Author: News Desk

Manama : Electronic voting for the seventh edition of the Government Innovation Competition (Fikra) has been launched through the Prime Minister’s Office website at www.pmo.gov.bh to determine the winner of the “Public Vote” category. Voting will remain open until Sunday, 11 January. This follows the qualification of 12 concepts, which were selected after a rigorous evaluation of the initial 40 concepts by four specialised committees. The outcome of the vote will be announced alongside the results from the Ministers’ evaluation committee, which will determine the winning concepts in the other competition categories. The 12 finalists are: 1. Tawazun by Maha Bader Abdulla Bader Alsada,…

Athens : Greece’s civil aviation authority announced that a technical malfunction in the navigation system caused air traffic to come to a standstill at Athens International Airport and other Greek airports. Athens airport confirmed the temporary suspension of all arriving and departing flights, while the transport ministry said the fault affected Flight Information Region frequencies, prompting the issuance of a notice to airmen and the restriction of air traffic to partial operations only for safety reasons, pending the completion of ongoing investigations.

Manama : The Ministry of Youth Affairs announced the organisation of the “Youth Route Parade” as part of the celebrations marking Bahraini Youth Day. Rawan bint Najeeb Tawfiqi, Minister of Youth Affairs, said the parade aligns with the vision of His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs, to strengthen the status of Bahraini Youth Day and utilise national events as platforms for youth creativity and expression. She said the new edition will feature a modern vision that merges authenticity with renewal, underscoring the active role of youth…

Brasília : Eleven people were killed and 11 others injured when a bus collided with a lorry in southern Brazil on Saturday morning. The accident occurred on the BR-116 federal highway in the municipality of Pelotas, in Rio Grande do Sul state. Brazilian broadcaster Globo reported that the bus was carrying tourists travelling to the municipality of Camaquã and had departed Pelotas earlier in the day. The bus driver was among those killed, while the injured were taken to nearby medical facilities. Police said part of the lorry’s sand cargo spilled into the bus, hampering rescue operations. The highway operator,…

Canberra : The Australian government has launched a national transport strategy aimed at supporting and strengthening the movement of grain and agricultural products and improving supply chains across Australia, while addressing structural challenges in agricultural freight transport that are estimated to cost grain and farm producers nearly AUD 2 billion annually. The strategy focuses on enhancing the readiness of road, rail, and port networks to accommodate growing freight volumes, with an emphasis on priority freight corridors and improved integration across transport modes, said Australia’s Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King. The strategy seeks to improve…

Manama : His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa attended the wedding of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa, accompanied by his sons. The ceremony was held at the majlis of the late Shaikh Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa in Riffa. Senior members of the Royal Family and invited guests were also in attendance. His Majesty the King congratulated HH Shaikh Hamad bin Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa on his son’s marriage and wished the couple a happy married life. The sons of the late Shaikh Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa expressed their…

Kabul : At least 17 people died and 11 others were injured after floods triggered by heavy rainfall and snowfall in several parts of Afghanistan. Severe weather conditions also disrupted daily life across central, northern, southern and western regions.  The floods caused damage to infrastructure in the affected provinces, led to livestock losses, and impacted around 1,800 families, further worsening conditions in already vulnerable rural and urban areas.

The Hague : Two people died in the Netherlands in fireworks accidents and there were scattered instances of violence as the country celebrated the New Year, and in a separate incident a historic church in the heart of Amsterdam burned down. The Netherlands traditionally rings in the New Year with people setting off their own fireworks, which causes hundreds of injuries and millions of euros in damage every year. This year, some 250 people were arrested on New Year’s Eve and in several towns riot police were deployed, police said. “The impact of heavy fireworks and arson this New Year’s…