Author: News Desk

Kabul: The United States has carried out airstrikes to support Afghan government forces who have been under pressure from the Taliban as U.S.-led foreign forces carry out the final stages of their withdrawal from the country. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday the airstrikes were in support of Afghan security forces in recent days but did not provide details. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes were on Wednesday night on the outskirts of the southern city of Kandahar, killing three of their fighters and destroying two vehicles. “We confirm these airstrikes and we condemn this in the…

Tokyo: Six-time world champion Mary Kom and men’s hockey captain Manpreet Singh led the way as India made its way at the Parade of Nations during the Opening Ceremony of Tokyo Olympics on Friday at the Japan National Stadium. https://twitter.com/i/status/1418542532556824582

TOKYO: Donald Trump and Joe Biden: Japan’s leader has seen them both in action, and knows the big differences between their styles. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that Trump used his “individual personality” to advance issues, whereas his successor favors a more collaborative approach. Biden “is a president who tries to build a consensus among allies and like-minded countries in order to advance policies,” Noting that he is on a first-name basis with Biden, who calls him “Yoshi,” Suga said that he believed the president placed “great importance” on the relationship between the two nations. He added, “Freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule…

Tokyo:  Five out of six U.S. athletes competing in the Tokyo Olympics have been vaccinated against Covid-19, the team’s top doctor revealed Friday just before the Games officially begin. That information was culled from the health histories that 567 of the athletes filled out before they departed for Japan, said Dr. Jonathan Finnoff, who estimated that 83 percent of those competitors were fully vaccinated. “Eighty-three percent is actually a substantial number and we’re quite happy with it,” Finnoff, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s medical chief, said. That’s higher than the national rate, with about 56 percent of Americans have received at least one dose of a…

BERLIN — Germany’s national railway operator estimated on Friday that last week’s flooding caused damage worth 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to its network  Authorities are still working to determine the overall cost of the floods that did their worst damage in western Germany and eastern Belgium. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said this week that the damage is “immense” and will take a long time to repair. At least 180 people died in Germany in the flooding and a further 31 deaths were reported in Belgium, taking the overall death toll to 211. German railway operator Deutsche Bahn said that…

Singapore: Vaccinated individuals accounted for three-quarters of Singapore’s COVID-19 infections in the last four weeks, but they were not falling seriously ill, government data showed, as a rapid ramp-up in inoculations leaves fewer people unvaccinated. While the data shows that vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe cases, it also underscores the risk that even those inoculated could be contagious, so that inoculation alone may not suffice to halt transmission. Of Singapore’s 1,096 locally transmitted infections in the last 28 days, 484, or about 44%, were in fully vaccinated people, while 30% were partially vaccinated and just over 25% were…

New York: A rally in the U.S. dollar has investors looking at a broad range of factors — from global COVID-19 infections to yield gaps – to determine whether the greenback will continue appreciating. The dollar is up 4% from its lows of 2021 and is among the world’s best-performing currencies this year, boosted by last month’s hawkish shift from the Federal Reserve, burgeoning inflation and safe-haven demand driven by COVID-19 worries, Reuters reports. Because of the dollar’s central role in the global financial system, its moves ripple out towards a broad range of asset classes and are closely watched…

The Ministry of Labour and Social Development has launched 52 electronic services since the end of 2020, in cooperation with other Government entities, including the Information and Electronic Government Authority (iGA). “The services delivered to non-government organisations include employment, insurance against unemployment, licensing daycare clubs, people with physical disabilities and social assistance”, said Labour and Social Development Minister Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan. He stressed the ministry’s strides in providing digital services, allowing communication and interaction with beneficiaries in an easy and appropriate manner. He stressed the importance of investing in technological developments to provide services in a more accessible…

Tokyo Olympics 2021 LIVE updates: Opening ceremony begins at Tokyo Stadium The rescheduled 2020 Summer Games will kick start today with a grand opening ceremony at the National Stadium in Tokyo amid the shadow of Covid-19 pandemic. https://youtu.be/9eTPUwymsX8

Tokyo: Bahrain will tomorrow mark its 10th participation in the Olympic Games since 1984. The kingdom’s delegation to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 comprises 68 members, including officials and athletes, in addition to technical, administrative and media personnel. Bahrain will, for the first time, compete in five sports, namely athletics, handball, boxing, swimming and archery. The Bahrain national handball team is the representative of the Asian continent, along with hosts Japan. Meanwhile, the kingdom participates in boxing for the first time, through boxer Danis Latypov. Bahrain has won three Olympic medals, including two gold medals by runner Maryam Yusuf Jamal…