Author: News Desk

Riyadh: The 2022 laureates of the renowned King Faisal Prize (KFP) will be announced on January 5 at a ceremony in the Saudi capital Riyadh. HRH Prince Khalid Al Faisal bin Abd Al Aziz, Chairman of King Faisal Prize Board, will launch the preparatory meetings to choose the winners in the prize’s five categories – Islamic Studies, Arabic Language & Literature, Medicine, Science and Service to Islam. The prize’s general secretariat said that the nominations are made by scientific institutions, universities, research centers as well as scientific and language councils and that a nominated individual is alive and his work…

Lisbon: The German operator of a cruise ship that has been stuck in Lisbon’s port due to an outbreak of the coronavirus among its crew pulled the plug on the voyage on Sunday after some passengers tested positive, port authorities said. The AIDAnova, with 2,844 passengers and 1,353 crew onboard docked in Lisbon on Dec. 29 while en route to the island of Madeira for New Year’s Eve celebrations, but was unable to continue the journey after 52 cases of COVID-19 were detected among the fully-vaccinated crew, Reuters reports. It had been allowed to leave port and head to the…

Jeddah: The Secretariat General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has expressed its strong condemnation of the pirating and hijacking of Houthi militia of a civil Emirati-flagged ship laden with equipment for the Saudi field hospital. In a statement posted by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), OIC considered this attack a criminal act that hinders the freedom of maritime and commercial navigation that is guaranteed by the international laws and covenants, adding that this act obstructs dispatching humanitarian and relief assistance to the brotherly Yemeni people. The Secretariat General also called for the immediate release of the ship.

Manama: Interior Ministry Undersecretary for Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA), Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, has met a number of hotel managers. The Director of Visas and Residence, Shaikh Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa attended the meeting. The Interior Ministry Undersecretary welcomed the attendees, hailing the role of the hospitality sector in promoting economic growth. He listened to the remarks of the hotel representatives concerning streamlining procedures of processing all types of visas, especially for visitors of conferences or events that required fast processing of paperwork. The Undersecretary directed to allocate a hotline for ongoing interaction and to look…

London: Davinson Sanchez’s stoppage-time goal secured Tottenham a 1-0 victory over Watford on Saturday to enhance its pursuit of Champions League qualification. The Colombia defender headed a free kick from Heung-min Son past goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann in the sixth minute of added time to hand Watford a sixth successive loss. The match had been temporarily halted for a few minutes in the closing stages when a supporter in a stand became ill, reports AP. Tottenham moved two points behind fourth-place Arsenal, which lost 2-1 to Manchester City in the Premier League earlier Saturday, and Antonio Conte’s side has two games in…

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…