Author: News Desk

Several buyers of Russian gas have agreed to switch to payments in roubles, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Friday. “We expect the decision (to switch to roubles) from other importers,” he added, in comments published in the ministry’s in-house magazine. He did not disclose the identities of customers who had already switched. President Vladimir Putin said last month that buyers of Russian gas from “unfriendly” countries should pay in roubles, a move rejected by European Union authorities under the bloc’s sanctions regime against Moscow. Putin has warned Europe it risked having gas supplies cut unless it pays…

India : As an accused in a case registered over the “unnatural death” of a contractor, Karnataka Rural Development KS Eshwarappa submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai on Friday night. Eshwarappa said he was quitting  to avoid embarrassment to the BJP party. The contractor, Santhosh Patil, was found dead Tuesday at a lodge in Udupi. He is suspected to have consumed poison, and the police are investigating the death as a suicide. Before his death, Patil had accused Eshwarappa and his associates of not releasing payments for road work worth Rs 4 crore that he had done at Hindalga in Belagavi,…

The sinking of the warship Moskva, the 600-foot, 12,500-tonne flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet — whether due to a Ukrainian missile strike or, as Russia claims, a fire on board — is a serious setback for Russia. The reversal is both military and symbolic, proof that its vessels can no longer operate with impunity, and a damaging blow to morale. On the other hand, it lifts Ukrainian hopes, demonstrating the defenders’ homegrown technological capacity, and exposing a weakness in the Russian navy’s anti-missile defences. TIE

Bahrain :   Information Affairs Minister Ali bin Mohammed Al Romaihi hailed the solid historic partnership binding the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. He noted steadily-growing ties at all levels to achieve further progress and prosperity for both countries and peoples, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and UAE President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In a statement to UAE News Agency (WAM), he saud that the visit of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and UAE Armed Forces Deputy Supreme Commander His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his meeting…

Bahrain: The Ministry of Health recommends that all eligible citizens and residents of the Kingdom of Bahrain who wish to take the Valneva COVID-19 vaccine, head directly to one of the administering health centres without the need for an appointment, starting today, Thursday, 14 April 2022. The announcement follows the Kingdom receiving its first batch of the Valvena vaccine from France, last March. The Kingdom of Bahrain is the first country in the world to authorise, receive, and administer Valneva’s COVID-19 vaccine, which is produced by the European vaccine company, Valneva. The vaccination was authorised for emergency use by the…

Ukraine :  More than 900 civilian bodies have been discovered in the region surrounding the Ukrainian capital following the withdrawal of Russian forces — most of them fatally shot, police said Friday, an indication that many people were “simply executed.” The number of dead is double that announced by Ukrainian authorities almost two weeks ago. Andriy Nebytov, the head of Kyiv’s regional police force, said the bodies were abandoned in the streets or given temporary burials. He cited police data indicating that 95% died from gunshot wounds. “Consequently, we understand that under the (Russian) occupation, people were simply executed in…

Beijing : An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 struck at the Qinghai region in China on Friday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.

Plus Codes  originally launched in 2018, Plus Codes has now come to 18 countries across the Mena region including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and more. The tool simply lets people share where they are — even if there isn’t an address. Google uses latitude and longitude co-ordinates to display a short sequence of numbers and letters that provide an accurate location when clicked on. The Plus Codes are also accessible offline and can be used to share any type of location such as a home, a store or a meeting place. When saving an address on Google Maps,…

The Vision pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will offer visitors an “enhanced” experience when it reopens in District 2020 later this year. District 2020 is the smart city that will repurpose more than 80 per cent of the Expo 2020 site’s built environment. It will open “in different phases between now and October”, Ahmed Al Khatib, chief development and delivery officer for Expo 2020 Dubai. The most striking structures in the Dubai South neighbourhood will remain. These include Al Wasl Plaza, the UAE pavilion. The two large parks, walking routes, cycle paths and restaurants will also be retained in the city’s newest residential and…

New York : The hiring of non-journalists as contributors to television news organizations isn’t new. Far less common is seeing pushback to such decisions from journalists working there, as has happened recently at CBS and NBC News. Discontent emerged over CBS’ hiring of former Trump administration official Mick Mulvaney as a commentator and discussions about current White House press secretary Jen Psaki working at MSNBC when her time in the Biden administration is through. In both cases, journalists have been quiet publicly about their concerns over the decisions. Because of concern about Psaki — which has raised ethical issues for…