Author: News Desk

Kuwait’s Cabinet has approved a new foreign residency draft law that proposes sweeping penalties against visa traders and expatriates working illegally in the country, Kuwait Times reported. The new law aims to clamp down on illegal practices surrounding the employment of expat workers, such as employing workers tied to a different sponsor or illicitly purchasing residency permits for workers. It increases fines and jail time for those who overstay their visa or enter the country illegally, according to the report. Visa traders who facilitate the entry of illegal expats and renew residencies or employ expats illegally will be fined between…

Gold rose on Thursday on a softer dollar, consolidating further above the key $1,900 level after a dramatic retreat earlier this week from an all-time high. Spot gold was up 0.6% at $1,929.13 per ounce by 0708 GMT, a day after slipping below the $1,900 level in choppy trade. Prices hit a record high of $2,072.50 on Friday. U.S. gold futures eased 0.5% to $1,938.90. The dollar slipped 0.2% against rivals, making gold cheaper for holders of other currencies. “The fall that took gold below $1,900 has flushed out a lot of weak longs and it looks like now we’re…

A Court of First Instance in North al-Batinah convicted a citizen for violating the ban on any kind of movement issued by the Supreme Committee on COVID 19,  said a statement from Public Prosecution. The court sentenced him to one year in prison, imposed a fine of RO2,000, and withdrew his driving license for a period of six months from the date of the ruling. ♦ Oman to start new academic year from August ♦ Oman in constant touch with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers ♦ Expat workers in Oman fell by over 9 percent The investigation authority was convinced that the convict violated the…

Uber Technologies would be forced to shut down its ride-hailing operations in California if a court ruling that blocks it from classifying its drivers as independent contractors goes into effect, the company said in a court filing. A California judge on Monday granted the state’s request for a preliminary injunction blocking Uber and rival Lyft Inc from classifying their drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. Several hundred thousand “gig” workers, including many at ride-hailing companies and app-based food delivery services, are affected by the law known as Assembly Bill 5 (“AB5”), which took effect on Jan. 1. The shutdown…

The Minister of Education in Oman has issued a decision regarding the postponement of the start of the 2020/2021 academic year to August 30 from previously decided August 16. Dr. Madiha bint Ahmed Al-Shaibania, Minister of Education, issued a Ministerial Resolution No. (139/2020) regarding the start of the 2020/2021 academic year. The first article of the decision is to postpone the start of the 2020/2021 academic year and the work of educational supervisors and school administration supervisors in educational directorates in the governorates, the General Directorate of Private Schools, members of the administrative and teaching staff, and the jobs associated…

Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Saeedi, Minister of Health, said that the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines depends on international accreditation of the vaccines, their safety, and their readiness for use. The minister reaffirmed that the Sultanate is in continuous contact with approved international companies to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it becomes available. In a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA), the minister pointed out that the Sultanate keeps coordinating with major vaccine producing firms around the world and that Oman will get the vaccine in time.

Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange (TADAWUL) plans to launch an environmental, social or governance (ESG) index in cooperation with global index provider MSCI by the fourth quarter of this year or first quarter of 2021, the bourse’s chief executive said on Wednesday. The index will include at least 70 Saudi listed companies and will be based on MSCI standards, Khalid Al-Hussan said at a virtual event. “Globally we understand that ESG is becoming an investment requirement and we don’t want to be behind this in the Saudi market,” he added. Demand for climate-friendly and sustainable investments has been on the rise…

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday it had appealed for $76 million in aid for Lebanon after last week’s massive explosion in Beirut destroyed or damaged hospitals, clinics and medical supplies. Lebanon was already struggling with a financial crisis and a rise in the number of new coronavirus cases before the Aug. 4 explosion in the capital’s port area that left at least 171 dead and injured some 6,000. The blast put three hospitals out of operation and has left three others working at partial capacity, reducing the number of beds in public and private hospitals by 500-600,…

Twitter Inc rolled out its new long-awaited Application Programming Interface (API) software on Wednesday, nearly a month after the social media company delayed the platform’s launch following the hack of several high-profile accounts. The API platform provides broad access to public Twitter data that users have chosen to share, according to the microblogging site. The launch was postponed due to an unrelated hack that affected some of the social media platform’s top voices including U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden, reality TV star Kim Kardashian and former U.S. President Barack Obama.

England sought to defuse a looming row over the awarding of school qualifications during the pandemic by allowing students to use results of their earlier practice tests. The coronavirus pandemic closed schools across Europe and meant that in some countries almost no examinations took place, leaving educators with a dilemma over how to award grades that affect students’ job prospects and university places. Scotland’s devolved government was forced to reverse downgraded results on Tuesday after a moderation process led to 75,000 young people having their grades revised down, sparking dismay and protests. Pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will…