Author: News Desk

The Sultanate’s national carrier, Oman Air, has announced that it has canceled over 300 flights in September 2019. The company made the decision following the Public Authority of Civil Aviation’s directive that suspended all activity of the Boeing 737 Max airliner. “As a result of the Public Authority for Civil Aviation directives on suspending operations of Boeing 737 Max, we have canceled certain flights in the period between July 7 to October 1, 2019. We are rebooking guests on alternative/next available flights to their destinations. We advise all our guests who are due to travel during the same period to…

Oman’s budget deficit has dropped to the lowest level in five years, bolstered by a rise in government revenues and a slight decrease in spending, according to figures released by the sultanate’s National Centre for Statistics and Information (NSCI). Oman’s budget deficit declined by 53 percent to RO 660.6 million ($1.71mn) in the first half of 2019, compared to RO 1.4 billion ($3.63bn) during the same time last year. Largely due to higher revenues from oil, gas and corporate tax, total government revenues rose 11.4 percent to RO 5.515 billion ($14.32bn) between January and June, up from RO 4.948 billion…

The Ministry of Education will not sign contracts with expatriate teachers and will cover shortages by hiring Kuwaiti graduates, children of Kuwaiti women and Bedoons who have valid security IDs, official sources said. This decision was made in an attempt to prevent a problem that happened last year when the ministry hired teachers living in Kuwait but later discovered violations in work permits given to them before coming to Kuwait. The education ministry had then to terminate expat teachers’ contracts at the instructions of the Civil Service Commission and Public Authority for Manpower, the sources said. “One of the terminated contracts belonged…

High utility bills are reported to be weighing down on residents, expats, and businesses as many claims they are unable to cope with the rising costs. Speaking to Gulf Insider, MP Ahmed Al Ansari said that “It is worthless to live in a place where your entire salary is going towards expenses. As a Bahraini, even I struggle to pay my bills. The rise has affected both Bahrainis and expats alike,” According to a Gulf Daily News front-page headline last month, the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) received a record 195,000 calls in the past four months, sparked due to increased…

Effective October 1, 2019, Bahrain International Airport (BIA) will introduce new baggage acceptance rules to eliminate jams in the Baggage Handling System that cause shutdowns, delays, and inconvenience to passengers and airlines.   Items that will no longer be permitted include round and irregular shaped bags, irregular shaped bags tied with a  loose rope or string, bags with loose straps, and blanket wrapped bags. Items such as baby strollers, bicycles, wheelchairs, and golf bags will be still allowed. The new system features an 8.6-kilometer conveyer belt and will be capable of processing up to 4,800 bags an hour. Follow us on Twitter…

The street of Mashtan has become the new hub for illegal car stunts according to some residents. The residents of the street which is located in the area of Bukwara in Riffa, have made several complaints stating that a group of youngsters is performing illegal car drifts from midnight till dawn. A resident of the area said that he filed many complaints but the issue persists. He added that the disturbance is pushing him to consider selling his house and moving to a quiet area. The youngers also hold competitions to determine whose vehicle can produce the loudest sound which is an…

Thousands of protesters blocked roads and public transport links to Hong Kong airport on Sunday in a bid to draw global attention to their fight for greater democracy for the Chinese-ruled city which is facing its biggest political crisis in decades. Passengers entered and left the terminal freely and planes were taking off and landing but trains were suspended and approach roads to the airport impassable as protesters erected barricades and overturned trolleys at the airport and in the nearby new town of Tung Chung. The MTR subway station was closed and demonstrators smashed CCTV cameras and lamps with metal…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to annex all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, he said on Sunday, reiterating an election promise made five months ago but again giving no timeframe. Settlements are one of the most heated issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians have voiced fears Netanyahu could defy international consensus and move ahead with annexation with possible backing from U.S. President Donald Trump, a close ally. “With God’s help we will extend Jewish sovereignty to all the settlements as part of the (biblical) land of Israel, as part of the state of Israel,” Netanyahu said in…

HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Charity Works and Youth Affairs and President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, expressed his delight at mare Al Raya’s victory in d’Arengerg Cup which was held in Chantilly, France. HH Shaikh Nasser confirmed this win underscores the leading position occupied by Al Raya at the international level following several noteworthy victories recently, confirming Bahrain’s development in the horse racing sport.  HH Shaikh Nasser praised the performance of Al Raya which allowed her to overcome a group of elite competitors, affirming that this achievement is…

U.S. and Taliban negotiators are close to a deal that would open the way for peace in Afghanistan, a top U.S. official said on Sunday, as the insurgents followed their weekend assault on the strategic center of Kunduz by attacking a second northern city. Zalmay Khalilzad, the Afghan-born U.S. diplomat overseeing negotiations for Washington, said he would travel to the Afghan capital of Kabul on Sunday for consultations after wrapping up the ninth round of talks with Taliban officials in Qatar. “We are at the threshold of an agreement that will reduce violence and open the door for Afghans to…