Eid-ul-Fitr celebrated in Saudi Arabia, UAE, neighbouring countries

Agencies
June 15, 2018

Jeddah/Dubai, Jun 15: Muslims in most of the middle eastern countries including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates on Friday celebrated the Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

Saudi King offers prayers in Makkah

King Salman performed the Eid Al-Fitr prayer in Makkah’s Grand Mosque. He also received Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri; the commander of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, Gen. Raheel Sharif; and princes, scholars, sheikhs, and senior civilian and military officials at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah. They came to congratulate him on Eid Al-Fitr.

The monarch also received congratulatory phone calls from Bahrain’s King Hamad, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and Kuwait’s heir-apparent Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

King Salman thanked them, wished them a happy Eid, and appealed to Allah to make the Muslim world more united, coherent and strong.

He also greeted the Saudi people and Muslims everywhere, thanking Allah because “we have successfully and comfortably completed our fasting and worshipping during the holy month of Ramadan.”

The monarch said: “Eid is a day of happiness and joy following strict worshipping, embodying the significance and meaning of communication, cohesion, solidarity, tolerance and cooperation.”

He thanked Allah for having “honored the leadership, people and government” of Saudi Arabia with the task of serving the Two Holy Mosques and their worshippers, “which the Kingdom will spare no effort to achieve.”

King Salman also thanked Allah for having helped Saudi Arabia “remain adherent to Islamic Shariah law.”

The monarch later arrived in Jeddah after spending the last 10 days of Ramadan in Makkah. He was seen off by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Interior Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saud bin Naif, and a number of senior officials.

UAE leaders offer prayers

Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the United Arab Emirates performed Eid Al Fitr prayers nationwide on Friday.

In Dubai, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, offered Eid Al Fitr prayers at Zabeel Mosque.

Performing the prayer alongside Shaikh Mohammad were Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, Shaikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chief Executive of Emirates Group Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, a number of Shaikhs, officials and a group of worshipers.

In Abu Dhabi, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, performed the Eid Al Fitr prayer this morning alongside worshipers at the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

Performing prayers by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad's side were Shaikh Saif Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan, Shaikh Surour Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan, Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Shaikh Saeed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler’s Representative, Shaikh Isa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Shaikh Nahyan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, Lt. General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Shaikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser, Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Shaikh Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court, Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Shaikh Omar Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, Shaikh Khalid Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care & Special Needs, Shaikh Theyab Bin Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi, Shaikh Zayed Bin Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance 

A number of Shaikhs, senior officials, diplomats, citizens and residents also offered prayers along with them.

The sermon, delivered by Dr. Mohammad Mattar Salem Al Kaabi, Chairman of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, highlighted the joyous holiday, stressing its timing to promote love and peace, which Al Kaabi said are the main goals of Islam, expressing hope for it to be achieved around the world.

Dr. Al Kaabi, pointed out that the Eid is an occasion to strengthen communication with family, creating love and affection between relatives.

Following the prayers, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed exchanged greetings with worshipers.

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Agencies
February 23,2020

Panaji, Feb 23: A MiG-29K aircraft crashed off Goa during a routine training sortie on Sunday morning, the Indian Navy said in a statement.

"The pilot ejected safely and has been recovered. An enquiry into the incident has been ordered," the statement said.

On November 16, a MiG-29K trainer flight had crashed after a bird hit, soon after it took off the Dabolim International airport, which functions out of the Indian Navy base INS Hansa.

Both pilots had managed to safely eject themselves to safety after both the engines of their jet failed.

According to data tabled in the recent budget session of the Goa Assembly, every ten days, at least one aircraft landing or taking off at Goa's Dabolim international airport faces dangers involving birds or stray dogs near the runway.

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Agencies
February 25,2020

New Delhi, Feb 25: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday called a meeting to discuss the prevailing situation in the national capital after violence in Northeast Delhi over the amended citizenship law left four people dead.

Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and representatives of different political parties were invited for the meeting.

Follow live updates of clashes among CAA protesters in Delhi here

The home minister has convened a meeting to discuss the current situation in Delhi, a Home Ministry official said.

The move came after the home minister reviewed the law and order situation in the national capital on Monday night as violence rocked Northeast Delhi.

Frenzied protesters torched houses, shops, vehicles and a petrol pump, besides hurling stones.

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News Network
February 21,2020

Washington, Feb 21: Days ahead of his India visit, US President Donald Trump on Thursday said the two countries could make a "tremendous" trade deal.

"We're going to India, and we may make a tremendous deal there," Trump said in his commencement address at the Hope for Prisoners Graduation Ceremony in Las Vegas.

Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, is scheduled to travel to Ahmedabad, Agra and New Delhi on February 24 and 25.

Ahead of the visit, there have been talks about India and the United States agreeing on a trade package as a precursor to a major trade deal.

During his commencement address, Trump indicated that the talks on this might slowdown if he did not get a good deal.

"Maybe we'll slow down. We'll do it after the election. I think that could happen too. So, we'll see what happens," he said.

"But we're only making deals if they're good deals because we're putting America first. Whether people like it or not, we're putting America first," Trump said.

Bilateral India-US trade in goods and services is about three per cent of the US' world trade.

In a recent report, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said the trading relationship is more consequential for India -- in 2018 the United States was its second largest goods export market (16.0 per cent share) after the European Union (EU, 17.8 per cent), and third largest goods import supplier (6.3 per cent) after China (14.6 per cent) and the EU 28 (10.2 per cent).

"The Trump Administration takes issue with the US trade deficit with India, and has criticised India for a range of 'unfair' trading practices," the CRS said.

"Indian Prime Minister Modi's first term fell short of many observers' expectations, as India did not move forward with anticipated market opening reforms, and instead increased tariffs and trade restrictions," it said.

"Modi's strong electoral mandate may embolden the Indian government to press ahead with its reform agenda with greater vigour. Slowing economic growth in India raises concerns about its business environment," CRS said.

As per a fact sheet issued by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), trade in goods and services between the two countries from 1999 to 2018 surged from $16 billion to $142 billion.

India is now the United States' eighth-largest trading partner in goods and services and is among the world's largest economies.

India's trade with the United States now resembles, in terms of volume, the US' trade with South Korea ($167 billion in 2018) or France ($129 billion), said Alyssa Ayres from CFR.

"The United States for two years now has set out in stone pretty clearly the things that they wanted to see to try to get an agreement, and it's basically then on India's doorstep on whether they want to take those steps," Rick Rossow, Wadhwani Chair in US-India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank told reporters during a conference call.

"The list of US asks has been pretty static all throughout. Not to say that any of these things are easy for India to do, but the United States to my knowledge didn't change the goalposts just because we now consider India to be a middle-income country. The things that we wanted to see happen to get this trade agreement have been pretty static all throughout, no matter how difficult they are," he said in response to a question.

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