Author: News Desk

France’s prime minister vowed on Monday to develop “railway highways” to carry food and other goods that now go by truck, part of a government push to reduce the country’s carbon footprint. Jean Castex said the “fresh food train” linking the main wholesale market in Paris to the southern city of Perpignan would reopen after that line was closed last year. The line would eventually be connected to a broader European line between Antwerp (Belgium) and Barcelona (Spain), he said, and two new national North-South lines would be launched. “This is a very strong signal the government is giving and…

South Korean prosecutors arrested the elderly leader of a secretive religious sect Saturday as part of an investigation into allegations that the church hampered the government’s anti-virus response after thousands of worshippers were infected in February and March. Prosecutors in the central city of Suwaon have been questioning 88-year-old Lee Man-hee, chairman of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, over charges that the church hid some members and underreported gatherings to avoid broader quarantines. The Suwon District Court early Saturday granted prosecutors’ request to arrest Lee over concerns that he could temper with evidence. Lee and his church have steadfastly denied…

US President Donald Trump said he will take action as soon as Saturday to ban TikTok, a popular Chinese-owned video app that has been a source of national security and censorship concerns. Trump’s comments came after published reports that the administration is planning to order China’s ByteDance to sell TikTok. There were also reports Friday that software giant Microsoft is in talks to buy the app. “As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States,” Trump told reporters Friday on Air Force One as he returned from Florida. Trump said he could use emergency economic powers…

A Florida teen was identified Friday as the mastermind of a scheme earlier this month that commandeered Twitter accounts of prominent politicians, celebrities and technology moguls and scammed people around the globe out of more than $100,000 in Bitcoin. Two other men were also charged in the case. Graham Ivan Clark, 17, was arrested Friday in Tampa, where the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office will prosecute him as an adult. He faces 30 felony charges, according to a news release. Two men accused of benefiting from the hack — Mason Sheppard, 19, of Bognor Regis, U.K., and Nima Fazeli, 22, of…

Russia said on Saturday it would allow flights to resume to Geneva starting from Aug. 15, a first air link to be reopened between Russia and a continental European since all scheduled air traffic was suspended in March due to the coronavirus. Russia, which operated repatriation flights during the coronavirus lockdown, allowed other scheduled international flights to resume on Saturday, starting with Britain, Turkey and Tanzania. ♦ Kuwait bans flights to multiple countries to curb the spread of COVID-19 ♦ Spotify expands to Russia and 12 other countries ♦ Russia says China would be needed in expanded G7 summit: TASS Deputy Prime Minister…

Kuwait has banned commercial flights to multiple countries until further notice as part of the preventive measures taken to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the country’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said on Saturday. The countries include India, Pakistan, Egypt, the Philippines, Lebanon and Sri Lanka, which all have large numbers of expatriates in Kuwait. The list also includes China, Iran, Brazil, Mexico, Italy and Iraq. ♦ Kuwait crown prince receives ‘reassuring’ call on HH Emir’s health ♦ Kuwait to reduce fees of private schools by 25 percent Kuwait will resume commercial flights to its international airport starting from August 1 after they…

The UAE has started operating the first nuclear power plant in the Arab World, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Saturday. This step is the most historic milestone to date in the delivery of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme, as part of the process towards generating clean electricity for the Nation for at least the next 60 years. Since receipt of the Operating License from the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulations, FANR, in February 2020, and the completion of fuel assembly loading in March 2020, Nawah, the Joint Venture nuclear operations and maintenance subsidiary of ENEC and the…

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced the success of the movement of pilgrims from Muzdalifa to Mina early today where they threw pebbles at the grand Jamarat Al Aqabah before heading to Makkah-based Grand Mosque to perform Tawaf Al Ifadah (circumambulation), a key pillar of Hajj. The movement was smooth amid an integrated system of services provided by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. After completing today’s ritual in an atmosphere full of spirituality, security and faith, pilgrims left Makkah for Mina valley where they will spend the…

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Dr. Nayef Al Hajraf has commended Saudi Arabia for services provided for pilgrims. In a statement, Al Hajraf congratulated King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman on Eid Al Adha and on the success of the Hajj season held exceptionally amidst the global spread of the coronavirus pandemic. He expressed his appreciation of the Saudi government’s decision to hold this year’s Hajj with a limited number of pilgrims because of the pandemic.

Iraq will hold its next general elections on June 6 of 2021, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced on Friday. “I announce June 6 of 2021 as a date for the early parliament elections, and we will do our best to make this election a success”, Al-Kadhimi said in a televised speech. “We are facing a backlog of years of waste, neglect and weak management in Iraq. There are no solutions to crises in Iraq without regaining the role of the state. We are working for a free election that will produce a parliament that forms a government that reflects the…