Author: News Desk

BCCI secretary Jay Shah has said that the board aims to begin a full-fledged Women’s Indian Premier League (IPL) as early as next year onwards and the work on it is in full swing. This comes after calls from various corners including former cricketers, both male and female raised for a women’s T20 tournament in India at par with Women’s BBL and the Women’s Hundred. A three-team Women’s T20 Challenge is staged alongside the men’s IPL, but many believe women deserve their own expanded tournament with more teams and players. The Women’s T20 Challenge will continue this year, but BCCI…

JERUSALEM :  Israel says security forces killed three Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday who had been responsible for recent shooting attacks. The Shin Bet internal security agency initially said they were killed in a “clash,” but police later acknowledged that while the men had two assault rifles on them they did not fire them. “During the arrest, they tried to open fire and were neutralized,” the police said. Photos of the three men circulating online show them posing with assault rifles, with one wearing a headband of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, an armed…

ROME :  Retired Pope Benedict XVI asked forgiveness Tuesday for any “grievous faults” in his handling of clergy sex abuse cases, but denied any personal or specific wrongdoing after an independent report criticized his actions in four cases while he was archbishop of Munich, Germany. Benedict’s lack of a personal apology or admission of guilt immediately riled sex abuse survivors, who said his response reflected the Catholic hierarchy’s “permanent” refusal to accept responsibility for the rape and sodomy of children by priests. Benedict, 94, was responding to a Jan. 20 report from a German law firm that had been commissioned…

Bahrain :  Based on the directives of Representative of HM the King for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa to assist families affected by the heavy rains, the Royal Humanitarian Foundation has presented the financial support to the affected families. HH Shaikh Nasser expressed his thanks and gratitude to HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Honorary President of the Royal Humanitarian Foundation and to HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for their great support to Bahraini families. HH Shaikh Nasser stressing that the RHF is…

Bahrain : The Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nasser Vocational Training Centre (NVTC). The MoU aims to enhance strategic cooperation, exchange knowledge and expertise, in addition to applying the best services in order to hone operational skills and capabilities across various work fields, including artificial intelligence. On the occasion, Bapco Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Abdulrahman Jawahery, praised the effective cooperation between Bapco and the NVTC, noting that the MoU will contribute to further bolstering cooperation between the two sides and supporting their efforts to empower Bahraini women. Dr. Jawahery highlighted Bapco’s vision…

India : More than 3,000 guests turned up for India’s first wedding reception in the metaverse, hosted by newlyweds who wanted to avoid coronavirus restrictions on their big day. The metaverse is a virtual reality platform that uses augmented reality, 3D holographic avatars and videos for social interactions. Dinesh SP, 24, and his fiancee Janaganandhini Ramaswamy, 23, were married in a traditional ceremony in the southern state of Tamil Nadu on Sunday. But with guests limited to 100 because of the pandemic, they decided to hold their reception in the virtual world. Intrigued strangers also joined the celebration, billed as “Asia’s first ever…

A highly anticipated concert by Expo 2020 Dubai’s female Firdaus Orchestra, featuring Grammy-nominated sitar player Anoushka Shankar, was preceded by news of famed Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar’s death on Sunday. Shankar, whose late father Ravi Shankar was one of most respected sitar players in the world, paid tribute to Mangeshkar – considered a national treasure in India – before she took to the stage at Jubilee Park, calling her “one of the greatest artists the world has ever known”. “Genuinely heartbroken to hear of the passing of our Nightingale Lata-ji. I was blessed to meet her through my father, who shared such a…

WASHINGTON :  A White House review found credible evidence that top scientist Dr. Eric Lander violated its “Safe and Respectful Workplace Policy,” but the administration plans to keep him on the job after giving him counseling. An internal review last year, prompted by a workplace complaint, found evidence that Lander, the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and science adviser to President Joe Biden, bullied staffers and treated them disrespectfully. That put him at odds with Biden’s day-one directive that he expected “honesty and decency” from all who worked for his administration and would fire anyone who shows disrespect to…

Bahrain : Under the patronage of the Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the opening ceremony of the museum of the Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF) was held here today. The BDF chief deputised Assistant Chief of Staff for Human Resources, Major-General Shaikh Ali bin Rashid Al Khalifa, to attend the event, held at the RBAF’s headquarters marking the BDF’s 54th anniversary. The commemorative plaque was unveiled, and then the Assistant Undersecretary toured the museum, and was informed about its sections, photos and collectibles documenting the establishment and development of the…

Bahrain : Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) today announced the launch of MAWAEID app for booking appointments, starting February 14. The app will replace the current appointment booking system. It could be downloaded via Play Store or APP Store to book appointments after entering personal details and choosing the service centre, type of the service, date and time. In addition, the app allows individuals to amend or cancel appointments. Individuals could call 17077077 from Sunday to Thursday from 7:30 am to 6:00 p.m for any inquiry.