Author: Gulf Times

Saudi Arabia was left as a shoo-in to host the 2023 world cup after Australia confirmed it would not make a bid for soccer’s global showpiece on Tuesday’s deadline day. FIFA had invited bids from Asia and Oceania for the tournament by Oct. 31. Football Australia (FA) boss James Johnson had said the country was “exploring the possibility” of 2034, but on Tuesday the governing body said it would instead focus on bids for the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup and the 2029 Club World Cup. Australia’s decision to not proceed with 2034 leaves Saudi Arabia as the only confirmed bidder.   Saudi…

Beijing: Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Tuesday morning after six months aboard China’s orbiting space station. Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao emerged in good health from the return capsule near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The station’s new three-person crew arrived to the Tiangong station last week. The station is essentially complete, so the new crew will conduct medical and scientific experiments and maintain equipment. China made its first crewed space mission in 2003 and plans to put astronauts on the moon before…

  Turkey on Monday condemned “in the strongest terms” what it said was an Israeli attack on Gaza’s Turkish-Palestinian Friendship hospital, the foreign ministry said, adding such attacks and the blockade on Gaza were clear violations of international law. “It is inexplicable for such an attack to take place given all the necessary information, including the coordinates of the institution in question, which is the only cancer hospital in Gaza, was shared with Israeli authorities in advance,” the ministry said in a statement. Medical officials said air strikes in the vicinity of the major Gaza City hospitals including al-Shifa, al-Quds…

  Actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie issued a fresh statement about the Israeli-Hamas war that has killed over 8,000 Gazans and Palestinians in the West Bank and over 1,400 Israelis.   “I too am praying for the immediate, safe return of every hostage, and for the families who carry the unimaginable pain of a murder of a loved one,” she said, but later added that the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel “cannot justify the innocent lives lost” in Gaza. Jolie continued by writing that the population of Gaza “has nowhere to go, no access to food or water, no…

  The Iranian president has indicated at action against Israel, whose “crimes” he said have crossed the limit. In a post on his X account, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that the “Zionist regime’s crimes have crossed the red lines”. He further warned that in such a situation, “everyone will be forced to take action”. Raisi also took a dig at the United States, saying Washington has asked Iran not to do anything, but itself kept giving widespread support to Israel. sraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday warned that the war in Gaza was “going to be long”.…

ERUSALEM : – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israeli forces had unleashed the second phase of the Gaza war as they pressed ground operations against Hamas militants, vowing to “destroy the enemy above ground and below ground.” Gaza’s besieged people had barely any communications with the outside world as Israeli jets dropped more bombs on the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave and military chiefs said a long-threatened ground offensive was gearing up. Meanwhile, the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said early Sunday that more than 8,000 had been killed in the Palestinian territory since the start of the war…

LOS ANGELES, Oct 29  – Actor Matthew Perry, beloved star of the top-rated 1990s U.S. television sitcom “Friends” as the wise-cracking Chandler Bing, died on Saturday after apparently drowning in a hot tub. He was 54. The Los Angeles Times and TMZ.com, citing law enforcement sources, reported that the American-Canadian performer was found dead in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home. NBC, which broadcast “Friends” for 10 years, confirmed his demise in a statement on social media platform X. The news brought an outpouring of grief from fellow celebrities and other high-profile personalities. Actor Mira Sorvino said…

  In a significant development for Pakistani freelancers, the UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation (MoHRE) has unveiled an accessible avenue for self-sponsored foreign professionals to legally work in the Emirates. With the issuance of freelance permits, Pakistani freelancers can now operate in the UAE independently, providing their services to individuals and companies without the need for a specific employer or employment contract. The UAE Labour Law, encompassed in Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, explicitly emphasizes the necessity of a valid work permit for anyone seeking employment in the country. As per Article 6 of this law, working…

LUANDA: Meera Sultan Al Suwaidi, Vice-President of the IPU’s Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, presented the committee’s report to the IPU’s 147th General Assembly meetings, which held yesterday in Luanda, Angola. During the meeting, Al Suwaidi reviewed the committee’s efforts in regard to the draft resolution entitled ‘’Partnerships for climate action: Promoting access to affordable green energy, and ensuring innovation, responsibility and equity”. She also enumerated on preparations for the Parliamentary Meeting at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) next month at Expo City Dubai. The Parliamentary Meeting, co-organised…

SHARJAH: Under the auspices of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the 2nd Sharjah Ruler’s Purebred Arabian Camel Festival commenced on Friday. The event, which will take place at the Al Dhaid Camel Racing Arena until 31st October, is organised by the Sharjah Camel Racing Club. The first day witnessed some great competition, including 38 rounds. The winner of the Sharjah Ruler’s Cup took home the AED50,000 reward. Commenting on this, Matar Ali bin Howaiden Al Ketbi, Chairman of the Sharjah Camel Racing Club and the head of the event…