Author: News Desk

Bahrain’s two-month ban on outdoor work during the afternoon will begin Saturday, July 1. The ban on work under direct sunlight and in open places will run from midday until 4 pm, the Ministry of Labour said. The aim is to protect workers and ensure their safety from heat stress, sunstroke and various summer diseases, and to reduce occupational accidents during the hottest months of the year. On the occasion, Labour Minister, Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, stressed the importance of applying the principles and requirements of occupational safety to ensure a safe, accident-free and productive work environment. He indicated…

The Netherlands has announced new rules restricting exports of certain semiconductor manufacturing equipment. It follows pressure from the US to curb the sale of computer chip technology to China. The Dutch government did not cite this as a reason though, saying it had taken the step on national security grounds. The Chinese government responded saying the decision was “not in the interests of any party” and would impact chip production and supply chains. Mao Ning, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, said China opposed the US’s “abuse of export controls” and its “use of various pretexts to win over and coerce other…

An ice hockey player from Poland’s major league has been charged with spying for Russia, Warsaw says. The man, a Russian citizen, was arrested on 11 June in Silesia, southern Poland, and is believed to be part of a Russian spy ring. Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) has so far detained 14 people suspected of being part of the ring. It says all of them are citizens of countries to the east of Poland, not necessarily just Russia. The decades-long spy conflict between Russia and the West has intensified since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.…

Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser of the Republic of India, and his accompanying delegation visited the Special Economic Zone of Duqm on Thursday. During the visit, Ajit Doval and his accompanying delegation listened to the facilities available in the region and its strategic location, a large multi-purpose port, a large dry dock for ship repair, an airport and modern and developed facilities, in addition to various investment projects and facilities and advantages for investors, such as the possibility of 100 percent ownership for the investors, exemption from customs taxes, exemption from income tax, usufruct rights to land for long periods…

A female citizen suffering from a critical health condition has been transferred from Khasab to Muscat by a helicopter of the Royal Air Force of Oman. The Ministry of Defence said that the Royal Air Force of Oman, using one of its helicopters, carried out a medical evacuation of a female citizen suffering from a critical condition. She was transferred urgently from Khasab Hospital in Musandam Governorate to the Royal Hospital in Muscat Governorate to receive the necessary specialised medical treatment.

Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep and other Screen Actors Guild members are reportedly threatening to strike. More than 300 members are said to have signed a letter addressed to the SAG-AFTRA Leadership and Negotiating Committee suggesting industrial action could be on the way if an agreement isn’t reached on a new contract with major Hollywood studios, production companies and streaming platforms. As reported by Rolling Stone magazine, the the letter reads: “We hope you’ve heard the message from us: This is an unprecedented inflection point in our industry,

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his government’s deeply controversial judicial overhaul will no longer include a provision to remove Supreme Court oversight of legislation. The provision would have allowed parliament to pass laws that are immune from judicial review, a measure that critics say would render Israel’s legal system pointless. The removal of the “override clause” will rankle many in Mr Netanyahu’s coalition, the most right-wing in Israel’s history. The clause is particularly important to ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition, who view it as a way of ensuring that men in the community continue to be exempt from military service, a…

Saudi Arabia’s unemployment rate dropped on an annual basis in the first quarter of 2023 as labour market indicators in the kingdom improved, driven by more women joining the workforce, government data has shown. The overall unemployment rate, which counts both Saudi citizens and expats, decreased to 5.1 per cent in the three months ended in March, from 6 per cent during the same period in 2022, the General Authority for Statistics (Gastat) said in its quarterly report on Thursday. For Saudi nationals, the rate stood at 8.5 per cent in the first quarter, a decrease from 10.1 per cent in…

Canada : A professor and two students were stabbed in a university classroom in the Canadian city of Waterloo on Wednesday, police said. A man has been arrested in connection with the attack. Waterloo Regional Police said it took place in a ground-floor classroom at Hagey Hall, a building near the university’s main entrance. The victims’ injuries were serious but not life-threatening, police added.

Manama : The Kingdom of Bahrain will tomorrow mark the International Day of Parliamentarism, annually observed on June 30.  Council of Representatives Speaker Ahmed bin Salman Al Musallam congratulated His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister on this occasion. In a statement today on this occasion, the Speaker expressed thanks and gratitude to HM the King, hailing the royal support to the legislative branch of government. He also commended the constructive and fruitful cooperation with the Government, chaired by HRH the Crown Prince…