Author: News Desk

Beijing : Chinese ride hailing giant Didi Global on Saturday reported a 19% year-on-year fall in 2022 revenue, as the country’s COVID lockdowns and a regulatory crackdown took a toll. In its first annual report since it delisted from the U.S. last year, Didi said its total revenue fell to 140.79 billion yuan ($20.37 billion) primarily “due to the effects of COVID-19 pandemic outbreaks in the second and fourth quarter of 2022” which hit its China business. China imposed stringent COVID restrictions across the country last year that had hammered its economy. It lifted those restrictions in December last year.…

Manila : The United States will open Basketball World Cup play against New Zealand this summer, with Greece and Jordan also awaiting the Americans in the group stage. FIBA held the World Cup draw in Manila on Saturday, when the 32 teams that qualified for the field found out their initial matchups for the tournament that runs from Aug. 25 through Sept. 10. The Americans — the four-time defending Olympic champions who finished seventh at the most recent World Cup in 2019 — play New Zealand on Aug. 26, then face Greece and likely Giannis Antetokounmpo on Aug. 28, and…

Manama : Industry and Commerce Minister, Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, has lauded the support of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King and National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD) Consultative Council President, for establishing a permanent market for Bahraini farmers as a platform to encourage and promote local products. The minister made the statements while paying an inspection visit to the permanent farmers’ market in Hoorat A’ali, accompanied by officials from the Industry and Commerce Ministry and those of the Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry. The was briefed about the projects presented…

Manama : First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports (SCYS), President of the General Sport Authority (GSA), President of Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC), His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, praised the achievement of runner Leila Kamal, from the Faisal bin Khalid Athletics Academy, who won gold in the 100-metre women’s race in the 5th Asian Junior Athletics Championship, in Uzbekistan. Dubbed the fastest Asian woman, HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, commended the accomplishment as the outcome of the generous support of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Royal…

London : Finance and National Economy Minister, Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa met with UK’s Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade, Lord Dominic Johnson. The meeting discussed investment cooperation and reviewed the latest international economic developments. The finance minister reviewed the historical Bahrain-UK relations. Bahrain Ambassador to the UK Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Central Bank Governor Rasheed Mohamed Al Maraj and Prime Minister’s Office Director General Hamad Yaqoub Al Mahmeed were present. 

Chinese leader Xi Jinping said that Beijing will send an envoy to Ukraine to discuss a possible “political settlement” to Russia’s war with the country. Beijing has previously avoided involvement in conflicts between other countries but appears to be trying to assert itself as a global diplomatic force after arranging talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran in March that led them to restore diplomatic relations after a seven-year break. Xi told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call that a Chinese envoy, a former Chinese ambassador to Russia, would visit Ukraine and “other countries” to discuss a possible political settlement, according to a…

Manama : The Ministry of Health Undersecretary Dr. Waleed Khalifa Al Manea opened a celebration marking World Immunisation Week, observed worldwide under the theme “The Big Catch-up”. The event was organised by the Public Health Directorate under the patronage of the Health Minister, Dr. Jaleela bint Al Sayed Jawad Hassan. World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean has recently commended the Kingdom’s efforts to combat measles and rubella, reflecting the leadership’s constant support for preventive programmes, Dr. Al Manea said. The Undersecretary outlined Bahrain’s efforts to address infectious diseases and control pandemics through vaccines, including its success…

Rabat : A plane carrying 157 Moroccan nationals evacuated from Sudan landed today at Mohammed V Airport here. Earlier today, a plane carrying 136 Moroccans from Sudan also arrived at the same airport, taking the total number of Moroccan nationals repatriated from Sudan to 293.

New York : Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations, Ambassador Jamal Faris Al Rowaiei, has affirmed that diverse challenges facing the world, most notably the recent Covid-19 pandemic, have proved the need for concerted international efforts to handle them. He underlined the importance of synergized work to achieve human welfare. He said, “This highlights the role of multilateralism, diplomacy and international cooperation as the most important and effective tools for achieving the goals of maintaining international peace and security and achieving sustainable development.” Ambassador Al Rowaiei was speaking during his participation in the Security Council’s…

Manama : His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today issued a circular on the upcoming Labour Day. According to the circular, ministries and all other public institutions will close on Monday, 1 May 2023, marking Labour Day.