Author: News Desk

Taipei :  Taiwan lost Nicaragua as a diplomatic ally after the Central American country said it would officially recognize only China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory. “There is only one China,” the Nicaraguan government said in a statement Thursday announcing the change. “The People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents all of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory.” “As of today, Nicaragua breaks its diplomatic relations with Taiwan and ceases to have any official contact or relationship,” it added. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “sadness and regret”…

Bahrain :  His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa sent a cable of congratulations to President  Roch Marc Christian Kaboré of Burkina Faso on the occasion of his country’s National Day. In the congratulatory cable, HM the King wished President Kaboré good health and happiness on this national occasion.

Johannesburg : The new Omicron coronavirus variant is driving up infection figures in South Africa and is now increasingly spreading to older people, Health Minister Joe Phaahla said on Friday. In the country’s worst-hit region – Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria – the number of cases rose by 400 per cent week-on-week, Phaahla announced. Tests showed that the Omicron variant was behind about 70 per cent of the cases. However, the figures appear to confirm initial observations of relatively mild symptoms and shorter hospital stays, according to scientist Glenda Gray and her colleague Michelle Groome from the National…

Riyadh : The Governor of the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HRH Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, received outgoing Bahraini  Ambassador to Riyadh,  Shaikh Humood bin Abdullah Al Khalifa. HRH Prince Saud Al Saud, praised the role played by the ambassador  in strengthening the brotherly and historical relations that unite the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The ambassador hailed bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia across all fields

Manama : The Royal University for Women (RUW) hosted a discussion session marking the 2021 Bahraini Women’s Day, annually observed on December1. Supreme Council for Women (SCW) Secretary-General Hala Al Ansari, RUW President Professor Yusra Mouzughi, members of the administrative and academic staff and students attended. Al Ansari said that the national days provide an opportunity to highlight Bahrain’s achievements at regional and international arenas, particularly women-related indicators. She pointed the importance of investing in such national occasions to build on achievements, in line with the aspirations of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the directives of…

Max Verstappen drew first blood against title rival Lewis Hamilton as the action kicked off ahead of Sunday’s showdown thriller at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Red Bull racer topped the first practice session on around Yas Marina Circuit with a 1m 25.009s lap Hamilton went off three times trying to keep up on the re-configured Yas Island track. His Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas went off twice, making it a staggering five times Mercedes had lap times wiped off That suggests the champions as struggling to keep up with Red Bull’s opening pace. But neither team has revealed their full hand…

WASHINGTON :  President Joe Biden sounded an alarm about a global slide among democratic institutions Thursday as he convened the first White House Summit for Democracy. He called for world leaders to “lock arms” to strengthen democracies and demonstrate their worth in a changing world. Biden called it a critical moment for fellow leaders to redouble their efforts to bolster democracies. In making the case for action, he noted his own battle to win passage of voting rights legislation at home and alluded to challenges to America’s democratic institutions and traditions. “This is an urgent matter,” Biden said in remarks to open…

Bahrain : The Interior Ministry has marked International Human Rights Day celebrated every year on December 10 through a seminar. The event included a presentation on human rights accomplishments and projects as part of the directives of Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa to promote human rights culture and values among Interior Ministry’s affiliates. The seminar “Human Rights in the Interior Ministry, the Vision and Reality” was held under the patronage of Interior Ministry Undersecretary Shaikh Nasser bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa. https://youtu.be/gRTxcEcNcc0 Assistant Undersecretary of Legal Affairs Brigadier Hamood bin Saad Hamood delivered a speech in which he…

Bahrain : His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa today was at the forefront of those who welcomed Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saudi, and his accompanying delegation, upon his arrival here today on an official visit to the kingdom. His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, also welcomed the Saudi Crown Prince. After a short pause at the Grand Protocols Lounge at the Sakhir Air Base, the convoy of HM the King and HRH Prince Mohammed bin…

Bahrain :  Minister of Information, Ali bin Mohammed Al Romaihi, the Board of Trustees Chairman of Bahrain Institute for Political Development (BIPD), voiced Bahrain’s welcome and appreciation of the auspicious visit of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to the Kingdom of Bahrain. In a statement to Okaz newspaper, Al Romaihi expressed the Bahraini people’s pride in the blessed fraternal visit of the Saudi Crown Prince and his accompanying delegation. He stressed its importance in further enhancing historical relations between the two brotherly countries. He described bilateral…