Author: News Desk

Australia and New Zealand are planning a “travel bubble”, or corridor, that will allow the quarantine-free flow of people between the two neighbours. Both countries have severely restricted international travel to prevent the spread of coronavirus. A wider scheme is planned with Canada and other Asian economies to help supply chains and business travel. The governments of Australia and New Zealand revealed their plans on Tuesday to set up a “trans-Tasman travel bubble”, although no timeframe was given. This quarantine-free travel zone could provide huge advantages to both nations, who have shown strong records for containing the virus. Currently, they…

Kerala has made all arrangements for the return of Malayalee diaspora who are stranded in the Gulf in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. On May 8, a flight from Bahrain will reach Kochi and on May 9, two flights are scheduled to reach Kochi, one from Kuwait and another from Oman. The embassies in Gulf have shortlisted persons who are registered with Indian embassies for travel. In the first phase of evacuation, only persons shortlisted by embassies on the priority lists are allowed to travel from the Gulf. Pregnant women, Senior citizens with acute health problems, children, and persons…

Kuwait announces the recovery of 85 people from the coronavirus. (COVID-19), bringing the tally to 2,032. In remarks to KUNA, Kuwait’s Health Minister Dr. Basel Al-Sabah said analyses and medical examinations and tests proved that these cases were cured of the coronavirus. The recovered will be transferred to the hospital recuperation ward, pending their discharge within the next few days, he said.

In line with its efforts to mitigate the negative impact of the coronavirus and in a bid to find means to empower the private sector, the Bahrain Chamber launched a survey titled “The Economic Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic”. The Chamber explained that the survey fundamentally aims at identifying the various hurdles facing the private sector in Bahrain as a result of the coronavirus, in addition to the effect of the measures and directives taken by the government. It added that once the data is collected and analyzed, recommendations will be made and raised to the concerned bodies. Bahrain Chamber…

Nike is donating 30,000 pairs of shoes, specifically designed for healthcare workers to health systems and hospitals in cities across the United States. The company went to OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon, to study those in the profession. They took into account the challenges of those on the job — including long hours on their feet and liquid spills — and the comfort needed for long shifts. Nike partnered up with Good360, a non-profit specializing in efficient distribution of product donations, to help deliver the shoes to workers in Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis, and New York City, and within…

China reported one new case of coronavirus Tuesday and no deaths, marking three weeks since it recorded a COVID-19 fatality. The National Health Commission said 395 people remained under treatment in the hospital, while 949 were under isolation and observation for suspected cases or after testing positive despite showing no symptoms. The latest figures come as China strikes back against accusations from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and others that the pandemic may have originated in a lab in the central Chinese city of Wuhan where it was first detected late last year. The World Health Organization has backed…

A ministerial decision in Saudi Arabia is set to allow private sector companies to cut salaries by up to 40 percent with the possibility of terminating contracts given the difficult economic circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, Asharq al-Awsat reported. Citing a copy of the decision, Asharq al-Awsat reported on Monday that Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development agreed to changes to the Kingdom’s labor system that would include allowing an employer to reduce an employee’s salary by up to 40 percent of the actual wage for a period of six months. The new regulations would also allow…

The world’s largest coffee chain Starbucks said on Monday that 85 percent of its United States stores will have reopened in some form by the end of the week. Starbucks chief executive officer Kevin Johnson made the announcement in a letter to customers and partners, adding that 90 percent of stores will be open by early June, however, many stores have modified operations and hours, Deutsche press agency (DPA) reported. “After seven weeks of sheltering at home in the US, we have embraced an approach of monitoring, rapidly adapting to, and even shaping, the ‘now normal,'” Johnson said. Last week the…

The Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) has entered into a proactive initiative with GrowIN Portugal, a platform that helps entrepreneurs incorporate, fund, expand and move their startups to Portugal. The agreement will serve to promote cooperation between the two organisations, particularly with regard to supporting startups globally during the ongoing pandemic by connecting the two startups ecosystems. To this end, both parties have agreed to:  Collaborate on the promotion of key events and opportunities in their respective markets;  Promote opportunities for developing the startup markets in their respective countries; Support startups by arranging introductory meetings with key ecosystem stakeholders in both…

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa received at Al-Safriya Palace Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al-Khalifa, in the presence of HM the King’s Personal Representative HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and Royal Court Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa. The Interior Minister was accompanied by Undersecretary for National, Passports and Residence Affairs Shaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, Public Security Chief General Tariq bin Hassan Al-Hassan, Information and Electronic Government Authority (iGA) Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Ali Al-Qaed, Undersecretary Shaikh Nasser bin Abdulrahman Al-Khalifa and Customs President Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al-Khalifa. They all expressed…