Author: News Desk

Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to appoint former Education Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi as new foreign minister, Jiji news agency reported on Saturday. According to Reuters, the appointment will be part of a new cabinet Kishida is expected to craft on Wednesday, after his ruling party won a lower house election on Oct. 31. Kishida had earlier said he may take on the role of foreign minister until a new Cabinet is formed this month, as the incumbent foreign minister took over a key ruling party post.

Bahrain : The Ministry of Health today announced the opening of a new drive-through testing centre in Awali, Southern Govoronate, near the Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat). Testing appointments at the new drive-through facility can be booked from  Thursday, 04 November 2021. The Ministry noted that the newly opened drive-through centre, has taken the place of the previous drive-through center located at the Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club. The new drive-through centre has the latest medical equipment, and it will increase Bahrain’s testing capacity and support the Kingdom’s comprehensive COVID-19 response. The Ministry reiterated the…

Tokyo :  Japan announced it will ease border controls beginning Monday for fully vaccinated travelers excluding tourists, responding to requests from the business community following a rapid decline in infections, the Associated Press (AP) reported Everyone entering Japan must be fully inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines that are recognized by the Japanese authorities. Those eligible include travelers on short-term business visits of less than three months, as well as longer term visitors including foreign students and workers on so-called technical internship programs, with a 14-day quarantine requirement. Schools and companies sponsoring them are required to submit documents detailing their activities and…

MEXICO  : A commando of drug gang gunmen on Thursday stormed ashore at a beach on Mexico’s resort-studded Caribbean coast in front of luxury hotels and executed two drug dealers from a rival gang. The dramatic shooting attack sent tourists scrambling for cover at the resort of Puerto Morelos, just south of Cancun. The two suspected drug dealers killed Thursday had apparently arrived at the beach in front of the Azul Beach Resort and the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun earlier in the day, claiming it was now their territory. “About 15 people arrived on the beach to assassinate two men…

WASHINGTON : Colin L. Powell, the trailblazing soldier-diplomat who rose from humble beginnings to become the first Black secretary of state, was remembered by family and friends Friday as a principled man of humility and grace whose decorated record of leadership can serve as a model for generations to come. “The example of Colin Powell does not call on us to emulate his resume, which is too formidable for mere mortals,” his son, Michael, said in a touching tribute at his father’s funeral service at Washington National Cathedral. “It is to emulate his character and his example as a human…

London : Youth and Sports Affairs Minister, Education and Training Quality Authority (BQA) Chairman, Aymen bin Tawfiq Almoayyed, held a meeting with University of London board of trustees chair Sir Richard Dearlove. The minister noted strong relations of friendship and cooperation binding the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Kingdom across all fields. He lauded the historical role played by the University of London in serving the community and promoting education and scientific research. Sir Richard Dearlove also praised Bahrain’s education strides. Almoayyed highlighted Bahrain’s efforts to develop the sectors of education, youth and training. Issues related to the development…

Washington : Pfizer Inc. said Friday that its experimental antiviral pill for COVID-19 cut rates of hospitalization and death by nearly 90% in high-risk adults, as the drug maker joins the race to bring the first easy-to-use medication against the coronavirus to the U.S. market. Currently all COVID-19 treatments used in the U.S. require an IV or injection. Competitor Merck’s COVID-19 pill is already under review at the Food and Drug Administration after showing strong initial results, and on Thursday the United Kingdom became the first country to OK it, The Associated Press (AP) reported. Pfizer said it will ask…

Dubai : For a few brief hours on Friday, the skyscraper-lined superhighway that cuts through the center of Dubai emptied of the cars always clogging it to give way to tens of thousands of bicyclists. The annual Dubai Ride saw bikes race down Sheikh Zayed Road, a 10-lane asphalt jungle that gives drivers a view of the world’s tallest building and other sites. r Organizers say 32,750 people took part in this year’s ride, which began before sunrise in Dubai. As dawn broke, bicyclists posed for photographs along the highway and cheered as they zipped along.

Paris :  His Excellency Ambassador Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa presented his credentials as Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to UNESCO to the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay. The Director-General of UNESCO praised the prominent role played by the Kingdom of Bahrain in the region, stressing UNESCO’s readiness to support the Kingdom’s priorities in the fields of the organization’s work. His Excellency the Ambassador praised cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and UNESCO, which has resulted in important cultural projects, as Bahrain chaired the World Heritage Committee in 2018, and its capital, Manama, hosted the 42nd meeting…

Bahrain :  HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of HM the King for Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs, Honorary President of Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (BREEF), has hailed the efforts of HH Shaikha Noora bint Hamad Al Khalifa, Captain of Al Fursan Team, for sponsoring the Best Horse Condition Award which will be presented in the opening international qualifiers that will take place on Saturday, covering 100km and 120km distances. HH Shaikh Nasser underlined that this Award is an ideal motivator for all the participants, and confirms Her Highness’ keenness to support all stables and jockeys…