Manchester City extends PL lead, Chelsea and Tottenham back to winning ways

class=”slides LONDON, 6th May, 2023 (WAM) — Manchester City, on the Etihad Stadium, defeated Leeds United 2-1 in the 35th round of the English Premier League, extending its consecutive victories and solidifying its place at the top of the table. The same round witnessed Chelsea secure its first win in the last eight matches after overcoming Bournemouth 3-1. Tottenham also returned to winning ways after five winless matches by beating Crystal Palace 1-0. Other matches saw Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers winning 1-0 over Brentford and Aston Villa respectively. Khoder Nashar

Source: Emirates News Agency (WAM)

Sultan AlNeyadi and Crew-6 team successfully complete Dragon endeavour relocation on ISS

DUBAI, 6th May, 2023 (WAM) — The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) today confirmed astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi along with his Crew-6 crew members successfully completed the mission to relocate the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the International Space Station (ISS). This is the third port relocation of a Dragon crew spacecraft, following previous relocations during the Crew-1 and Crew-2 missions. AlNeyadi participated in the mission along with the Crew-6 members, NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The mission began at 15:23 UAE time, with the Crew-6 members undocking the Dragon spacecraft from the space-facing port of the Harmony module on the ISS. After undergoing a series of manoeuvres over the course of 38 minutes, the crew docked the spacecraft with the station’s forward Harmony port at 16:01 UAE time. The relocation of the Dragon spacecraft was supported by the Mission Control Centre at NASA’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston, SpaceX in Hawthorne, California and monitored by the MBRSC team. The relocation freed up the Harmony module’s space-facing port for the docking of the next Dragon cargo spacecraft set to launch in June. The zenith port on Harmony will now allow the Canadarm2 robotic arm easier access to the International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays, or IROSAs, that will arrive on SpaceX’s 28th commercial resupply mission for NASA for installation through a series of spacewalks. Prior to the mission, the Crew-6 joined each other earlier on Tuesday and checked the pressure suits they wore for today’s short ride inside the Dragon spacecraft. The team had also reviewed the relocation procedures, checked vehicle hatches, and configured the spacecraft cabin to ensure the smooth completion of the mission. Adnan Al Rais, Mission Manager, UAE Astronaut Programme, MBRSC, stated, “The successful relocation of the Dragon spacecraft, skilfully executed by the Sultan AlNeyadi and his fellow Crew 6 team members, marks a new accomplishment for Expedition 69. By supporting the mission and maintenance of the ISS, we are advancing scientific endeavours on the space station. Over the coming months, we eagerly anticipate the continuation of innovative collaborations, missions, and experiments that will enrich humanity’s knowledge and well-being.” AlNeyadi had recently become the first Arab to undertake a spacewalk during Expedition 69, along with Bowen. During the spacewalk, which lasted 7 hours and 1 minute, they successfully completed a series of preparatory tasks which involved routing power cables, as a precursor to the installation of the iROSA. Over the past week, AlNeyadi and Bowen also partnered together in the Destiny laboratory module, working on life support gear. The astronauts took turns collecting water samples and replacing components from inside Destiny’s oxygen generation system. The UAE Astronaut Programme is one of the projects managed by MBRSC under the UAE’s National Space Programme and funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), which aims to support research and development in the ICT sector in the UAE and promote the country’s integration on the global stage.

Source: Emirates News Agency (WAM)

House votes to lift member immunity after repatriation from Israel

The Lower House of Parliament voted to strip MP Emad Adwan of immunity from prosecution shortly after he returned to the Kingdom Sunday morning following a two-week detention in Israel. House Speaker Ahmad Safadi told reporters following a closed House session that the move to strip Adwan of parliamentary immunity followed a request by the State Security Court which was submitted to the legislature by the government. Safadi said the release of MP Adwan came as a result of efforts by His Majesty King Abdullah II and the Jordanian diplomacy.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Miyahuna makes significant progress in reducing water losses in Zarqa

Jordan Water Company (Miyahuna), in charge of providing water services throughout Jordan and owned by the Jordanian Water Authority, has announced it is making significant progress in reducing water losses in the governorate of Zarqa, in accordance with a strategic plan that proposes and implements several projects. In a statement, Miyahuna Assistant CEO in Zarqa, Wassem Heyari, said that the projects, which aim to reduce water losses by 2% annually, include one to renovate three wells, each with a capacity of 50 cubic meters per hour, to improve the water supply in the communities of Phosphate in Rusaifa, Marhab in Birain, and Arnous on the Zarqa-Mafraq road. “In addition, the water conveyor line from Khou to Aujan has been replaced with another that is 12 km long and 600 mm in diameter, to eliminate waste and improve water supply,” he added. Heyari also highlighted a JD900,000 project that is being carried out to totally replace the pumping equipment at the Khou’s main station by the end of next July. Moreover, he added, the United States Agency for International Development in Jordan (USAID) is funding a JD1.3 million project to restore the “Mar Youssef” water network in the Batrawi area. The project is currently 43% complete. “With support from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) worth JD300,000, the replacement of the pumping units at the Basateen station in Rusaifa was also completed” he noted. In regard to projects that were approved by the “decentralized” Zarqa Governorate Council, Heyari stated that one project had been launched to serve new sewage network subscribers at the cost of JD420 thousand, while another project is currently being worked on to serve subscribers in the water network outside of the municipal boundaries at the cost of JD170 thousand. “The improvements are anticipated to be completed by the end of 2023, and will include a JD375,000 project to repair sewage lines and a JD305,000 project to repair water networks,” he added.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Under Patronage of Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques, IsDB Group to Hold Annual Meetings in Jeddah Wednesday

Under the patronage of Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group’s Annual Meetings are set to take place in May 10-13, 2023, in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The theme of this year’s event is “Partnerships to Fend off Crises”; it emphasises the importance of collaboration in addressing challenges faced by the Bank’s 57 member countries.

The Annual Meetings, in which delegates from IsDB Group’s 57 member countries are slated to take part, serve as a crucial platform for global leaders, policymakers, key stakeholders and other influential figures to come together and discuss critical development issues.

The four-day meetings will include high-level plenary sessions, interactive discussions, technical symposiums and sideline events during which a wide range of topics will be covered, such as poverty alleviation, infrastructure development, health, education, women and youth empowerment, food security, climate change, and innovation. Member nations will have the opportunity to present their relevant development projects and initiatives to strengthen partnerships and create lasting valuable impacts.

This year’s event will see the Private Sector Forum hosted by institutions part of the IsDB Group, including the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), the International Islamic Corporation for Trade Financing (ITFC), and the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD). The forum aims to strengthen trade relations and encourage investment and trade opportunities among member nations.

It will also give member countries an opportunity to showcase their achievements and success stories. High-profile participants, including ministers from IsDB Group’s 57 member countries, senior government officials, heads of international organisations, high-calibre private sector representatives, as well as members of the academia and media will be attending.

By providing an environment conducive to dialogue and cooperation, the events seek to help identify workable solutions to major global issues and thus promote comprehensive, sustainable development in IsDB’s member countries.

The event encourages solid and lasting partnerships among member nations, driving positive change and facilitating economic and social progress.

Media professionals interested in registering for the Annual Meetings can visit the official website https://isdb-am.org/ to join, enrich discussions and explore solutions for a better future.

About Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group

The IsDB Group consists of five entities, namely: the Islamic Development Bank, which currently holds a global AAA rating from the three main rating agencies of the world; IsDBI, which focuses on research and training issues, ICIEC, ICD and ITFC.

With its main office established in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, nearly half a century ago, the bank currently has regional hubs in 10 of its member countries, as well as a Centre of Excellence located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. IsDB is one of the biggest South-South Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) of the world; its mission is to enable member countries to benefit from its wide range of socio-economic development services. By enabling countries to take ownership of their economic and social progress, IsDB Group works to help nations develop the infrastructure and mechanisms required to actualise and benefit from their potential. Presently, IsDB’s Realigned Strategy focuses on three overarching and interconnected objectives: boosting recovery; tackling poverty and building resilience; driving green economic growth.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Foreign Minister Participates in Consultative Meeting of Arab League Foreign Ministers

Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah participated today in the consultative meeting of the foreign ministers of the League of Arab States at its headquarters in Cairo.

During the meeting, the ministers consulted and exchanged views on many issues of concern to the Arab region, in addition to discussing ways to enhance joint Arab action and find urgent solutions to the challenges facing the Arab region and its people.

The importance of enhancing joint coordination among the member states of the Arab League in order to achieve more security, stability and prosperity for the Arab countries and achieve the goals of sustainable development for countries and peoples was also discussed throughout the meeting

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral Affairs Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Rassi, and Director-General of the Minister of Foreign Affairs office, Abdulrahman Al-Dawood attended the meeting.

Source: Saudi Press Agency