RIYADH: Four road development contracts totaling SR13 billion (US$3.46 billion) have been given out by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) as part of the program’s initial phase to improve the capital city’s transportation system, local media reported. The commission’s Board of Directors said that the program’s initial phase intends to build the main and ring roads’ axes and connect them in order to offer the city’s residents sustainable transportation and logistics services. In accordance with Vision 2030’s goals, it was stated that the road initiative will establish Riyadh as one of the major global cities and position it…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
TOKYO: A typhoon that blasted parts of Japan with more than 200-kilometre-per-hour winds moved out to sea on Saturday, mostly sparing the capital and allowing trains and some flights to resume. Tokyo and its surrounding areas had been on high alert Friday for Ampil’s approach, with transport services, trips, events and school classes cancelled en masse. The storm was packing gusts of 216 kilometres per hour (134 miles per hour) on Saturday morning when it veered away from the archipelago and headed northeast into the Pacific. Even so, the Japan Meteorological Agency warned that “some areas in the northern part…
Hamas said Friday the Palestinian group rejected “new conditions” in a Gaza ceasefire plan the United States presented after two days of talks with Israeli negotiators in Qatar. As international pressure mounted for a ceasefire after more than 10 months of war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, US President Joe Biden said: “We are closer than we have ever been.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is to travel to Israel this weekend to advance the latest proposal, the State Department said. “Secretary Blinken will underscore the critical need for all parties in the region to avoid…
Gaza has recorded its first polio case in 25 years, the Palestinian health ministry said on Friday, after UN chief Antonio Guterres called for pauses in the Israel-Hamas war to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of children. Tests in Jordan confirmed the disease in an unvaccinated 10-month-old from the central Gaza Strip, the health ministry in Ramallah said. According to the United Nations, Gaza, now in its 11th month of war, has not registered a polio case for 25 years, although type 2 poliovirus was detected in samples collected from the territory’s wastewater in June. “Doctors suspected the presence of symptoms…
NEW DELHI: Indian doctors launched a nationwide strike Saturday, escalating protests after the rape and murder of their colleague that has channelled outrage at the chronic issue of violence against women. The discovery of the 31-year-old doctor’s bloodied body on August 9 at a state-run hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata sparked furious protests in several cities across the country. Many have been led by doctors and other healthcare workers, but also joined by tens of thousands of ordinary Indians demanding action. In Kolkata, thousands held a candle-lit vigil into the early hours of Saturday morning. “Hands that heal…
Muscat Municipality has introduced a convenient online platform for companies and institutions to obtain or renew public parking reservations, aiming to enhance efficiency and streamline the process. The digital service enables businesses to submit required documents and instruments electronically, reducing paperwork and expediting approvals. To apply for the service, companies and institutions must submit a titled request letter to the Parking Management Department, along with a commercial register, copy of the title deed and area drawing, and a no-impediment letter from the building owner. Renewal fees vary based on location, with OMR 50 per parking space per month in areas…
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump has never lacked for self-confidence, but his presidential campaign has been sent into a tailspin by the extraordinary events of the past month, and suddenly he appears older, more awkward and grasping for direction. An assassination attempt, the shock withdrawal of Joe Biden from the White House race and replacement by his younger, high-energy vice president, Kamala Harris, all seem to have taken a toll on a candidate who — until recently — had seemed well on course for victory in November. President Biden’s exit has been particularly impactful, removing a rival whose 81 years, faltering speech…
ANKARA: Firefighters are battling a strong forest fire in the Aegean resort city of Izmir for a third day, Turkish media and officials said Saturday, with hundreds more people evacuated overnight. Helicopters and water bombers which were grounded due to strong winds continued their fight against the flames on Saturday morning, the NTV news channel reported. The fire started Thursday and was quickly spread to residential areas by winds blowing at 50 kilometres (30 miles) an hour. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that 900 residents in five affected districts were evacuated overnight in Izmir. A witness told AFP that…
ISLAMABAD / KARACHI: After months of speculation about the installation of a so-called ‘firewall’ that could be leading to internet disruptions, the country’s IT minister finally confirmed on Thursday that the government was indeed upgrading its ‘web management system’ to cope with cyber security threats. Despite the rather ambiguous terminology used by Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, this was the first time an official had acknowledged the government’s actions, which have been blamed for everything from slow browsing speeds, the arbitrary blocking of social media platforms and WhatsApp connectivity issues on mobile data. So far,…
BARCELONA: Girona substitute Gabriel Misehouy struck in the 72nd minute to rescue a 1-1 draw at Real Betis in their opening game of the new La Liga season on Thursday. It was an exciting match played on hot summer evening in Seville between two sides who will be among Spain’s representatives in European competition this campaign. It was the hosts, who will play in the Europa Conference League, who started better and dominated proceedings for the first hour of the match after opening the scoring in the sixth minute. They grabbed the lead when captain Nabil Fekir lifted a perfect…
