Author: News Desk

The US government said on Friday it would suspend 44 China-bound flights from the United States by four Chinese carriers in response to the Chinese government’s decision to suspend some US carrier flights over COVID-19 concerns. The suspensions will begin on Jan. 30 with Xiamen Airlines’ scheduled Los Angeles-to-Xiamen flight and run through March 29, the Transportation Department said. The decision will cut some flights by Xiamen, Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines. Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said Friday the policy for international passenger flights entering China has “been applied equally to Chinese…

Riyadh : A statement by the Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, Brigadier General Turki Al-Malki, has affirmed that the Houthi militia’s allegations of targeting a detention centre in Yemen’s Saada, are baseless and unfound. Below is the statement of Brigadier Al-Maliki, posted by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA): “The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition has followed what was circulated by some media outlets after the terrorist Iran-backed Houthi militia’s announcement that the Coalition has targeted a detention centrein Saada Governorate on Friday’s (21 January 2022) morning, and the claim that some casualties have occurred…

Bahrain :  The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA)’s Chief Executive Officer, Jamal Abdulaziz Al Alawi, disclosed that the LMRA’s Law Enforcement Sector has made a comprehensive plan for launching intensive inspection campaigns in various markets and commercial shops in all the Kingdom’s governorates to stand against any illegal practices which might adversely affect the labour market. The LMRA’s CEO stressed the need to preserve the labour market’s strength, competitiveness, fairness, and stability. Upon review of the Law Enforcement Sector Report 2021, Al Alawi said that despite the consequences of the pandemic, over 10 thousand inspection visits were made, resulting in…

Mumbai : Retired IPS officer Aftab Ahmed Khan, credited with establishing the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in the Mumbai police three decades ago – the first such elite force in the country – died on Friday, a police official said. The celebrated police officer was also involved in numerous operations against gangsters in Mumbai and terrorists during his decades-long career. He was 81 and is survived with wife, two sons and a daughter. Khan was infected with COVID-19 a few days ago and admitted to a private hospital in suburban Andheri from where he was later discharged, the official said. However,…

Mumbai : At least six people died in a major fire that broke out inside a 20-storeyed residential building in Mumbai this morning. Another 23 people were also injured in the massive blaze that started around 7 am on the 18th floor of Kamla building opposite Gandhi Hospital at Gowalia Tank in Mumbai’s Tardeo area. Footage from the scene showed a massive plume of smoke filling the sky, with flames coming out from the building. The fire has been brought under control now, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a compensation of ₹ 2 lakh each for the families of…

MOSCOW :  With tens of thousands of Russian troops positioned near Ukraine, the Kremlin has kept the U.S. and its allies guessing about its next moves in the worst security crisis to emerge between Moscow and the West since the Cold War. Amid fears of an imminent attack on Ukraine, Russia has further upped the ante by announcing more military drills in the region. It also has refused to rule out the possibility of military deployments to the Caribbean, and President Vladimir Putin has reached out to leaders opposed to the West. The military muscle-flexing reflects a bold attempt by the Kremlin…

Bahrain : Northern Governor, Ali bin Al-Shaikh Abdulmohsen Al-Asfoor, has extended, on behalf of all the citizens of the Al-Lawzi region, deepest thanks and gratitude to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, following HRH’s orders to swiftly document all flood-damages and compensate for those affected by the rainfall, as well as directives to develop sustainable drainage solutions in areas where rainwater has accumulated. The governor commended the speedy implementation of the orders of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, by crediting the compensation amounts to the accounts of the affected…

Geneva : The World Health Organisation says that coronavirus vaccine boosters should now be offered to people, starting with the most vulnerable, in a move away from its previous insistence that boosters were unnecessary for healthy adults and an acknowledgment that the vaccine supply is improving globally; At a press briefing on Friday, the U.N. health agency said it was now recommending booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, beginning in the highest-priority groups, about four to six months after receiving the first two doses, in line with guidance from dozens of countries that embarked upon booster programs months ago. Last…

Hardeep Singh, 29, and fellow Indian Hardev Singh were two of the three men killed in the deadly blast in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The Pakistan embassy confirmed on Friday that Mamoor Khan was the third man who died in the strike, and that his body reached Peshawar airport on Wednesday. An Indian embassy spokeswoman said two bodies had also been repatriated on Thursday.  Hardeep’s relative Gagandeep Singh, 33, said that his cousin’s nickname among the family was “ladla” — meaning “my loved one”. “We were more than brothers. He was the youngest in the family and we all loved…

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Friday said it will hear on February 3 a plea by Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) seeking the execution of the order directing Juhi Chawla and two others to deposit ₹ 20 lakh as costs in its favour on a lawsuit against the 5G technology. Counsel for the Bollywood actress told Justice Amit Bansal that an appeal against the single judge order is pending before a division bench, which will be considered on January 25, and urged the court to defer hearing on the execution petition for the time being. Lawyer Saurabh Kansal, appearing…