Section: United Arab Emirates
Aviation deaths rise worldwide in 2020 even as fatal incidents, flights fall
The number of people killed in large commercial airplane crashes rose in 2020 to 299 worldwide, even as the number of crashes fell by more than 50 percent, a Dutch consulting firm said on Friday.Aviation consulting firm To70 said in 2020 there were 40 accidents involving large commercial passenger planes, five of which were fatal, resulting in...
Russia pushes ahead on Europe gas link before US sanctions
Russia is stepping up work on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline before the US tightens sanctions against the controversial project designed to feed more natural gas into Germany.Construction of the 1,230-kilometre (764-mile) pipeline reached a milestone on Monday with the completion of pipe-laying of a section in Germany’s exclusive economic zone,...
Iran allocates $150,000 for families of each victim of downed Ukraine plane
Iran’s cabinet on Wednesday allocated $150,000 for the families of each of the 176 victims of a Ukrainian plane downed in Iranian airspace in January, the official IRNA news agency reported.“The cabinet approved the provision of $150,000 or the equivalent in euros as soon as possible to the families and survivors of each of the victims of...
It’s Europe’s turn to reject Trump
Despite all his whining and wailing, Donald Trump’s presidency will end on January 20, 2021. He will be history; but, sadly, his political legacy will endure. With almost 75mn Americans voting for him (and 82mn for Joe Biden), Trump mobilised an extraordinary and unexpected level of support among a base that will continue to steer the...
Can anything stop US President Trump from pardoning his family or even himself?
President Donald Trump on Wednesday granted pardons to his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former adviser Roger Stone, sweeping away the most important convictions from US Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign.So far, Trump, who has 27 days left in the White House...
Right-wing challenge to PM Netanyahu builds ahead of Israeli election
A right-wing challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a March Israeli election gained momentum on Wednesday with the defection of a long-time ally to an upstart rival party.In a letter announcing his resignation from Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party and parliament, Zeev Elkin, a minister in successive Netanyahu governments,...
Russian and Chinese bombers fly joint patrol over Pacific in strategic tieup
Russian and Chinese bombers flew a joint patrol mission over the Western Pacific on Tuesday in a show of increasingly close military ties between Moscow and Beijing.:No need for Russia-China military alliance, but it’s possible: PutinPentagon chief stresses drive for stronger alliances to counter China, RussiaUS to impose new Iran-related...
UK minister Gove says trade talks could go on beyond Christmas
Senior British minister Michael Gove said on Thursday that Britain hoped to reach a trade deal with the European Union but that talks might go on until after Christmas.: EU prolongs sanctions for six months against Russia over Ukraine conflictUS hopes for trade deal with UK, Trump’s trade chief saysCoronavirus: UK PM Johnson says would be...
EU prolongs sanctions for six months against Russia over Ukraine conflict
The European Union on Thursday formally prolonged for six months economic sanctions against Russia over the country’s failure to live up to commitments to the peace agreement in Ukraine.:EU extends Russian sanctions over Ukraine: MerkelRussia, Ukraine sign deal for gas transit to EuropeMacron urges Europe to seek a dialogue with Russia to...
Putin denies involvement in Navalny’s poisoning
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday rejected allegations that the Kremlin was behind the poisoning of his top political foe, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and accused US intelligence agencies of fomenting the claims.Speaking via video call during an annual marathon news conference, the Russian leader countered the accusations by...
