Latest from El Balad
El Balad
6 days ago
- Politics
- El Balad
عودة «الملك لير» إلى المسرح القومي برؤية جديدة ومشاركة فنية مؤثرة
Labour Party's Sadiq Khan is on course to become the first Muslim mayor of an EU capital as voters in London went to polls on Thursday following a campaign marred by charges of anti-semitism and extremism. The fight to run the British capital has pitted the Labour Party's Khan, 45, who grew up in public housing and is the son of a Pakistani bus driver, against Conservative Zac Goldsmith, 41, the elite-educated son of a billionaire financier. Khan voted early in his multi-ethnic constituency of Tooting in south London while Goldsmith cast his ballot in the posh Richmond neighbourhood west of the city centre. Mayors of London, which is home to the City financial district, are responsible for areas such as policing, transport, housing and the environment. London is the top prize in local elections being held across Scotland, Wales and northern England, and there was little let-up in the accusations against Khan, who has a big lead in opinion polls, as campaigning ran into its final hours. During a heated parliamentary debate on Wednesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron accused Khan of sharing "a platform with an extremist who called for Jews to drown in the ocean". Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in turn accused the Conservatives of "smearing" Khan. He said one of the men Cameron had accused Khan of sharing a platform with, had also been close to Goldsmith. Khan, who would be London's first Muslim mayor, says he has fought extremism all his life and that he regrets sharing a stage with speakers who held "abhorrent" views. Anti-semitism row Khan, a former human rights lawyer, has also had to distance himself from Corbyn after a row over anti-Semitism. The Labour leader ordered an inquiry into charges of anti-Semitism after suspending Ken Livingstone, a political ally and a former London mayor, for saying Adolf Hitler had supported Zionism. Khan was quick to condemn the comments and on Tuesday told reporters in his final stump speech of the campaign at a venue overlooking the River Thames: "I've had lots of people contact me from the Jewish faith sending me their support". The row has failed to dent Khan's lead in opinion polls, a situation the Labour Party would like to be replicated in Thursday's other local and regional elections. Khan v Goldsmith Despite the surface-level rancour, both Khan and Goldsmith accept that the sky-high cost of homes and the city's creaking transport system are the dominant issues for voters. Of the 12 candidates, second preference votes for the top two are added on to determine the winner. Final opinion polls put Khan 12 to 14 points ahead on second preferences. London's Evening Standard newspaper endorsed Goldsmith on Wednesday, as he spent the last day of campaigning on a 24-hour tour of the city. "Of the two strong candidates, he has more compelling ideas on tackling pollution and congestion," it said. During a visit to a street market in south London on Wednesday, Khan told AFP his rival had run a "negative, divisive and increasingly desperate campaign". "I've had a positive campaign from day one, talking about how my experience, values and vision will lead to me being the mayor for all Londoners," he said. The new mayor replaces the eccentric Conservative Boris Johnson, whose eight-year term in office included the London 2012 Olympics and the launch of a cycle hire scheme dubbed "Boris Bikes". Out of London's City Hall, the fiercely-ambitious Johnson -- a leading figure in the EU referendum's "Leave" campaign -- is the bookmakers' favourite to become Britain's next prime minister.
El Balad
21-07-2025
- Business
- El Balad
وزيرة التنمية المحلية تبحث تعزيز المدن الذكية.. ونواب: تواكب التكنولوجيا الحديثة في العالم.. تطبق في القطاع الخاص ووزارة الإسكان بدأت تسير على النهج
Celebrity chef Antonio Carluccio, who helped popularise inexpensive Italian fare as the founder of an eponymous restaurant chain and a prolific cookbook writer, died at the age of 80. His death was announced on Wednesday via Carluccio's website, by the restaurant business on Twitter and by his agent. The cause was not immediately revealed. Carluccio, who was born and raised in Italy, had restaurants in Britain, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates bearing his name. He also appeared in several television shows and wrote 22 cookbooks. "Antonio built Carluccio's from one restaurant to the fantastic brand it is today," the restaurant company said in a statement. "It isn't just Antonio's name above our doors, but his heart and soul lives and breathes throughout our restaurants." Carluccio first came to prominence in Britain while running the Neal Street Restaurant in Covent Garden in 1981, earning a number of accolades and hosting famous patrons who included Prince Charles and Elton John. He also helped launch the career of chef Jamie Oliver by hiring him to work there. He co-founded what became the Carluccio's chain in 1999 and remained involved after selling his interest in the business. Carluccio was raised in northwest Italy and worked briefly as a journalist in Turin before becoming involved with the wine and food businesses. Both the Italian and British governments honoured him for his work. He received the Commendatore title from the Italian government in 1998. Queen Elizabeth II made him an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2007.
El Balad
01-07-2025
- Business
- El Balad
ترقية 7131 موظفا ومنح علاوة تشجيعية لـ 3072 آخرين بوزارة بالعدل
Shares of renewable energy companies are rising after a tax on solar and wind was removed from the Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Senate narrowly passed the legislation Tuesday and will now be considered by the House of Representatives. The American Clean Power Association had warned that tax would up to $7 billion to the wind and solar industry's burden. Clean energy stocks rose on Tuesday after a tax on solar and wind projects was removed from the Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Shares of NextEra Energy, the largest renewables developer in the U.S., rose nearly 3% after the Senate narrowly passed President Donald Trump's bill on Tuesday. AES, a leading renewable provider, rose almost 2%. The megabill will now go to the House of Representatives, where lawmakers will consider the Senate's changes. The clean energy industry was surprised and outraged to find over the weekend that a tax on wind and solar projects had been inserted into a version of the Senate legislation. The tax applied to projects that use components from foreign entities of concern above a certain threshold. Foreign entities of concern is widely understood to basically refer to China. The American Clean Power Association and Solar Energy Industries Association told CNBC that the tax was struck from the Senate legislation. ACP had described the tax as punitive and warned that it would add up to $7 billion to the solar and wind industry's tax burden. The benchmark Invesco Solar ETF (TAN) was up about 4%, while the iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) was trading more than 1% higher after the legislation passed. Shares of First Solar, the largest solar panel manufacturer in the U.S., slipped less than 1%. Sun tracker manufacturers Array Technologies and Nextracker jumped more than 11% and about 5%, respectively. Residential solar installer Sunrun rose 9% while inverter manufacturers SolarEdge and Enphase were up about 8% and 4%, respectively. But the Solar Energy Industries Association cautioned that the improvements in the Senate bill are "limited" and the legislation overall is still harmful to renewable energy. "This legislation undermines the very foundation of America's manufacturing comeback and global energy leadership," CEO Abigail Ross Hopper said in a statement. "If this bill becomes law, families will face higher electric bills, factories will shut down, Americans will lose their jobs, and our electric grid will grow weaker."
El Balad
18-06-2025
- Business
- El Balad
صغيرة ومكشوفة.. هوندا تطلق أغرب شاحنة كهربائية
Digitalization is revolutionizing the way outdoor tourism operates. Manaslu Adventures is joining this transformation with tools that integrate efficiency, expansion, sustainability, and user experience. For decades, planning an adventure trip meant exchanging dozens of emails, printing maps, coordinating equipment, and trusting that everything would go as planned. Today, thanks to the digital transformation led by agencies like Manaslu Adventures, all that logistics now fits in the palm of your hand. Headquartered in Barcelona and operating in more than 15 international destinations, Manaslu has succeeded in automating and centralizing the complex organization required for an outdoor journey: permits, transportation, local guides, insurance, meals, meeting points, and more. And it has done so by developing its own technological platforms that connect the agency, suppliers, and travelers in real time. Technology That Breathes Life into Operations In the words of its Marketing Director, 'Our goal is for the traveler to focus only on enjoying the experience.' This means integrating everything from interactive maps and digital check-in to weather alerts, baggage control, and personalized options based on the type of activity and the client's experience level. Process automation has reduced internal logistics management time by more than 40%, freeing up resources for route design, improved customer service, and collaboration with local communities at each destination. A Transformation with Institutional Support This technological leap has been driven, in part, by the 'Última Milla' program, a national initiative by the Spanish Ministry of Tourism that promotes the digitalization of small and medium-sized tourism enterprises. Thanks to this support, Manaslu has been able to scale its sustainable travel model to strategic markets such as the United States and the United Kingdom, where demand is growing for responsible, active, high-quality experiences. This future-oriented vision positions the agency as one of the most dynamic players in the global outdoor sector. Digitalizing to Protect the Planet Beyond efficiency, Manaslu's digital transformation also has a direct impact on sustainability: optimized routes that reduce emissions, visitor management in sensitive areas, and dynamic itineraries that adapt to changing environmental conditions. In short, a more conscious approach to adventure tourism also requires smarter logistics. From Kyrgyzstan to Peru, passing through Georgia and Iceland, each route is now managed with great precision — but with the spirit of a true traveler. Because in the new era of adventure tourism, technology doesn't replace the soul of the journey — it sets it free. Media Contact Company Name: Manaslu Adventures Contact Person: Press Office Email: Send Email Country: United States Website:
El Balad
13-06-2025
- Politics
- El Balad
4 طن دقيق مدعم.. حملات مكبرة على المخابز المخالفة بالمحافظات
The federal government is set to announce details of its promised 'Canada Strong Pass' next week and the tourism initiative is expected to take effect later this month. 'Our Canada Strong Pass will make it easier for Canadians to make memories here at home, support Canadian tourism, and show our Canadian pride. This summer, let's choose Canada,' said Rechie Valdez, secretary of state for small business and tourism, in a statement. A Liberal government spokesperson told The Canadian Press that the pass will be available from June 20 until the end of August. During the recent federal election, Prime Minister Mark Carney promised to introduce a single pass that would give young people under 18 free seats on Via Rail when travelling with their parents, and free access to Canada's national galleries and museums. The Liberal platform said the party would also introduce 'heavily discounted' access to museums and galleries for Canadians aged 18 to 24. Carney, who pitched the idea as a way to unite Canadians in the face of threats from the U.S., said his government also would reduce prices for camping in national parks for all Canadians from June to August. Carney said during the campaign that Canadians would have free access to national parks and historic sites during the summer. For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. The spokesperson said those promises will all be covered by the 'Canada Strong Pass.' A spokesperson for Via Rail Canada said the national passenger rail service is 'proud' to support the plan as it encourages young Canadians and their families to discover the country. The government spokesperson said details of the initiative will be announced in the coming days. In 2017, Via Rail offered unlimited travel passes for youth during the month of July to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday. While the organization said it planned originally to make 1,867 passes available, it extended the offer due to high demand and more than 4,000 Canadians purchased passes. Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Steven Guilbeault's director of communications said there has been an 'incredible show of unity' from Canadians since the beginning of the year. 'We look forward to delivering on our commitment to the Canada Strong Pass to make it even easier for Canadian families to choose Canada as they plan their summer travels,' Alisson Lévesque said. – With files from Global News' Ari Rabinovitch © 2025 The Canadian Press
