India Shines at Record-Breaking Gulfood Manufacturing 2024 in Dubai

Gulfood Manufacturing and GulfHost 2024, the world’s largest food and beverage industry event, opened its doors today at the Dubai World Trade Centre, with India’s participation reaching a new high.

The co-located events, which run until November 7, are the biggest editions ever, with nearly 3,000 exhibitors from over 100 countries across 21 halls. The exhibitions will showcase cutting-edge processing, packaging, ingredients, supply chain solutions, and automation technologies from industry leaders.

The Indian pavilion at Gulfood Manufacturing and GulfHost 2024, which opened its doors today, has set a new record with the participation of 198 Indian companies. The event, which runs until November 7 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, is the largest edition ever, with nearly 3,000 exhibitors from over 100 countries across 21 halls.

The Indian contingent, organized by the Spices Board of India and the Engineering Export Promotion Council of India, has brought a diverse array of value-added agro-producers, packaging, and manufacturing companies to the event. This strong presence underscores India’s growing role in the global food and beverage industry. The Indian pavilion was inaugurated today by Shri Satish Kumar Sivan, Consul General of India in Dubai.

The Indian presence at Gulfood Manufacturing and GulfHost 2024 aims to showcase its advancements in food processing technologies and packaging solutions, promote the high quality and diversity of its food products to international markets, strengthen trade ties and create new business opportunities for Indian food manufacturers, attract foreign investments into the Indian food processing sector, and engage in knowledge-sharing with industry experts and promote sustainable manufacturing practices.Key themes highlighted by India at the event include technological innovation, sustainability and eco-friendly practices, diverse and high-quality product portfolios, and investment and partnership opportunities.

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of Gulfood Manufacturing, the event will also host the Gulfood Manufacturing Awards, recognizing the most innovative products and technologies of the past decade that have redefined industry standards and driven sustainable development. India Shines at Record-Breaking Gulfood Manufacturing 2024 in Dubai

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Three things we learned from the Bahrain Grand Prix

A flawless drive and masterful show of sangfroid from Max Verstappen ensured Red Bull enjoyed a stunning start to the new F1 season, picking up where they left off in 2023 and, temporarily at least, eased the pressure on Christian Horner.

But even as they celebrated a perfect one-two, Horner’s position as team chief and Red Bull’s as standard-setters was the focus of renewed speculation – thanks to comments from Verstappen's father Jos.

AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from Sunday’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix:

- Horner crisis overshadows Verstappen dominance -

Rarely can a team have crushed their rivals as comprehensively as the champions did on Sunday -- only to be rocked by claims of an imminent implosion if their principal is not relieved of his duties.

According to Jos Verstappen, father of three-time champion Max, the team will "explode" if Horner stays.

This follows the circulation of a batch of messages allegedly sent by Horner to a female employee, released by an anonymous source 24 hours after the Briton, 50, was cleared by an internal probe of allegations of misconduct.

AFP | ANDREJ ISAKOVIC

"There is tension while he remains in position," said Verstappen senior, as quoted by a British newspaper. "The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can't go on the way it is. It will explode".

Verstappen’s 55th career win and eighth in consecutive races was dominant, but not sufficiently to convince that Red Bull will again be all-conquering.

The chasing pack, led this time by Carlos Sainz, showed the speed, if not the consistency, to close the gap.

Verstappen himself said he had seen this in the performances of his rivals even if Sunday’s outcome on a high-degradation circuit suited Red Bull so emphatically.

During a stressful weekend for the team, he noticeably declined to offer emphatic personal support for Horner.

"He has been an incredible team boss," said the three-time world champion. "From the performance side, you can’t question that so that’s what I am dealing with.

"We focus on that and that’s how we work together."

For quite how much longer, if his father’s views hold sufficient weight with the parent company’s share-holders, remains to be seen.

- Ferrari improve as Mercedes rue mistakes -

Ferrari team chief Fred Vasseur said he was proud of his team’s improved pace and performance but recognised they have a gap to close as they lead the chase to catch Red Bull.

Sainz, who gives up his seat at the end of the season to Lewis Hamilton, came home third, 25 seconds adrift of Verstappen, but less than three behind Sergio Perez, while Charles Leclerc managed brake problems to come home fourth.

AFP | Giuseppe CACACE

"Mixed feelings," said Vasseur. "We compressed the gap to Red Bull by 50 per cent compared to a year ago, but it isn’t enough. And again, we had too many issues."

Like Ferrari, Mercedes were upbeat if frustrated after cooling problems undid their hopes, having been fastest in Thursday practice.

"We faced similar problems," said George Russell, who finished fifth, two places ahead of Hamilton. "We made a mistake in our forecasts."

McLaren and Aston Martin were also unable to produce their best at the Bahrain track which is widely seen as a‘one-off’.

- Chaos at Alpine -

The Enstone-backed Alpine team slumped to the back of the grid with a poor show in qualifying and after a period of upheaval appears to be under pressure again.

AFP | ANDREJ ISAKOVIC

The resignations of technical director Matt Harman and aerodynamics boss Dirk de Beer in February came before Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly qualified on the back row.

They went on to finish 17th and 18th respectively.Former team boss Otmar Szafnauer, who was dismissed last July, observed on Saturday that "the stop watch doesn’t lie and it (the car) doesn’t look very competitive. It’s a hard game, F1. You have to do a lot of things right and if you get them wrong, it bites you." Three things we learned from the Bahrain Grand Prix

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At least 500 Bahrain prisoners on hunger strike, amid continuation of abuse

• At least 500 prisoners in Bahrain are undergoing a hunger strike in what is said to be the largest such demonstration within the Gulf state’s prison system, amid authorities’ ongoing detention of prisoners of conscience. 
• According to The Guardian newspaper, detainees began refusing food on 7 August, with increasing numbers of prisoners having joined the hunger strike throughout the following weeks.
• In a statement from the detainees, which was released through the country’s banned Al-Wefaq opposition party, the hunger strike is being carried out with a series of demands, including an increase to the one-hour per day limit on time outside their cells, the allowance to conduct prayers in congregation at the prison mosque, relieving restrictions on family visits, improvements to education facilities, and access to proper medical and health care.
• “These are not frivolous demands, but necessary ones required for human life,” the prisoners’ statement stressed. The demands come amid increasing reports on the commonness of Bahraini prison authorities’ denial of medical treatment to detainees, the use of solitary confinement, and various other abuses.
• The Bahraini government denied such abuses, however, with its national communication centre telling the paper that it “is committed to protecting human rights and ensuring that international standards are met for all dealings with inmates at its reform and rehabilitation facilities.” The government insisted that the officers and other employees at Jau prison “are fully committed to dealing with inmates in accordance to the law.”
• Authorities also claimed there were no prisoners of conscience held within its system, despite Jau prison reportedly being a site notorious for holding such prisoners and political detainees.
• The office of Bahrain’s interior ministry ombudsman was also quoted as asserting that it has conducted investigations to “ensure the inmates obtain all their rights, whether from health care, visits or contact with their families, and are not being subjected to ill-treatment.”
• According to Sayed Alwadaei, a former inmate at Jau prison and a figure at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird), this hunger strike “is probably one of the most powerful strikes that has ever happened inside the Bahraini prison system; the scale of it is overwhelming.”In the tiny Gulf island state, political prisoners reportedly number around 1,200, just under a third of the total prisoner population of 3,800. According to Bird, that means Bahrain has one of the highest incarceration rates per capita in the Middle East. Source: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/

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Kalyan Jewellers announces Diwali offers

Doha: With the advent of India’s peak festive season, Kalyan Jewellers, a leading jewellery brand, has announced a new offer across Qatar - ‘This Diwali with Kalyan’ until December 25. Customers will get maximum value on their jewellery purchases, across categories – from gold and diamonds to uncut and precious stone jewellery, it was explained in a statement. The new offer allows patrons to get cashback up to QR100 on every purchase of gold Jewellery worth QR5,000, up to QR200 on precious/uncut jewellery worth QR5,000 and up to QR500 cashback on diamond jewellery worth QR5,000. Talking about the offers, Ramesh Kalyanaraman, executive director, Kalyan Jewellers said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of our Diwali celebrations with unique offers on our extensive range of jewellery. At Kalyan Jewellers, we understand the emotion and sentiment of our customers linked with their festivals and jewellery, which is why we strive to provide maximum benefits to our patrons on their festive jewellery purchases by providing them great offers.” The jewellery retailed at Kalyan Jewellers goes through multiple purity tests and patrons also receive the Kalyan Jewellers 4-Level Assurance Certificate which guarantees purity, free lifetime maintenance of ornaments, detailed product information and transparent exchange and buy-back policies, the statement added. Source: https://www.gulf-times.com/

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Saudi shuts down entertainment centres including cinemas

Saudi Arabia shut down entertainment centres including cinemas and suspended dine-in services at restaurants, tightening coronavirus restrictions amid a spike in infections. - Reports AFP

The kingdom suspended “all events and parties” including weddings in banquet halls or hotels for 30 days, the interior ministry said in a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency.

It also halted “all entertainment activities” including cinemas and gaming parlours and suspended dine-in services in all restaurants and cafes for 10 days, it added, warning that the suspension could be extended.

The measures, which will be implemented from 10:00 pm on Thursday (1900 GMT) are aimed at “preventing the outbreak of a second wave” of the pandemic, the ministry said.

The announcement comes after Health Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah warned on Sunday that new coronavirus restrictions could be imposed if citizens and residents do not comply with health restrictions.

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia suspended entry from 20 countries, ranging from some neighbouring states to the United States, in a bid to curb a jump in infections.

Saudi Arabia has reported nearly 369,000 coronavirus cases and almost 6,400 deaths, the highest among Gulf Arab states.

Daily infections dipped below 100 in early January, from a peak of nearly 5,000 last June.

However, new daily infections have tripled since then, with 306 cases reported by the health ministry on Wednesday.Saudi Arabia launched its coronavirus vaccination campaign on December 17 after receiving the first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. - AFP, Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/

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UAE to offer citizenship to foreigners

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) took a landmark decision to grant citizenship to foreigners, but only the ‘selected foreigners’ will get the benefit from the public welfare system.

Dubai ruler and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum confirmed the matter on Saturday.

It is known that foreigners do not get citizenship although living in the Arab countries for a decade. Now the UAE government took the landmark decision, the country’s government has already amended the law in this regard.

This is considered the most important step amid the Covid-19 pandemic in any Gulf country.

Investors, specialized talents and professionals including scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, authors and their families” would be eligible for naturalization under the new amendment to the citizenship law, said Sheikh Mohammad.

“The UAE cabinet, local Emiri courts and executive councils will nominate those eligible for the citizenship under clear criteria set for each category,” he said, adding: “The law allows receivers of the UAE passport to keep their existing citizenship.”

Holders of UAE passports will also be able to retain the citizenship of their respective countries, the government said.

The Citizenship Act has been amended to grant citizenship to meritorious and skilled foreigners residing in the country. This will make it possible to attract more talented and skilled people to the UAE.

The number of foreign nationals granted citizenship in the UAE, a country of 9 million people, is not very high. A lot of foreign workers from different countries are working there. Most of them are from South Asia. Many of these people are second or third generation residents.Source: Al Jazeera, Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com 

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Madinah among world’s healthiest cities

Madinah, a city of Saudi Arabia, has been recognized as the world’s healthiest cities by the World Health Organization (WHO).

A visiting WHO team in the holy city said that it met all the global standards required to be a healthy city.

Madinah is believed to be the first city with a population of more than 2 million to be recognized under the organization’s healthy cities program.

A total of 22 government, community, charity, and volunteer agencies helped the WHO to prepare the accreditation.According to WHO, “A healthy city is one that is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and developing to their maximum potential.” Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

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Expats getting smart driving licenses in Kuwait

Both the citizens and expats including Bangladeshis in Kuwait are going to get smart driving licences from Sunday as the Ministry of Interior (MoI) is set to start distributing smart driving licences to all motorists. 

However, the distribution initially began for all citizens last August and before expats could sign up for driving licenses for the first time, starting from September 27. This license allows driving in all countries of the world.

The local English daily Arab Times quoted the country's Ministry of Interior (MoI) saying.

According to the Arab Times, all measures have been taken to protect the smart driving license, leaving no room for fraud.

On the other hand, all the expats self-sponsored data has been stored in the smart chip in the smart license, however, the license fee remains the same as before.It is reported that previously smart driving licenses were limited to only six Gulf countries to use. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/

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India-UAE pact on science cooperation gets cabinet nod

India and the United Arab Emirates will soon start exchanging experience and research focused on climatic information services and tropical cyclone forecasting to avoid damage to public infrastructure due to tsunami activity in the Arabian Sea and Sea of Oman.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday gave its approval to a memorandum of understanding on Scientific and Technical Cooperation between National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), UAE and India's Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

Weather services make critical contributions in enhancing efficiency of weather dependent sectors of economy and in managing risk in weather-dependent economic sectors such as agriculture, transport, and water which underpin the economic growth in the region.

The MoU provides for sharing of knowledge, data and operational products for meteorological, seismological and oceanic services, such as radar, satellite, tide gauges, seismic and meteorological stations.

Both the countries will exchange experience of their scientists, research scholars and specialists for the purpose of research, training, and consultation focused on climatic information services.

India and UAE will also share experience on satellite data utilisation for tropical cyclones forecasting, and exchange scientific and technical information related to common interest activities.

Both the parties will deploy meteorological observation networks on mutual agreement over ocean waters and cooperate in sharing inputs on development of special capacities of tsunami model researches for faster and more reliable forecasts.

Tsunamis propagate through the Oman Sea and Arabian Sea and affect the coastal areas of India and northeast of UAE. The two countries will support the Tsunami Early Warning Centre (TEWC) in the form of forecast modelling software, specifically designed to support the tsunami forecasting operations.

They will share the real-time seismic data of some of seismic stations situated in south and west of India and north of the UAE for monitoring the seismic activities which may generate tsunamis in Arabian Sea and Sea of Oman.

India and UAE will also share study of seismic activities having the potential to generate tsunami waves in Arabian Sea and Oman Sea, and cooperate in early warnings of sand and dust storms through the exchange of knowledge. (IANS) Source: d

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Saudi King Salman receives coronavirus jab

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received a Covid-19 vaccine jab on Friday, the state news agency SPA said. 

The 85-year-old King Salman “received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine,” in the futuristic Red Sea city of Neom, the agency said. 

It also posted two pictures and a short video that showed a medical staff injecting the king with the vaccine. 

On December 17, the kingdom launched its coronavirus vaccination campaign after receiving the first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. 

The health ministry said the programme would roll out in three phases, starting with people over 65 and those with chronic ailments or at high risk of infection.

People over 50 would be vaccinated next, with everyone else included in the third stage, the ministry said, adding that the vaccine would be free for citizens and residents. 

Saudi Arabia has recorded more than 363,000 novel coronavirus cases, including more than 6,000 deaths - the highest among the Gulf Arab states. But the kingdom has also reported a high recovery rate.According to official figures, Saudi Arabia has a population of more than 34 million. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

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Saudi opens all borders, resumes connection with Qatar

Saudi Arabia has been decided to open the air, land and sea borders with Qatar. The country has already opened the land border and is set to reopen its airspace and sea border. After almost three years, the decision has been in effect since Monday evening. 

According to Al Jazeera, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser Al Mohammad Al Sabah said on Monday that the decision to reopen the air, land and sea borders between Saudi Arabia and Qatar was made as per the proposal of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah - Which has been in effect since evening.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed various economic and diplomatic sanctions on Qatar in June 2016, accusing it of “supporting terrorism and having ties to Iran”. At the same time, all kinds of borders were shut down. 

However, Qatar has denied the allegations since the beginning. Kuwait has been mediating between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and other disputing states.DailyBangladesh/AS, Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

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Indian expat in UAE bags Guinness World Record with 8.2 sq mt giant pop-up greeting card

JAN 02, 2021 DUBAI: An Indian expatriate in the UAE has entered the Guinness World Records for the 19th time, after he unveiled a 8.2 square metre giant pop-up greeting card, commemorating the 15th Accession Day of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, according to a media report on Saturday. Ramkumar Sarangapani, a Dubai resident, now holds the most number of world records by an individual in the UAE and India, the Gulf News reported. Sarangapani''s pop up greetings card is 100 times larger than the regular pop-up cards. Inside, it has a collage of Sheikh Mohammed''s paintings created by Dubai-based artist Akbar Saheb, the newspaper said. While the pop-up card dedicated to Sheikh Mohammed has a closed surface area of 8.20 square metres, the previous record, which was set in Hong Kong, was of 6.729 square metres. Sarangapani''s card has dimensions of 4 metres in length and 2.05 metres in width. The card''s outer cover is the winning bid of Expo 2020, the daily reported. Speaking to Gulf News, Sarangapani said, "I had been working on this for the last six months and was waiting for the most opportune time to break this record to make it very special for the nation. And there couldn''t have been a more auspicious occasion than the 15th Accession Day of Sheikh Mohammed while I also dedicate this to the 50th anniversary year of the UAE''s formation." The card will be exhibited at Doha centre here from January 4 to 18, as part of the UAE''s National Day celebrations. COVID-19 precautionary measures will be in place at the exhibition centre, officials said. The other records held by Sarangapani include the largest sentence made using magnets, largest word using magnets, largest electronic greeting card, smallest pack of playing cards, among others. Sarangapani, who shifted from Chennai to Dubai 17 years ago, specially thanked artist Saheb for his contributions to the pop-up greeting card. Copyright © Jammu Links News, Source: Jammu Links News

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Saudi lifts entry ban, flights resumed

Saudi Arabia has lifted the entry ban in the country to tackle the new strain of coronavirus or Covid-19. 

According to Reuters, the sea, land and air access to the country began at 11:00 am local time on Sunday. 

It is learned that Saudi Arabia has suspended international flights and shut down all ports since December 20 due to fears of a new epidemic or strain infection. After a few days, the country has decided to lift the ban from today. However, the travel ban has been lifted with a number of conditions to prevent the new strain of COVID infections.

A Saudi interior ministry official said there were some restrictions as new outbreaks of Covid-19 strain in countries including South Africa and the United Kingdom. In order to enter Saudi Arabia, they must be in quarantine for at least 14 days. PCR test will also be done.

Citizens who are allowed to enter Saudi Arabia for humanitarian and emergency reasons must also be quarantined at home for 14 days. A PCR test has to be done within 48 hours of their arrival and another on the 13th day of the quarantine.DailyBangladesh/AS, Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/.

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Saudi woman activist jailed for five years

A prominent Saudi female activist, who campaigned for women's right to drive, has been sentenced to more than five years in prison.

Loujain al-Hathloul, 31, has already been in a maximum security prison for two and a half years.

She and other activists were detained in 2018 on charges including contacts with organisations hostile to Saudi Arabia.

International human rights groups have repeatedly called for her release.

But on Monday, the country's Specialised Criminal Court, which was set up to try terrorism cases, convicted her of various charges including trying to harm national security and advance a foreign agenda.

It sentenced her to five years and eight months in prison. Two years and ten months of the sentence are said to have been suspended.

She and her family have denied all charges. They have also said that she has been tortured in jail - accusations the court dismissed.

Hathloul was detained just weeks before Saudi women were finally allowed to drive in 2018 - the cause she championed.

Saudi officials insist her detention has nothing to do with that issue.

Hathloul's family says she was held incommunicado for three months following her arrest, and that she was subjected to electric shocks, whippings, and sexual harassment. They also allege that she was offered freedom if she agreed to say she was not tortured.

Human rights experts have said her trial did not meet international standards.

In November, Amnesty International condemned her transfer to the Specialised Criminal Court, saying it exposed "the brutality and hypocrisy" of Saudi authorities.

The case is seen as further damaging the reputation of Saudi Arabia's controversial de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, known as MBS.

He has led a programme of reforms, including lifting the ban on women driving, in a bid to open up the conservative kingdom to investment.But he has also been condemned for the continued crackdown on rights activists, as well as the Saudi authorities' role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

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Saudi extends ban on international flights by another week

Saudi Arabia on Monday has been extending the ban for another week on entry to the country by air, land and sea.

In a statement by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the decision was taken by the Ministry of Interior as a precautionary measure against the spread of the new variant of COVID-19 which has been detected in a number of countries.

Meanwhile, the non-Saudi citizens are allowed to leave the Kingdom, the statement said.

It added that the ministry is assessing the current situation and the travel ban could be further extended if necessary.

The new strain of Covid-19 emerged earlier this month in the United Kingdom and has already reached several countries around the world, including the Middle East. More than 50 countries had imposed travel restrictions on the UK.Saudi Arabia abruptly shutdown all international flights for a week on December 21. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/

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Saudi Crown Prince gets Covid-19 vaccine in live broadcast

Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, received his first dose of Covid-19 vaccine during a live broadcast on Friday; Photo: Collected

Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, received his first dose of Covid-19 vaccine during a live broadcast on Friday, the country’s state media Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, Prince Mohammed was administered the vaccine as per the Saudi Health Ministry’s national COVID-19 vaccination plan.

Tawfiq al-Rabiah, the health minister of Saudi Arabia, was also received the vaccine on the same day and applauded Prince Mohammed for his “keenness” and ongoing follow-up to provide vaccines to citizens and residents.

Saudi Arabia received its first shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine earlier this month and began its vaccination campaign on 17 December.

Tawfiq al-Rabiah referred to the campaign as a “prevention is better than cure” policy, the Saudi Press Agency reported.Saudi Arabia has recorded 361,903 coronavirus cases and 6,168 deaths since the pandemic first began, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University. The country reported 178 new cases and nine new deaths in the past 24 hours. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

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Saudi Arabia shuts down all international flights

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) on Monday has announced the shutdown of all international flights in the country which will be effective from midnight on 21 December.

According to a statement from the agency, all international flights to and from Saudi Arabia will be shut down for the next week. The shutdown period may be extended by one more week. At this time, if there is a flight of another country’s airline stranded in Saudi, it can leave the country.

“Cargo aircraft will be exempt from this shutdown,” the GACA also said, adding that it will relax the guidelines for air transport passengers with special consideration for emergencies.

The decisions were made in response to the emergence of a potent new strain of the coronavirus among the number of countries, the state news agency SPA reported quoting a source of Saudi’s interior ministry.

The ministry informed anyone who has returned to Saudi Arabia from European countries or high-risk countries after 8 December is required to quarantine for two weeks from the date of their arrival.

They must also undergo a Covid-19 test during their self-isolation period and repeat the test every five days.

Anyone who has returned from or transited through a European or high-risk country within the last three months must also undergo the test, reports Khaleej Times.These travel restrictions will be reviewed in accordance with coronavirus related developments, the SPA also said. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

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Explosion rocks oil tanker off Jeddah

An explosion rocked an oil tanker off Saudi Arabia’s port city of Jeddah on the Red Sea, international media reported on Monday. 

All 22 sailors on board the Singapore-flagged BW Rhine escaped without injury, shipping company Hafnia said in a statement. The company warned it was possible some oil leaked out from the site of the blast. 

“BW Rhine has been hit from an external source whilst discharging at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at approximately 00:40 local time on 14 December 2020 [21:40 GMT on Sunday], causing an explosion and subsequent fire on board,” Hafnia said in the statement on its website.

The ship’s crew put out the fire, the company said, adding that parts of the ship’s hull had been damaged. 

“It is possible that some oil has escaped from the vessel, but this has not been confirmed and instrumentation currently indicates that oil levels on board are at the same level as before the incident,” Hafnia said.The BW Rhine loaded about 60,000 tonnes of gasoline from Yanbu port on December 6, according to shipping data on Refinitiv. The tanker is currently 84-percent full, according to its draft. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/

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Saudi crown prince proposes holding two G20 summits a year

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday proposed holding two G20 summits annually in the future: one, virtually, mid-year, and a second in-person at the end of the year.Speaking on the last day of the summit, the prince said the G20 presidency will issue its final communique and also a separate statement from Turkey detailing Ankara’s views towards that communique. He gave no more details about the statement. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

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Iran, Russia have US voter information: Intelligence

The United States national security officials found that Iran and Russia have obtained "some voter registration information", National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe said. 

The National Intelligence Director also said the US officials have reported Iran was responsible for sending threatening emails to Democratic voters.

The emails appeared to come from a far-right pro-Trump group and were meant to "incite unrest", Ratcliffe said. 

The announcement comes 13 days before the presidential election.

The unusual intelligence briefing this close to the vote is seen as a testament to the government's concerns over voting interference and disinformation campaigns from foreign actors. 

Ratcliffe said Iran's "spoof emails" claimed to be sent by the Proud Boys in order to "intimidate voters, incite unrest and damage" President Donald Trump. 

He added that the voter data could be used in attempts to "communicate false information to registered voters that they hope will sow confusion chaos and undermine your confidence in American democracy".

Ratcliffe said officials "have not seen the same actions from Russia", but are aware they have some voter information. 

In many states, voter data is available upon request, though each state has different requirements on who can request voter information, what data is available and how this data might be used, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

"If you receive an intimidating or manipulative email in your inbox, don't be alarmed and do not spread it," Ratcliffe said, calling the actions to influence US voters "desperate attempts by desperate adversaries". 

FBI Director Christopher Wray joined Ratcliffe at the news conference. He said that US election systems were still secure and "resilient".

" You should be confident that your vote counts," Wray said. "Early, unverified claims to the contrary should be viewed with a healthy dose of scepticism." 

The officials did not offer further details on how the voter data was obtained or what the Russians may be doing with the information.

US intelligence agencies concluded in 2016 that Kremlin-backed hackers were behind an effort to undermine Hillary Clinton's presidential run, using both cyber attacks and fake news stories planted on social media.

Iran has not managed to successfully hack US systems. 

The emails in question were addressed to registered Democratic voters in several states, including the key battleground of Florida, and urged them to vote for Mr Trump - or else.

"You will vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you," the emails said, according to US media. "Change your party affiliation to Republican to let us know you received our message and will comply."As of Wednesday, over 40 million Americans have cast early votes in the presidential contest between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

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