Author: News Desk

MOSCOW :  A Moscow court on Friday slapped Google with a nearly $100 million fine and also fined Facebook’s parent company Meta $27 million over their failure to delete content banned by local law, as Russia seeks to step up pressure on technology giants. The Tagansky District Court ruled that Google repeatedly neglected to remove the banned content, and ordered the company to pay an administrative fine of about 7.2 billion rubles (about $98.4 million). Google said it would study the court documents before deciding on its next steps. Later Friday, the court also slapped a fine of nearly 2…

WASHINGTON :  Former President Donald Trump turned to the Supreme Court on Thursday in a last-ditch effort to keep documents away from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol led by his supporters. Trump’s attorneys asked the Supreme Court to reverse lower court rulings against the former president, who has fought to block the records even after President Joe Biden waived executive privilege over them. The federal appeals court in Washington previously ruled the committee had a “uniquely vital interest” in the documents and Trump had “provided no basis” for it to override Biden and Congress. The records…

Bahrain : Director of Reformation and Rehabilitation today asserted that the directorate had taken all procedures to ensure all registered inmates sit for the final first semester exams, each per the education level. The process is being taken in cooperation with the concerned directorate of the Education Ministry, he said. He added that all services had been provided to facilitate the registration process and provide textbooks to enable them to sit their exams, so as to ensure that they enjoy their right to education. Continuing their education will ensure better integration into society after serving their sentences, he also said.

Bahrain : In the presence of the Chairman of the Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club (REHRC)’s High Committee, His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the REHRC today held the 11th race of the 2021-2022 season at its racecourse in Raffa, Sakhir. Their Highnesses shaikhs, representatives of the sponsors and equestrian sport fans also attended the eight-round race which was held over the late Abdulla Ahmed Nass, the Nass Group, the Gulf Cleaning City, the Applied Science University and the Blue Dawn cups. Sameer Abdulla Nass presented the trophy of the late Abdulla Nass for the seventh…

The crash has once again turned the spotlight on India’s longest-serving fighter plane, its safety record and the IAF’s plans to replace the ageing jets with newer ones in the coming years. A MiG-21 Bison of the Indian Air Force crashed in Rajasthan on Friday evening, the fifth crash involving the Bison this year. Pilot Wing Commander Harshit Sinha died in the crash, the IAF confirmed. “With deep sorrow, IAF conveys the sad demise of Wing Commander Harshit Sinha in the flying accident this evening and stands firmly with the family of the brave heart,” the IAF tweeted. “This evening,…

SEOUL :  South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Friday he will pardon his chief conservative rival and predecessor, Park Geun-hye, who is serving a lengthy prison term for bribery and other crimes. Moon’s liberal government said the pardon is meant to promote national unity in the face of difficulties brought by the pandemic. Some observers say Moon may want to ease conservative criticism stemming from Park’s health problems, or even use her to split the opposition ahead of a presidential election in March. “We should move into a new era by getting over the pains of the past. It’s time…

ATHENS :  Coast guard divers searched the hull of a submerged sailboat for passengers possibly trapped inside Friday after the vessel hit rocks and sank off the coast of southern Greece, leading to the deaths of at least 11 people. The Greek coast guard said 90 people ‒ 52 men, 11 women and 27 children ‒ were rescued overnight and early Friday from a rocky islet some 235 kilometers (145 miles) south of Athens, near the remote island of Antikythera. Smugglers based in Turkey increasingly have packed sailboats with migrants and refugees and sent them across the Mediterranean Sea toward Italy, avoiding…

DHAKA : A massive fire swept through a crowded river ferry in Bangladesh early Friday, leaving at least 39 people dead and 70 injured, officials said. Many passengers leapt from the vessel into cold waters to escape the blaze. It took 15 fire engines two hours to control the fire and another eight to cool down the vessel, according to fire officer Kamal Uddin Bhuiyan, who led the rescue operation. Afterward, the blackened hull of the ferry sat anchored at the river’s edge. Many anxious relatives gathered on the banks, while divers continued to search the waters. The blaze broke…

Washington : The U.S. will lift travel restrictions to eight southern African countries on New Year’s Eve, the White House announced Friday. The restrictions, imposed last month, were meant to blunt the spread of the COVID omicron variant. The Nov. 29 ban barred nearly all non-U.S. citizens who had recently been in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. White House spokesman Kevin Munoz said on Twitter that the decision was recommended by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Munoz said the temporary travel bans bought scientists necessary time to study the new virus variant and…

Bahrain : Education Minister Dr. Majid bin Ali Al Nuaimi received Abduljalil Mirza Assad, who presented a book titled “Fifty Years of Dedication .. Documenting a phase of Bahrain sports history”. The minister expressed thanks and gratitude to the writer for the documentary illustrated book, commending his dedicated sports efforts.