PARIS: What if a simple pill could help heal from Covid-19? US pharma giants Merck and Pfizer have announced encouraging results for oral drugs, while an anti-depressant has also shown promise in what could open up a new chapter in the fight against the pandemic. What are these treatments ? They are pills taken orally as … Read more
MADRID, Spain: One of Spain’s busiest airports, Palma de Mallorca, was forced to close for nearly four hours after several passengers ran off when their plane made an emergency landing, according to airport authorities. The aircraft, which was on a flight between Morocco and Turkey, was diverted to the Mediterranean island of Mallorca on Friday … Read more
LOS ANGELES: The four-decade-old mystery of a German skier who vanished in the Never Summer Mountains appeared to have been solved with the discovery of skeletal remains, US authorities said this week. Rudi Moder, who was 27 at the time, set out through the snow covered range, part of the Rocky Mountains, in Colorado, on … Read more
TULUM, Mexico: Mexican soldiers patrol the beach of Tulum while investigators reconstruct a crime scene in the once-sleepy Caribbean resort, reeling from the deaths of two tourists caught in gang crossfire. “Are they filming a movie?” asks Lukas Smith, a Canadian tourist visiting the town known for its ancient Mayan ruins, turquoise waters and — … Read more
WELLINGTON: New Zealand will not shy away from criticising China’s human rights record to protect its lucrative trade relationship with Beijing, prime minister Jacinda Ardern has said in an interview. Ardern’s government is accused of going easy on China’s much-questioned humanitarian record, prompting some commentators to label Wellington a “weak link” in the US-led Five Eyes security alliance. But … Read more
VIENNA: Austria said on Friday it is barring those not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 from cafes, restaurants and hairdressers as infections approach the record set a year ago and the government struggles to convince holdouts to get the shot. Roughly 64 per cent of Austria’s population is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, in line with the European Union … Read more
BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping, the uncontested leader of the world’s most populous nation, heads a pivotal plenary of the ruling party’s top figures next week that will set the tone for his bid for long-term rule. From Monday to Thursday, some 400 members of the Communist Party’s all-powerful Central Committee gather in Beijing behind … Read more
DUBAI: A new international body will oversee companies’ environmental policies to ensure investors are not being duped by false sustainability claims known as ‘greenwashing’, Arab News reported. The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) was revealed at the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, and is expected to commence work next year. It will have offices in Montreal, … Read more
RIYADH: Sustainability discussions will dominate the Future Mineral Summit scheduled in Riyadh for January 2021, the Vice Minister at the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources told Arab News. Khalid Al-Mudaifer added that the Saudi government will not allow companies to exploit any minerals if they are not sustainable and environmentally responsible, and if this cannot … Read more
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s economy is expected to have grown by around 5.7 per cent in the third quarter, thanks to a more robust hydrocarbon sector output, Arab News quoted Capital Economics, as saying, in a report. The London-based firm added that the expected expansion would leave GDP approximately one per cent above its pre-pandemic level. … Read more
TOKYO: Japan will not change the basic policy that crude oil will continue to account for about 30 per cent of its primary energy supply up to 2030, which is consistent with the ambitious 2030 greenhouse gas emissions target, Arab News quoted Japan’s Trade and Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda, as saying. “Oil is used for … Read more
ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood was informed that Pakistan’s non-energy import bill has decreased 12.5 per cent in October 2021. Pakistan’s non-energy import bill has decreased 12.5 per cent, a decrease of $624 million, compared with September 2021. The commerce adviser chaired a meeting to discuss the … Read more
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to Amman and the president of Jordanian Senate discussed ways to enhance Jordanian-Pakistani cooperation. Senate president Faisal Al-Fayez received Ambassador Sajjad Ali Khan at his office in Amman, the Jordan News Agency Petra reported. The ambassador said: “We are looking forward to starting new investment companies between the two friendly countries,” and praised Pakistani-Jordanian … Read more
KARACHI: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has demanded the Customs authorities to constitute a valuation advisory committee to resolve consignment clearance issues, a statement said. The FPCCI organised a national-level meeting on burning Customs valuation issues; which saw participation from all provinces, major industrial estates and all major industrial sectors … Read more
KARACHI: Engro Polymer and Chemicals hosted a dialogue on climate change and technologies of the future at the Expo 2020 Dubai, a statement said. The points of the dialogue consisted of climate change, construction materials and technologies of the future, building inclusive communities, and circular economy, to celebrate the Rural and Urban Development Week at … Read more
WASHINGTON: A Chinese intelligence officer was convicted in US federal court on Friday of economic espionage in an alleged state-backed effort to steal technology from US and French aerospace firms, the Justice Department said. Xu Yanjun, an official in the Jiangsu province foreign intelligence office of the ministry of state security, was found guilty in … Read more
KUTUPALONG, Bangladesh: Bloodstains still mark the spot where assassins gunned down Mohib Ullah, an activist who was a leading voice for the 850,000 Rohingya living in fear in Bangladeshi refugee camps. In the weeks since the murder, a senior member of the now-shellshocked volunteer group that Ullah headed has received phone calls telling him he’ll … Read more
RAMALLAH: Palestine on Friday welcomed the consensus of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly on the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. In a press statement sent to Xinhua, the Palestinian ministry of foreign affairs said that 158 UN member states voted in favor of the resolution, ten abstained, and six voted … Read more
RAMALLAH: Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye on Friday condemned Israeli soldiers for killing a 13-year-old Palestinian boy during clashes near the northern West Bank city of Nablus. “Killing the child Mohammed Da’das, 13 years old, is an awful crime; therefore, the international community and human rights organisations must condemn the Israeli crimes and act on … Read more
GLASGOW: Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg on Friday branded the UN climate summit in Glasgow a “failure” during a mass protest in the Scottish city demanding swifter action from leaders to address the emergency. Thunberg said pledges from some nations made during COP26 to accelerate their emissions cuts amounted to little more than “a two-week long celebration of business … Read more
RAMALLAH: A 13-year-old Palestinian boy was killed on Friday evening by Israeli soldiers near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian medics and eyewitnesses said. The Palestinian ministry of health said in a statement that the boy was shot in the abdomen by Israeli soldiers, and he was dead when arriving at the hospital … Read more
TOKYO: Japanese car giant Honda revised its annual profit forecast downwards on Friday, warning it sees no immediate end to the chip shortage and supply-chain issues impacting automakers worldwide. The announcement came as the firm logged a drop in net profit in the July-September quarter, although the first-half net profit was buoyed by stronger results seen … Read more
LONDON: British Airways owner IAG said on Friday that the third quarter losses shrank sharply on the gradual lifting of Covid travel curbs, and expressed the hope of a return to profit next year. The loss after taxation hit €574 million ($664 million) in the three months to September, compared with €1.8 billion a year … Read more
BEIJING: China’s tax and fee cuts totalled 910.1 billion yuan ($142.25 billion) during the first three quarters of the year, according to the data from the State Taxation Administration. Some 788.9 billion yuan of taxes and 121.2 billion yuan of fees were reduced, according to the administration. Since the beginning of the current year, a … Read more
GENEVA: After its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), China has been playing a constructive role over the years, Sean Doherty, head of International Trade and Investment at the World Economic Forum (WEF), told Xinhua. On December 11, 2001, China officially joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) and became its 143rd member. Doherty, also a … Read more
SHANGHAI: The fourth China International Import Expo (CIIE), scheduled for November 5 to 10, is set to open in China’s coastal city of Shanghai. As an icon of China’s opening-up and international cooperation, the expo, which has been held every year since 2018, has promoted global development and prosperity, and contributed to shaping a brighter … Read more
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s economy expanded again in the third quarter, official data showed on Friday, thanks to a pick-up in exports but the rate slowed from the previous three months as the pandemic continued to take its toll. Southeast Asia’s biggest economy grew 3.51 per cent on-year in July-September, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said, though that … Read more
BEIJING: Chinese developer Kaisa Group suspended trading in its Hong Kong-listed shares on Friday, raising concerns about a deepening cash flow crisis at the firm, as China’s crucial property sector comes under intense pressure. The announcement came as a liquidity crisis at one of the nation’s biggest property developers, China Evergrande, throws a spotlight on the … Read more
