Author: News Desk

Manama : The third edition of the Bahrain Summer Toy Festival, organised by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) in collaboration with Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre, opens today at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre. Running from July 2 to August 5, the 35-day festival will offer a wide range of family-friendly entertainment and interactive experiences as part of Bahrain’s summer events programme. The third edition is the festival’s largest and most diverse to date, featuring expanded exhibition space, enhanced interactive attractions and several experiences being introduced in the Kingdom for the first time. The festival is expected to further…

Berlin : Two people were killed and at least 34 injured in a fire that broke out in the roof of a hospital in the German city of Ludwigslust, a police official said. On Thursday that the two who died were patients at the hospital in Ludwigslust, northwest of Berlin, Initial reports indicated the fire started in a patient’s room, the report said. Patients and hospital staff were being evacuated from the building. Authorities said the situation remained highly dynamic, and it was not immediately clear how many people were being evacuated. Police were initially unable to provide details on…

London : His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of the Sultanate of Oman met with Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, at the Prime Minister’s Office in London. The meeting reviewed the longstanding relations between Oman and the United Kingdom and discussed means to enhance the strategic partnership in support of mutual interests and broader cooperation across sectors. Both sides also discussed developments in the region and exchanged views on efforts to de-escalate tensions and support diplomatic initiatives aimed at ensuring the security of navigation in the Gulf. They also discussed means to reach a lasting agreement on…

Geneva : The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius has officially ended. The organisation noted that no new cases were reported since May 25. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, said the last person under monitoring had completed quarantine and tested negative for the virus, allowing the organisation to officially declare the outbreak over. A total of 13 confirmed cases and three deaths were recorded. Tedros added that more than 650 contacts were identified and monitored across around 30 countries during the outbreak. He noted that the infections involved the…

Jakarta : A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Halmahera island, with no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The German Research Centre for Geosciences said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 127 kilometres. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said there was no tsunami threat.

Manama :  The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) announced the closure of a tourism office after identifying violations related to non-compliance with contractual obligations towards clients.  The authority also took the necessary administrative measures in accordance with the applicable regulations governing tourism activities in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The authority said the action forms part of its efforts to regulate the tourism sector, maintain service quality, and ensure tourism offices comply with approved regulations and requirements in line with the applicable legal procedures. BTEA reiterated its commitment to strengthening oversight of tourism offices and establishments to enhance professional and…

Abu Dhabi : The UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC) announced that the country’s national cybersecurity system had successfully thwarted a series of sophisticated cyberattacks targeting entities in the financial sector, safeguarding critical digital infrastructure and ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of financial services. The council said the attacks were detected and contained in accordance with national cybersecurity protocols, limiting their impact and preserving the stability of the country’s digital ecosystem. According to the CSC, the attacks included attempts to target digital systems and technical infrastructure, conduct phishing campaigns, exploit security vulnerabilities and deploy malicious software.  It noted that attackers are increasingly…

Manama : Rawan bint Najeeb Tawfeeqi, Minister of Youth Affairs, announced that the 15th edition of Youth City 2030 will launch on July 12 with 256 training programmes and 10,650 training opportunities, marking the largest edition since the initiative was launched. The Minister said Youth City 2030 is expected to attract more than 6,000 young participants, compared with 5,309 last year, while the number of training opportunities will increase from 6,953 in 2025 to 10,650 this year. The programme will offer 256 training programmes, compared with around 230 last year, including more than 150 new programmes focused on future skills…

Dhaka :  Bangladesh could face a sharp increase in dengue infections over the next two months, health experts warned, as wet weather and inadequate mosquito control spur a wider outbreak. Bangladesh’s health ministry’s data showed that dengue deaths rose from one at the end of May to 18 by the end of June, while reported infections climbed more than eightfold, from 714 to 5,924. The spread of the disease has accelerated in recent weeks, raising concerns following the nation’s deadliest ever outbreak in 2023. The dengue threat comes as the country deals with one of its worst measles outbreaks in…

Manama : Ali Abdulaziz Janahi, Deputy Chief Executive of eTransformation at the Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA), highlighted the Kingdom of Bahrain’s digital transformation journey during a panel discussion held as part of the Bahrain Smart Cities Summit 2026. Janahi reviewed key initiatives that have enhanced government service efficiency and supported the development of an integrated national digital ecosystem, including the national portal, bahrain.bh, electronic integration among government entities, and the “Cloud First” policy. He also highlighted Bahrain’s advanced digital maturity, noting that the national portal provides more than 800 integrated electronic services. He outlined the Kingdom’s unified government applications…