Global Outlook

 China has accused the United States of overreacting after the White House on Monday gave government agencies 30 days to ensure employees had removed the Chinese-owned video app TikTok on federal devices. The order follows similar moves by the European Union and Canada in recent weeks. A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry Mao Ning accused the US of abusing state power in order to suppress foreign firms during a news briefing on Tuesday. She highlighted the importance of providing foreign companies in the US with an open, fair, and non-discriminatory environment. In recent months, a growing number of Western officials have expressed concerns over the app - owned by Chinese firm ByteDance. TikTok has been subjected to numerous allegations that it harvests users' data and hands it to the Asian government, with some intelligence agencies raising warnings against confidential information getting exposed when the app is downloaded to government-issued devices. However, TikTok

The brutal murder of Hong Kong model and influencer Abby Choi Tin-fung has drawn worldwide media attention, with her former in-laws remanded in custody without bail on Monday on charges of murder and perverting the course of justice. Almost a week after Choi was reported missing, police continue to search for the model's last missing remains. A skull and a number of ribs believed to belong to the socialite were discovered by the force on Sunday inside a large soup pot from a village house in Lung Mei Tsuen of Tai Po District. A source earlier mentioned that the murder was believed to be connected to a financial dispute between the victim and her former in-laws - including her jobless ex-husband - over a property worth millions of dollars. A police investigation found that Choi, who later married the son of a popular chain restaurant founder, had planned to sell the property in Ho Man Tin's exclusive Kadoorie Hill neighborhood, which she had bought under the name of her former

 Ten Syrian survivors of the February 6 destructive earthquake have arrived in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) to receive crucial medical treatment. Emirates Crescent, the humanitarian arm of the UAE government, pledged to help earthquake survivors. Reportedly, the earthquake survivors were transported on a special evacuation flight that included doctors, anesthesiologists, technicians and paramedics. Emirates Crescent in partnership with the Syrian Ministry of Health carried out the mission. Hamdan Al Mazrouei, chairman of the board of directors of ERC, said that they made arrangements to receive the first batch of earthquake survivors and their families. The UAE would provide hospital beds and accommodation to earthquake survivors. The UAE would also treat injured children who required special care. The UAE has been providing support to earthquake survivors under the Joint Operations Command of the Ministry of Defence's Operation Gallant Knight/2.  The UAE also announced building

 Air Arabia, a low-cost airline with its head office in the A1 Building Sharjah Freight Center at Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has announced the launch of its new direct route connecting Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, with Kolkata, the capital of India's West Bengal state. The new flights between Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata and Abu Dhabi International Airport are set to operate three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, according to the Airports Authority of India (AAI).  Airports Authority of India (AAI) said in a statement on Thursday that the new flights would leave Abu Dhabi at 2.25 pm (local time) and reach Kolkata at 8.20 pm (local time) on all three days starting from March 15, 2023. The return flight is set to leave Kolkata at 9.05 pm (local time) and reach Abu Dhabi at 1.05 am (local time). The new airline is reportedly set to operate an Airbus A320 aircraft on the route. Air Arabia Abu

 A Chinese woman, surnamed Tian, created headlines in recent days after claiming her employer let go of her after it could not find a uniform in her size while a plus-size male colleague was allowed to keep working. According to Feidian Video, the woman from Jilin province has alleged body discrimination after being laid off from her job at a dental hospital at the end of her three-month probation period. An unidentified staff member at the hospital could be heard responding to Tian's questions in a recording taken by the woman and later posted online. When Tian asked if she was fired for being "too fat to fit into the work uniform," the staff member could be heard replying that it was only partly the reason and alleged that she had been often late to work. The dental hospital had found a new uniform manufacturer after the regular one couldn't work on a uniform in Tian's size, the staff member further mentioned, adding the new manufacturer was also unable to make

 The United Arab Emirates (UAE) aims to explore all partnership opportunities with India, the UAE's climate envoy and designated president of the COP28 (Conference of the Parties 28) summit, Sultan al-Jaber, said on Wednesday. During the World Sustainable Development Summit in New Delhi, Sultan al-Jaber highlighted the importance of a partnership between India and the UAE. Al-Jaber said that the UAE would explore all partnership opportunities with India to help in its low-carbon plans of adding 500 gigawatts of clean energy in the next seven years. He reportedly said, "As one of the largest investors in renewables, the UAE will explore all opportunities for partnership with India." Al-Jaber said that the UAE has the aim of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. As President-Designate of  COP28, Al-Jaber wants to limit the impact of climate change. The president-designate of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) said that the goal of limiting global temperature rise

 In a noteworthy move and a significant push towards State head Narendra Modi's Aatmnirbhar Bharat vision, MEIL bunch organization iComm on Tuesday turned into the principal Indian privately owned business to sign an Exchange of Innovation concurrence with UAE's Caracal to fabricate guns for the nearby market. Sources near advancement told Times Cut that iCOMM will locally produce CARACAL's finished line of little arms for the Indian market, fueling the 'Make in India' drive. Among the arms to be fabricated are the CARACAL EF gun, current CMP 9 submachine weapon, Vehicle 814, Vehicle 816 and Vehicle 817 strategic rifles, Vehicle 817 DMR strategic sharpshooter rifle, CSR 50 enemy of material marksman rifle, CSR 338 and CSR 308 manual action expert sharpshooter rifles and the CSA 338 self-loader expert sharpshooter rifle, authorities informed. The marking occurred at the continuous IDEX 2023 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, one of the biggest tri-administration safeguard shows on t

 The IDEX event is being held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from February 20 to February 24. The participation of the Cyber Security Council (CSC) in IDEX is the highlight of the event. His Excellency Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan, the Deputy Chief of Police and Public Security, the Minister of Advanced Technology in Armenia, and a delegation from the United Nations, a delegation from the International Telecommunication Union, and a number of delegations of defense ministers attended the IDEX. 2023.  Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, the activities of the International Defense Exhibition “IDEX 2023” and the Maritime Defense Exhibition “NAVDEX 2023” were launched on Monday. The activities of the Cyber Security Council started on Monday at the IDEX exhibition at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC). It has been organized by ADNEC in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense of th

The search and rescue teams of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) helped Turkey after the destructive earthquake wreaked havoc in the country.  The Emirati rescue team helped the Turkish authorities in rescuing people. The Emirati team rescued 10 people and recovered 26 bodies from Turkey. The team rescued a Syrian family of four from the rubble in Turkey. They found many people alive from under collapsed buildings in Turkey. The UAE sent a rescue team, comprising 92 rescuers, to Kahramanmaras to carry out search and rescue operations.  The team found earthquake survivors in Kahramanmaras. After fourteen consecutive days of work, they left Turkey. Recently, the Turkish Emergency and Disaster Organisation announced the end of search and rescue operations in the country. The Joint Operations Command of the Ministry of Defence of the UAE launched Operation Gallant Knight/2 to help earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria. The UAE sent aid to affected areas in Turkey and Syria for 11 days in

 On February 18, 2022, the historic Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and the UAE was signed in front of a virtual summit that was also attended by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), in collaboration with the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the Indian Consulate General in Dubai, and Dubai Chambers, hosted a Special Business Event on Friday to celebrate the signing of CEPA. More than 200 eminent companies from the UAE and India attended the event. Thani Al Zeyoudi, the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Trade, addressed the audience and discussed the enormous prospects and benefits provided by CEPA. In his remarks, Ambassador Sunjay Sudhir said that businesses from both India and the UAE have already begun to take advantage of the duty waivers and improved market access provided by the CEPA. The first bilateral trade agreement sig

 The UAE Capital now boasts an interfaith campus with a mosque, church, and synagogue. The complex, known as Abrahamic Family Home, was opened on Thursday. The community will be able to tour the compound starting at 10 am on March 1. Both locals and guests will need to make reservations before coming. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan , President of the UAE, said on Twitter that the nation has a "glorious tradition" of people from many cultures coming together to forge new possibilities. He continued, "We remain dedicated to using the strength of mutual respect, understanding, and diversity to achieve shared progress as the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi is opened.” A complex is a place to "practise faith and contemplate," where people can "discover and exchange information," according to its official social media account. It serves as a "platform for connecting people." The three prominent sites of worship that the gover

 The state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in India and the Response Plus Holding (RPM) in the UAE will look into the new potential for collaboration in the areas of emergency medical services, medical evacuation, helicopter emergency medical services, and other mutually advantageous fields. The new collaboration is a result of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by HAL, an aerospace and defence firm with its headquarters in Bengaluru, and RPM, a major provider of emergency medical services, remote healthcare services, and occupational health solutions, based in Abu Dhabi. The agreement was inked in Bengaluru during Aero India 2023, a biannual airshow and aviation exhibition put on by the Department of Defence Production of the Indian Ministry of Defense. Speaking of the historic agreement, RPM CEO Major Tom Louis pointed out that HAL has been instrumental in India's aerospace industry's expansion over the past eight decades. According to Louis, "This MoU

 According to a Gulf Today story, the UAE Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) has raised the costs for the 10-year Golden Visa from AED50 to AED150. The authority's fees, electronic services costs, and smart services prices are all part of the updated pricing structure. Foreigners interested in receiving a Golden Visa are urged by the ICP to confirm their eligibility by accessing the website or utilizing the UAEICP smart application. They can next finish the required procedures by following the stages and directions that have been supplied. According to ICP, the application procedure is a service that results in the granting of an initial electronic approval for the issuing of the Golden Visa. The application must be submitted in five steps, the first of which is to complete the necessary fields and attach the necessary files. The documents required may change based on the information provided in the application. The applicant can pay t

 Nicola Sturgeon is expected to quit as Scotland's first minister on Wednesday, standing down after more than eight years in the role and with no obvious successor in place. The 52-year-old is the longest-serving first minister and the first woman to hold the position. She has been a member of the Scottish Parliament since 1999, became the deputy leader of the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) in 2004, and the leader in the wake of its 2014 independence referendum when the country voted 55% to remain as part of the UK. Sturgeon has led her party to a series of election victories at the local, Scottish, and UK level. She led SNP to enormous success at the 2015 UK election , winning a whopping 56 of 59 seats in Scotland and establishing it as the third largest party in Britain. She announced her resignation on Tuesday at a hastily-arranged news conference, saying her decision came from "a deeper and longer-term assessment" and was not a reaction to short-term pressures.

Dubai is once again preparing for the introduction of flying taxis in this futuristic city-state, releasing its firmest details yet on Monday for a scheduled launch by 2026. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, made the announcement of the program's restart on Twitter on Sunday and stated that air taxis will start flying in Dubai within three years. At the World Government Summit this week in Dubai , Sheikh Mohammed disclosed that he has approved plans for air taxi stations. In a tweet, Sheikh Mohammed stated that "from the World Government Summit, we authorised today the design of the new air taxi stations in Dubai, which will begin operating within three years." The announcement's advertising film emphasised the six-rotor electric flying taxi produced by Joby Aviation of Santa Cruz, California. Monday's World Government Summit featured an exhibit where Joby Aviation aircraft were on display. Oliver Walker-Jones, a spokesman for Joby Aviatio

In the latest incident of religion-linked violence in the country, a mob stormed a police station in eastern Pakistan on Saturday and lynched a man under custody and accused of blasphemy - a crime under Pakistani law, which can carry the death sentence. The man in his early 20s, Muhammad Waris, was taken into police custody after a mob attacked him for allegedly desecrating the Koran, police spokesman Muhammad Waqas told Reuters News Agency. However, the mob stormed the station in Punjab province, took Waris out of the premises, stripped him naked, and dragged him into the streets before beating him to death. With only a handful of officials present in the station at the time, police couldn't resist them, said Waqas, adding that reinforcements were able to stop the mob from setting the body alight. International rights groups have long been raising concerns over Pakistani authorities not doing enough to stop lynchings of blasphemy-accused people. One of the highest profile cases wa

 Indian traders first traveled to the Gulf region for trade in the early nineteenth century, which is when trade between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) began. The trade connection between the two nations has developed and increased over time, and the UAE is now one of India's biggest trading partners. Spices, textiles, and other items were traded by Indian traders with their Gulf counterparts in the early years of the trading partnership, especially in what is now the UAE. The number of Indian merchants and traders visiting the Gulf region increased along with the growth of the trading ties between the two nations. As the 20th century progressed, commerce between India and the UAE increased and the two nations' political and economic relationships grew stronger. India became a significant source of goods and services for the Emirates, while the UAE became a significant market for Indian goods and services. In the 1960s and 1970s, when India and the UAE signed a numbe

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) search and rescue teams have rescued a Syrian family of four from the rubble in Turkey after powerful earthquakes rocked the region on Monday. The UAE’s Operation Gallant Knight/2 recovered a mother, her son and two daughters, who were trapped under the rubble. Emirati search and rescue teams took almost five hours to complete the process and rescue the injured family. They were transferred to a hospital in Turkey for treatment. Under the directives of the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Joint Operations Command of the Ministry of Defence of the UAE launched the Gallant Knight / 2 operation in order to help earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister of the UAE, also directed  $13.6 million in humanitarian aid to Syria. The UAE also sent search and rescue teams, urgent relief and emergency aid to Syria. The UAE President also ordered th

 According to seismology specialists, inhabitants of the UAE shouldn't be concerned about earthquakes in the area. There is no need for concern among residents of this nation because the UAE falls under low to moderate seismicity, according to Khalifa Al Ebri, Director Department of Seismology, National Center of Meteorology (NCM), who spoke to Khaleej Times "We are safe because the UAE has low to moderate seismic activity. We are not on the seismically active belt "said he. "We experience two to three tremors on average every year. Most of these vibrations go unnoticed by people; the sensors only notice them. The country's infrastructure and buildings are unaffected by any of these disturbances." According to Al Ebri, the nation is situated on the Arabian Tectonic Plate, which lies in opposition to the Eurasian Plate. One of the seismically active locations in the world is the Zagros mountain band, which forms the boundary of those plates. As a result, the

 Shell UAE hosted the Shell Startup Engine Demo Day at Sharjah Research, Technology, and Innovation Park today under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, providing eight ambitious startups with a stage to present their cutting-edge sustainable energy solutions to an audience of government representatives and business partners and investors. Shell Startup Engine, in collaboration with Startup Bootcamp, is the regional extension of the company's global flagship programme for early to mid-stage energy businesses striving to contribute to tomorrow's cleaner, smarter energy future. At the event, H.E. Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure for Energy and Petroleum Affairs, stated, "The UAE continues to take ambitious steps to build a low-carbon future through innovative and tech-enabled solutions that serve the energy sector and help achieve the objectives of its Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative." Accord

 India, France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to cooperate in areas of defence, climate, nuclear energy and technology under a trilateral framework.  A joint statement from the three countries revealed that they agreed to work in the field of climate operation. They said that the trilateral initiative would serve as a forum to promote the design and execution of cooperation projects in the fields of energy. The foreign ministers of the UAE, India and France held a phone conversation on the matter. Subsequently, the joint statement said, "It was acknowledged that defence is an area of close cooperation between the three countries.” The three countries said that the trilateral framework would help to expand cooperation between their countries' development agencies on sustainable projects. They announced plans to launch energy projects, with a special focus on solar and nuclear energy. According to the joint statement, the projects would particularly centre around

 In a phone call with Prime Minister Shiaa al-Sudani on Friday, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed addressed enhancing bilateral cooperation with Iraq. According to a report from Emirates News Agency, the two leaders talked about "different sectors of collaboration and joint effort between the two countries, and means of developing them to accomplish their common objectives." The two allegedly discussed other matters of common interest and reaffirmed their desire to speak further. The phone contact comes a day after Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan conducted a joint press conference in Baghdad to emphasise the crucial role Iraq plays in bolstering regional stability. On Thursday, Prince Faisal arrived in Baghdad for a formal visit and discussions about strengthening bilateral relations. Additionally, US President Joe Biden 's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, visited Jordan and Iraq last month.

 Now, this is a time when the world is recovering from COVID 19 and now they are leaving masks, Universities begin their academic year with no masks in D.C. too. But GW was one of the different tracks, they are still following the rule of Compulsory masks! Though for indoor spaces masks are not compulsory by officials’ declaration still it is mandatory in instructional settings. Now as the cases of COVID is falling so it is necessary to make mask optional. GW hasn't updated its mask policy since September, despite the pandemic entering its third year with dwindling nationwide support for measures such as universal masking and social distancing. After that, DC averaged about 79 cases per week per 100,000 people. Positive COVID cases are low in GW and across the district, and a mandatory masking policy within classrooms is proving to be an age-old safety measure. The policy on masks is different in the university and schools. Georgetown then gives some relaxation to masking policies

 A people's culture is an important component of their traditions, practices, and languages, and it influences society as a whole. Every Indian celebrates India as a land of varied cultures, ringing the grandeur of our great country. A civilization that values diversity teaches us the value of coexisting with nature and teaching tolerance, harmony, and respect. In light of this, JSS Private School was pleased to host the third season of Sanskriti - The Pride of India, an interschool cultural competition. The school's yearly celebration was a resounding success. Students from kindergarten classes from the 13 participating schools performed dance and song performances. It was quite exciting to see these young participants' incredible talents as they performed much above the viewers' expectations, not to mention their enormous love and respect for their nation. The school created another program by the Arabic department called Loghaty Hwyaty to further the theme of cultur

 On Thursday, it was revealed that higher education institutions in the UAE are no longer required to use the Emirates Standardized Tests (EmSAT) for university admissions. The country's universities may employ the EmSAT or other exams for admission, according to the Ministry of Education . They are free to choose the required minimum scores. Admissions for 2023–24 will be affected by the ruling. Universities and other higher education institutions are expected to maintain the standard of instruction. The choice is intended to improve students' capacity to select a university major in accordance with their interests, aptitudes, and talents. A national system of computer-based exams called EmSAT is used to evaluate graduates from both domestic and international private and public schools. For admission to UAE universities, the exam results have to be submitted prior to this release.

 On Wednesday, the Indian government presented its last Budget ahead of the 2024 general elections. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Minister of Finance of India , announced that the new tax regime will now be the default tax regime. While announcing Union Budget 2023, she also announced an increase in the income tax rebate limit from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh under the new tax regime. She reportedly said, “Currently, those with an income of Rs 5 lakh do not pay any income tax and I propose to increase the rebate limit to Rs 7 lakh in the new tax regime.” Reportedly, a 5% tax will be levied on total income between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 6 lakh, a 10% will be levied on Rs 6 lakh to Rs 9 lakh, 15% will be levied on Rs 9 lakh to Rs 12 lakh, 20% will be levied on Rs 12 lakh to Rs 15 lakh and 30% on Rs 15 lakh and above. She also proposed to reduce the highest surcharge rate from 37% to 25% in the new tax regime. Sitharaman also proposed to raise the capital expenditure target by 33% to Rs 10 lakh crore for