Author: News Desk

India is looking to domestic firms and eastern European nations for military gear and ammunition, as the world’s biggest buyer of Russian arms seeks alternative suppliers at a time when Moscow is fighting a war with Ukraine and facing sanctions. New Delhi has long talked of diversifying the suppliers to its huge armed forces, and even making more equipment at home, objectives that have taken on new urgency since Russia’s invasion, two government officials and a defence source said. India has identified 25.15 billion rupees ($324 million) worth of defence equipment it wants domestic firms to make this year, and…

Finland and Sweden will buy portable firearms and anti-tank weapons together, Finland’s defence ministry said on Wednesday, as the two Nordic country’s handed in their applications to join the Western military alliance NATO. The two countries will step up their cooperation in defence procurement by Finland joining an agreement to acquire anti-tank weapons from Swedish weapons maker Saab Dynamics, a subsidiary of Saab, the ministry said. Finland’s defence minister Antti Kaikkonen also authorised preparations for a joint purchase of small fire arms including assault rifles, shotguns and arms for personal protection, the ministry said. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted Finland…

Abu Dhabi : Two friends — Diyona Anna Binu and Shafeer Panichayil — hailing from Kerala, India, have won Dh500,000 in the latest Big Ticket weekly draw held today in Abu Dhabi. The winning ticket number 069002 was in the name of Diyona Anna Binu. Gulf News spoke to Panichayil, the other winner, who owns a small vegetable and fruit shop in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi. “I will invest my winning share into expanding my business,” Panichayil said. Speaking to Big Ticket representatives, Binu said he was extremely excited to hear the news. “It has been my goal to win the…

The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) established a strategic partnership with SANS Institute to provide quality training in cybersecurity for hundreds of Bahrainis starting with 200 graduates over the next two years. This initiative is in line with Tamkeen’s strategic direction and comes as a response to the market needs that require high quality and specialized tech training opportunities for Bahrainis, and the pressing need for qualified professionals within the cybersecurity field. These opportunities will help upskill and reskill Bahrainis to fill this gap and establish sustainable career paths in the technology sector. Husain Mohamed Rajab, Chief Executive of Tamkeen said: “Through…

More than 250 Ukrainian fighters surrendered to Russian forces at the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol after weeks of desperate resistance, bringing an end to the most devastating siege of Russia’s war in Ukraine and allowing President Vladmir Putin to claim a rare victory in his faltering campaign. Reuters saw buses leave the steelworks, where defenders had held out in a complex of bunkers and tunnels, overnight and five arrived in the Russian-held town of Novoazovsk, where Moscow said the wounded would be treated. What will happen to the fighters was unclear, although the Kremlin said Putin had personally guaranteed the…

U.S President Joe Biden on Tuesday called on all Americans to reject the “poison” of white supremacy, addressing families and local officials at the Buffalo, New York, site of what police say is a racially motivated mass shooting over the weekend. “White sumpremacy is a poison. It’s a poison – it really is – running through our body politic,” Biden said. He said the white gunman who killed nine Black Americans and a white security guard trying to protect them was fueled by “hate that through the media and politics, the internet has radicalized angry alienated, lost and isolated individuals…

Russia is not planning to block Alphabet Inc’s YouTube, the minister for digital development said on Tuesday, acknowledging that such a move would likely see Russian users suffer and should therefore be avoided. Russia has blocked other foreign social media platforms, but despite months of fines and threats against YouTube for failing to delete content Moscow deems illegal and for restricting access to some Russian media, it has stopped short of delivering a killer blow to the video-hosting service. With around 90 million monthly users in Russia, YouTube is extremely popular and plays an important role in the digital economy.…

The European Union is likely to make significant financial contributions to keep Ukraine going, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Tuesday, adding she would look to G7 members like Britain Canada and Japan to step up help too. G7 finance ministers and central bank governors are to meet on Thursday and Friday in Germany, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine high on their agenda. Yellen said the United States has made a strong commitment to Ukraine funding and it was clear that the EU was “very serious about wanting to provide the necessary aid as well.” “We’ll need to…

The European Commission said on Tuesday opening accounts in roubles at a Russian bank to pay for gas would breach the bloc’s sanctions against Moscow, after Brussels released updated guidance on how companies can legally keep buying Russian fuel. Countries and companies have for weeks been asking for clarity on how they can proceed, after Moscow at the end of March demanded foreign buyers start to pay for gas in roubles or risk losing their supply. In updated guidance, shared with EU countries on Friday, the Commission confirmed its previous advice that EU sanctions do not prevent companies from opening…

Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra returned to their homeland on Monday after an emotional Eurovision Song Contest victory, greeted at the border with Poland by servicemen and women whose cause the band had championed in Turin. Frontman Oleh Psiuk was presented with a bouquet of yellow and blue flowers – the colours of Ukraine’s flag – and reunited with his girlfriend before he and his band launched into an impromptu version of “Stefania”, their winning song. On Saturday, they had ridden a wave of popular support to win the annual songfest in the northern Italian city, giving their compatriots a much-needed morale…