Author: News Desk

Manama : The Kerala Catholic Association (KCA) has officially unveiled its plans for “Onam Ponnonam 2026,” a grand, month-and-a-half-long cultural extravaganza. KCA President James John announced the details during a recent press briefing, confirming that the festivities will kick off on Friday, August 21, 2026, at 7:00 PM and culminate in a grand closing ceremony on October 9, 2026. The celebrations aim to bring the rich heritage of Kerala to the community in Bahrain through a diverse lineup of cultural, sporting, entertainment, and community events. The extensive celebrations are coordinated under the leadership of Onam Celebrations Committee Chairman Jithin Jose…

Guatemala City : Guatemalan authorities ordered the preventive evacuation of two communities near the Fuego volcano late on Monday as it entered a more intense eruptive phase, spewing ash and sending pyroclastic flows down its slopes. The eruption sent pyroclastic flows – fast-moving mixtures of volcanic gas, ash and rock – down five ravines, disaster management officials said. The evacuations were ordered in El Porvenir and Las Lajitas, both in the municipality of San Juan Alotenango. Officials on Tuesday warned that the flows could travel further if activity intensifies. Ash clouds could affect areas up to 100 km (62 miles)…

Manama : The Supreme Council for Women (SCW) unveiled the visual identity for Bahrain Women’s Day 2026, which will be celebrated under the theme “Twenty-Five Years at the Heart of the Reform Project”, marking the silver jubilee of the council’s establishment. The SCW also published guidelines on its website outlining the use of the Bahrain Women’s Day logo and visual identity to ensure their consistent application across media and awareness materials. The visual identity features the silver jubilee emblem, displaying the number 25 encircled by a wreath to mark a quarter century of institutional work, alongside the official theme. The…

Manama : BRAVE Combat Federation (BRAVE CF) is set to reach another milestone in its international expansion with the launch of BRAVE CF 108 in the Republic of Croatia on September 5, marking the organisation’s first event in the country and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a global hub for the development of mixed martial arts. The event will be held at the historic Pula Arena, making Croatia the 18th European nation and the 39th country worldwide to host a BRAVE CF event. The milestone further strengthens the promotion’s presence across Europe, where it has established itself as a leading force…

Bhubaneswar : Lightning strikes have killed at least 14 people in India’s mineral-rich eastern state of Jharkhand, police said, the latest deaths linked to annual monsoon rains that have triggered floods and landslides elsewhere. Farm workers in open fields accounted for most of the 10 people killed in the state’s Giridih district, police said. At least seven others were injured in Tuesday’s lightning strikes, a common feature of monsoon thunderstorms. India’s weather office forecast widespread rainfall across Jharkhand over the next few days on Wednesday. More than 200 people died in Jharkhand in 2025, mainly from “lightning associated with thunderstorms”,…

Manama : As part of the government’s ongoing efforts to enhance service quality and re-engineer government services, the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications has developed a remote technical inspection service for boats and jet skis. The digital service streamlines technical inspection procedures and enables beneficiaries to complete the service without in-person attendance, enhancing efficiency and improving the user experience. Under the enhanced service, owners of small boats that are no more than six years old, as well as all jet skis, can complete the technical inspection through a video call after submitting an electronic application via the Small Ships Registration…

Abu Dhabi : The Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) of the Ministry of Interior signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Air Ports Affairs Sector of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the implementation of the “One Stop” pre-clearance project for air travellers. The MoU was signed on behalf of Bahrain by Brigadier Abdulaziz Abdulrahman Al Dossary, Assistant Undersecretary for Ports, Search and Follow-up, and on behalf of the UAE by Dr. Hamad Saif Al Mashghouni, Executive Director of the Air Ports Affairs Sector at the Federal…

Manama : His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa departed the Kingdom for the Arab Republic of Egypt on a visit during which His Majesty will meet His Excellency Abdel Fattah El Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt. During the visit, His Majesty the King will hold talks with HE President El Sisi on the close relations between the two countries, as well as regional and international developments. His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, was present to bid farewell to His Majesty the King.

Beijing : China warned on Monday of the risk of flooding and other weather-related disasters as heavy rain lashed several parts of the country, prompting authorities to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people from high-risk areas. The national forecaster maintained its second-highest level of precipitation alert for several regions, particularly northwestern Shaanxi, southwestern Chongqing, Guizhou and Guangxi, as well as southern Guangdong. In Shaanxi, the provincial meteorological observatory raised its storm alert and warned of waterlogging and flash floods. Authorities have relocated 87,987 people from high-risk areas since July 30. Torrential rain in northern parts of the low-lying Sichuan Basin…

Jakarta : Five people were killed and 41 others were reported missing on Sunday after a ferry carrying 271 people caught fire off Indonesia’s Madura Island. Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said in a statement that the ferry’s captain reported the fire while the vessel was sailing from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi. The agency added that search and rescue operations continue to locate the missing.