Gulfnews

Leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin framed their nations’ ties as a stabilising force in a chaotic world as they met on Thursday in Beijing, where the Russian president is seeking greater Chinese support for his war effort in Ukraine.It is Putin’s first trip abroad since his March re-election and the second in just over six months to China, an economic lifeline for Russia after the West hit it with unprecedented sanctions over its military offensive in Ukraine.Putin was greeted by Xi at a grand welcoming ceremony outside Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, footage by state broadcaster CCTV showed. In a meeting, Xi then told his “old friend” Putin that China-Russia relations were “conducive to peace”.“China is ready to work with Russia to... uphold fairness and justice in the world,” Xi added.Putin, in turn, told Xi the two countries’ relations were “stabilising factors in the international arena”.“Relations between Russia and China are not opportunistic and not directed against anyon...

Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan appeared before the Supreme Court by video link from prison yesterday to plead his petition against changes in Pakistan’s anti-graft laws.His video appearance was expected to be streamed live on the court’s website and YouTube, making it the first publicly seen visuals of the jailed leader since his arrest in August last year.However, the pictures could not be seen on the website as proceedings began.It was not immediately clear why the feed was not available on the website or YouTube. The top court has lately been allowing live streaming of important cases.Posts about the appearance, however, crossed 200,000 within hours on social media platform X.Up to 15,000 of Khan’s supporters waited on the YouTube channel of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party for the court visuals to be aired.That number fell below 5,000 when it became apparent the live stream was not happening.Khan, a 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, has been appearing in...

It’s been four months since a liquefied natural gas tanker has passed through the narrow strait at the southern end of the Red Sea separating the Arabian Peninsula and Africa, testament to how violent attacks there have upended global energy trade.While dozens of such ships used to traverse the Bab al-Mandab Strait each month prior to the escalation of the Israel-Hamas war, attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels have brought that number down to zero since mid-January.Vessels have been forced to reroute around Africa to transport fuel between the Atlantic and Pacific basins, leaving buyers with a limited pool of suppliers unless they’re willing to pay for higher shipping costs.The result is that the global market for LNG is growing increasingly fragmented.“At the moment, more than ever, you have cargo segmentation of the two basins, and it will be more challenging economically to move a cargo from one basin to another,” Patrick Dugas, head of LNG trading at TotalEnergies SE, said at a confere...

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said on Thursday that more than 15,000 children have been murdered by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) since the beginning of the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip on Oct, 7, 2023.Palestinian news agency (Wafa) reported the PRCS as saying that around 15,103 children were murdered as a result of the ongoing attacks and violations of the Israeli occupation that have been going for more than seven months.On its 223rd day, the IOF continues its aggression against the Gaza Strip from all sides (air, land and sea) since Oct. 7, 2023, murdering at least 35,233 Palestinians, and injuring at least 79,141 others, while thousands of Palestinians remain under the rubble. The IOF has caused a humanitarian catastrophe of countless martyrs, wounded and missing Palestinians, as well as a massive destruction of vital infrastructure and facilities in the Gaza Strip. source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/682677/international/iof-murders-over-15...

Apple announced new accessibility features on iPhones and iPads in celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day.New features include Eye Tracking, a way for users with physical disabilities to control iPad or iPhone with their eyes. Additionally, Music Haptics will offer a new way for users who are deaf or hard of hearing to experience music using the Taptic Engine in iPhone; Vocal Shortcuts will allow users to perform tasks by making a custom sound; Vehicle Motion Cues can help reduce motion sickness when using iPhone or iPad in a moving vehicle.Powered by artificial intelligence, Eye Tracking gives users a built-in option for navigating iPad and iPhone with just their eyes. Designed for users with physical disabilities, Eye Tracking uses the front-facing camera to set up and calibrate in seconds, and with on-device machine learning, all data used to set up and control this feature is kept securely on the device, and isnt shared with Apple. Eye Tracking works across iPadOS and iO...

General David H Petraeus, a prominent and retired US army official suggested yesterday that a two-state solution is the way forward to end the Palestine conflict. General Petraeus was interacting with the editor-in-chief of Bloomberg, John Micklethwait at the ongoing Qatar Economic Forum 2024 being held at Raffles and Fairmont Doha.Answering the question ‘Is the end of the conflict a two-state solution?’ from Micklethwait, General Petraeus replied 'I think it has to be. No one has ever been able to describe any other possible solution. But obviously that has been extremely challenging.” In his conversation, he also highlighted several strategies that can make the lives better in Gaza and Palestine and how they can be achieved.General Petraeus was discussing ‘Geopolitics: Navigating the Global Risk Landscape’ during the forum where he described various challenges including Ukraine and several other challenges in the region. As for the Ukraine War he noted that the battle is going on...

Real estate agency Alexander Johnson Group is redefining the real estate industry, promising a transformative experience for property investors and end-users alike. Spearheaded by the seasoned real estate investor and broker, Alexander Johnson, this company is making waves with its boutique approach to the market. This real estate company brings a fresh perspective to the real estate scene in Dubai. With a focus on residential, commercial, high-end properties, and hotels, the group is set to redefine the standards of customer service and market expertise.Unlike traditional real estate firms, this company’s expert team goes beyond mere transactions, striving to deeply understand each client’s unique needs and aspirations. “Our approach is simple yet profound,” Alexander explains. “We listen actively, educate our clients on the market intricacies, and advise them transparently, even if it means recommending against immediate purchases.” The founder’s extensive experience in the Middle Ea...