Author: News Desk

A man who smashed his way into another man’s flat and dragged him out of bed and beat him has been jailed. Callum Radcliffe, 30, previously admitted causing actual bodily harm. The court heard he and two friends smashed a glass panel on the back door of a flat on Wesley Terrace, Douglas before the attack at about 02:40 GMT on 2 November 2019. Deemster Graeme Cook sentenced him to 20 months in prison for the “sustained attack”. The court heard one of Radcliffe’s friends had received a text message from the victim’s girlfriend and the trio had decided to…

Africa urgently needs 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to make sure everyone who has had a first jab can get a second within the recommended eight- to twelve-week window, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. Another 200 million doses of any coronavirus vaccine are needed to get 10 percent of the continent’s population vaccinated by September, the WHO said. WHO data shows 28 million doses from various manufacturers have reached Africa, which corresponds to fewer than two doses per 100 people, the Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA) reported. Meanwhile, 1.5 billion coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered globally.…

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Friday he planned to stand for a second term for the largely ceremonial post. A former foreign minister and senior adviser to centre-left Social Democrat (SPD) Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, the 65-year-old Steinmeier has occupied the president’s office since 2017, said dpa. A trained lawyer, Steinmeier’s term is due to expire in 2022, which is after the next election in September, when a new national parliament will to be voted in. Born in western Germany, Steinmeier also headed up the SPD’s election campaign in 2009 as the party’s chancellor candidate, losing to the conservative Christian Democrats headed by…

Biden orders review of COVID-19 origins (VIDEO) President Joe Biden ordered aides to find answers to the origin of the virus that causes COVID-19, saying on Wednesday that U.S. intelligence agencies are pursuing rival theories potentially including the possibility of a laboratory accident. Intelligence agencies are considering two likely scenarios but still lack strong confidence in their conclusions and are hotly debating which is more probable, Biden said. The conclusions were detailed in a report to Biden, who asked his team in March to detail whether the novel coronavirus “emerged from human contact with an infected animal or from a…

Zinedine Zidane has decided to leave his position as coach of Real Madrid, the Spanish club said Thursday in confirming weeks of speculation surrounding his future. “We must now respect his decision and express our gratitude for his professionalism, dedication and passion over the years and what he means to Real Madrid,” the club said in a statement. The French coach had a contract until June 2022, but had reportedly already told Real Madrid players earlier in May he would leave at the end of the 2020-21 season, dpa reported. “Zidane is one of Real Madrid’s great icons and his…

Speaker of the Council of Representatives and Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Parliamentary Delegation, Fawzia bint Abdulla Zainal, has asserted that under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain has taken proactive steps since the spread of COVID-19, and charted its course of action based on the established national fundamentals in respecting human rights and public freedoms. As a result, the kingdom achieved fruitful results in mitigating the repercussions of the pandemic and providing the internationally-authorised vaccines for all the citizens and residents free of charge, earning the acclaim and admiration of other…

U.S. President Joe Biden’s $715 billion Department of Defense budget will shift funding from old systems to help modernize the nuclear arsenal to deter China, while also developing future warfare capabilities, people familiar with the budget said. The defense spending request, which will be sent to Congress on Friday, is expected to contain investments in troop readyness, space, the Pacific Deterrence Initiative aimed at countering China’s military build-up in the region and nuclear weapons technology, the people said. The budget request would buy ships, jets and pay for maintenance and salaries, but an additional $38 billion is earmarked for defense-related…

Executive Director of the Isa Cultural Center and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence Dr. Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa received French Ambassador to Bahrain Jérôme Cauchard. The meeting reviewed ways to enhance cooperation and activate intellectual and cultural partnerships in interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence among peoples by launching joint projects that serve the goals of the two friendly countries and peoples. Bahrain, US to strengthen partnership in combating trafficking in persons Shaikh presented an overview of the history of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence in Bahrain and the efforts of…

Bahrain and the U.S. have expressed their shared keenness on strengthening their partnership in the combat against trafficking in persons. The two sides reiterated their pledge as Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) Chief Executive Officer Jamal Abdulaziz Abdulghaffar Al Alawi received U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Bahrain Margaret Nardi. Al Alawi highlighted Bahrain’s efforts to maintain a flexible and fair job market and safeguard the rights of all parties without discrimination or derogation. He referred to projects, initiatives and programs carried out by LMRA, including the wage protection system launched in early May. He stressed that Bahrain has made employment and…

Manama: The National Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (COVID-19) today held a press conference at the Crown Prince Centre for Training and Medical Research at the Bahrain Defence Force Hospital to highlight efforts made to contain COVID-19, and announce new measures to ensure the prevention of its spread. During the press conference, the National Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (COVID-19) today announced new COVID-19 related measures that take effect from 23.59hrs 27 May 2021 to 23.59hrs 10 June 2021 following approval from the Government Executive Committee: Decisions undertaken: • Closure of malls and commercial shops • Closure of restaurants and…