Global Outlook

 Disney Star* has licensed a portion of the ICC rights it just acquired for the Indian market to Zee Entertainment Enterprises in a first-of-its-kind broadcast agreement. As a result of the arrangement, Zee will now air the ICC men's and Under-19 tournaments in India for the 2024–2027 cycle while Disney Star will continue to have the digital rights to those events. Disney Star still holds the TV and digital broadcast rights for the ICC women's competitions in the Indian market. Disney Star and Zee claimed in a press release on Tuesday that the ICC had "in-principle" approved their contract. Disney Star defeated competition from Zee, Sony, and Viacom on August 26 to win the whole ICC rights - both TV and digital - for the Indian market for four years. Between 2024 and 2027, there are four major male sporting events, including the 2025 Champions Trophy, two T20 World Cups, and the 2027 ODI World Cup. K Madhavan, country manager and president at Disney Star, stated that

 The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has sent a second batch of humanitarian aid to flood-hit Pakistan. The Joint Operations Command of the Ministry of Defence has continued humanitarian operations in Pakistan through an air bridge, transferring humanitarian aid to the flood victims.  On 30 August, two additional planes, the fifth in the sequence, had flown to the affected people in Pakistan, carrying tons of food, medical and pharmaceutical supplies, and shelter. They reached Islamabad loaded with tents.  The humanitarian aid was dispatched as per the directives of the President of the UAE , His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to support flood-hit Pakistan. According to the Emirates news agency WAM, the provision of UAE aid falls under Article No.9 of the 'UAE’s Principles of the 50', which considers foreign humanitarian aid an integral part of the UAE’s ethical commitment toward friendly countries. His Highness also reiterated the UAE’s full support to Pakistan in ov

 Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has become the world's third richest man, according to Bloomberg and its Billionaires Index. With this, he also becomes the first Asian person to take this spot. His net worth is around $137 billion approximately. He is placed just behind Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, whose fortunes are estimated at $251 billion and $153 billion, respectively. Adani was already Asia's richest man. In February this year, he had overtaken businessman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Mukesh Ambani, to enter the top 10 list of the world’s richest people.  Adani is the chairman and founder of the conglomerate Adani Group. He has seen his wealth skyrocket during the pandemic. His wealth rose by $12 billion over the past year. His firm controls companies ranging from ports and aerospace to solar energy and coal. He turned a small commodities trading business into a big conglomerate. According to Bloomberg, he has also be

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has ordered urgent relief aid to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which is witnessing torrential rains and floods causing deaths, injuries, and displacements. He also ordered the provision of all humanitarian relief services to the displaced to enhance their ability to overcome the challenges they are facing. The UAE relief aid includes a total of 3,000 tonnes of food supplies, along with tonnes of medical and pharmaceutical supplies, tents and shelter materials. The UAE relief teams will also offer all forms of humanitarian assistance to Pakistani institutions and cadres involved in efforts to ensure the safety of the impacted and their needs for logistical, medical, and food support. At least 110 districts in Pakistan have been destroyed by floods as a result of the persistent heavy rain, which has affected more than 33 million people. According to Geo News, a total of 72 districts have been deemed disaster-affect

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan made a phone call to Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif and offered condolences and sympathy to the victims of floods and torrential rains witnessed in several Pakistani provinces. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed also wished a speedy recovery for the injured and quick return of the displaced to their areas, praying to Allah Almighty to protect Pakistan. During the conversation, He emphasised the UAE's solidarity with the government and people of Pakistan in facing the repercussions of these climatic conditions and its keenness to provide all possible forms of support to it. President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has ordered urgent relief aid to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which is witnessing torrential rains and floods causing deaths, injuries and displacements. He also ordered the provision of all humanitarian relief services to the displaced to enhance their ability to overc

 Justice Uday Umesh Lalit took oath as the 49th Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Saturday at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India.  President of India, Droupadi Murmu, administered the oath-taking ceremony. Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi , and Union ministers were present at the ceremony. Justice Lalit's predecessor, Justice NV Ramana, was also present at the ceremony. During the ceremony, Justice Lalit chalked out three priorities that he would endeavour to fulfil during his 74-day tenure. He highlighted three areas in which he intends to work: ensuring that at least one constitution bench is functioning in the Supreme Court throughout the year, listing cases for hearing in the top court, and mentioning urgent matters. Reportedly, Justice Lalit will have a brief tenure of fewer than three months because he will retire on November 8 2022. The retirement age of judges of the Supreme

 In a shocking incident, a 36-year-old man in Italy tested positive for Monkeypox , COVID-19, and HIV at the same time. Scientists have reported this incident as the first known case of a person testing positive for these viruses all at once. Reportedly, the man developed severe skin rashes on the face and other body parts, nine days after returning from a trip to Spain earlier this year. Subsequently, he developed a series of symptoms, including fatigue, headache, inflammation, fever, and a sore throat. He reportedly spent five days in Spain from June 16 to 20, during which he had unprotected sex with other men. According to a case study report published in the Journal of Infection, he tested positive for Covid-19 on July 2. On the same day, he started to develop a rash on his left arm. Consequently, small, painful vesicles surrounded by a rash started appearing on his torso, lower limbs, face, and glutes.  The man visited a hospital's emergency department because of the severity

While the export of basmati (long-grain aromatic rice) may have increased by 25% in the first quarter of 2022–2023 compared to the corresponding period in the previous year, basmati traders are concerned that the export joy may not last long because the UAE and other Middle Eastern nations have decided to implement strict standards for maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides as of September 1. Strict testing requirements have already been put in place by the US and EU for the import of Indian basmati. When pesticides are used correctly and in accordance with good agricultural practice, an MRL is the highest level of pesticide residue that is legally permitted in, on, or in contact with food or feed. Exporters claim that they were able to obtain notification from the Punjabi government prohibiting the use of 10 pesticides beginning on August 12 this year until the crop is harvested. They are now requesting assistance from the state government to pressure the federal government to o

 More than six years after the Gulf Arab state cut relations with Tehran, the United Arab Emirates announced that its ambassador to Iran, Saif Mohammed Al Zaabi, would return to Tehran "in coming days." The foreign ministry stated in a statement that the declaration on Sunday is consistent with UAE efforts to improve ties with Iran "to realize the common interests of the two countries and the wider region". After Iranian protesters broke into Saudi Arabia's diplomatic missions in Iran following Riyadh's death of prominent Shia scholar Nimr al-Nimr, the UAE cut off relations with Tehran in 2016. The UAE official media said that the Emirati and Iranian foreign ministers spoke on the phone last week and discussed strengthening ties, including the possibility of sending an ambassador back to Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke about measures to "improve bilateral r

 Families who have been to their homeland in India for a vacation are having trouble getting back to the UAE, either because tickets are so expensive or so hard to come by. Many of them choose to go through other GCC nations to reach Dubai. According to Bharat Aidasani, managing partner of Pluto Travels, the cost of a direct flight from India to the UAE is relatively high because many families are preparing to send their children back to school.  It would take more than four hours to travel via a GCC country from India to the UAE, according to Aidasani. "Many of them choose to travel via GCC countries like Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait as ticket costs to these destinations from Indian cities are inexpensive and good connectivity with UAE." According to Afi Ahmed, general director of Smart Travels, "round-trip airfare from India to Oman is roughly Dh900. Passengers can then immediately connect to an aircraft to any location in the United Arab Emirates. On the other hand, rou

 New Delhi and Kolkata are the two most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM2.5 levels, according to a report released by Health Effects Institutes (HEI) based in the United States. The study ranked cities based on two major air pollutants found — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). According to the latest State of Global Air report on air quality and health in cities, most global cities far exceed World Health Organisation's (WHO) air pollution guidelines. The report, 'Air Quality and Health in Cities', used data from 2010 to 2019. Earlier, the WHO issued guidelines that cut acceptable annual exposure of small and hazardous airborne particles known as PM2.5 to 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air.  According to the report, Shanghai city in China and Moscow city in Russia are the two most polluted cities in terms of exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Which cities are the most polluted in terms of PM2.5 levels? Delhi (India), Kolkata (India), K

 The Supreme Court on Wednesday told the central government to work on lifting FIFA's suspension of the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The top court in India heard the case a day after FIFA suspended India's AIFF  for "undue influence from third parties." Third-party interference means that a member association of FIFA fails to remain independent.  Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that the Indian government has already held talks with FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) after the suspension of AIFF. The apex court reportedly said, “On the request of SG Mehta, we ask Centre to take a proactive role to hold the U-17 World Cup and lifting of the suspension of AIFF be facilitated.” After suspending India's top football body, FIFA reportedly said that the U-17 Women's World Cup “cannot currently be held in India as planned.” According to the Supreme Court of India, the country should "have the ben

Robert B. Charles is a Republican politician and lawyer from the United States. From 2003 to 2005, he served as Colin Powell's assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.  He also worked for the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, was a US navy officer for ten years, five years as counsel to the US House Oversight Committee, wrote the 2003 book "Narcotics and Terrorism," and taught at Harvard's extension school. In this article, we will look at his reflection on the political realities between UAE and Israel: We must grasp and hold onto the solid future that is within our grasp. By signing the Abraham Accords, the UAE became the third Arab nation to formally establish diplomatic ties with the Jewish state in August 2020, and the first new nation to do so in 28 years.  The United Arab Emirates, Israel , and the United States of America made a wise diplomatic choice there. F

In the Elon Musk vs Twitter legal battle, the court has ordered Twitter to give Musk documents from a former Twitter executive, who Musk said was an important figure in calculating the number of fake accounts on the micro-blogging site. According to the order from Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery, Twitter was ordered to collect, review and produce documents from former General Manager of Consumer Product Kayvon Beykpour to Musk.  Beykpour left Twitter after the social media giant agreed in April to be acquired by Elon Musk . However, Musk’s lawyers said that Beykpour was an important member involved with" determining the number of spam accounts on Twitter.  Bot and spam accounts on Twitter have become a central issue in the legal fight between Twitter and Musk. This month, Musk’s lawyer told the Delaware Chancery Court that Musk wanted correct details about fake accounts on Twitter. Musk accused Twitter of fraud for misrepresenting the number of re

 For both India and the UAE, last year was historic. The UAE had already begun preparations for its commemoration of the golden jubilee of its foundation on December 2 (the young Arabian nation was created in 1971); India had started celebrations for its 75th anniversary of independence, which culminated today (August 15). India and the UAE are both commemorating 50 years of diplomatic ties this year. Despite not being planned that way, Expo 2020 Dubai was held between October 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, which was a welcome surprise amid the yearlong festivities. The bilateral ties continue to grow, and within a year, both countries will have reached significant historical milestones. Here are a few lesser-known facts about the two countries, which are linked by a common past and present: - Trade and business have been the foundation of the long-standing connections between the peoples of India and the UAE. The connections were made between 3300 and 1300 BCE, at the height of the

 In the 88th Mahzooz weekly draw in Dubai, three Indian expatriates living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) took home the top prize of 100,000 Dirham (Rs 21,66,249). During the live weekly drawing on Saturday, August 6, Binu Gopalakrishnan, Sathish Kumar Palli, and Mohamed Taher Nakash were the winners. They matched five of the six winning numbers. Since learning about Mahzooz from his coworkers, 46-year-old Binu Gopalakrishnan, who has lived in the UAE for the past 16 years, has been participating in the weekly draw once or twice a month. "I have no idea how to describe how grateful I am for this surprise award. I have never before in my life won anything, save for this. I'd want to thank my coworkers for introducing me to Mahzooz," Binu told Khaleej Times. Sathish Kumar Palli, 31, a private company's administrative assistant who has lived in the UAE for 11 years, was startled when his supervisor informed him that he had won. He has not yet made a decision about wh

 The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has urged the United Nations (UN) to drop the name "Islamic State" when referring to ISIS during the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting in New York. The UAE argued that terrorists should not be associated with religion. UAE Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative and Chargé d’Affaires, Mohamed Abushahab, said that organizations should not “permit ISIS and other groups to hijack a religion of tolerance and give credence to their claims.” He further added, “There is nothing Islamic about terrorism.” He also said that the UN should focus on preventing the emergence of the next generation of terrorists in the world. UAE has a great interest in the next generation and wants to protect them from terrorism. Underlining that terrorism posed a common threat to peace and security, the UAE reiterated its strong condemnation of terrorist attacks and the recruitment of children to terrorist groups. UAE also condemned the dangers and thr

 Russian forces occupying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeast Ukraine are preparing to connect to Crimea, a peninsula in Eastern Europe, Ukrainian operator Energoatom warned on Tuesday. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, was occupied by Russian forces early in its invasion. The plant is located near the Crimean peninsula. Energoatom president Petro Kotin reportedly said, “The Russian military at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is implementing the program to connect the plant to the Crimean electricity grid. To do this, you must first damage the power lines of the plant connected to the Ukrainian energy system.” Reportedly, from 7 to 9 August, the Russian forces have already damaged three power lines. The largest power plant has six of Ukraine's 15 reactors, capable of supplying power for four million homes.  The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Monday, raised the specter of nuclear disaster

 Former United States (US) President Donald Trump said on Monday that his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida was "raided" by FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) agents. However, Trump did not give any indication of why federal agents were at his Florida home. In a statement posted on Trump’s Truth Social network, Trump said his "beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents." Trump called this an act of "prosecutorial misconduct." This situation added legal pressures on him. The FBI, the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States, did not comment on this matter. Trump was reportedly not present during the raid. Trump reportedly said, "It is prosecutorial misconduct, the weaponization of the Justice System, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don't want me to run for President in 2024.” Multiple US media reports claimed that FB

 Tesla owner and billionaire Elon Musk has challenged Twitter CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Parag Agrawal to the public debate over Twitter bot percentage. In a series of tweets, Musk claimed that Twitter’s method of estimating spam bots and accounts is flawed. He was replying to a fan's tweet talking about his initial $44 billion offer to buy Twitter. The tweet by a data analyst, Andrea Stroppa, pointed out that Twitter provided false information when Musk requested more information about spam and fake accounts on the social media platform. Subsequently, Musk replied to the tweets and praised the fan. Musk reportedly replied, "I hereby challenge Parag Agrawal to a public debate about the Twitter bot percentage.” Twitter vs Elon Musk row Musk is fighting a legal battle with Twitter over his $44 billion deal. In the Elon Musk vs Twitter buyout battle, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery ordered a five-day trial beginning October 17 to determine whe

 As ex-pats come home after the summer break, it is anticipated that airfares from several places in India to the UAE may increase by as much as 45 to 50% this month. Travel agents are reporting a sharp increase in demand for airline tickets from South Indian cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, and Kozhikode. Travel agents reported a rise in demand for airline tickets from Mumbai and Delhi to the UAE. After the summer vacation, corporate travel is expected to begin, which will cause demand and ticket costs to skyrocket, they noted. "The rates of one-way tickets from various sectors throughout India into the UAE will witness a spike of 45 to 50% after August 15," said Raheesh Babu, group chief operating officer of online travel agency Musafir.com. Before August 15, the average cost of a one-way ticket between Mumbai and locations in the Kerala sector was Dh1,200. However, from August 15 to August 30, prices are soaring. They cost, on average, Dh1,300 to Dh1,900. Although t

 Forrest Gump claims that because "you never know what you're going to get," life is like a box of chocolates. The movie's Indian adaptation is already facing calls for a boycott due to remarks made by its Muslim star Aamir Khan years ago. It is the most recent illustration of how Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Modi is putting more pressure on Bollywood artists, especially minority Muslims like Khan. The Indian remake of Tom Hanks' 1994 blockbuster "Laal Singh Chaddha" is predicted to be one of India's top movies in 2022. This is mostly because of the film's lead actor, 57-year-old Aamir Khan, one of the most bankable performers in the Indian film business with previous blockbusters including "3 Idiots" (2009) and "Dangal" (2016). However, in advance of the film's August 11 release, the Internet is flooded with snippets from a 2015 interview in which Khan pondered leaving India with his then-wife and voiced a rising &quo

The accused Asim Ghafoor, an American citizen, was found guilty of two counts of tax evasion and money laundering by the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court, which has jurisdiction over offenses including money laundering and tax evasion. He was sentenced to three years in prison, a fine of Dh3 million, and expulsion from the UAE because of a tax evasion scheme in his nation. The investigation into the accused for tax evasion and making questionable money transfers to the state, as well as their search into his bank accounts receiving those payments and connected transactions, led to the American authorities asking for judicial help. The UAE Public Prosecution (PP) in Abu Dhabi began its procedures to implement and study the judicial assistance request and verify the nature of the financial transactions related to the aforementioned accounts and bank transfers and discovered suspicion of a crime involving money laundering that took place in the nation due to the accused's making international

 Major retailer Spinneys said on Wednesday that a ransomware gang may have exposed consumer information that was stolen from its internal system. The owner of the grocery chain said in a statement to the Khaleej Times those hackers were able to obtain customer names, email addresses, and mobile numbers. However, the most recent cybersecurity attack did not expose any personal banking data. Spinneys is aware of unverified emails being received from obscure email addresses claiming that on July 16, 2022, a ransomware gang may have exposed data stolen from our internal server." According to the statement, hackers gained access to an internal server that included client information, including names, email addresses, cellphone numbers, delivery addresses, and information about previous orders. The business, which has 65 outlets throughout the UAE , said: "We can certify that no personal banking information was exposed, as we do not keep banking details on our servers." Ransom

The Biden administration has authorised two sizable arms transactions to aid Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in their defence against Iran. More than USD 5 billion in missile defence and related purchases have been made following President Joe Biden's trip to the Middle East last month, during which he visited with various regional officials in Saudi Arabia. Recent months have seen rocket assaults on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates by Yemen's Houthi rebel movement, which is supported by Iran. Although the permits on Tuesday are for defensive weaponry, senators who backed Biden's decision to bar Saudi Arabia and the UAE from significant purchases of offensive US weapons because of their involvement in the war in Yemen may criticise them. The new sales include USD 2.2 billion for high-altitude missile defence for the UAE and USD 3 billion for Patriot missiles for Saudi Arabia that are intended for self-defence against Houthi rocket assaults. The State De

 Cooperation with China will be crucial as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates step up their attempts to diversify their economies and increase the role of the R&D and innovation sectors, according to analysts. They said that because of China's dedication to "win-win collaboration" and the extensive involvement of its massive Belt and Road global infrastructure projects, the Asian superpower can assist in hastening the adoption of cutting-edge technologies in the Middle East. According to Deniz Istikbal, an economist at the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research, a policy think tank with offices in Ankara, Turkey, "China is crucial for Western Asian countries" as one of the top global spenders on research and development. "Saudi Arabia and the UAE should strengthen their collaboration with China in the field of technology and encourage the investments of Chinese firms," said Istikbal. "China's technical infrastructur

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is helping 30 million disabled people in the Middle East region. The country has demonstrated the will to make a difference by designating help for disabled people.  According to the World Bank, one billion people are living with disabilities in the world. Recently, The National said in an editorial that UAE helps around 30 million disabled people live in the Middle East under disadvantaged circumstances.  In 2019, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, hosted the Special Olympics, in which more than 7,000 athletes from around the world competed. Laws were in place to guarantee employment and education rights of People of Determination. Under the National Policy for Empowering People with Special Needs, people with special needs or disabilities are referred to as 'people of determination in the UAE. This year, Dubai, a city in the UAE, announced the creation of the Higher Committee to Protect the Rights of People of Determination and recognize their achi