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☆ Saudi Arabia wants big spenders for the first part of its Neom megaproject
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Saudi Arabia plans to open the first part of its Neom megaproject this year. Saudi Arabia is pushing to distinguish itself in the high-end luxury market to compete with Dubai. AdvertisementSaudi Arabia plans to open the first region of its Neom megacity by the end of the year. Neom recently ended investor roadshows in China by confirming the luxury island resort would open this year, Arab News reported. A rendering of The Line, part of the Neom project planned by Saudi Arabia.

Persons: —, Neom, roadshows, It's, Marriott Bonvoy, Chadi, MDLBEAST, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Saudi Arabia hasn't, Ulrichsen, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Organizations: Dubai, Service, Arab News, Marriott, United, Rice, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Emirates, Saudi, Bloomberg, Business Locations: Saudi Arabia, Sindalah, China, Saudi, Vives, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Crown, Gulf Kingdom

☆ Dubai property boss says floods were overexaggerated: 'Things like that happen in Miami regularly'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Matt Clinch | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Flash floods that formed led to water engulfing cars, in some areas fully submerging them, leading hundreds of drivers to abandon their vehicles on roads to escape the rising water levels. The deluge also closed schools and businesses, grounded hundreds of flights, and destroyed cars, businesses and other property. Damac's Sajwani conceded there was chaos at the airport, but said the UAE had recovered much faster than other nations would have. "Fine, we get some, in one of the malls, some damage. He explained that he arrived in Dubai from London just a few hours after the rains had stopped, and visited all the major properties that belong to his company.

Persons: Hussain Sajwani, Damac's Sajwani, CNBC's Dan Murphy, it's Organizations: Damac, United, UAE, Energy Locations: United Arab, UAE, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, London

☆ Ship with 400 tons of food aid destined for Gaza has left Cyprus
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Zeena Saifi | Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The United Arab Emirates has now partnered with an aid agency to send crucial assistance to Gaza via the Israeli port of Ashdod. A UAE official told CNN Saturday that the vessel laden with critical food aid left on Saturday through a relationship with American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA). Itayam told CNN the 400 tons of aid would undergo Israeli security clearance upon arrival. The plan is for most of the food aid to be delivered to northern Gaza, but Itayam said that depending on the security situation, ANERA might consider sending a shipment to the south as well. The United States has already begun construction of the pier, intended to help deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

Persons: Jerusalem CNN —, Jennifer, ”, Itayam, Kerem Shalom, ANERA, Grant Shapps, “, ” Matthew Hollingworth Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, United Arab, UAE, CNN, American, East Refugee, West Bank, Mohenad, ANERA, of, Britain’s Royal Navy, United, Pentagon, Royal Navy, ”, British, Food, Integrated Locations: Jerusalem, Gaza, Cyprus, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Ashdod ., Larnaca Port, Israel’s Ashdod, Kerem, Territories, UAE, Cardigan, United States, ”

☆ Blinken to Meet With Arab Officials in Saudi Arabia About Israel-Gaza War
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday to speak with top Arab officials and try to figure out possible solutions for the thorniest issues of the Israel-Gaza war, including humanitarian aid, reconstruction and hostages, the State Department said on Saturday. He added that Mr. Blinken would underscore his belief that it is Hamas that stands in the way of a cease-fire for the Palestinian people, since the group is not budging on the hostage negotiations. Saudi Arabia is hosting a three-day meeting of the World Economic Forum, and top Arab officials, including Mr. Blinken’s diplomatic counterparts, are attending. They include senior ministers from Qatar and Egypt, which have been the two Arab mediators in multiple rounds of talks over a potential hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas. The forum’s website says Mr. Blinken will be in a half-hour public “conversation” starting at 12:45 p.m. on Monday, the final day of the conference.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, ”, Matthew Miller Organizations: State Department, Economic, Hamas Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Gaza, Qatar, Egypt

☆ Aya Nakamura: The most streamed female Francophone artist has become a target in France’s culture wars ahead of Paris 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Bea Adeleke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Aya Nakamura was born in the former French colony of Mali, raised in France and is widely considered the most streamed female Francophone artist in the world. However, ahead of Paris 2024, Nakamura finds herself at the center of France’s culture wars. Aya Nakamura attends the Kenzo Menswear Fall-Winter 2023-2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 20, 2023 in Paris, France. “I think that the people who criticize her actually don’t accept that she embodies France,” French activist Rokhaya Diallo told CNN. Politicians such as Le Pen hailed the legislation as an “ideological victory” whilst French health Minister, Aurelien Rousseau resigned in protest.

Persons: Aya Nakamura, Nakamura, Edith Piaf, Piaf, “, ”, I’m, Rachida, Kenzo, Pascal Le Segretain, Marion Maréchal, Marine Le, Rokhaya Diallo, ” Nakamura, ’, le, Geoffroy Van Der, Emanuel Macron, Nakamura “, Le Pen, Vincent Martigny, Thomas Samson, Marion Marechal, Emmanuel Dunand, Martigny, Diallo, Zinedine Zidane, ” Diallo, ‘, Oliver Roy, Reynaud Julien, Macron, Aurelien Rousseau Organizations: CNN, France’s, of Culture, Rally, Blacks, Rassemblement National, Getty, Olympic Aquatics, France Inter, Science, University of Nice, National Assembly, soccer team, Paris Olympic, Le, Palais des Sports, EUI, of Transnational Governance, Twitter, APS, France, BMFTV, RMC Locations: Mali, France, French, Paris, Bamako, Europe, ”, Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt, AFP, Rassemblement, Ukraine, North, Carhaix

☆ Opinion | Israel Has a Choice to Make: Rafah or Riyadh
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Thomas L. Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. diplomacy to end the Gaza war and forge a new relationship with Saudi Arabia has been converging in recent weeks into a single giant choice for Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: What do you want more — Rafah or Riyadh? Do you want to mount a full-scale invasion of Rafah to try to finish off Hamas — if that is even possible — without offering any Israeli exit strategy from Gaza or any political horizon for a two-state solution with non-Hamas-led Palestinians? If you go this route, it will only compound Israel’s global isolation and force a real breach with the Biden administration. Or do you want normalization with Saudi Arabia, an Arab peacekeeping force for Gaza and a U.S.-led security alliance against Iran? And what I find both disturbing and depressing is that there is no major Israeli leader today in the ruling coalition, the opposition or the military who is consistently helping Israelis understand that choice — a global pariah or a Middle East partner — or explaining why it should choose the second.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Israel, — Organizations: Israel, Hamas, Iran, Palestinian Locations: Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Rafah, Riyadh, Arab, U.S, Israel, East

☆ Meet the Dubai artist whose work has sold for millions — and turns down 99% of prospective buyers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Lucy Handley | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

watch nowContemporary artist Sacha Jafri prides himself on his unique way of working. The artist Sacha Jafri at his studio in Dubai, U.A.E. He said he goes into a meditative state when creating his work. So, I'm in a meditative state, I'm in a complete trance, I have no clue what I'm doing. Artist Sacha Jafri painting on the helipad at the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah hotel in Dubai.

Persons: Sacha Jafri, Jafri, I've, Andre Abdoune, Emad Salehi Organizations: Oxford, Ruskin School of Art, CNBC, Burj, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah Locations: Dubai, London, U.S, British, U.A.E, Burj Al Arab

☆ Opinion: $95 billion Israel-Ukraine aid package gives Biden huge leverage. He should use it
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Opinion Mark Hannah | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The $95 billion military aid package President Joe Biden signed Wednesday was a feat of tough-minded negotiation to get funding to Ukraine and Israel after months of congressional horse-trading. But if the aid inflates those countries’ war aims, it could discourage the kind of tough-minded negotiation that is the only way to end their wars. The new infusion of aid gives the US a lot of leverage with Ukraine and Israel. However, the recent aid package includes long-range missiles, or ATACMS, which suggests Ukraine is readying an offensive against Crimea. In Israel, putting conditions on military aid is a better idea.

Persons: Mark Hannah, Joe Biden, Mark Hannah Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Mark Milley, “, —, Israel, Biden, George W, Bush, Putin, Ukraine’s, Biden judiciously, Netanyahu, Henry Kissinger, Golda Meir, Kissinger, ” Kissinger, Russia shouldn’t Organizations: Institute for Global Affairs, Eurasia Group, CNN, Wednesday, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Palestinian Authority, Abrams Tanks, Crimea, Israel, Twitter Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Crimea, Washington, Ukrainian, Russia, Gaza, United States, Kippur, Tel Aviv, Soviet

☆ Fears about stagflation are mounting in the US. It’s every central banker’s worst nightmare
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

And economists are forecasting new inflation data due Friday will paint a similar picture. The GDP report gave another preview of what could come. Slowing economic growth combined with rising inflation is known as stagflation. To be fair, one GDP report isn’t necessarily indicative of a trend. He repeated that message in a Wall Street Journal interview published Thursday before the GDP report was released.

Persons: there’s, JPMorgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, we’ve, ”, —, ” Dimon, Mike Reynolds Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, JPMorgan, Economic, of New Locations: New York, Germany, Israel, of New York

☆ Malaysia might add a casino to boost troubled $100 billion mega-development Forest City
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Malaysia may add a casino to Forest City, a mega-development that has turned into a ghost town. AdvertisementMalaysia's Forest City mega-development started with big ambitions and big money. Now, Malaysia is in talks with several high-profile investors to add a casino to Forest City, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg on Wednesday. AdvertisementThe southeast nation's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met with the heads of a Malaysian property development firm and a resort company at Forest City last week. Expensive, empty apartmentsA casino — which would only be the second in Malaysia — could help struggling Forest City.

Persons: —, Anwar Ibrahim, Ibrahim Iskandar, King Ibrahim, Anwar, They're, Al Marjan Organizations: Service, City, Bloomberg, nation's, Forest City, Garden, Genting Group, Berjaya Corp, Business, United, United Arab Emirates, Las Vegas, downstate Locations: Malaysia, Forest City, Singapore, Malaysia's, Malaysian, Forest, Genting, Marielle, Johor, United Arab, Al, York City, York

☆ Dubai’s floods were made worse by climate change, scientists find
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Angela Dewan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Using scientific models, the team was unable to determine precisely how much more likely climate change had made the floods. Changing circulation patterns driven by global warming are also increasing rainfall intensity, the analysis noted. Global warming was the only remaining reason they could identify to explain the heavier downpour. However, the focus must be on slowing climate change, she added. “While we can’t stop El Niño, we can stop climate change,” Otto said.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, ”, Sonia Seneviratne, Mansour Almazroui, King Abdulaziz University’s, Friederike Otto, Niño, Otto said, El, ” Otto, Francois Nel, Sultan Al, Jaber, CNN’s Abbas Al Lawati Organizations: CNN, United Arab, United Arab Emirates, Global, Reuters “, Institute for Atmospheric, Science, King Abdulaziz University’s Center, Excellence, Change, Grantham Institute, International Energy Agency Locations: United Arab Emirates, Oman, El, Dubai, UAE, Dubai’s, Zurich, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, London, Paris, deadlier

Sitting together last month, Graham and MBS spoke with Trump for roughly five minutes, two people familiar with the call told CNN. The call encapsulates how Trump looms over an agreement that US, Israeli and Saudi officials all see as vital to achieving lasting stability in the Middle East. Graham informed Biden officials of the call between MBS and Trump and says they understand why he wants to keep Trump in the loop. With the election looming and the region engulfed by turmoil over Israel’s war in Gaza, the window of opportunity is rapidly shrinking, people involved in the negotiations told CNN. “I think President Trump understands this is building on what he did,” Graham told CNN.

Persons: South Carolina Republican Sen, Lindsey Graham, Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, — Donald Trump, Graham, Joe Biden, Salman, Biden’s, Trump, Abraham, Biden, Donald Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Evan Vucci, ”, ” Trump, “ They’re, That’s, “, ” Graham, Jamal Khashoggi, Sen, X.com Graham, Bibi Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Jake Sullivan, Amos Hochstein, Antony Blinken, Jake, ” CNN’s Alex Marquardt Organizations: CNN, South Carolina Republican, Biden Administration, Trump, Saudi, Abraham Accords, Saudi Crown, White, MBS, New York Times, Biden, Republican, Graham, Saudi Press Agency, Israel, President’s National, US Locations: Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran, Saudi, Palestine, Bahrain, UAE, Washington, Gaza, Riyadh, NATO, Palestinian

☆ NASA releases satellite photos of Dubai and Abu Dhabi before and after record flooding
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

NASA released photos of parts of Dubai and Abu Dhabi before and after the United Arab Emirates was hit by record rainfall last week that caused dangerous floods and paralyzed much of the country. The images, taken by NASA Earth Observatory on Friday using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey, show large patches of water all over the desert and urban landscape of the UAE where previously there was none – almost looking as if small lakes had appeared. "Some areas remained flooded on April 19, when Landsat 9 passed over the region for the first time since the storms," NASA wrote on its Earth Observatory website. Flash floods that formed on April 16 led to water engulfing cars, in some areas fully submerging them, leading hundreds of drivers to abandon their vehicles on roads to escape the rising water levels. The normally dry desert country in the Gulf was pummeled with roughly a year's worth of rain in less than a day, more than it has ever seen in a single storm since records for the UAE began in 1949.

Organizations: NASA, United Arab, NASA Earth, U.S . Geological Survey, UAE Locations: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, U.S, UAE

☆ The extraordinary ancient secret places hidden under Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Lisa Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Less obviously visible but equally impressive are the historical treasures, some more than 12,000 years old, that can be found underground. Unlike the Basilica, this underground chamber was completely forgotten about until less than 15 years ago. Other than locals herding their livestock through the ruins of a garrison city dating to the 6th century, few people went there. Now, the site has given up numerous treasures including rock-cut tombs, an olive processing workshop and a series of underground cisterns. Yeraltı, literally meaning underground, was originally a dungeon in the basement of a fort built by the Byzantines in the 8th century CE.

Persons: James Bond, Theodosius II, Theodosius, Derinkuyu, tufa, émigrés, Han, Rümeli Han, Sarıcazade Ragıp Pasha, Sultan Abdülhamid II’s, Sancaklar, Göbeklitepe, Yeraltı, –, Fatih Sultan Mehmet, Grand Vizier Bahir Mustafa Paşa, dervish Organizations: CNN, Love, UNESCO, Şanlıurfa Archaeology Locations: Turkey, Europe, Asia, Russia, Faith, Istanbul, Constantinople, Fatih, Belgrade Forest, Valens, Dara, Mardin, Nevşehir, Cappadocia, Derinkuyu, Taksim, stairwells, Sancaklar, Büyükçekmece, Mecca, Göbeklitepe, everyone’s, Şanlıurfa, Karaköy, Yeraltı, Ottoman, Grand

☆ AstroForge: How this startup plans to make asteroid mining a reality.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Amy Gunia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Now the California-based startup is attempting to make asteroid mining a reality. That makes AstroForge the only company with a refinery that can turn M-type asteroids into PGMs in space, he adds. Some in the scientific community are skeptical that the private sector will be able to afford asteroid mining. Its all-or-nothing, lower-cost approach may help push asteroid mining closer to reality. “I hope if nothing else,” Gialich says, “we’re known as a space company that went for it.”

Persons: Matt Gialich, Gialich, Jose Acain, “, ”, we’re, “ We’re, AstroForge, Edward Carreon, “ that’s, –, Dan Britt, REx, James Cameron, Larry Page, Britt, “ I’m, ” Gialich, NASA's, Aubrey Gemignani, ” Britt, AstroForge’s Organizations: CNN, Virgin, SpaceX, NASA, Companies, Apple, Center, University of Central, JAXA, United, United Arab Emirates ’ Space Agency, UAE Space Agency, AP NASA, Planetary Resources, Titanic, Google, NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Getty Locations: California, University of Central Florida, China, United Arab, United Arab Emirates, Utah, Los Angeles, Florida

☆ UAE central bank asks lenders to defer loan repayments for six months to help flood-hit residents
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The United Arab Emirates' central bank sent a directive to the country's lenders and insurers approving the deferring of loan repayments for six months, as residents and businesses reel from historic floods that paralyzed the normally dry desert emirate. "The Central Bank today issued a notice to all banks and insurance companies to allow the deferral of repayment of instalments of personal and car loans for customers affected by the repercussions of the weather condition for a period of six months," the bank said in a Monday statement. "The deferral shall be without imposing additional fees, interest or profits, or otherwise increase the principal amount of the loan for the deferral of the repayment of installments." The notice will come as a relief to the many UAE residents who suffered losses and damages during the record-breaking storm. Roughly a year's worth of rain pummeled the Gulf country in a span of just 12 hours between April 16 and 17, destroying businesses, cars and other property.

Organizations: United Arab, Central Bank Locations: United Arab Emirates, UAE

☆ I've visited 93 countries, 57 of them with kids. These 5 underrated spots are great places to enjoy with your family.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Since 2000, I've visited 93 countries and 57 of them have been with my four children who are all under the age of 10. We went on a safari tour in TanzaniaOur family visited Tanzania in 2019 in collaboration with a tourism brand. We love Sri Lanka so much, we're building a villa thereIn 2022, my family and I moved to Sri Lanka from Abu Dhabi. Edwards' daughter and son on a beach in Sri Lanka. Courtesy of Karen EdwardsI visited the country in 2008, and then again in 2012 with my then-boyfriend and now-husband.

Persons: Karen Edwards, Edwards, —, I've, Abu, Abu Dhabi, you'll, Al, we're, It's, We'd Organizations: Service, Disney, Mto, United Arab, Oasis, Catalonian Locations: Tanzania, Abu Dhabi, America, California, Florida, Zanzibar, Tanzanian, Lake, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Al Ain, Hafeet, Sri Lanka, Galle, Andorra, Pyrenees, Spain, Barcelona, Toulouse, France, Karen Edwards Andorra, Macedonia Macedonia, Balkan, Greece, Europe, Albania, Macedonia

☆ These supersized clownfish robots could be coming to waterways in the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Amy Gunia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Without better data to understand the health of increasingly stressed waterways, the fight to save these most precious of resources will be ineffective, says Simeon Pieterkosky, co-founder of the technology company Aquaai. The technology could also find a use in the Middle East, a region that is battling water scarcity. Aquaai co-founder and CEO Liane Thompson. Aquaai is currently upgrading its underwater drones and is in discussions with various government agencies about trials to put the newest version to work. There are a smattering of other agencies and companies developing underwater drones for a variety of purposes.

Persons: Simeon Pieterkosky, ”, Aquaai, Pieterkosky, Liane Thompson, Aquaai Thompson, Thompson, Robert C, Brears, “ Organizations: CNN, United Arab, Abu Locations: California, Norway, East, North Africa, Thompson, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi’s, Beijing

☆ See Dubai flooding from space
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Unprecedented, torrential rainfall plunged parts of the United Arab Emirates underwater last week, bringing life to a standstill in Dubai and elsewhere. NASA NASA Images taken over the Jebel Ali area, located on the southern outskirts of Dubai, capture the area before and after historic flooding. The flooding shown is in the southernmost portion of Dubai, but the city’s highly urbanized central hub isn’t captured. The torrential rain was associated with a larger storm system last week traversing the Arabian Peninsula and moving across the Gulf of Oman. A warmer atmosphere is able to soak up more moisture like a towel and then ring it out in the form of torrential rainfall.

Persons: Abu Dhabi Organizations: CNN, United, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, UAE, NASA, United States Geological Survey, NASA NASA Locations: United Arab, Dubai, UAE, –, Abu Dhabi, Jebel Ali, Gulf of Oman, Oman

☆ Emirates CEO issues apology after Dubai flood chaos; says airline has 30,000 suitcases to return
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

People queue at a flight connection desk after a rainstorm hit Dubai, causing delays at the Dubai International Airport, United Arab Emirates, April 17, 2024. Rula Rouhana | ReutersThe CEO of Emirates airline issued an apology letter to customers over the weekend after historic rains in the United Arab Emirates caused record flooding and mayhem at Dubai's airport. Hundreds of flights were grounded and thousands of customers were stranded as a result. A woman and her daughters eat as they wait for their flight after a rainstorm hit Dubai, causing delays at Dubai International Airport, United Arab Emirates, April 17, 2024. Another traveler told CNBC via social media: "It took me 48 hours to get from London to Baghdad via Dubai.

Persons: Rula Rouhana, Tim Clark, Clark, Giuseppe Cacace Organizations: Dubai International Airport, United, United Arab Emirates, Emirates, Dubai Airport, Reuters, CNBC, Dubai ., Afp, Getty Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Emirates, London, Baghdad, gridlocked

☆ Emirates is dealing with a 30,000 bag backlog as it grovels to customers about its handling of Dubai floods
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewEmirates, the Middle East's largest airline, is still trying to return 30,000 leftover bags to customers affected by the torrential rains and flooding that brought Dubai Airport to a standstill last week. Related storyTo accommodate disrupted passengers, Emirates said it had secured 12,000 hotel rooms and issued 250,000 meal vouchers. AdvertisementDespite the chaos and a government warning telling people to stay at home, Emirates flight attendants in Dubai were also told to report for duty. The airline officially resumed regular flight operations at Dubai Airport on Saturday, but warned it would still take several days to clear the backlog. In a sign of its growing popularity, the number of passengers traveling to Dubai Airport increased by 31.7% in the last year.

Persons: —, Tim Clark, Clark, GIUSEPPE CACACE Organizations: Service, Emirates, Dubai, Business, Reuters, Dubai Airport, Air Missions, PTI, United Locations: Emirates, Dubai, UAE, United Arab Emirates, Gulf

☆ India election: Modi’s Muslim remarks spark ‘hate speech’ accusations as mammoth vote deepens divides
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of delivering Islamophobic remarks during an election rally Sunday, triggering widespread anger from prominent Muslims and members of the opposition. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking during a rally in Sydney, Australia, on May 23, 2023. Kalpit Bhachech/Getty Images Narendra Modi, then BJP secretary is welcomed at Ahmedabad Railway Station by the party's followers on January 31, 1992. Kalpit Bhachech/Dipam Bhachech/Getty Images Narendra Modi pictured in India on January 23, 1998. Brent Lewin/Bloomberg/Getty Images India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023.

Persons: CNN —, Narendra Modi, Islamophobic, Modi’s, Modi, ”, ” Modi, Matthew Abbott, Hiraben, Damodardas, Dipam Bhachech, Lal Krishna Advani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Kalpit Bhachech, Kalpit, Negi Yasbant, Amit Dave, Ajit Solanki, Kevin Frayer, Saurabh Das, AP Modi, Manish Swarup, Lucas Jackson, Barack Obama, Adrien Helou, Reuters Modi, Adnan Abidi, Stringer, Mark Zuckerberg, David Paul Morris, Marco Longari, Angela Merkel, Tobias Schwarz, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Platiau, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, India's, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Amit Shah, Money Sharma, Boris Johnson, Phil Noble, Anthony Albanese, Brent Lewin, Pedro Ugarte, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Paul Mashatile, Jacoline, Imtiyaz Khan, Amr Alfiky, Rana Ayyub, Asaduddin Owaisi, “ Modi, Mallikarjun Kharge Organizations: CNN, CNN — India’s, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian National Congress, of India, India's, New York Times, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Getty, Modi, Hospital, Narendra, India Today, AP, Madison, Garden, Reuters, Washington , D.C, French National Space Agency, of Yoga, Meta, Facebook, Bloomberg, European, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kyodo, British, Summit, Qudos Bank, White, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu, United, United Arab Emirates, Sangh, Hindu, “, Hate Locations: Rajasthan, Sydney, Australia, Gujarat, India, Ahmedabad, Ahmadabad, Varanasi, New Delhi, United States, Washington, Washington ,, Toulouse, France, Xian, AFP, Menlo Park , California, U.S, Pretoria, South Africa, China, Berlin, Paris, Rashtrapati, Russian, Brasilia, Glasgow, Red, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, BJP, “

☆ Here are the top 10 smartest cities in the world — and none are in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Ernestine Siu | In Ernestinesiu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

These are the ten smartest cities in the world, according to IMD. This year's index was produced by the IMD World Competitiveness Center's Smart City Observatory in collaboration with the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO) that's based in Seoul, South Korea. Smart cities in Europe and Asia are gaining ground globally while North American cities have fallen down the ranks, according to the 2024 Smart City Index released April. Here are the top 10 smart cities, according to the 2024 Smart City Index. While European cities dominated the list, Asian cities are gaining ground too.

Persons: Bruno Lanvin, Lanvin Organizations: IMD, Smart, Smart Sustainable Cities Organization, United Arab Emirates, Washington DC, San, U.S, Boston, CNBC Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Europe, Smart, Asia, Zurich, Switzerland Oslo, Norway Canberra, Australia Geneva, Switzerland Singapore Copenhagen, Denmark Lausanne, Switzerland London, England Helsinki, Finland Abu Dhabi, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Singapore, Beijing, Taipei City, Shanghai

☆ Mohammad Faris: ‘Armstrong of the Arab World’ and Syria’s first astronaut dies in exile
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Eyad Kourdi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In 1987, Faris, a pilot in the Syrian Air Force, spent eight days in space with the Soviet Union’s Interkosmos spaceflight program. Faris flew with a Soviet crew to Mir space station becoming the first and only Syrian astronaut and second Arab to make it to space. Upon his return to Syria, Faris was celebrated as a national hero by tens of thousands of Syrians. Faris decided in 2012 to defect and publicly oppose the Syrian regime, putting his family and himself in life-threatening danger. In 2020, Faris was granted Turkish citizenship, as reported by the Turkish state broadcaster TRT.

Persons: CNN — Mohammad Faris, Armstrong, Faris, Hafez al, Assad, Bashar, “, Jazeera, Assad, Faris –, Hafez al - Assad, Prince Sultan bin Salman, Allah, “ let’s, ” Faris, Bashar al, Al Jazeera, Moscow propping Organizations: CNN, Syrian Air Force, Saudi, Free Syrian Army, Turkish, TRT, Star City, AP Locations: Turkish, Gaziantep, Soviet, Syria, ”, Aleppo, Turkey, Istanbul, Russia, Moscow, Soviet Union

☆ Nowhere for the water to go: Dubai flooding shows the world is failing a big climate change drainage test
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Michelle Castillo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Dubai flooding last week illustrated how urban engineering is failing a major climate change test. The United Arab Emirates' city and others like it built on previously uninhabitable areas reflect 20th century urban development ideas that result in the blocking of natural water absorption systems. What's known is that Dubai was built on sand, a natural environment which lets water seep into the soil very easily. But by pouring massive amounts of concrete on top of Dubai's natural terrain, the developers effectively blocked the soil from absorbing water. Plastic products don't absorb water well, and when they end up in landfills around the world, massive piles of trash contribute to a global backup of natural drainage systems.

Persons: Ana Arsky, Arsky Organizations: United Arab, UAE, CNBC Locations: Sharjah, UAE, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, it's

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