teamed up for a hard-rock pandemic anthem called 'Eazy Sleazy'. AP Photo

Mick Jagger and Dave Grohl release lockdown song
From left: Huda Kattan, Mohamed Hadid and Halima Aden all marked the start of Ramadan with posts on social media. Anna Nielsen for The National, FilmMagic, Etihad Airways

How celebrities marked the start of Ramadan 2021
The UAE will send a rover to the Moon on Japan's next space mission in 2022. Borja Suarez / Reuters

UAE aims to land Rashid rover on Moon's surface by 2022
Muslim women pray on the first day Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Reuters

Ramadan across the world 2021 - some of the best pictures so far
A worshipper reads the Quran before taraweeh at Chicago's Muslim Community Centre. AP

American Muslims observe Ramadan as US ramps up Covid-19 vaccination campaign
Iraqi women ride bicycles during a cycling activity in Mosul, Iraq, April 12, 2021. REUTERS/Khalid al-Mousily TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Iraqi women race in Mosul's first all-female cycling event - in pictures
The UAE moved from 16th to 15th place on the Henley Passport Index over the past few months, and up 50 spots in a decade. Unsplash

World's most and least powerful passports in 2021:
A steely glance from the new Toyota Corolla Cross. All photos courtesy Toyota

New Toyota Corolla Cross arrives in the UAE – and it's a bit of a surprise
Coronavirus
Emirates has starting trialling Iata's Travel Pass on select flights. Courtesy Emirates 

Emirates trials Iata's coronavirus travel passport

Travel
A man receives his Covid-19 vaccine in Jutland, Denmark. EPA

Denmark’s AstraZeneca vaccine ban could lead to ‘a lot of dead people’

Europe
Members of the public, wearing face coverings due to Covid-19, queue for a guided tour of Shakespeare's Globe theatre in London on April 14, 2021. Following the UK's massive vaccine rollout, non-essential retail such as clothes shops, and hospitality including restaurants and pubs, reopened their doors across England on April 12. / AFP / Tolga Akmen

Surge testing spreads to chase down South African variant cases in London

Europe
Greece is opening up in mid-May for travellers from the European Union and five other countries, including the UAE, UK and US. Unsplash

Greece to lift quarantine rule for travellers from UAE, UK and US

Travel
World
Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Iran’s enrichment of uranium to 60 per cent was a clear step towards a nuclear bomb. EPA, Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry

Iran’s 60% enrichment a ‘clear step to a bomb,’ says Arab League head

MENA

Iraq: explosion rocks Baghdad's Sadr City

Iraq

Australia says Afghanistan withdrawal a ‘milestone’ as reactions roll in

Oceania

India’s Covid-19 second wave prompts queues of ambulances and full crematoriums

Asia
Business
Ms Bhatia believes having a good home is a luxury. Photo: Courtesy Deepa Bhatia

Money & Me: ‘I wanted to work in an industry that brought me happiness even if the money was less’

Money

Deliveroo boost as orders and sales more than double in first quarter

Technology

Higher oil prices and economic recovery support lower fiscal breakeven prices for Middle East producers

Energy

Ramadan 2021: How to save thousands on your supermarket bills

Money
Opinion
US Marines scan the northwest perimeter of the American military compound at Afghanistan's Kandahar airport, January 14, 2002. AP

If Biden cannot lead on Afghanistan, Taliban rule will follow

Comment

Biden gives Afghanistan its own 9/11

Comment

How the war to work from home will end

Comment

The US will leave Afghanistan - it owes Afghans a hefty exit fee

Editorial

Denmark is returning Syrians to their abusers

Comment
OPERATION 300bn
A hydroponic farm in Dubai. Food security is one of five priority sectors that Emirates Development Bank seeks to support. Antonie Robertson / The National.

Emirates Development Bank to sign deals with five partner banks

Banking
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs, with Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and EDB's chairman, at the launch of EDB Strategy.

How will Emirates Development Bank help the UAE to achieve its Operation 300bn goals?

Economy
Taqa's 1.2-gigawatt Noor Abu Dhabi solar park. The company will generate more than 30 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2030. Taqa

Abu Dhabi's Taqa to invest Dh40bn and expand its push into renewables as part of 2030 strategy

Energy
UAE firepower by Caracal at Idex 2021 in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National 

10 things that are made in the UAE, from perfume to plane parts

UAE
UAE
Mouza Al Nasri, acting chief executive of Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, said the fund's integration with Tamm platform enabled it to relieve its customers from making over 2,500 physical visits to its offices. Courtesy Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development. 

Abu Dhabi's Khalifa Fund services now available through government's 'Tamm' portal

Ramadan 2021: Abu Dhabi Police warn beggars against using coronavirus to exploit people

Two men jailed for assaulting police officers after being asked to wear face masks

Coronavirus: UAE records 1,928 new cases

UAE residents urged to report dolphin sightings for new study
Arts & Culture
US artist Jean-Michel Basquiat's 1982 painting 'Warrior' is seen displayed at the Christies auction house showroom in Hong Kong in March. It sold for a record $41.7 million, the most expensive Western artwork to be sold in Asia. AFP

Why art sales at auction houses have soared amid the pandemic

Gucci heirs worry over family depiction in film: 'We are truly disappointed'

'Easy Sleazy': Mick Jagger and Dave Grohl release song about lockdown life

Jennifer Lopez to star in concert raising funds for Covid-19 vaccines

Palestinian-American comedian Mo Amer joins the cast of 'Black Adam'

Lifestyle
A pair of Kanye West's first Nike Yeezy sneakers are to be sold, with Sotheby's predicting the shoes could fetch in excess of $1 million. AFP 

Kanye West's Nike Air Yeezy 1 sneakers set to sell for $1 million at auction

Officer Clarence, America's first official comfort dog, meets president Joe Biden

'Salt Bae' sued for $5 million over 'salt-sprinkling' mural

New photos of Prince Philip taken by Kate Middleton released by Buckingham Palace

All the celebrities who had babies in 2021: Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song welcome baby boy
Travel
Emirates has starting trialling Iata's Travel Pass on select flights. Courtesy Emirates 

Emirates starts trialling Iata's coronavirus travel passport

Greece to lift quarantine rule for travellers from UAE, UK and US

Are Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith in Dubai? Actress posts photo from UAE hotel room

All the countries open to vaccinated travellers: from Iceland to Croatia

A review of Dubai's Al Maha Desert Resort: two decades after it first opened
Technology
Goldman Sachs chief executive David Solomon said the bank is looking for ways to expand its capabilities to support its clients’ crypto needs. Reuters

Goldman Sachs CEO says digital currencies 'important' to future of financial systems as lender posts record profit

Banking

Deliveroo boost as orders and sales more than double in first quarter

Technology

Digital money can reshape cross-border payments and remittances, IMF says

Money

Domino’s teams up with Nuro to roll out autonomous pizza deliveries in the US

Technology

Buying diamonds in lockdown? WhatsApp can be your best friend

World
Motoring
Andy Barratt started his career managing and building car brands in the UK. Courtesy Al-Futaim Automotive

Future positive for UAE motoring, says Al-Futtaim chief

New Toyota Corolla Cross arrives in the UAE – and it's a bit of a surprise

Hummer resurrected: Meet the brand new fully-electric super truck

Custom-made Land Rover to carry Prince Philip to funeral

New Volkswagen Teramont takes on tough terrain in Hatta
Sport
Novak Djokovic was beaten  6-4, 7-5 by Dan Evans in the Monte Carlo Masters. Getty

Djokovic crashes out of Monte Carlo Masters after shock defeat to Evans

Guardiola shares emotional moment as Manchester City set up blockbuster against PSG

Bangalore captain Kohli reprimanded for hitting chair with bat during IPL win

UFC 264: Poirier admits he was wrong to air charity spat with McGregor

Diego Ulissi: I was in shock when heart trouble was diagnosed
Podcasts
A pedestrian uses an umbrella during a downpour in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Ramadan rain, UAE's moon rover, 1,798 new cases - The Daily Update

Can the reality of the electric vehicle market justify the hype?

Dubai rent freeze, UAE passports, 2,022 new cases - The Daily Update

Ramadan Kareem, Dubai’s driverless taxis, Dubai police patrols, 1,928 new cases - Daily Update

Why salaries in the UAE will remain stable in 2021 – Pocketful of Dirhams
#STAYHOME
Swedish nasheed singer Maher Zain appears in a number of Ramadan-specific playlists across major streaming sites. Courtesy Youness Hamiddine/Mawazine

From playlists to podcasts: what streamers have in store this Ramadan

A vegan iftar: Plant-based recipes for a four-course Ramadan meal

28 of the best Ramadan TV shows to watch in the UAE

Greatest Ramadan hits: 10 classic series you can still watch online

Sharjah to broadcast more than 130 shows in Ramadan
LONG READS
Members of the Mesopotamia Commission, set up to discuss the future of Mesopotamia at the Cairo Conference, in 1921. Pictured are Gertrude Bell (second from left, second row), T E Lawrence (fourth from the right, second row), Winston Churchill (centre, front row), and Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel (left of Churchill). Getty

How Winston Churchill’s ‘40 thieves’ carved out the modern Middle East

Egypt
Scholemoor Cemetery in Bradford, northern England, has struggled to cope with an increase in burials during the pandemic. Getty

How Covid-blighted UK city Bradford has fought back against virus

World
Shorthand teaser. Getty Images

Lessons in Covid lockdown: Resilience, routines and self-recognition

World
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg uses outsourcing firms to employ content moderators. PA

Backlash at Facebook’s outsourcing firms policing social media

World
Mick Jagger and Dave Grohl have teamed up for a hard-rock pandemic anthem called 'Eazy Sleazy'. AP Photo

Mick Jagger and Dave Grohl release lockdown song
From left: Huda Kattan, Mohamed Hadid and Halima Aden all marked the start of Ramadan with posts on social media. Anna Nielsen for The National, FilmMagic, Etihad Airways

How celebrities marked the start of Ramadan 2021
The UAE will send a rover to the Moon on Japan's next space mission in 2022. Borja Suarez / Reuters

UAE aims to land Rashid rover on Moon's surface by 2022
Muslim women pray on the first day Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Reuters

Ramadan across the world 2021 - some of the best pictures so far
A worshipper reads the Quran before taraweeh at Chicago's Muslim Community Centre. AP

American Muslims observe Ramadan as US ramps up Covid-19 vaccination campaign
Iraqi women ride bicycles during a cycling activity in Mosul, Iraq, April 12, 2021. REUTERS/Khalid al-Mousily TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Iraqi women race in Mosul's first all-female cycling event - in pictures
The UAE moved from 16th to 15th place on the Henley Passport Index over the past few months, and up 50 spots in a decade. Unsplash

World's most and least powerful passports in 2021:
A steely glance from the new Toyota Corolla Cross. All photos courtesy Toyota

New Toyota Corolla Cross arrives in the UAE – and it's a bit of a surprise