Author: News Desk

Canberra: The research by Australian National University (ANU) found that of the world’s 7,000 recognised languages, around half are currently endangered – with 1,500 particularly at risk. “We found that without immediate intervention, language loss could triple in the next 40 years. And by the end of this century, 1,500 languages could cease to be spoken,” says co-author Professor Lindell Bromham. So what’s putting these mother tongues under pressure? The study identified as many as 51 new stressors on endangered languages. One surprising finding was that more years of schooling increased the level of language endangerment in some countries.…

Manama: Arsenal fans hurled plastic bottles and toilet rolls at Manchester City’s celebrating players after Rodri scored a stoppage-time winner at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, said AP. City’s comeback to win 2-1 and secure an 11th straight victory was completed in the third minute of stoppage time, prompting Rodri to rip off his jersey and slide across the field right in front of the home Arsenal support. As City moved 11 points in front of Chelsea at the top of the standings, fourth-place Arsenal was left dwelling on its collapse. City had been trailing through Bukayo Saka’s goal during an…

Manama: The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) today approved the emergency use of the oral COVID-19 antiviral, Paxlovid. The medication has been authorised for individuals 18 years old and above who suffer from mild to moderate symptoms and are at an increased risk of developing severe COVID-19 that may lead to mortality. The decision follows the evaluation of data provided by the manufacturer Pfizer, carried out by the NHRA’s Pharmaceutical Products Regulation Department (PPR). The NHRA noted that The Ministry of Health has begun importing procedures in accordance with the relevant standards and requirements, with the medication expected to arrive…

London: Scientists and medical chiefs who have led Britain’s response to the pandemic were awarded knighthoods Friday in the country’s annual New Year Honors List, which recognized the achievements of hundreds of people from James Bond star Daniel Craig to teenage tennis star Emma Raducanu. Queen Elizabeth II also made former Prime Minister Tony Blair a Knight Companion of the Noblest Order of the Garter, the oldest and most senior British order of chivalry, The Associated Press (AP) reported. In another year dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, officials said almost one in five of the honors were for coronavirus-related service.…

The Kingdom of Bahrain’s rollout of forward-thinking financial services regulations has allowed the country to maintain a pioneering position within the sector and pave the way for telecommunication companies to enter into FinTech. Dubbed ‘TechFins’, these companies are introducing a range of modern financial service solutions, demonstrating the Central Bank of Bahrain’s (CBB’s) sophisticated approach towards adapting global trends which underpin the continuing transformation of the Kingdom’s financial services sector.    In 2018, Open Banking regulations were introduced, opening the door for new players and the emergence of a new subsector featuring a collaboration between telecommunications companies, and financial institutions. Bahrain’s…

FRANKFURT :  The pipeline is built and being filled with natural gas. But Russia’s Nord Stream 2 faces a rocky road before any gas flows to Germany, with its new leaders adopting a more skeptical tone toward the project and tensions ratcheting up over Russia’s troop buildup at the Ukrainian border. The pipeline opposed by Ukraine, Poland and the U.S. awaits final approval from Germany and the European Union to bypass other countries and start bringing natural gas directly to Europe. The continent is struggling with a shortage that has sent prices surging, fueling inflation and raising fears about what would come…

US: Nearly $100 billion at minimum has been stolen from COVID-19 relief programs set up to help businesses and people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic, the U.S. Secret Service said Tuesday. The estimate is based on Secret Service cases and data from the Labor Department and the Small Business Administration, said Roy Dotson, the agency’s national pandemic fraud recovery coordinator, in an interview. The Secret Service didn’t include COVID-19 fraud cases prosecuted by the Justice Department. While roughly 3% of the $3.4 trillion dispersed, the amount stolen from pandemic benefits programs shows “the sheer size of the…

JOHANNESBURG : South Africa’s noticeable drop in new COVID-19 cases in recent days may signal that the country’s dramatic omicron-driven surge has passed its peak, medical experts say. Daily virus case counts are notoriously unreliable, as they can be affected by uneven testing, reporting delays and other fluctuations. But they are offering one tantalizing hint — far from conclusive yet — that omicron infections may recede quickly after a ferocious spike. South Africa has been at the forefront of the omicron wave and the world is watching for any signs of how it may play out there to try to…

Bahrain: His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the country, may God protect him and his patronage, sent a telegram of condolences and sympathy to his brother, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In the telegram, His Majesty expressed his sincere condolences and sincere sympathy to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on the death of His Royal Highness Prince Nahar bin Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may God have mercy on him, asking His Majesty the Almighty to bless the deceased…

Houston: The University of Houston hosted the Commencement Ceremony with over 5,000 students attending the event. During the two-day ceremony, 5,124 masters and bachelor’s degrees were awarded. The University of Houston was founded in 1927, and many students from different countries study here. https://youtu.be/Xpa58Mm4s6Y