Author: News Desk

Georgetown : The confirmed death toll from the recent sinking of a state ferry off Guyana’s coast rose to 72 on Thursday, as multinational rescue teams continued efforts to recover more bodies.  The government estimated that around 100 people may have died in the accident, out of an estimated 179 passengers aboard the ferry, making it the deadliest maritime disaster on record for the South American nation. The 87-year-old MV Barima departed the capital, Georgetown, on Saturday and was headed to Port Kaituma when it began taking on water before sinking off the Essequibo coast in the Atlantic Ocean.

Kinshasa : The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 2,905, including 1,269 deaths, after health authorities reviewed data from two of the regions worst affected by the disease, adding more than 300 new cases to the official total. The daily report issued by the Congo’s Public Health Institute said the increase was largely due to the reconciliation of data from Ituri and North Kivu provinces with the national records. Health authorities had earlier this week announced that the number of confirmed Ebola deaths had passed 1,000. The World Health Organisation said…

Manama : His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued Decree (39) of 2026 appointing Director Generals at the Council of Islamic Endowments Affairs, based on a proposal by the Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf and following the approval of the Cabinet. Article (I)Ahmed Khalil Ebrahim Khairi shall be appointed Director General of the General Directorate of Sunni Affairs at the Council of Islamic Endowments Affairs. Article (II)Abduljaleel Ali Ahmed Al Hayki shall be appointed Director General of the General Directorate of Jaafari Affairs at the Council of Islamic Endowments Affairs. Article (III)The Minister of Justice, Islamic…

Manama : His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today issued Edict (40) of 2026, appointing directors at the Council of Islamic Endowments Affairs, based on a proposal by the Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf. Article (I) The following shall be appointed as directors at the Sunni Endowments General Directorate of the Council of Islamic Endowments Affairs: Abdullah Rashid Abdullah Ali – Director of the Mosques and Religious Facilities Directorate. Ali Abdulrahman Yousif Matar – Director of the Investment and Endowment Affairs Directorate. Article (II) The following shall be appointed…

Manama : The Ministry of Social Development has launched the “Knowledge for Fun 2026” initiative, to be held throughout August as part of its summer programme for children and youth aged 7 to 18. The initiative aims to develop participants’ knowledge and creative skills through interactive educational activities and experiential learning, helping them make productive use of the summer break while strengthening citizenship, national identity and social responsibility. Inas Mohammed Al Majed, Assistant Undersecretary for Community Development at the ministry, said the initiative forms part of the ministry’s efforts to provide high-quality summer programmes through practical learning experiences and partnerships…

Manama : Ebrahim bin Hasan Al Hawaj, Minister of Works, inaugurated the first phase of the North Isa Town Interchange Project, opening the flyover to traffic. The project is one of the strategic infrastructure projects overseen by the Ministerial Committee for Development and Infrastructure Projects, chaired by Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister. It aims to enhance the efficiency of Bahrain’s road network, improve traffic flow, and strengthen connectivity between several key areas, including Riffa, A’ali, Sanad, Salmabad and Isa Town. Minister Al Hawaj said the opening of the flyover marks a key milestone in the project’s…

Manama : The General Command of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) announced that Iran continues its systematic hostile approach through its unlawful attacks targeting civilians in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The General Command said that, with firm resolve and a high state of combat readiness, the Bahrain Defence Force’s air defence systems successfully intercepted and destroyed several treacherous Iranian aerial attacks on Friday, July 24. The General Command confirmed that all its services and units remain at the highest levels of readiness and full defensive preparedness to protect the Kingdom. It urged the public to exercise caution, avoid approaching any…

Cairo : The League of Arab States reaffirmed its unequivocal rejection of Iran’s targeting of the Gulf states and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, as well as the Houthi group’s attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea, describing the attacks as violations of international law and serious threats to maritime security and regional stability. In a statement, the official spokesperson for the League of Arab States welcomed the position adopted by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), stressing the importance of Arab solidarity in confronting threats targeting the security of Arab states and the safety of international maritime…

Rome : Global hunger declined for a third consecutive year in 2025, demonstrating that progress is possible, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) said in a report. However, the improvements remain fragile, unevenly distributed and insufficient to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, according to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 (SOFI 2026) report, released on Tuesday by five United Nations specialised agencies. The report estimates that 7.8% of the global population faces hunger in 2025, down from 8.1% in 2024 and 8.6% in 2022, confirming a sustained, albeit slow,…

Manama : As part of ongoing government efforts to improve service quality and re-engineer public services, the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications developed its remote inspection service for land transport activities by making it available through the Tajer application, enabling beneficiaries to book remote inspection appointments electronically, streamlining procedures, enhancing service delivery efficiency, and supporting the ministry’s digital transformation. Under the enhanced service, beneficiaries can book appointments for remote inspections of land transport activities electronically through the Tajer application, the unified government smart platform that provides a range of government services related to commercial registration management. The development improves the…