Author: News Desk

Bucharest :  Voters in Romania cast their ballots in the first round of the presidential election. The candidates include right-wing politician George Simion, former Senator Crin Antonescu (65), who is backed by the three parties in the current government, Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan (55), running as an independent, and former leftist prime minister Victor Ponta. Voting began at 7 a.m. (04:00 GMT) and will end at 9 p.m. (18:00 GMT), with exit polls to be announced immediately afterwards. Simion is polling at around 30%, a comfortable lead but well below the 50% required to avoid a run-off on May 18.

Algiers : Arab parliaments expressed their full support for the “Bahrain Declaration” issued at the 33rd Arab Summit hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain. This endorsement was officially reflected in the final statement of the 38th Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, held in Algeria. The parliaments commended Bahrain’s efforts in supporting initiatives aimed at ending the war in Gaza, affirming its solidarity with the Palestinian people, safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests, delivering humanitarian aid, and advancing efforts toward a just and lasting peace in the region. Ahmed Abdulwahid Qarata, Second Deputy Speaker of the Council of Representatives and Head of…

Riyadh : The National Center for Environmental Compliance of Saudi Arabia (NCEC) has activated the first smart buoy in the Arabian Gulf at King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail. The activation contributes to a national initiative to deploy 35 smart buoys across the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf this year as a key element of a comprehensive marine and coastal environmental monitoring strategy. Alnahdi emphasised that the Arabian Gulf’s first buoy marks a significant advancement in environmental monitoring, allowing real-time data transmission from both the Kingdom’s eastern and western coasts to its major ports. This will provide crucial data to…

Manila : Two people, including a four-year-old girl, were killed and several others injured after a car crashed into the entrance of Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Sunday, the Philippine Red Cross said. The airport said the “vehicular accident” occurred earlier on Sunday when a car crashed through the outer railing and into the walkway near the entrance of NAIA Terminal 1. “We understand the concern this incident has caused, especially as images have circulated on social media. We urge the public not to speculate and to wait for verified updates, which will be issued as soon as they…

Cairo : Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, met with Fahad Abdulrahman AlJalajel, Minister of Health of Saudi Arabia. They discussed means to support bilateral cooperation in the fields of health, digital transformation, universal health insurance and safety of patients. The two ministers discussed the role of the Egyptian health mission in Saudi Arabia, which oversees the 2025 Hajj season. They tackled means to promote cooperation between the two countries in the fields of integration in health services topped by the pharmaceutical industry to support local industry, achieve medical security and increase Saudi investments…

Manama : His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued a royal message to mark World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on May 3. His Majesty expressed the Kingdom of Bahrain’s commitment to safeguarding freedom of opinion and expression and supporting the press in its constructive national role. His Majesty described journalism as a cornerstone of Bahrain’s comprehensive development process and highlighted its role in raising awareness and documenting national achievements and events. His Majesty also underscored the credibility and professionalism of journalism in Bahrain. His Majesty commended the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for its…

Boise : Seven people were killed and eight others injured after a pickup truck collided with a tour van on a highway near Yellowstone National Park, Idaho State Police said. The crash occurred just before sunset on Thursday near Henry’s Lake, when a Dodge Ram pickup struck a passenger van carrying a 14-member tour group. Both vehicles caught fire following the collision. Police said six of the van’s occupants and the pickup driver, who was alone in the vehicle, were killed.

Jakarta : A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s Sulawesi region on Saturday, according to the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. The agency stated that there was no tsunami risk. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre estimated the quake at 5.9 magnitude at a depth of 109 kilometres. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Nanjing : One person was killed and four others were injured after a helicopter crashed on Friday in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, east China, local authorities said. The Robinson R44 II helicopter fell from a height of approximately 10 metres while returning from a flight, according to the local emergency management office. One person on the ground was killed, while four people aboard the helicopter were injured.

Cairo : The Bahrain national shooting team achieved notable success at the Arab Shooting Championship held in Cairo from April 19 to May 1, winning several gold, silver, and bronze medals. Moza Abdulraheem secured gold in the women’s 10m air pistol event and added silver on the women’s team event with Badria Al Atawi and Qamar Ali Khalifa. The men’s team, which consisted of Ahmed Essam Al Sherawi, Mohammed Khalid Zaman, and Ahmed Sirajuddin, won bronze. Abdulraheem and Al Sherawi also took bronze in the 10m mixed team event. In the men’s skeet (shotgun), the team of Hassan Majid, Tamar…