Author: News Desk

Makkah : The Muslim World League (MWL) welcomed the statement issued by members of the UN Security Council on August 7, condemning attacks carried out by the Houthi militia against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and commercial vessels. In a statement issued by the MWL General Secretariat, Secretary General of the MWL and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars, Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al Issa, commended the statement’s emphasis on the need to comply with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, foremost among them Resolution 2216, and to respect the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity…

Damascus : A 4.3 magnitude earthquake struck an area about 107 kilometres northwest of Aleppo in the Syrian Arab Republic, according to the National Earthquake Centre. The centre said the earthquake occurred at 3:42 a.m. along the Dead Sea Fault and was felt by residents in parts of northern Syria.

Jakarta : Indonesian authorities seized 1.3 tonnes of ketamine worth an estimated $116.2 million from a foreign flagged vessel near the Riau Islands. An Indonesian warship intercepted the Tanzania flagged vessel after it entered the country’s territorial waters. Authorities found 65 bags containing ketamine hidden on board. Eight crew members, including seven Myanmar nationals and one Taiwanese national, were detained. Authorities are investigating the origin and intended destination of the shipment.

Manama : The National Bureau for Revenue (NBR) announced the development of its service for registering or updating goods data, reducing the processing time from 30 working days to seven. The service allows producers and importers subject to the relevant requirements to register new products or update data for existing products through the NBR’s online portal. Rana Ibrahim Faqihi, Chief Executive Officer of the NBR, said the redesigned service simplifies review and approval procedures, enabling faster processing and easier compliance with regulatory requirements. The development forms part of wider government efforts to improve and redesign services. More than 1,300 government…

Beijing : Authorities in eastern China closed schools and a number of tourist sites as Typhoon Dolphin approached land, amid warnings of heavy rain and strong winds that could cause floods and landslides. The typhoon’s maximum wind speed is about 162 kilometres per hour, while it is expected to hit Zhejiang and northern Fujian on Sunday evening. Shanghai is also in the storm’s path. National authorities activated a Level-III emergency response, the second-lowest level, and also closed a number of tourist destinations in Zhejiang and suspended water activities, including ferries and cruises. In Ningbo, one of Zhejiang’s largest cities, authorities…

Manama : Major General Shaikh Abdulrahman bin Abdulwahab Al Khalifa, Director General of the General Directorate of Traffic, affirmed that infrastructure development and road network expansion projects, which are based on the royal directives and followed up by the government, along with enhancing the traffic system with smart systems and cameras, have a positive impact on traffic safety, reducing traffic violations and accidents, and protecting lives and property. The Director General of the General Directorate of Traffic explained that, with the support of the Interior Minister, the Directorate has completed the first phase of the smart system cameras as part…

Riyadh : Members of the Executive Board of the Gulf Health Council, including Dr. Lulwa Rashid Showaiter, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Health, and Dr. Samya Ali Bahram, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health, participated in the 103rd meeting of the Executive Board, held at the Gulf Health Council headquarters in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to discuss initiatives and decisions aimed at developing health services and strengthening pharmaceutical security in Gulf Cooperation Council countries.; Dr. Showaiter, a member of the Executive Board and chair of the current session, affirmed the Kingdom of Bahrain’s support for joint Gulf efforts to…

Cairo : Nabil Fahmy, Secretary General of the Arab League, condemned the Iranian missile attack on an ADNOC tanker while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement, Fahmy described the attack as another in a series of Iranian violations of freedom of navigation and the safety of maritime routes. He said the attack breached United Nations Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2817, which affirms freedom of navigation and rejects attacks on commercial vessels. Fahmy held Iran fully responsible for the attacks, saying they violate established international principles governing freedom of navigation and the safety of waterways and…

Bogotá : Abelardo De La Espriella, the new President of the Republic of Colombia, was sworn in on Friday, pledging to launch a strong campaign against drug trafficking and armed groups, restore security and order, and take economic measures to reduce public spending and boost investment. In his inauguration speech, De La Espriella, a 48-year-old former lawyer who belongs to the right-wing, said armed groups linked to drugs faced two choices: submit to the rule of law or face a firm response from the state and its security forces, stressing that the option of negotiating with these groups had been…

Riyadh : The Royal Court of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced the passing of the mother of His Highness Prince Bandar bin Mansour bin Abdullah bin Jalawi Al Saud. In a statement, the Saudi Royal Court announced that the funeral prayer for the deceased will be performed after the Asr prayer at the Grand Mosque in Makkah.