News
Government price cuts are failing to reach many shoppers in Lahore, where retailers continue charging well above official rates. The gap covers chicken, vegetables and fruit across several markets. Consumers are facing the increases as Pakistan deals with renewed inflation and higher fuel costs. Official data show that household expenses are rising across several categories, adding pressure to families already paying more for basic food and transport.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Berlin on Wednesday for a state visit to Germany. German military aircraft escorted his plane after it entered German airspace. An official reception followed, including a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour. The visit marks the first state visit to Germany by a UAE president. Sheikh Mohamed is in Germany for meetings with the country’s senior political leadership.
The international measure focuses directly on the widely utilized Mercator map projection, which was originally developed in the 16th century by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator for maritime navigation purposes. While effective for nautical direction, the mathematical scaling of the Mercator model progressively exaggerates landmass sizes farther from the equator while compressing regions near it. According to documentation published by the United Nations General Assembly, these technical distortions continue to permeate modern educational textbooks, news media broadcasts, digital mapping platforms, and official government publications worldwide.
Structured training supports breeding standards
Accepted breeders and their teams will receive specialist instruction through Abu Dhabi Nature Academy. Courses and workshops will cover responsible houbara breeding, animal welfare, biosecurity and the management of breeding facilities. The training will also address operational practices used in managed breeding programs. Participants who complete the required courses can receive certificates, while specialists will continue providing technical guidance during their involvement in the initiative.
The visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of formal Egypt-China diplomatic relations. Egypt and China established diplomatic ties in 1956, making Egypt the first Arab and African country to recognize the People’s Republic of China. El-Sisi highlighted the anniversary in remarks released before Xi’s arrival. Xi also addressed the milestone ahead of the visit. Both presidents pointed to seven decades of bilateral cooperation and the expansion of relations since the comprehensive strategic partnership began.
Travel
The carrier’s seasonal performance highlights expanding passenger capacity and higher load factors across primary long-haul routes connecting North America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. Operational updates released through international aviation channels indicate that forward bookings for the upcoming holiday travel window remain elevated across both premium cabins and economy class. Industry observers note that the sustained passenger volume underscores structural resilience across international long-haul aviation markets.
The journey will take just over three hours, adding a sixth Saudi destination to Etihad’s network. The airline will operate the route with an Airbus A320 configured with eight Business Class seats and 150 Economy Class seats. Etihad said travelers across its network can reach the Red Sea with a single connection in Abu Dhabi. Tickets are already available through Etihad’s booking system for travel from the launch date. The route joins Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina and Al Qassim in the carrier’s Saudi network.
Indonesia reopened Jakarta’s main airport and several regional airports Tuesday after volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau disrupted air travel. More than 340,000 travelers faced delays, cancellations or diversions during the disruption. Nearly 3,000 flights across Indonesia felt the impact. Authorities reopened Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after winds cleared ash from critical aviation areas. Anak Krakatau remained active Tuesday, with monitors recording three smaller eruptions during the morning.
Air Arabia increases Bangkok frequency with four daily flights from Sharjah to meet growing regional travel demand across commercial corridors. The expanded Bangkok operations complement the airline’s existing schedule to Thailand, which includes 21 weekly non-stop flights between Sharjah and Phuket. With the addition of the fourth daily Bangkok frequency, Air Arabia will operate a combined total of 49 weekly non-stop flights between its primary Sharjah hub and Thai destinations. The route expansion strengthens air connectivity between the Arabian Gulf and major Southeast Asian tourism and trade centers.
On Mondays and Saturdays, flight G9 0628 will leave Sharjah at 4 p.m. and arrive in Gdansk at 8 p.m. The return flight, G9 0629, will depart Gdansk at 8:50 p.m. It will reach Sharjah at 6:10 a.m. the following day. On Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, Sharjah departures are scheduled for 8:15 a.m. Return flights will leave Gdansk at 1:05 p.m. and arrive in Sharjah at 10:25 p.m. All published times are local.