Jaishankar heads to UAE, Puri to QatarNEW DELHI: With a fragile ceasefire in place in West Asia, India is looking to renew engagement with the Gulf through visits by Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar to the UAE and petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri to Qatar. India welcomed the ceasefire between Iran and US-Israel, hoping it would restore vessel movement through the key Strait of Hormuz. While Puri is on a two-day visit to Doha, Jaishankar will arrive in the UAE on Saturday to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership with India’s key Gulf partner. Both countries are…
Author: Isla
Global Village is one of the most talked about destination in the UAE with fans eagerly awaiting each season for its various offerings. However, the popular open-air park has been shut for over a month now, due to security concerns after the start of the US-Israel-Iran war that began on February 28. The park had also cancelled its fireworks and drone shows scheduled for Eid Al Fitr this year, amidst heightened regional tensions. On Wednesday, UAE residents woke up to long-awaited news of the two-week ceasefire in the war. And now, social media is abuzz with rumours about Global Village’s…
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (BRAIN) — X-Lab is generating considerable attention in the consumer cycling media for its bargain-priced road and gravel models, with the narrative often focusing on the brand’s direct-from-the-Chinese-factory cost savings. Less noted is that X-Lab is not quite a direct operation: It’s decided to focus on sales through independent bike shops instead of the consumer-direct focus of most new market entrants in recent years. And while the media is focusing on X-Lab’s super light road frames and carbon gravel bikes, the brand’s initial limited product portfolio in the U.S. also includes two sub-$2,000 e-bikes and a $800…
Free gift, exclusive content & Monitor newsletter Become a member with a HK$1,200+ yearly donation. Make a one-off donation. 💡 You’ve read article/s this month. Promos disabled for members. A petition launched by homeowners of the fire-hit Wang Fuk Court housing estate lacked authentication mechanisms and may contain forged signatures, the government has said following residents’ complaints. Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on December 3, 2025, one week after a deadly fire hit the housing estate. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. The Home Affairs Department said on Thursday that it received complaints from several Wang Fuk Court residents, who criticised…
We’re fans of the stable, comfortable ride delivered by the dependable Lowa Renegade EVO GTX hiking boots. Credit: Chris Maxcer LikesThe initial comfort ranks barely above average. However, the Lowa Renegade EVO GTX Mid is the kind of boot that gets better after you put some miles into it. Basically, we liked the fit from the start, appreciated it more after six or seven hikes, and love it after a dozen. Many modern synthetic boots no longer need any kind of break-in, but synthetics don’t stretch and conform to your individual feet over time like the leather in the…
Malaysia’s Immigration Department mounted a large-scale pre-dawn raid on April 9 in Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Imbi nightlife district, arresting 69 foreign nationals who were allegedly working as guest-relations officers (GROs) on short-stay visit passes. Officials said most of those detained came from Thailand, Vietnam and China and were employed without the work permits required under Malaysia’s Immigration Act. Deputy Director-General (Operations) Datuk Lokman Effendi Ramli told reporters the operation involved 89 immigration officers supported by customs, domestic-trade and anti-corruption agencies. More than 190 patrons and staff were screened; some suspects tried to escape across rooftops before being apprehended. Those held…
3 min readNew DelhiApr 10, 2026 02:30 AM IST The Delhi government has directed its departments to install biometric attendance systems at its offices to ensure that all employees, including Additional Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary and secretaries, report to work every day at 9.30 am. At present, all officials below the secretary level are mandated to register their attendance through the biometric system. The directive was issued on Wednesday after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta found several officials, including senior bureaucrats, absent from duty at the State GST office during a surprise inspection earlier in the day. She went on to…
Photo: Dubai Racing ClubThe Australian-born, UAE-based commentator answers our questions.The English language voice of racing in the UAE, Pat Comerford called his third Dubai World Cup last month.“I was able to enjoy the meeting this year, but I was a nervous wreck calling my first Dubai World Cup,” admits the 30-year-old Australian, who studied in America but began commentating in Alice Springs, where he worked on a local radio station.“The commentator at the racetrack in Alice Springs left,” he explains, “and as it would’ve cost them a fortune to fly someone in, I was asked if I’d like to give…
The Iran war has been framed as a Middle East crisis with global energy consequences. That is true, but incomplete. It is also reshaping China’s strategic map. The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, the jump in oil prices and the shock to shipping and energy markets have reinforced a lesson for Beijing: vulnerability begins with concentration. When one region becomes more unstable, the value of diversified suppliers, routes and external partners rises.That is why Latin America matters more to China in this conflict than many in Washington seem willing to admit. The region is not a substitute for the…
Bilgiç began his speech by emphasizing that the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is no longer a theoretical uncertainty, but has become a commercial reality with direct financial implications as of 2026. He stated that this process is not merely a bureaucratic regulation, but represents a global transformation marking the transition away from an industrial system based on fossil fuels for nearly 300 years. Noting that the Turkish industry had long perceived this process as an “external pressure” or a “postponable obstacle,” Bilgiç said it has now become an unavoidable ecological and economic necessity. He highlighted that atmospheric carbon dioxide…