Author: News Desk

KUWAIT : Kuwait’s budget deficit jumped 174.8 percent in the past financial year to 10.8 billion dinars ($35.5 billion), the finance ministry said. Revenue fell 38.9 percent to 10.5 billion dinars in the 12 months to March 31, while expenditure increased 0.7 percent to 21.3 billion dinars, the ministry said in a statement reported by state news agency KUNA. The data comes following a challenging time for the country during which parliament has repeatedly failed to agree a 2021-22 budget while the coronavirus pandemic decimated income. Kuwait’s parliament eventually approved the 2021-22 state budget in June, which planned for 23.05…

New Zealand : Larry Page, Google’s co-founder and one of the world’s richest men, has become a New Zealand resident, with immigration services saying he had applied under a category for wealthy investors. “Larry Page submitted an application for residence under the Investor Plus Category on 3 November 2020,” Immigration New Zealand said in an e-mailed statement on Saturday. “As he was offshore at the time his application was not able to be processed because of COVID-19 restrictions. Once Mr. Page entered New Zealand his application was able to be processed and it was approved on 4 February 2021.” The…

KABUL :  An Afghan Air Force pilot was killed by a bomb in a Kabul district on Saturday, officials said, in an attack claimed by the Taliban. The pilot killed on Saturday, Hamidullah Azimi, was travelling when a sticky bomb attached to his vehicle went off, officials said, adding that five civilians were injured in the explosion. Azimi was trained in flying U.S.-made UH60 Black Hawk helicopters, and had been working with the Afghan Air Force for almost four years, Afghan Air Force Commander Abdul Fatah Eshaqzai. He had moved to Kabul with his family one year ago due to…

Tokyo : France won the Olympic men’s handball gold medal Saturday after beating Denmark 25-23 in the final, gaining a measure of revenge for defeat to the Danes in the gold medal game in 2016. France led by six goals early in the second half before Denmark came back to make it a one-goal game in the final minute. Ludovic Fabregas managed a steal and empty-net goal with six seconds left to secure the win and start the French celebrations. France was playing its fourth consecutive men’s Olympic final after winning in 2008 and 2012 and losing to Denmark in…

Bahrain :  Supreme Council for Youth and Sports (SCYS) First Deputy Chairman, Head of the General Sports Authority (GSA) and Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) President His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al-Khalifa congratulated His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on the  success of Bahraini athlete, Kalkidan Gezahegne, in winning the silver medal of the women’s 10,000m race in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He also extended congratulations to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister  and to HM the King’s Representative for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad…

Bahrain :  HM the King’s Representative for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, has extended congratulations to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, on the kingdom’s success in winning the silver medal of the women’s 10,000m race, within Tokyo Olympics 2020. HH Shaikh Nasser indicated that the accomplishment embodies the constant support enjoyed by the youth and sports movement from HM the King and HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. HH Shaikh Nasser also congratulated…

BANGKOK : Protests returned to the streets of Bangkok on Saturday , albeit on a smaller scale, amid growing anger at the government’s handling of the pandemic and the lack of mRNA vaccines in the national inoculation drive. Clashes broke out as riot police repeatedly fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons to prevent a thousand demonstrators from advancing. Bearing red flags, the protesters, some of whom were armed with slingshots, went head to head with riot police at the Din Daeng junction in the hour-long confrontation. The crowd had earlier moved off from the Victory Monument. The incident…

JUBA : At least 30 South Sudanese soldiers were killed and 13 injured in clashes between forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar and a splinter group, Machar’s party spokesman said in a statement on Saturday. In a move that risks derailing the country’s already fragile peace process, rival military leaders of Machar’s party SPLM/A-IO, announced on Wednesday that the vice president was ousted as head of his party and its armed forces. As a result, the party’s chief of staff, First Lieutenant General Simon Gatwech Dual, was nominated interim party leader from the military wing. On Thursday Machar, who…

TRAPANI, Italy, Aug 7 (Reuters) – A ship carrying 257 migrants docked in the Italian port of Trapani on Saturday almost a week after rescuing the people from international waters off Tunisia. A German charity boat carrying 257 rescued migrants docked in Sicily after Italian authorities granted permission, but another humanitarian vessel with 549 aboard still awaited an assigned port six days after the start of rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea. After several days in limbo at sea, Sea-Watch 3 sailed into port at Trapani, western Sicily. Among the migrants aboard were 70 minors, some of them travelling without…

Spain : Snickers in Spain has removed an advertisement and apologized for a “misunderstanding” after the film was branded homophobic. The video shows Spanish influencer Aless Gibaja ordering “a sexy orange juice with vitamins A, B and C: hugs, kisses and caresses” at a beach bar, while a friend exchanges bewildered looks with their waiter. Instead of the fruit drink, the waiter offers a Snickers ice-cream bar and, after a bite, Gibaja is transformed into a bearded man with a deep voice. Asked by the friend whether he feels better, the man replies: “Better,” before the Snickers slogan “you’re not you when…