Author: News Editor

   Glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates across the Hindu Kush Himalayan mountain ranges and could lose up to 80% of their current volume this century if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t sharply reduced, according to a new report.    The report Tuesday from Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development warned that flash floods and avalanches would grow more likely in coming years, and that the availability of fresh water would be affected for nearly 2 billion people who live downstream of 12 rivers that originate in the mountains.    Ice and snow in the Hindu Kush Himalayan ranges is…

The Dubai International Chamber (DIC), one of the three chambers operating under Dubai Chambers, has inaugurated a new international representative office in London, United Kingdom. The new office, which is DIC’s first representative office in Europe and 20th globally, marks a significant step in the chamber’s global expansion strategy. The main focus of the new Dubai business office in London is unlocking the shared business interests between Dubai and the UK, the Dubai International Chamber said. The new London office, its first in Europe and 20th globally, was described as the “next step” in UK-UAE relations. Khalid Al Shamsi, vice…

Iranian ju-jitsu fighters showed fine athletic skills to claim two gold medals at the AJP Tour Dubai International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 held in the United Arab Emirates. On Sunday, Ashkan Moradi took part in the men’s GI amateur 120-kilogram competitions at al-Nasr Club in Dubai, and took home the gold. Baraa Taher Gilmore, a competitor from Indonesia, claimed the second spot and received the silver medal, while Serbian contestant Stefan Lazarevic pocketed the bronze. Moreover, Mehran Sajjadi, another representative from the Islamic Republic of Iran, won a gold medal in the boy’s 60-kilogram weight class. The AJP Tour Dubai International…

The Bank of England has launched its first system-wide liquidity ‘stress test’ to establish how big banks, insurers, clearing houses and investment funds respond collectively during extreme stresses in markets, it said on Monday. The BoE had said in December that investment funds and other non-bank financial institutions would face their first ‘stress test’ to apply lessons from the near-meltdown in Britain’s pension fund sector in September. “The launch of this exercise will provide valuable insight into the system-wide dynamics for banks and non-banks following a severe but plausible stress to financial markets,” BoE Deputy Governor Jon Cunliffe said in…

IT was a smooth sailing Grand Prix for the Dutchmen this as Max Verstappen takes Red Bull’s 100th F1 win! Alonso takes second after a great battle with Hamilton throughout the race. Hamilton takes a consecutive podium of the year! Verstappen, who led every lap of the race in Montreal, told his team on Lap 11 that he hit a bird but it didn’t slow him down as he beat Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton by nearly 10 seconds. The victory was Red Bull’s 100th in Formula 1 and Verstappen’s 41st, which equals the tally of three-time world champion Ayrton…

In 2022, geopolitical divisions threatened peace and stability, conflicts erupted and countries continued to grapple with worsening climate emergencies, soaring poverty and deepening inequalities as the COVID-19 pandemic reversed progress in human rights, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk during the presentation of the Annual Report of his office. Despite the myriad of crises that defined 2022, UN Human Rights continued to be a formidable ally to those fighting for justice and equality, and against human rights abuses and violations. “Our report for 2022 demonstrates how valuable this work is — with benefit not only in specific…

In an effort to create more opportunities for skilled refugees and displaced individuals, Canada has unveiled two new immigration streams under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP). These streams aim to harness the talents of individuals who are often overlooked and provide them with a chance to continue their careers in Canada, by utilising their education, skills, training, and experience. The announcement was made on Monday by the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. He highlighted Canada’s commitment to facilitating the integration of refugees and displaced people into society. Mondays announcement was also a follow up of…

The East African Community is prioritising infrastructure development in the next fiscal year, signalling a break from a three-year lull blamed on the Covid-19 pandemic. The EAC on Tuesday tabled before the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) budget estimates totalling $103,842,880 for 2023/2024, out of which 43 percent ($44 million), funded by development partners, will be used on infrastructure projects to spur intra-EAC trade, which increased by 13.4 percent to $74.03 billion in 2022 from $65.268 billion in 2021. The bloc has this year secured funding for road projects connecting Kenya and Tanzania though Lunga Lunga; Tanzania to Burundi through…

The 8th of June marks the entry into force of African Union’s Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection also known as Malabo Convention. This means the Convention came into force nine years after its adoption on June 27, 2014 and became the only binding regional treaty on data protection outside Europe. Following Mauritania’s ratification on May 9, 2023, the Convention entered into force officially thirty days after the date of receipt by the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union of the fifteenth (15th) instrument of ratification as provided under article 36. The Malabo Convention is a…

The European Council and the European Parliament have provisionally agreed on rules to digitalize the Schengen visa application process by allowing visa nationals to apply for visas online and by replacing the current visa sticker with a digital visa. These measures are aimed at increasing the efficiency of the application process, making it easier for travelers to apply for visas, and to improve security in the Schengen Area, by reducing the risk of falsification and theft of visas. The agreement with the new digitalization rules will not go into effect until the European Council and European Parliament finalize the formal…