Author: News Desk

Kuwait has renewed commitment to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), said a senior Kuwaiti diplomat on Friday. Cooperation and joint action are the best means to counter this dangerous crime that jeopardizes safety of communities, especially recently on the backdrop of COVID-19, said Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi, Kuwait’s Permeant Delegate to UN before the organization’s 32nd General Assembly on anti-corruption. Terming UNCAC a “cornerstone” in the fight against corruption, yet the phenomenon, according to Al-Otaibi, is still prevalent and becoming more complex due to advancing technology, making it a trans-border crime, branching out to terrorism financing, money laundering, arms dealing…

U.S. President Joe Biden offered to scrap his proposed corporate tax hike during negotiations with Republicans, two sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday, in what would be a major concession by the Democratic president as he works to hammer out an infrastructure deal. Biden offered to drop plans to raise corporate tax rates as high as 28% and instead set a minimum 15% tax rate aimed at ensuring all companies pay taxes, sources said. In return, Republicans would have to agree to at least $1 trillion in new infrastructure spending, one source said. And Biden has not given…

Manama: Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the sovereign wealth fund of Bahrain, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, and Binnopharm Group to explore the establishment of a vaccine production facility in the Kingdom to manufacture and distribute the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine across the GCC and MENA region. The Binnopharm Group is а subsidiary of Sistema PJSFC, a publicly traded Russian investment company. The MoU was signed in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) held this week…

Saint Petersburg: The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, today visited the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, on the sidelines of his participation in the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum. After being welcomed by Director General of the Museum, Mikhail Piotrovsky, the minister and his accompanying delegation toured the museum’s departments and halls and got briefed on its treasures, antiquities and arts from various civilizations of the world. The minister expressed admiration of the collections of the museum, which is one of the largest in the world, wishing its management continued success.

BRAVE Combat Federation has been breaking records and traveling the world with a mission to develop the global mixed martial arts community through focusing on grassroots development combat sports infrastructures in host nations. This morning, the President of BRAVE CF Mohammed Shahid landed in Minsk, Belarus with eager and determined to do the same for the Eastern European country.  BRAVE CF is hosting their 51st event this weekend in Minsk, Belarus featuring the biggest and brightest national talents to represent their country on a global scale and compete against international talent.  “I’m looking forward to seeing Belarusian talent perform and…

Bahrain has approved “Sotrovimab” for emergency use, a new drug by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for the treatment of COVID-19. The decision to add “Sotrovimab” to COVID-19 treatment protocols follows emergency use approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well a comprehensive review of GSK’s clinical trials. “Sotrovimab-VIR-7831” develops “monoclonal antibodies” and will be used to treat infected adults and adolescents with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms who are at risk of their condition deteriorating and resulting in hospitalisation. Safety and efficacy evidence demonstrates a reduction in the number of cases requiring hospitalisation for more than 24 hours and…

A chemical-laden cargo ship is sinking off the coast of Sri Lanka, sparking fears of an environmental disaster. The Singapore-registered X-Press Pearl had been on fire for almost two weeks before the blaze was put out this week. Hundreds of tonnes of oil from fuel tanks could leak into the sea if it sinks, devastating nearby marine life. The Sri Lankan and Indian navies had worked jointly over the past days in an attempt to put out the fire and prevent the ship from breaking up and sinking. But rough seas and monsoonal winds hampered the operation, just outside the…

China reports first human case of H10N3 bird flu A 41-year-old man in China’s eastern province of Jiangsu has been confirmed as the first human case of infection with a rare strain of bird flu known as H10N3, Beijing’s National Health Commission (NHC) said on Tuesday. Many different strains of bird flu are present in China and some sporadically infect people, usually those working with poultry. There is no indication that H10N3 can spread easily in humans. The man, a resident of the city of Zhenjiang, was hospitalized on April 28 and diagnosed with H10N3 on May 28, the health commission…

Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Defence Minister His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saudi held a meeting today with the Kuwaiti Crown Prince His Highness Shaikh Mishal Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah. https://youtu.be/EzvYYICiOww The Kuwaiti Crown Prince delivered a letter addressed to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud from the Emir of Kuwait HH Shaikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah. The Saudi News Agency (SPA) said that the meeting focused on bilateral fraternal relations binding the two countries, aspects of joint cooperation across all fields,…

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday granted emergency approval to a second Covid-19 vaccine manufactured in China. The shot, developed by pharmaceutical firm Sinovac, has the highest standards in terms of effectiveness and manufacturing, the WHO said. According to the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE), the jab prevents Covid-19 symptoms in 51 percent of vaccinated people. WHO boss warns ending pandemic still ‘a lot of work’ Another vaccine by Chinese manufacturer Sinopharm was already authorized on May 7 by WHO. WHO has also issued an authorization for emergency use for the Covid-19 vaccines by BioNTech/Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson…