Author: News Desk

Some 50 homes in the village of Demydiv remain partially submerged months after a dam was destroyed and the area flooded to stop Russian troops from advancing on Ukraine capital Kyiv, regional governor Oleksiy Kuleba said late on Saturday. The Ukrainian military blew up a dam on the river Irpin in February, sending water surging into the village and thousands of acres around it, flooding houses and fields, but preventing Russian tanks from reaching the capital city. “At this time, about 50 houses in the village of Demydiv remain flooded,” Kuleba wrote in a post on the Telegram messaging app.…

Hundreds of Lithuanians clubbed together to buy an advanced military drone for Ukraine in its war against Russia, in a show of solidarity with a fellow country formerly under Moscow’s rule. The target of five million euros ($5.4 million) was raised in just three and a half days, largely in small amounts, to fund the purchase of a Byraktar TB2 military drone, according to Laisves TV, the Lithuanian internet broadcaster that launched the drive. “Before this war started, none of us thought that we would be buying guns. But it’s a normal thing now. Something must be done for the…

The Ministry of Education has announced a new date for the registration of children who still who have not registered for the first grade of the 2022-2023 academic year. Unregistered children born between 2014 and August 2016 and their parents will have to report to Ministry’s Hall in Isa Town on Tuesday, May 31, from 08:00 am to 04:00 pm. Parents are required to download the e-forms of registration and that of the health centre from the Education Ministry’s website (www.moe.gov.bh), print them, fill in them and bring them, along with the necessary documents. The documents include: – Original birth…

The co-founder of the Japanese Red Army militant group has been freed from prison after serving 20 years for her part in a 1974 embassy siege. Fusako Shigenobu, 76, had evaded capture for decades before being arrested in Osaka in 2000. Her once-feared group had aimed to provoke a global socialist revolution through high-profile terror acts. They carried out a series of hostage-takings and hijackings, as well as a deadly attack on an Israeli airport. But Shigenobu served time for the 1974 attack on the French embassy in The Hague, in which the ambassador and a number of others were…

Police made the “wrong decision” by failing to storm a primary school classroom in Uvalde, Texas, as a gunman killed 19 children inside, the top safety official has said. “If I thought it would help, I would apologise,” Steven McCraw said during a heated press conference on Friday. Officers delayed entering because they did not believe it was still an “active shooter” situation, he said. But pupils inside made multiple calls begging for police to come. Mr McCraw confirmed there had been a 40-minute gap from the police unit’s arrival at Robb Elementary School to the moment they decided to…

Ukrainian forces may have to retreat from their last pocket in the Luhansk region to avoid being captured, a Ukrainian official said, as Russian troops press an advance in the east that has shifted the momentum of the three-month-old war. A withdrawal could bring Russian President Vladimir Putin closer to his goal of capturing eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk and Donetsk regions in full. His troops have gained ground in the two areas collectively known as the Donbas while blasting some towns to wastelands. Luhansk’s governor, Serhiy Gaidai, said Russian troops had entered Sievierodonetsk, the largest Donbas city still held by Ukraine,…

The Chinese metropolis of Shanghai inched further towards a gradual reopening from two months of grinding COVID-19 lockdown, while the capital Beijing maintained curbs that have drastically curtailed movement even as case numbers decline. Shanghai aims essentially to end its lockdown from Wednesday. More people have been allowed out of their homes and more businesses permitted to reopen in the past week, although most residents remain largely confined to their housing compounds and most shops are limited to making deliveries. Shanghai officials urged continued vigilance on Saturday, even though the vast majority of its 25 million residents live in areas…

Two blazes that grew into New Mexico’s largest ever wildfire were both started by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the agency said on Friday, prompting the state’s governor to demand the federal government take full responsibility for the disaster. Forest Service investigators determined the Calf Canyon Fire was caused by a “burn pile” of branches that the agency thought was out but reignited on April 19, the Santa Fe National Forest said in a statement. That blaze on April 22 merged with the Hermits Peak Fire, which the USFS started with a controlled burn that went out of control on…

Bahrain Health Minister, Faeqa bint Said Al-Saleh, today met the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on the sidelines of the 75th World Health Assembly, currently held here. The minister conveyed the congratulations of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to WHO chief following his re-election to his post. She wished WHO every success in its next session, affirming the Health Ministry’s support for all WHO’s programmes and activities. Minister Al-Saleh commended Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus’ outstanding management of WHO,…

Bahrain has been ranked first among Arab countries and second in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in ground and port infrastructure, according to the World Economic Forum’s 2021 Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI). The report also highlighted strong placements for Kingdom in other areas, including ranking 12th globally in business environment. Amongst GCC countries, Bahrain ranked second in the following areas: travel and tourism policy; price competitiveness; prioritisation of travel and tourism; and demand pressure and impact – measured by inbound length of stay, seasonality of international tourist arrivals, interest in cultural and natural attractions, and…