Author: News Desk

Rome : Pope Francis was admitted to a Rome hospital on Wednesday for another abdominal operation under general anaesthesia, this time to repair a hernia most likely caused by scars from surgery in 2021. Francis, 86, gave no sign that he was about to enter hospital for planned surgery during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square, where he was in good spirits, stopped to kiss babies and lingered to chat with newlyweds. Shortly afterwards, he left the Vatican in a simple white Fiat 500 L for the Catholic-run Gemelli hospital a short drive away and which has a 10th-floor…

Brussels : A delegation from the Shura Council participated in the opening session of the Women Political Leaders Summit 2023 (WPL), organized by the European Parliament and the Belgian Federal Parliament in Belgium on June 7-8, under the theme (Representation Matters). The summit focuses on the political and parliamentary contributions of women to peace, security and development; empowerment, gender balance and the challenges they face in the field of practicing political and parliamentary work. The summit is attended by women parliamentarians, politicians, specialists and experts from different countries of the world. The Bahraini delegation includes Dr. Fatima Abduljabbar Al Kooheji,…

Manama : HH Staff Lieutenant Commander Shaikh Isa bin Salman successfully completes the Joint Command and Staff Course at the US Marine Corps University His Highness Staff Lieutenant Commander Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, has successfully completed the Joint Command and Staff Course at the US Marine Corps University, in Virginia, the United States of America. On this occasion, HH Staff Lieutenant Commander Shaikh Isa bin Salman expressed his gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, for His Majesty’s directives and continuous support, which were the key…

Manama : Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Consort of His Majesty the King and Supreme Council for Women (SCW) President sent a cable of congratulations His Highness Major Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, on his success in completing the Joint Command and Staff Course at the US Marine Corps University, in Virginia, the United States of America. In the cable, HRH Princess Sabeeka hailed the outstanding academic achievement of HH Major Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, lauding his perseverance and commitment to the requirements of this advanced course passed successfully,…

TEKNAF,: The wind had whipped the waves to nearly three times the woman’s height when her panicked voice crackled over the phone. “Our boat has sunk!” Setera Begum shouted, as a storm threatened to spill her and around 180 others into the inky black sea south of Bangladesh. “Only half of it is still afloat!” On the other end of the line, hundreds of miles away in Malaysia, was her husband, Muhammed Rashid, who picked up the phone at 10:59 p.m. his time on Dec. 7, 2022. He had not seen his family in 11 years. And he had only…

WASHINGTON : The global economy is likely slowing sharply this year, hobbled by high interest rates, the repercussions of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic. That’s the latest outlook of the World Bank, a 189-country anti-poverty agency, which estimates that the international economy will expand just 2.1% in 2023 after growing 3.1% in 2022. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Indermit Gill, the World Bank’s chief economist, called the latest findings “another gloomy report.” The bank, he said, expects “last year’s sharp and synchronized slowdown to continue to this year into a sharp slowdown.” “By the…

India : The number of confirmed deaths in the three-train crash in India’s Odisha state had risen to 288 on Tuesday, among them 83 bodies still unidentified, authorities said. About 1,100 passengers were also injured in Friday’s crash involving two express passenger trains and a freight train in the Balasore district of the eastern state. Pradeep Kumar Jena, the state’s chief secretary, announced the latest official death toll on Twitter. “Those who want to take the bodies after identification, the state government will provide them ambulances,” he said. About 3,400 passengers were travelling on two express trains – the Coromandel Express which runs between…

Saudi Arabia and Iraq will develop a $1 billion shopping district in Baghdad as part of measures to enhance economic co-operation, the kingdom’s ambassador to Iraq has said. The Baghdad Avenue project will be built near the capital’s international airport, Abdulaziz Al Shammari told Iraqi News Agency. It will be the biggest shopping district in Iraq, with restaurants, shops and commercial offices, as well as 4,000 apartments and 2,500 villas, he said. Mr Al Shammari did not offer further details but said relations between Riyadh and Baghdad were going through “great developments”. A team from the King Salman Medical Centre visited Baghdad for…

Saudi Arabia : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a two-day visit to the kingdom. Mr Blinken is expected to meet senior Saudi officials and possibly Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his time in Riyadh and the coastal city of Jeddah. The trip is the second high-level visit by an American official to the kingdom in a month. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan travelled to Saudi Arabia on May 7. Mr Blinken is expected to attend the US-Saudi strategic dialogue and a Gulf Co-operation Council meeting to enhance relations between the two sides.…

Manama : :His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today met with the Minister of Tourism of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Fund for Development, HE Ahmed bin Aqeel Al Khateeb, at Gudaibiya Palace. His Royal Highness highlighted the importance of continuing to strengthen cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to achieve the joint aspirations of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. His…