turmoil

Qaboos, The Sultan Who Shielded Oman From Region’s Turmoil

January 11, 2020 5:23 pm

Oman’s Sultan Qaboos, who died on Friday aged 79, transformed the former Arabian Peninsula backwater into a modern state and sought-after mediator while shielding the sultanate from a region in turmoil.

The intensely private sultan — the longest-reigning ruler in the modern Arab world — left no apparent heir and the royal family was charged with selecting a successor.

Instead however they opted for the sultan’s own choice, his cousin Haitham bin Tariq, who was named in a sealed letter that Qaboos had prepared in case of a deadlock.

Qaboos was born on November 18, 1940, into the centuries-old Al-Said

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Amid Tech Turmoil, Celebration At Global Electronics Sow

January 5, 2020 4:20 pm

The Consumer Electronics Show opening Tuesday offers a chance to showcase the newest and shiniest gadgetry, looking past the turmoil engulfing the global technology industry.

The annual Las Vegas gathering with more than 4,500 exhibitors brings out about 175,000 attendees searching for innovations of the future.

For an industry facing unprecedented turbulence, the hope is that what happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas after it closes on Friday, but filters into the world where consumers can adopt new technologies for health, communication, transportation, the home and lifestyles.

The show opens against the backdrop of mounting concerns on how …

Amid Impeachment Turmoil, HBO OKs Watergate Series

December 6, 2019 3:58 pm

US cable channel HBO on Thursday green-lit the production of a new limited series based on the Watergate scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon, starring Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux.

The two actors — HBO veterans — will also executive produce “The White House Plumbers,” which is to be written by Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck, who scripted the network’s award-winning comedy “Veep.”

The announcement comes as Washington is again in the throes of an impeachment inquiry against US President Donald Trump, some 45 years after Nixon resigned to avoid a certain trial before US lawmakers.

“Veep” alumni David …