Author: News Desk

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday approved a government proposal for a week-long workplace shutdown at the start of November to combat an alarming rise in Covid-19 cases and deaths. Speaking at a televised meeting with government officials, Putin said this period, from October 30 to November 7, could begin earlier or be extended for certain regions. Authorities across the country have made moves to curb the spread of the virus, reflecting a growing sense of urgency as they confront widespread public reluctance to get injected with the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine.

DAMASCUS : Two bombs attached to a bus carrying Syrian troops exploded in Damascus during the morning rush hour Wednesday, a military official said. Fourteen people were killed in the attack, one of the deadliest in the capital in years. While the Syrian government’s decade-long conflict with insurgents continues in parts of the country including the rebel-held northwest, bombings in Damascus have become exceedingly rare since President Bashar Assad’s troops pushed opposition fighters from the capital’s suburbs in 2018. The explosions, which also left several wounded, happened at a busy intersection, near a main bus transfer point where commuters and…

Riyadh : The Kingdom of Bahrain has participated in the 34th regular meeting of the Arab Ministers of Transportation which was held on October 19 and 20 at the Secretariat General headquarters of the Arab League. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Bahraini Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League, Hesham bin Mohammed Al Jowder, on behalf of Transportation and Telecommunication Minister, Eng. Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed. The meeting shed light on key issues on its agenda, including supporting the Palestinian economy and implementing the strategic plan for sectors development in Jerusalem 2018-2022.

Manama: Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa received US Army Central Commander Lieutenant-General Ronald P. Clark and his accompanying delegation. The commander-in-chief praised the relations between Bahrain and the US and their development at various levels, especially in military and defense cooperation.

Manama: Advisor to His Majesty the King for Media Affairs, Nabil bin Yacoub Al Hamer received Writer Ibrahim Rashid Al-Dosseri, who presented to him a copy of his recent publications. Al Hamer praised the writer’s efforts in preparing and publishing these historical books that contribute to documenting Bahrain’s history and its ancient heritage, hailing his contributions in local literature which enrich the national library, wishing him continued success. Al Dosseri expressed his thanks to the advisor’s continuous support and encouragement to Bahraini writers and researchers to enrich the cultural march, poetry, and art in the Kingdom.

Manama: The American University in Bahrain (AUBH) held its 3rd annual President’s Race under the theme #OneTeamOneRun, featuring 200 participants. This came under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa,  First Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, President of the General Sports Authority and President of Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC). Dr. Suzan Saxton, Founding President of AUBH and Dr. Shaikh Sager bin Salman Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Schools & Collegiate Athletics Association, highlighted the University’s ethos of a “Sound Mind, Sound Body” and emphasized that the AUBH Community is vested in…

Manama: The Ministers of Finance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the State of Kuwait, and the Kingdom of Bahrain met on October 19 to discuss the latest developments regarding Bahrain’s Fiscal Balance Program in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Arab Monetary Fund attended the meeting as an advisory body providing an assessment of the program achievements. They reviewed the latest developments on the program’s initiatives in light of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the implementation of the program, with a view to achieving a fiscal balance between government revenues and expenditures in the…

Singapore: Oil prices slipped on Wednesday after the Chinese government stepped up efforts to tame record high coal prices and ensure coal mines operate at full capacity as Beijing moved to ease a power shortage. Chinese coal prices and other commodity prices slumped in early trade, which in turn pulled oil prices down from an uptick earlier in the day. “With coal and gas prices easing and with the relative strength index (RSI) technical indicators still in overbought territory, the odds of a sharp, but material fall in oil prices are rising,” said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA, Reuters reported.…

Tokyo: A Japanese volcano spewed ash several miles into the sky when it erupted on Wednesday, prompting officials to warn people to steer clear of the threat of lava flows and falling rocks, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Mount Aso, a tourist destination on the main southern island of Kyushu, spewed plumes of ash 3.5 km (2.2 miles) high when it erupted at about 11:43 a.m. (02:43 GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency said, Reuters reported. It raised its alert level for the volcano to 3 on a scale of 5, telling people not to approach, and…

London: Britain’s 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth, who has reigned over her nation for almost seven decades, says she feels too young at heart to be awarded the title “Oldie of the Year”, an aide has revealed. Organizers of the annual tongue-in-cheek awards – whose previous recipients include Oscar-winning actors, Nobel laureates, and the queen’s own mother who died aged 101 in 2002 – had approached the monarch to see if she would consider accepting the honor herself. But broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, the chairman of the awards run by the Oldie Magazine, said they had received a “lovely letter” sending her warmest…