Author: News Desk

European Council President Charles Michel pledged European solidarity with Ukraine during a surprise visit to Kyiv on Wednesday and said justice must be done for alleged Russian war crimes. Michel, the head of the European Council, which represents the European Union’s 27 member states, visited the town of Borodianka northwest of Kyiv before holding talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the capital. Ukraine suspects that Russian troops carried out atrocities in Borodianka and Bucha, another town near the capital. Moscow denies targeting civilians and has described the allegations as fabricated by Kyiv to justify more sanctions against it. “There are…

Ukraine proposed talks with Moscow over evacuating troops and civilians from Mariupol after a Russian surrender-or-die ultimatum expired on Wednesday, leaving many trapped at a steel plant, the last main stronghold of resistance. A few dozen civilians managed to leave the strategically important southeastern port in a small bus convoy, according to Reuters witnesses, escaping the fiercest battle of the nearly eight-week-long war. A Ukrainian marine commander, Serhiy Volny, said fighters there may not be able to hold out for much longer. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said an estimated 1,000 civilians are also sheltering at the steel works. Ukraine is…

Top officials from Britain, the United States and Canada walked out on Russia’s representatives at a Group of 20 meeting on Wednesday and many members spoke to condemn Moscow’s war in Ukraine, exposing deep divisions in the bloc of major economies. Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who chaired the meeting of G20 finance officials in Washington, acknowledged the body faced unprecedented challenges but called for cooperation to overcome headwinds slowing global growth. “This is an extraordinary situation,” Indrawati told reporters after the daylong meeting. “It’s not business as usual, a very dynamic and challenging one.” The G20 includes Western…

President Joe Biden convened U.S. military leaders on Wednesday in an annual White House gathering taking on special significance as the war in Ukraine enters a risky new phase and Washington plans more weapons assistance. A “variety of topics” were set to be discussed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and senior military leaders, a National Security Council spokesperson said. The event includes a formal West Wing meeting as well as a dinner in the president’s residence with leaders’ spouses afterward. While the annual military policy meeting rarely makes news,…

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson indicated he was ready to offer more visas to India in return for this year clinching a free-trade deal that could boost annual bilateral trade by billions of pounds. Speaking on the plane on his way to the world’s second-most populous country, Johnson signalled he was ready to be more accommodating on an issue that could have stalled the talks. “I have always been in favour of talented people coming to this country,” Johnson told reporters. “We are short to the tune of hundreds of thousands of people in our economy and we need to…

China has reported the deaths of three people from Covid in Shanghai for the first time since the financial hub entered lockdown in late March. A release from the city health commission said the victims were aged between 89 and 91 and unvaccinated. Shanghai officials said only 38% of residents over 60 are fully vaccinated. The city is now due to enter another round of mass testing, which means a strict lockdown will continue into a fourth week for most residents. Until now, China had maintained that no-one died of Covid in the city – a claim that has increasingly come…

The National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD) has planted 240 Neem and Hibiscus Tiliaceus trees over 1,000 linear meters alongside the Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Highway leading to Khalifa Port. The planting, in cooperation with the Ministry of Works, Municipality Affairs and Urban Planning and the Supreme Council for the Environment, was generously supported by the Standard Chartered Bank – Bahrain. It was the ultimate afforestation of the sites planned within the first phase of the Forever Green campaign in Muharraq Governorate. The campaign has completed six major projects: Road 105 in Busaiteen, Arad Walkway, Al Ghus, Samaheej Walkway and…

The Royal University for Women (RUW) participated in the “Ahl al-Ma’ruf” campaign, which is a charitable initiative launched by the Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) during the holy month of Ramadan. The RUW’s participation is part of its efforts to enhance the principles of community partnerships, RUW donated packages that included food commodities that were delivered to needy families in cooperation with the Royal Humanitarian Foundation. This initiative aims to encourage the student body and staff to adopt compassion and solidarity qualities and participate in community development and sustainability through charitable contributions and projects that enhance harmony within the community. The…

His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today remotely awarded the thirty top-performing government agencies within the National Suggestion & Complaint system, ‘Tawasul’, for the year 2021, at Gudaibiya Palace. HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister highlighted the importance of strengthening the quality and delivery of public services provided to citizens and residents. HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister stressed the necessity of developing government workstreams to meet the aspirations of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad expressed confidence in Team Bahrain’s efforts…

Isa Cultural Center launched the book “Sakhir… the lung of Bahrain” by researcher Mubarak Amr Al Ammari. The book chronicles the natural, architectural and economic aspects of the Sakhir area, as well as its political, social and cultural status in Bahrain’s collective memory. The launch was attended by Southern Governor HH Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Information Minister Ali bin Mohammed Al Romaihi, Executive Director of Isa Cultural Centre Dr. Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, intellectuals and people interested in history. HH Shaikh Khalifa expressed pride in the great interest accorded by HM King Hamad bin Isa Al…