Author: News Desk

Leading Democratic women called on President Joe Biden and Congress on Sunday to protect abortion rights nationwide after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, in a ruling that has heightened political tensions between the federal government and states. Two Democratic progressives, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, urged Biden to use federal land as a safe haven for abortion in states that ban or severely restrict the practice, after the high court on Friday overturned the landmark 1973 ruling that had recognized women’s constitutional right to abortion. “Forcing women to carry pregnancies against their will, will kill…

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment (MISA), will tomorrow host a high-level Italian business delegation, led by Luigi Di Maio, Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Saudi-Italian Investment Forum will see participation by a range of private sector representatives from both nations, with the aim of exploring mutually beneficial investment opportunities. With a focus on finance, infrastructure and mobility, tourism and culture, and renewable energy, the forum will feature interactive presentations spotlighting how a world of opportunity awaits Italian investors, as Saudi Arabia’s globally recognized reform agenda continues to progress. The…

The Crown Prince’s International Scholarship Program (CPISP) has started its ‘Candidacy Program’, which is the final step in the 2023 scholarship selection process. The CPISP held an orientation at the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) headquarters to brief the scholarship candidates, from both public and private schools, on the training they will receive during the program. CPISP Director Dr. Cynthia Gessling commended HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister’s vision to upskill young Bahrainis and congratulated the candidates for being short-listed. During the Candidacy Program, students will complete a number of courses with a focus on critical thinking,…

Saudi Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz received the Commander of the Pakistani Army, General Qamar Javed Bajwa. The meeting reviewed bilateral relations, especially in the military fields, and opportunities for developing them, discussing issues of common interest, SPA reported. In implementation of the order of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, HRH the Crown Prince conferred on the Commander of the Pakistani Army King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Class in recognition of his distinguished efforts in strengthening bonds of…

Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah HH Dr. Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi has stressed the importance of teaching the Arabic language to students, developing teaching methods, and motivating students to learn it. Arabic is the historical, cultural and scientific legacy for them as well as the language of the Holy Quran, Dr. Shaikh Sultan said at the opening ceremony of the First International Forum for Arabic Teachers. The forum is organized by the Sharjah Education Academy under the theme “Arabic: Future and Identity”, UAE news agency WAM reported. The forum is part of the second edition of…

Russian missiles hit an apartment block and kindergarten in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Sunday, in strikes U.S. President Joe Biden condemned as “barbarism” as world leaders gathered in Europe to discuss further sanctions against Moscow. Up to four explosions shook central Kyiv in the early hours, in the first such attack on the city in weeks. Two more blasts were heard on the southern outskirts of the city later in the day, a Reuters reporter said. “The Russians hit Kyiv again. Missiles damaged an apartment building and a kindergarten,” said Andriy Yermak, head of the president’s administration. A Reuters…

A growing number of large U.S. companies have said they will cover travel costs for employees who must leave their home states to get abortions, but these new policies could expose businesses to lawsuits and even potential criminal liability, legal experts said. Amazon.com Inc, Apple Inc, Lyft Inc, Microsoft Corp and JPMorgan Chase & Co were among companies that announced plans to provide those benefits through their health insurance plans in anticipation of Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that had legalized abortion nationwide. Within an hour of the decision being released, Conde Nast chief…

U.S. President Joe Biden told allies “we have to stay together” against Russia, as world leaders met on Sunday at a G7 summit in the Bavarian Alps that will be dominated by war in Ukraine and its painful impact on food and energy supplies across the globe. At the start of the meeting, four members of the Group of Seven rich nations moved to ban imports of Russian gold as part of efforts to tighten the sanctions squeeze on Moscow and cut off its means of financing the invasion of Ukraine. However, it was not immediately clear whether there was…

The world’s central bank umbrella body, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), has called for interest rates to be raised “quickly and decisively” to prevent the surge in inflation turning into something even more problematic. The Swiss-based BIS has held its annual meeting in recent days, where top central bankers met to discuss their current difficulties and one of the most turbulent starts to a year ever for global financial markets. Surging energy and food prices mean inflation in many places is now its hottest in decades. But the usual remedy of ramping up interest rates is raising the spectre…

Customs President Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa has been re-elected uncontested as president of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council for a third exceptional term (2022-2023) in an unprecedented move. The WCO system allows the election of the WCO Council President  for a one-year term, in addition to the possibility of re-election for a second one-year term. In certain exceptional cases the board can also re-elect the incumbent president for a third one-year term. WCO Council member countries endorsed the re-election of Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad AlKhalifa in recognition of his efficient management during the pandemic, which enabled the…