Tag: united arab emirates

Pope Francis cancels trip to Dubai climate summit over health issues | Climate Crisis News

The 86-year-old pontiff is recovering from the flu and inflammation of respiratory tract.

Pope Francis has cancelled his trip to the United Arab Emirates for a United Nations climate summit on doctors’ orders as he recovers from the flu and lung inflammation, the Vatican says.

Francis, 86, was scheduled to leave on Friday to address the Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai on Saturday. He would have become the first pontiff to address a UN climate conference.

He also was set to inaugurate a faith pavilion on Sunday on the sidelines of the event.

On Tuesday, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Francis’s health was improving after the flu and inflammation of his respiratory tract had forced him to cancel his audiences on Saturday, but the doctors advised him not to travel to Dubai.

The pope agreed not to travel “with great regret”, according to the Vatican statement, which added that it would look into ways that the leader of the world’s Roman Catholics could contribute to the climate discussions remotely.

Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, came down with the flu last week and had a CT scan. The Vatican subsequently said the test had ruled out pneumonia.

On Sunday, he skipped his traditional appearance at his studio window overlooking St Peter’s Square to avoid the cold. Instead, he gave the traditional noon blessing in a televised appearance from the chapel in the Vatican hotel where he lives and asked a priest to read his written daily reflections out loud.

The pope had to postpone a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan in 2022 because of knee inflammation. He was able to make that journey early this year.

When asked about his health in a recent interview, Francis responded in what has become his standard line: “Still alive, you know.”

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Xpeng X2 ‘Flying Car’ Completes First Public Flight Ahead of Planned Launch in International Markets

A “flying car” built by Chinese electronic vehicle maker Xpeng made its first public flight in the United Arab Emirates, as the company works towards launching the electric aircraft on international markets. The X2 is a two-seater electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that is lifted by eight propellers – two at each corner of the vehicle.

Monday’s unmanned, 90-minute test flight in Dubai was described by its manufacturer as an “important base for the next generation of flying cars.”

“We are making step-by-step (moves) to the international market,” said Minguan Qiu, general manager of Xpeng Aeroht. “First we selected Dubai city because Dubai is the most innovative city in the world.”

According to a report) by Khaleej Times, Chinese technology and electric vehicle manufacturer Xpeng tested the world’s first flying electric taxi earlier this week. The autonomous two-seater flying car reportedly has a maximum takeoff weight of 760kg, a 560kg empty weight, and a 130kmph top flight speed. It has a 35-minute flight time and is made of premium carbon fibre and is fitted with an airframe parachute.

After taking off from Skydive Dubai, the X2 flying car completed its test flight, ushering in a new era of short-haul trips and intelligent mobility solutions.

The most recent version of flying cars is the futuristic electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL), which has autonomous flight capabilities and an intelligent flight control system. The X2 is built for low-altitude cities and produces no carbon dioxide.

According to the report, flying cars could be available for commercial use in the next two to three years.

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Lightyear: UAE, Malaysia, Others Ban Pixar Movie Over Kiss Between Lesbian Characters

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar on Monday banned Disney-Pixar’s animated feature film Lightyear from screening in cinemas because it features characters in a same-sex relationship.

The film would not be licensed for screening in the UAE’s as it violated the nation’s media content standard, the Ministry of Youth and Culture’s media regulatory office wrote on Twitter.

UAE’s decision to ban Lightyear feels particularly egregious as it comes amidst the international celebration of the LGBTQ+ community during the ongoing Pride month.

Media Regulatory Office Executive Director Rashid Khalfan Al Nuaimi later told Reuters the film was banned because of the inclusion of “homosexual” characters in several scenes.

A Disney representative did not immediately respond to emailed Reuters questions on the ban, which drew praise from some on social media in the country.

Like many other Middle East nations, same-sex relationships are criminalised in the UAE, a Gulf country of about 10 million people where most of the population are foreigners.

Lightyear, which had been advertised by cinemas in the UAE for release on June 16, is centred around the Buzz Lightyear action figure character from the popular Toy Story franchise.

The film features Chris Evans as the voice of Buzz and Uzo Aduba as Alisha Hawthorne. Aduba’s character is in a relationship with another woman, whom she kisses in the film.

Ahead of Monday’s decision, an Arabic hashtag calling for the film not to be shown in the UAE was trending on Twitter.

Films featuring same-sex relationships have in the past been banned by regulators in Muslim-majority nations, while others with profanity or illicit drug use are sometimes censored.

The UAE’s media regulatory office in December had announced that international versions of films would be shown in the country.

© Thomson Reuters 2022

  • Release Date 17 June 2022
  • Language English
  • Genre Action, Adventure, Animation
  • Cast

    Chris Evans, Taika Waititi

  • Director

    Angus MacLane

  • Music Michael Giacchino
  • Producer

    Galyn Susman

  • Production

    Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios

  • Certificate 13+

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Further reading: Lightyear, Lightyear movie, Pixar, Disney, UAE, United Arab Emirates, LGBTQ, homosexuality, same sex, Pride month, Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story, Hollywood

Realme V20 5G With MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC, 6,000mAh Battery Launched: Price, Specifications



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UAE to Send Astronaut on 6-Month Mission to Space Station

The United Arab Emirates has purchased a seat on a SpaceX rocket for an Emirati astronaut to journey to the International Space Station for a six-month stay, officials said Friday, the oil-rich federation’s first long-term mission as it advances its ambitions in space.

The UAE purchased the seat on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket through a private Houston-based company, Axiom Space, a space tour operator that has been leading efforts to commercialise the industry. The mission is scheduled for launch next year from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This will mark the UAE’s second time sending an astronaut into space. In 2019, Maj. Hazzaa al-Mansoori spent an eight-day mission aboard the International Space Station. The UAE statement did not identify the astronaut picked for the 2023 mission.

The statement also did not say how much the country paid for the prized seat on the rocket built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Axiom’s ticket price for wealthy citizens who paid their way to the International Space Station earlier this month was $55 million (roughly Rs. 420 crore) apiece for the rocket ride and accommodations.

Friday’s announcement is part of a flurry of activity in the UAE’s space programme. Last year, the UAE put its Amal, or Hope, satellite in orbit around Mars, a first for the Arab world. In 2024, the country hopes to put an unmanned spacecraft on the moon.

The UAE also has set the ambitious goal of building a human colony on Mars by 2117.

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