UAE astronaut first Arab to complete spacewalk

Dubai: UAE astronaut Sultan Al-Neyadi became the first Arab to undertake a spacewalk during the Expedition 69, venturing out of the International Space Station (ISS) and completing his spacewalk, which lasted 7.01 hours in the vacuum of space on the starboard side of the ISS’s truss structure. PTI

Erdogan unveils Turkiye’s 1st astronaut on poll trail

istanbul: Turkiye’s first astronaut will travel to the International Space Station by the end of the year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday. Air force pilot Alper Gezeravci, 43, was selected to be the first Turkish citizen in space. His backup is Tuva Cihangir Atasever, 30, an aviation systems engineer at Turkish defence contractor Roketsan. AP

At $5.5 billion, Pak largest recipient of ADB loans

Islamabad: Pakistan has become the largest recipient of the Asian Development Bank-funded projects in the year 2022. According to the ADB Annual Report-2022 released on Monday, out of total disbursement of over USD 31.8 billion to 40 countries, Pakistan received loans of USD 5.58 billion. ANI

Italy avoids recession with 0.5% Q1 growth

rome: Italy’s economy grew 0.5 per cent in the first quarter (Q1) of this year, surpassing earlier expectations for negative or near zero growth, the National Statistics Institute (ISTAT). PM Giorgia Meloni said, “These data (prove that) our businesses, when placed in a position to unleash their full potential, know how to make a difference by making Italy strong.” IANS