Author: News Desk

Tokyo: Japanese voters went to the polls on Sunday to decide whether to endorse the conservative government of Fumio Kishida or weaken the new prime minister and possibly return the world’s third-largest economy to a period of political uncertainty. The vote is a test for Kishida, who called the election soon after taking the top post early this month, and for his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has been battered by its perceived mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic. Already, Kishida has struggled to advance policies to help poorer people, while securing a big boost in military spending and taking a harder…

Manama: National Guard Staff Director Major General Shaikh Abdulaziz bin Saud Al Khalifa attended the “Kingdom Castle 1” Guard units’ exercises that is held from October 28 to November 2. The Staff Director affirmed that the exercise was implemented under the directives of National Guard President General His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa to raise the internal security level in  strengthening military cooperation to preserve and protect the country and meets the aspiration of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, The Supreme Commander.  Shaikh Abdulaziz praised the efforts to enhance the National Guard efficiency in maintaining the security of…

Thiruvananthapuram: Southern Air Command conducted a 7.5 Km Unity Run, today (31 Oct 21) to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence – ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. All Air Force personnel including civilian employees and their families of Southern Air Command Akkulam and Air Force Station Shangumugham participated in the event with full josh and enthusiasm. The unity run was flagged off by Air Marshal J Chalapati Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Southern Air Command Akkulam. Station Commander of Air Force Station Thiruvanthampuram flagged off the run at Shanghumugham Beach. On the occasion two air warriors, Sgt Noah Nirmal Tom and Sgt…

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia intends to bid to host the Expo 2030 world fair, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Friday, part of the de facto ruler’s push to transform the kingdom’s economy and diversify it away from oil. The Saudi capital Riyadh has submitted a formal request to host Expo 2030 under the theme “The era of change: Leading the planet to a foresighted tomorrow”, a statement said, according to Reuters. Gulf neighbor and regional business hub the United Arab Emirates, which is increasingly in economic competition with Saudi Arabia, is currently hosting the Expo 2020 world fair, which…

Riyadh: The world’s largest oil company, Saudi Aramco, reported $30.4 billion in third-quarter net income on Sunday, bolstered by a surge in oil prices and recovery in demand as the coronavirus pandemic eases. Saudi Arabia’s majority state-owned oil giant Aramco said its net income more than doubled from $11.8 billion during the same three-month period a year earlier. Last year’s figure came after profits plunged dramatically as global coronavirus lockdowns slammed oil prices. Aramco CEO Amin Nasser described the company’s third-quarter results as “exceptional,” a result of “increased economic activity in key markets and a rebound in energy demand.” He acknowledged…

Australian officials plan to roll out COVID-19 booster shots soon to prevent a resurgence of cases, as residents in the two largest cities of Sydney and Melbourne begin to enjoy more freedoms after months-long curbs. Australia has ditched its COVID-zero strategy in favour of suppressing the coronavirus, after largely stamping out infections for most of this year, and is now aiming to live with the virus through higher vaccinations. Officials are gradually shifting their focus to booster shots as double-dose vaccinations levels in Australia’s adult population nears 75%. Almost 87% of people above 16 have received their first dose since…

New Zealand reported 109 new locally acquired coronavirus cases on Monday, the bulk of them in its largest city, Auckland, as the country saw its second-worst day of daily infections since the pandemic began. Once the poster child for stamping out COVID-19, New Zealand has been unable to beat an outbreak of Delta variant of COVID-19 centred in Auckland, despite the city remaining under a strict lockdown for more than two months. The country over the weekend also reported the first community case of the virus in its South Island in nearly a year, a cause for further headache, though…

Finance and National Economy Minister Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa received British Ambassador to Bahrain, Roderick Drummond. The minister affirmed the depth of the historical relations between the two kingdoms,noting  the advanced level of cooperation in various fields, especially in the financial and economic field. Shaikh Salman stressed the importance of continuing to strengthen cooperation and push it towards a broader horizon to achieve more investment opportunities for the benefit of both countries. They discussed ways to enhance coordination, reviewed topics of common interest and the global economy.

Millions of Afghans, including children, could die of starvation unless urgent action is taken to pull Afghanistan back from the brink of collapse, a senior United Nations official warned, calling for frozen funds to be freed for humanitarian efforts. World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley told Reuters that 22.8 million people – more than half of Afghanistan’s 39 million population – were facing acute food insecurity and “marching to starvation” compared to 14 million just two months ago. “Children are going to die. People are going to starve. Things are going to get a lot worse,” he said…

A “brave” question in the news conference brought some moments of amusement for India captain Virat Kohli in an otherwise chastening night for his team, who were thrashed by arch-rivals Pakistan in the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday. India went into the Dubai blockbuster with a 12-0 record in World Cup matches against their neighbours but Pakistan ended that streak with a 10-wicket victory in the Super 12 Group Two clash. In the post-match conference Kohli, who will step down as India’s captain in the T20 format after the tournament, was asked if the team erred by not including rookie batsman Ishan…