Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah returned to the public eye on Tuesday night following days of speculation about the health of the head of the powerful Iran-backed Lebanese political party and armed group.
A speech due to be given by Mr Nasrallah last Friday was cancelled at late notice, with Hezbollah saying he had caught the flu.
It led to a spate of reports, particularly from Israel, that the 62-year-old had suffered a stroke, was on a ventilator or in intensive care.
Israel and Hezbollah are sworn enemies who have repeatedly engaged in conflict before, including a month-long war in 2006.
But Mr Nasrallah appeared in a live broadcast on Tuesday, speaking to mark the three-year anniversary of the death of Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force.
While he often coughed and had a croakier voice than normal, Mr Nasrallah appeared to speak without much difficulty, although he claimed to have suffered from a sensitive throat for the past 30 years.
"We wanted to be very transparent and honest with you... I apologise if I led you to concern. I thank you for your love... and all those who prayed for me," he said in the televised speech.
"But I would like to make you rest assured because I saw that some of the media, some of the Israeli media, Gulf media... some said that I had a stroke, some said I was on certain breathing machines, I've been hospitalised, I'm in a coma," he said, blaming a flu flare up the cancellation of the speech last Friday.
While Mr Nasrallah frequently gives speeches, he has not been seen in public for years amid security concerns.
His son Jawad was among those on Sunday who rejected claims his father was severely unwell. He had said he had spoken to his father half an hour ago, in response to an Israeli media report that said Hassan Nasrallah was in a critical health situation with the flu or Covid-19 and was unconscious and on a respirator.
Lebanon and Israel remain technically in a state of war and do not recognise each other.
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
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FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
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Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
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0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
Brief scores:
Arsenal 4
Xhaka 25', Lacazette 55', Ramsey 79', Aubameyang 83'
Fulham 1
Kamara 69'
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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