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UAE passport ranked most powerful in the world

Agencies
December 2, 2018

Dubai, Dec 2: In a new historic achievement, the UAE passport has become the strongest passport and now ranked first globally.

The exceptional achievement on December 1, 2018, coincides with the 'Year of Zayed' and country's 47th National Day, and is added to country's numerous accomplishments in various domains.

The UAE, under the leadership of The President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has surpassed all expectations after accomplishing this achievement

This success was achieved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation under the leadership of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

In his remarks on the occasion, Sheikh Abdullah said, "This achievement is a true reflection of the legacy of Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father of the UAE. It also underscores what can be achieved through positive diplomacy, reflecting the UAE as a confident and engaged force at the global stage."

The UAE passport was ranked first by Passport Index, an interactive online tool that provides users with insights on passports with the ability to compare and rank the world's passports. The ranking is based on freedom of movement and visa-free travel to passport holders.

The UAE passport holder can travel to 167 countries without the need for pre-visa requirements, which is 84 per cent of the number of countries listed in the index.

The UAE passport was on 27th position in December 2016, and now has attained first place globally in December 2018.

This achievement mirrors the county's civilised face, respect and appreciation at the regional and international levels. It is supported by a wise policy and leadership that has been working hard to build the country's bright image abroad to make it a hub for wisdom, moderation, coexistence and peace.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation launched the UAE Passport Force initiative to place the Emirati passport on the list of the five most powerful passports in the world by 2021, however, the country has achieved this goal three years before the dateline.

The strength of the passport does not only represent the identity of the citizen but also an important factor affecting its access to global opportunities, ease of movement and quality of life.

The Passport Index issued by the Arton Capital, ranks countries' passports based on the number of countries a passport holder can enter without obtaining a visa or obtaining it at the time of entry. The Index is a global benchmark for classifying international passports and reflects the world's view on the power and impact of passport.

Armand Arton, Founder and President of Arton Capital, said that Passport Index is the most prominent rating of passport strength through an interactive platform that continuously monitors changes and developments, adding that it has become the world's premier reference for governments.

"We continuously compare the passports of 193 countries and 6 regions of the UN members and work to collect data directly and continuously, all through publicly available information, government sources and international bodies. We determine the strength of the passport based on the ability of the citizens of a country to travel to another country without the need for a visa in advance and obtaining visa access from the airport," said Arton.

He added, that the Emirati passport has witnessed unprecedented progress globally in the past few years, reflecting the international stature of the country. "We congratulate the UAE on this great achievement, and are pleased to work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation since the launch of the UAE Passport Force initiative," he went on to say.

Through this achievement, the freedom of movement to many countries of the world is added to the list of priorities that the UAE offers to its citizens.

The positive impacts for ease of travelling are not only making it possible for UAE nationals to travel freely for tourism, but also have economic, developmental and even humanitarian benefits by facilitating trade and economic investment for individuals and institutions.

In line with a comprehensive vision of the development of the country and society, the UAE has a future agenda that embraces innovation, empowering the community and encouraging international cooperation and participation. These principles have been an integral part of the UAE since its establishment in 1971.

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News Network
June 29,2020

Karachi, Jun 29: Four heavily-armed militants attacked the busy Pakistan Stock Exchange on Monday morning, killing four security guards and a police sub-inspector before being shot dead in an exchange of fire, media reports said.

The unidentified militants opened indiscriminate fire and lobbed hand grenades at the main gate of the building as they tried to storm it, Geo News reported.

Police said that all the terrorists have been killed while five persons injured in the attack.

Four security guards and a police sub-inspector were also killed in the attack.

"An unfortunate incident took place at the Pakistan Stock Exchange. They made their way from our parking area and opened fire on everyone," said Abid Ali Habib, Director of Pakistan Stock Exchange.

The firing by militants caused panic among the people in the building.

Sindh province Governor Imran Ismail condemned the incident.

"Strongly condemn the attack on PSX aimed at tarnishing our relentless war on terror. Have instructed the IG & security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators are caught alive & their handlers are accorded exemplary punishments. We shall protect Sindh at all costs," he said on Twitter.

Police and rangers have arrived on the spot and surrounded the area.

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 4,2020

Mangaluru, May 4: No major crowds were seen in the coastal city of Mangaluru today except in front of the liquor shops after the district administration relaxed the lockdown norms for 12 hours a day (between 7am and 7pm).

There was no mad rush of vehicles either on city roads when the relaxed lockdown began. There were fewer people to buy essentials in front of grocery and vegetable shops as they had time till late evening.

There was no let down in the number of police pickets as well as curbs on vehicular movement across the city either. 

The government has allowed sale of liquor in CL2 (standalone wine shops) and CL 11 (MSIL outlets) to mop up revenues when Lockdown-3 commenced from Monday. Compared the other parts of Karnataka, the size of queues in front of liquor shops in Mangaluru were smaller. 

Like other parts of the country, the lockdown was imposed in the coastal district on March 24 to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Prior to that, a curfew was imposed in the district from March 22 midnight. The lockdown did not apply to essential services such as sale of food, groceries, milk, vegetables, fruits, and meat and fish. Gradually the district administration had to intensify the lockdown and allow those shops to remain open only between 7 a.m. and 12 noon. 

With the lockdown relaxation extending till 7 p.m., Mangaluru today witnessed people and private vehicles moving freely in the afternoon for the first time in more than a month. However, only those who had to go for work and do other essential activities were seen on roads. After 7 p.m. movements of all kinds of vehicles will be prohibited. 

The relaxation was to facilitate economic activities that had come to a standstill during the first two phases of lockdown. Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Dr P S Harsha, meanwhile, warned the people against misusing lockdown relaxation and venturing out without any genuine reason.

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News Network
February 4,2020

New Delhi, Feb 4: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday accused Arvind Kejriwal of having a "partnership" with Pakistan and appealed to the people in Delhi to not vote for the AAP chief as it will make Pakistan happy.

Ramping up his attack on the Shaheen Bagh protest, Adityanath said that the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is merely an excuse for people to vent their anger against the scrapping of Article 370.

"You must have seen their partnership on 370. Arvind Kejriwal used to speak in the same voice as Imran Khan on Article 370. You must have heard it.

"Now when elections are taking place in Delhi, who is speaking in favour of Arvind Kejriwal? It is the ministers of Pakistan. They are aware that Kejriwal is feeding 'biryani to protesters at Shaheen Bagh'," he said, referring to Pakistan minister Fawad Chaudhry's tweet asking Indians to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Adityanath addressed three rallies on Monday in the national capital ahead of assembly elections.

"Will Pakistan decide who Indians should vote for. If voting for Kejriwal will make Pakistan happy, should it be done," he asked at a rally in Mehrauli.

Adityanath said his Delhi counterpart Kejriwal has become a "toy in the hands of anti-social and anti-India elements".

Addressing a rally in Vikaspuri in west Delhi, he said that Kejriwal is not bothered about key issues such as providing clean drinking water but is concerned about Shaheen Bagh, the anti-citizenship amendment act protest site.

At another rally in Uttam Nagar in west Delhi, Adityanath said Kejriwal has played with the emotions of the people of Delhi for the last five years.

"He obstructed the development of Delhi. And knowingly and unknowingly, he became a toy in the hands of anti-social and anti-India elements," Adityanath said.

The protest at Shaheen Bagh, he said, has disrupted traffic across the capital.

"A guest with an appointment to meet him at 9.30 am could only reach at 11. He told me he had left as early as 7 am but got stuck because of the traffic in Shaheen Bagh," he said.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister also slammed Kejriwal for "sympathising" with elements who he said gave anti-India slogans in Jawaharlal Nehru University.

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