Author: News Desk

United Kingdom :  Britain’s vaccinated travellers will be able to go on half-term holidays next month without taking COVID-19 tests on their return. Transport minister Grant Shapps is in favour of ending the testing system for the double-jabbed in time for the February break, the report said. An announcement on the change in guidance would be made on Jan. 26, the report said.

Bahrain :  National Security Advisor, Royal Guard Commander, Major General His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, patronised today a ceremony for the third meeting of the Middle East graduates. The celebration was organised by Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) at the Shaikh Isa Royal Military College. Upon arrival at the ceremony venue, the National Security Advisor, Royal Guard Commander, was welcomed by the Royal Guard Special Force Commandant, Lieutenant Colonel His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and invitees from Commandants of land, air and naval military colleges and academies of the GCC and UK armed forces. After…

NEW DELHI :  Virat Kohli shocked Indian cricket on Saturday by abruptly resigning as the national side’s test captain, after leading the team to several memorable victories in his seven years in charge. The 33-year-old, India’s most successful test captain, took to Twitter to announce his decision a day after India’s 2-1 series defeat in South Africa. “It’s been seven years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance everyday to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there,” Kohli said in his statement. “Everything has come to a halt…

NEW YORK  : After a month at no. 1, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” has finally been overtaken at the box office. Paramount Pictures’ “Scream” reboot debuted with $30.6 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Scream,” a self-described “requel” that is both the fifth film in the franchise and a reboot introducing a new, younger cast, led all releases over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Paramount forecasts that it will total $35 million including Monday’s grosses. “Scream,” which cost about $24 million to make, added another $18 million in 50 international markets. That made for a solid…

Britain’s Prince Harry has resorted to legal action against the UK government to overturn a decision preventing him from paying for his own police protection while visiting his home country. Queen Elizabeth II’s grandson, who is sixth in line to the British throne, wants to bring his wife Meghan and their two young children to the UK on a visit, a legal representative of the Duke of Sussex said. The prince believes his private security guards who protect his family in the US lack adequate jurisdiction abroad and access to UK intelligence information vital to ensuring the Sussexes’ safety. Prince Harry wants…

BOSTON :  Microsoft said late Saturday that dozens of computer systems at an unspecified number of Ukrainian government agencies have been infected with destructive malware disguised as ransomware, a disclosure suggesting an attention-grabbing defacement attack on official websites was a diversion. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear. The attack comes as the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine looms and diplomatic talks to resolve the tense stand-off appear stalled. Microsoft said in a short blog post that amounted to the clanging of an industry alarm that it first detected the malware on Thursday. That would coincide with the attack that…

MELBOURNE : Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia on Sunday after losing a bid to stay in the country to defend his Australian Open title despite not being vaccinated against COVID-19. A masked Djokovic was photographed in a Melbourne airport lounge with two government officials in black uniforms before he left for Dubai. It’s not clear where he will go from there. Among the possibilities are Spain, Monaco or his native Serbia, where he has an almost iconic status and would likely be greeted with a hero’s welcome. The No. 1-ranked tennis star has spent the past 10 days at the center of…

Bahrain : Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister, Zayed bin Rashid Al-Zayani, has affirmed that the commercial sector has been, and still is, the main partner in supporting economic growth in the kingdom, noting that the recent measures taken by the Ministry will boost the sector and reflect positively on the economic situation and investments in Bahrain. The minister was speaking as he patronised the official opening of the Al Muntazah Markets’ branch in the Al Baraha Market Complex in Diyar Al Muharraq, in the presence of the Chairman of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Sameer Abdulla Nass,…

New York : COVID-19 infections are soaring again at U.S. nursing homes because of the omicron wave, and deaths are climbing too, leading to new restrictions on family visits and a renewed push to get more residents and staff members vaccinated and boosted, the Associated Press. Nursing homes were the lethal epicentre of the pandemic early on, before the vaccine allowed many of them to reopen to visitors last year. But the wildly contagious variant has dealt them a setback. Nursing homes reported a near-record of about 32,000 COVID-19 cases among residents in the week ending Jan. 9, an almost…

Bahrain : Youth and Sports Affairs Minister, Ayman bin Tawfiq Al-Moayyad, today received the President of Bahrain Association of Sports Medicine and Sports Sciences, Dr. Jamal Saleh. The minister commended the efforts exerted by the Bahrain Association of Sports Medicine and Sports Sciences to develop sports medicine services and sports performance in the Kingdom, spread awareness of the concept of sports preparation, and raise community awareness of the importance of sports and sports education. Dr. Jamal Saleh expressed thanks and appreciation to the minister for his interest in the programmes and events held by the Bahrain Association of Sports Medicine…