Author: News Desk

China gave tech giant Tencent Holdings the green light on Thursday to publish Nintendo Switch Ring Fit Adventure and shooter game Call of Duty Mobile, strengthening the country’s biggest social media and video games company. The approval published by China’s National Press and Publication Administration on its website comes as game developers reap higher revenue while the novel coronavirus puts a dent in other entertainment options. Game publishers in China need to have a license from content regulators so they can make money from the sale of virtual products in games such as weapons or avatars. Tencent started selling the…

Etihad Airways has provided details of its half-year 2020 performance, which saw a strong start to the year, with the airline progressing well ahead of its transformation plan targets. In a statement by the airline on Thursday, Core operating loss for this period increased by US$172 million to US$758 million, driven by a 38 percent drop in revenues, which stood at US$1.7 billion. This was partially off-set by a 27 percent reduction in direct operating costs to US$1.9 billion, and a 21 percent reduction in general and administrative expenses to $0.40 billion, both driven by management cost containment initiatives and…

Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, has stressed that the resumption of sports activities, in general, and the Nasser bin Hamad Football Premier League, in particular, indicates that life in Bahrain is back to normal gradually. On the occasion, HH Shaikh Nasser stressed the importance of implementing the decisions of the Government Executive Committee, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, to allow the resumption of sports activities without spectators. ♦ Bahrain…

Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) announced the reopening of its office at the Muharraq Security Complex on Sunday, August 9 from 8 am to 2 pm to provide the residency sticker service only. Only clients with appointments booked through Skiplino app would be allowed, in line with the precautionary measures against coronavirus in place, and in order to ensure social distancing. The NPRA urged the clients to wear masks during the processing of their applications.

The Bahrain Tennis Club announced it would resume its activities on Thursday (August 6). “Doors will be reopened to BTC club members who book in advance to use the tennis courts”, it said  in a statement, stressing the necessity of complying with the mandary precautionary measures for combating the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). BTC Chairman Khamis Mohammed Al-Muqla thanked all members for their cooperation and full commitment to the preventive protocols for the safety of all.

The Bahrain health ministry introduces the “Hug curtain” program for frontline workers at healthcare to meet and greet their families on Eid Al Adha. Health care workers were experienced an amazing and exciting moment by meeting their loved ones in a unique way on Eid Al Adha with hug curtains. Healthcare workers who are striving hard to protect their family and friends by maintaining social distancing. https://youtu.be/B8OoF3YwESQ A heart-touching moment has seen at the hospitals on Eid day where families of medical staff were surprised by seeing their loved ones who visited to exchange Eid wishes and became emotionally excited…

Facebook rolled out its own version of social media rival TikTok in the United States and more than 50 other countries on Wednesday, embedding a new short-form video service called Reels as a feature within its popular Instagram app. The debut comes days after Microsoft said it was in talks to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations from China’s ByteDance. ByteDance has agreed to divest parts of TikTok, sources have said, under pressure from the White House which has threatened to ban it and other Chinese-owned apps over data security concerns. The launch of Reels escalates a bruising fight between Facebook and…

British retailer WH Smith said on Wednesday it could cut up to 1,500 jobs as part of a restructuring of its UK store operations, due to significantly fewer customers at its travel and high street shops despite easing coronavirus restrictions. Founded more than 200 years ago as a news vendor in London, WH Smith expanded at a host of major airports to take advantage of rising passenger numbers, helping offset the decline of the British high street. The company said 53% of its UK travel store estate is open with a focus on increasing average transaction value now that sales have…

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health stated in its tweet that urgent shipment of medical aid, including equipment, medicines and supplies were sent to Lebanon on Wednesday on the directives of HH Deputy Amir, Shaikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The huge explosion hit Beirut Port yesterday afternoon leaving 100 dead and nearly 4,000 injured. The ministry had announced joint coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare and transport the shipment in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense via a military plane, noting the direct follow-up from the Minister of Health Sheikh Dr. Basel AI-Sabah to complete the various procedures…

A U.S. judge on Tuesday sentenced former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski to 18 months in prison for stealing a trade secret from Google related to self-driving cars months before becoming the head of Uber Technologies rival unit. U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco said Levandowski, who was convicted on Tuesday following a March plea agreement, said Levandowski could enter custody once the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided. Alsup said a sentence short of imprisonment would have given “a green light to every future brilliant engineer to steal trade secrets,” comparing what Levandowski took to a “competitor’s game plan.” ♦ Google…