Author: News Desk

Geneva: The World Health Organisation today launched the Strategy to Achieve Global COVID-19 Vaccination by mid-2022 (the Strategy) to help bring an end to what has become a two-track pandemic: people in poorer countries continue to be at risk while those in richer countries with high vaccination rates enjoy much greater protection. WHO had set a target to vaccinate 10% of every country, economy and territory by the end of September but by that date 56 countries had not been able to do so, the vast majority of these are countries in Africa and the Middle East. The…

Manama: The Civil Aviation Affairs has updated Bahrain’s Red List countries, in line with directives issued by the Government Executive Committee in response to recommendations made by the National Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Effective Sunday, 10 October 2021: • Removed from the Kingdom’s Red List Countries: The Republic of South Africa, Republic of Namibia, Republic of Uganda, Republic of Mozambique, Republic of Zimbabwe, Republic of Malawi, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Republic of Georgia, and the Republic of Ecuador • Added to the Kingdom’s Red List Countries: Romania Passengers from…

WASHINGTON :  Senate leaders announced an agreement Thursday to extend the government’s borrowing authority into December, temporarily averting an unprecedented federal default that experts say would have devastated the economy. “Our hope is to get this done as soon as today,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer declared as he opened the Senate. In their agreement, Republican and Democratic leaders edged back from a perilous standoff over lifting the nation’s borrowing cap, with Democratic senators accepting an offer from Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell made the offer a day earlier just before Republicans were prepared to block longer-term legislation to…

A powerful magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook the Tokyo area on Thursday night (local time), slightly injuring at least 12 people and halting trains and subways. Officials said there was no major damage or danger of a tsunami. The Meteorological Agency said the quake was centred in Chiba prefecture, just east of Tokyo, at a depth of 80km. It caused buildings to sway and hanging objects such as signs to swing violently. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said there were no abnormalities at nuclear power facilities in the area.

DUBAI: A consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has clinched a deal to buy Newcastle United, the English football club. After 18 months of on-off negotiations, the PIF, along with British financial entrepreneur Amanda Staveley and billionaire investors the Reuben brothers, finally sealed a £300 million ($410 million) deal with Mike Ashley, the club’s owner. Lawyers and other advisers worked through the night and all day Thursday to finalize the transaction after a change of heart by the English football authority, the Premier League, allowed the acquisition to proceed. “We are extremely proud to…

Seoul, South Korea:  The World Health Organization is working to ship COVID-19 medical supplies into North Korea, a possible sign that the North is easing one of the world’s strictest pandemic border closures to receive outside help. WHO said in a weekly monitoring report that it has started the shipment of essential COVID-19 medical supplies through the Chinese port of Dalian for “strategic stockpiling and further dispatch” to North Korea. WHO officials on Thursday didn’t immediately respond to requests for more details, including what those supplies were and whether they had yet reached North Korea. Describing its anti-virus campaign was…

Bahrain : Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, recently held a 5-day introductory programme for university students from the University of Bahrain, Brunel University London, Bahrain Training Institute and Applied Science University. at its headquarters in Muharraq. The students were provided a tour of Gulf Air’s premises, an overview of the national carrier’s corporate culture and operations, a site visit to Gulf Air’s core departments such as: Cabin Crew, Briefing, Grooming, Guest Services, Airport, Call Centre, Technical, Security, Crew Control, Dispatch and the Integrated Operation Centre. Towards the end of the induction programme, Gulf Air’s Acting Chief…

Washington :  Pfizer asked the U.S. government Thursday to allow use of its COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 5 to 11 in what would be a major expansion that could combat an alarming rise in serious infections in youngsters and help schools stay open. If regulators give the go-ahead, reduced-dose kids’ shots could begin within a matter of weeks for the roughly 28 million children in that age group, reports AP. Many parents and pediatricians are clamoring for protection for youngsters under 12, the current age cutoff for COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S. he Food and Drug Administration will have…

Bahrain : The fifth edition of the Smart City Summit will open on October 10 at the Gulf Convention Center under the patronage of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam bin Abdulla Khalaf. The summit will see the participation of 250 individuals from the public and private sectors, including engineers, consultants and specialists. The Ministry of Interior, the Information and eGovernment Authority and the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning will also take part in the event. The two-day event will also see participation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the UN, the USA and UNDP.…

London: The World Health Organization on Wednesday endorsed the world’s first malaria vaccine and said it should be given to children across Africa in the hope that it will spur stalled efforts to curb the spread of the parasitic disease. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called it “a historic moment” after a meeting in which two of the U.N. health agency’s expert advisory groups recommended the step, The Associated Press (AP) reported. “Today’s recommendation offers a glimmer of hope for the continent, which shoulders the heaviest burden of the disease. And we expect many more African children to be protected…