Gloria Blog

Saudis are being urged to recycle their old phones and computers under a government-backed campaign to cut waste. Individuals and businesses will be able to hand over their old electronics under the Recycle Your Device initiative from the Communications and Information Technology Commission. The devices will be safely broken down for parts or repaired and given to needy families. Old mobile and fixed phones, modems, printers, laptops and desktop computers are priorities for the commission. The scheme launches this month for businesses and next month for individuals, and runs until December. A CITC website will soon be launched with information on how to hand over devices. The commission said the initiative is part of its social responsibility to boost sustainability, and follows its first report on its goals to cut waste and boost recycling. READ MORE : https://www.arabnews.com/node/2163586/saudi-arabia

Germany will send armoured transport vehicles to Ukraine, but not battle tanks, as the wrangling over its military contributions continues. The country's defence ministry said its latest consignment would include two more Mars II rocket launchers and 50 Dingo armoured transport vehicles. Germany is also sending 200 missiles, Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said. Soviet-made BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles will “very quickly” head to Ukraine, from Greece, as a deal with Berlin to replenish Athens' stocks with the more modern Marder armoured vehicles is close, Ms Lambrecht said. Ukraine has repeatedly asked for the German-made Marders and Leopard tanks. But neither is included in the list of the latest armaments pledged by Germany. Berlin has argued that it will not “go it alone” on weapons deliveries, and Ms Lambrecht has pointed out that no other ally has transferred western-made battle tanks to Ukraine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been under pressure in recent days to sup...

Heavy rains flooded hundreds of homes, knocked out power and collapsed structures including a wall that crushed 12 people in northern India, officials said Friday. Schools were closed for the day in Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh state capital, where the meteorological office recorded 35 millimeters (1.4 inches) of torrential rain in the past 24 hours, said Brijesh Pathak, the state’s deputy chief minister. A wall collapsed on a slum dwelling made of polyethylene sheets and mud early Friday in the Hazratganj area of the state capital where laborers were sleeping. Nine died on the spot and another three were hospitalized with injuries, Pathak said. In Unnao, a town 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Lucknow, another three people were killed in a house collapse following torrential rains, Pathak said. Earlier this month, life was disrupted in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru after two days of torrential rains set off long traffic snarls, widespread power cuts and heavy floods that sw...

Two police officers were stabbed early Friday in central London and hospitalized after encountering “a male with a knife,” the capital’s police said, amid massive security ahead of the queen’s funeral. A suspect who was tasered and arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assaulting an emergency worker is also in hospital following the incident at around 6:00 am (0500 GMT), the Metropolitan Police added. “Police encountered a male with a knife in the area of Leicester Square,” it said in a statement, referring to a square in the heart of the British capital, less than a mile from where the queen’s coffin is lying in state. “Two officers received stab wounds and are currently being treated in hospital. We await further updates on their conditions.” The Met added officers had deployed a taser and the suspect was taken to an unspecified hospital for treatment, “where he remains at this time.” The force said “enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing,” ...

World leaders travelling to London for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral will have the opportunity to visit the monarch lying in state before being invited to a reception hosted by King Charles III. Presidents, prime ministers and members of royal families from around the globe will descend on the British capital from Friday ahead of the country’s largest ceremonial event in recent history. Small groups of overseas dignitaries are expected to be escorted into Westminster Hall on Saturday to bid farewell to the queen alongside the streams of public mourners. King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will host overseas dignitaries at a reception at Buckingham Palace on Sunday, Prime Minister Liz Truss’s spokesman said. Ms Truss will meet with foreign leaders at separate meetings, he said. "Her majesty's passing has left many people, across many continents, with a profound sense of loss," said the Earl Marshal, Edward Fitzalan-Howard, the Duke of Norfolk, England's most senior p...

 As seven horses drawing the casket of Queen Elizabeth II turned a particular corner during the procession of her coffin on Wednesday, Alec Galloway was brought to tears. Emotional memories of a moment of heroism came flooding back while Mr Galloway watched from his home near the royal residence in Windsor. On the television screen was the exact spot where a gunman in the crowd had fired six shots at the monarch during Trooping the Colour for her official birthday celebrations on June 13, 1981. Then a Lance Corporal with the Scots Guards, the 37-year-old feared the queen would be killed and launched himself at the attacker. “I’ll never forget that day as long as I live,” he told The National . “It’s something that will always stay with me. I thought it was a real live round and he was going to assassinate the queen. “I ran to the barrier and shoved it against him, got the gun out of his hand and then pulled him over the barrier by his hair, and kicked him in the head to prevent hi...

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi on Friday for their first face-to-face discussion. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) summit in former Soviet state Uzbekistan. Mr Xi will meet Mr Raisi in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, Chinese broadcaster CCTV said. The Chinese leader will also meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the meeting, the outlet said. China is one of the key members of the multilateral dialogue — alongside France, Germany, Britain, Russia and the US — that is trying to revive Iran's troubled 2015 nuclear deal. Iran, one of the SCO's four observer states, applied for full membership in 2008 but its bid was affected by UN and US sanctions imposed over its nuclear programme. Mr Raisi said on Wednesday that Iran still intends to pursue membership of the SCO. However, several members do not want a country under international sanctions in their rank...

Oil prices rose in early trading on Friday after plunging on Thursday due to mounting concerns about a global recession and an expected increase in interest rates set for next week. Brent, the benchmark for two thirds of the world’s oil, was trading 0.41 per cent higher at $91.21 a barrel at 8.47am UAE time while West Texas Intermediate, the gauge that tracks US crude, was up 0.27 per cent at $85.33 a barrel. Both benchmarks fell more than 3 per cent on Thursday after the US Department of Energy said plans to restock the nation’s emergency supply did not include a trigger price, which is any oil price below which the administration will start to buy crude. The department said that transactions were not likely to happen until after the 2023 fiscal year. Oil prices are down about 20 per cent since early June and set to post a third consecutive weekly loss, due to a strong US dollar and as markets await an interest-rate increase from the US Federal Reserve after the latest data showed hea...

Kyrgyzstan’s border guard service said on Friday that Tajik forces once again opened fire on several of its outposts, an escalation of tension between the Russian allies after a brief confrontation earlier this week. Kyrgyz border guards were returning fire as clashes took place along the whole length of the border, the service said, adding that Tajik forces were using tanks, armored personnel carriers, and mortars. In turn, Tajikistan accused Kyrgyz forces of shelling one of its outposts and seven villages with “heavy weaponry.” A civilian was killed and three injured, authorities in the Tajik city of Isfara said. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon are both attending a regional security summit in Uzbekistan and featured among the leaders in a group photograph taken at dinner on Thursday. The governors of Kyrgyz and Tajik provinces adjacent to the border were set to meet at a border crossing point and try to defuse the situation, Kyrgyz border guards set...

Remco Evenepoel showed who’s in charge at the Spanish Vuelta. The overall leader made a strong statement with a victory in Thursday’s 18th stage, holding off the attack of his challengers and sprinting for the win at the summit. It was the second stage win for the 22-year-old Belgian from team Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl. “This was the most perfect day ever,” Evenepoel said. “Winning La Vuelta is still not done, with a really hard stage to come. They will for sure attack me. But maybe now it’s easier to control because I feel my legs are really good. This is very good for me and for the team for the last three days.” VUELTA A ESPANA The big stage victory came a day after three-time defending champion Primoz Roglic, who was his closest rival, withdrew because of injuries from a crash. Evenepoel’s gap to second place Enric Mas of team Movistar stayed at more than two minutes. The Spaniard followed Evenepoel closely on Thursday and crossed the line just two seconds behind him at the Alto de Pi...

One of Britain's two aircraft carriers has suffered "significant damage" to its propeller shaft and will no longer sail to the US to undertake training exercises, the UK Royal Navy has said. HMS Prince of Wales, its newest carrier which was only formally commissioned into service in December 2019, broke down off England's south coast last week at the outset of its trans-Atlantic voyage. In an embarrassing development, it had been due to participate in what the British navy had called a "landmark mission" involving stealth jet and drone exercises off the coast of North America and in the Caribbean. Rear Admiral Steve Moorhouse said its sister ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, would now stand in for the stricken vessel during some elements of the tour, which includes diplomatic events. It is also expected to feature exercises with F-35B Lightning jets. Read More : https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2022/09/03/flagship-uk-aircraft-carrier-hms-prince-of-wal...

Queen Elizabeth II will miss the Braemar Gathering, a popular Highland Games event that is being held in Scotland this weekend. Members of the royal family usually attend the sporting spectacle rooted in Scottish tradition and are pictured enjoying themselves as feats of strength, dexterity and stamina are staged. But the queen , who has been suffering from mobility problems since last autumn, will not attend. It is understood the decision was taken for her comfort. Prince Charles will join spectators on Saturday for the gathering, which attracts crowds from the around the globe who watch competitors take part in the caber toss, hammer throw, and tug-o-war. In another change with convention, on Tuesday the queen will appoint the new prime minister at her Scottish retreat of Balmoral for the first time in her reign. The 96-year-old monarch traditionally holds audiences with outgoing and incoming premiers at Buckingham Palace. But Boris Johnson, who will tender his resignation, and the...

At the age of 85, Italy's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has joined TikTok in a bid to win over the youth vote at this month's general election. “Hi guys, here I am," said a beaming Mr Berlusconi in his first post on the social media site. “There are five million of you on this platform and 60 per cent of you are under 30 years old … I feel a little envious, but my compliments all the same.” Better known for dance videos and make-up tutorials, the Chinese-owned site has been embraced by a number of Italian politicians as the election campaign gathers pace. Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing Lega Nord party and former interior minister, has more than half a million people following his prolific TikTok posts — a record for Italian politics, he claimed. Another party leader, Carlo Calenda of the small centrist Action movement, told followers: “I can't give tips on make-up because I have a fat tummy and I am ugly, but I can talk to you about politics.” Mr ...

Middle East cryptocurrency exchange Rain, which is licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain and operates across the Gulf, has cut “a lot” of jobs amid a market downturn. Founded in 2017 by Abdullah Almoaiqel, AJ Nelson, Joseph Dallago and Yehia Badawy, it raised $110 million in series B funding in January , but has been affected by the volatility in the sector. Mr Dallago said in a LinkedIn post that Rain would be looking to “emerge stronger in the coming months”. “Crypto saw a meteoric rise at the start of 2021,” he said. “This was fuelled in part by sustainable interest and enthusiasm for the unique capabilities of this technology, and in part by unsustainable rampant speculation. “The volatility in the industry has been difficult to properly plan for, which has resulted in the unfortunate changes that we have had to make today. “This year has been a time for self reflection, and it is an opportunity for the industry to focus on its fundamentals and build crypto into a legitimate fina...

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will visit India next week "to strengthen the multifaceted relationship" between the two countries, her government has said. Ms Hasina's three-day visit, starting from September 5, comes as she battles growing anti-India sentiment at home. New Delhi and Dhaka share strong historical and cultural ties and diplomatic relations have strengthened under Ms Hasina's 13-year rule. The Bangladeshi leader will hold talks with her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, and Foreign Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar. She will also meet Indian President Droupadi Murmu, who took office in July, the Bangladeshi Ministry of External Affairs said. "In the recent years, both sides have sustained engagement, including at the highest level," the ministry said. "The visit will further strengthen the multifaceted relationship between the two countries." Ms Hasina is also likely to visit the holy city of Ajmer in western Rajasthan ...

A man was detained Thursday night after he aimed a handgun at point-blank range toward Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernández in what President Alberto Fernández called a homicide attempt. “A man pointed a firearm at her head and pulled the trigger,” the president said in a national broadcast. He said the gun didn’t fire. The president shortly after video from the scene broadcast on local television channels showed Fernández exiting her vehicle surrounded by supporters outside her home when a man could be seen extending his hand with what looked like a pistol. The vice president ducked. READ MORE : https://www.arabnews.com/node/2154896/worlds

India has launched its first locally built warship, which was made at a cost of $2.5 billion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 45,000-tonne aircraft carrier on Friday, describing it as an “exceptional symbol of self-reliant India”. Named the INS Vikrant , the vessel is 262 metres long and 62m wide ― about the size of two football fields. It took 13 years to build. Vikrant means courageous in Hindi. “Today, India has entered the list of countries that can build such large warships indigenously. Vikrant has infused new confidence,” Mr Modi said at the commissioning ceremony at the Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi in southern Kerala. “ Vikrant is large and grand, Vikrant is distinct, Vikrant is special. Vikrant is not just a warship, it is the evidence of the hard work, talent, impact and commitment of India of the 21st century,” he said. READ MORE : https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/2022/09/02/indias-narendra-modi-launches-first-locally-built-warship/

Saudi Arabia is poised to become the fastest-growing economy in 2022, outpacing Asian giants like China, India, and other struggling economies in Western Europe and North America, according to a report.  The report published in Economist Intelligence suggested that the gross domestic product of the Kingdom is expected to reach 7.5 percent this year, its fastest growth rate since 2011.  The Kingdom’s economic growth is primarily driven by higher energy prices, rising oil and gas production, large-scale investment in the energy and non-energy sectors, and the successful rollout of an extensive COVID‑19 vaccination program, the report said.  It further said that the Saudi real GDP growth will be close to a solid 5 percent in 2023 before slipping back to a reasonably strong growth of about 3 percent between 2024 and 2026. Saudi Arabia’s current account balance in 2022 is likely to witness a surplus of about $163 billion, up from $44 billion in 2021.  As the Sau...

US law enforcement on Thursday raided two New York properties belonging to Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin and the target of sanctions, NBC News reported. Federal agents and local police officers were spotted carrying boxes after they left an apartment in Manhattan’s lavish Park Avenue and a house in the Hamptons, an upscale vacation destination near New York City, according to the report. Both properties are linked to Vekselberg, NBC said, citing US Treasury documents. Authorities are also searching a property on Miami’s Fisher Island believed to be linked to Vekselberg, NBC reported. Vekselberg is the head of the Renova Group, a Moscow-based conglomerate, and one of several wealthy Russians who have been targeted by sanctions following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions have frozen Vekselberg’s US assets and banned American companies from doing business with him and his companies. He is also being investigated by the US Justice...