Author: News Desk

The Horse Pride Showjumping Championship, which is the 4th championship in the showjumping season,organised by Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (BREEF) featured strong competitions in the juniors’ contests, held at the Military Sports Federation, Al Raffah. Both competitions were dominated by Ali Hussain and Sultan Al Rumaihi of the Ministry of Interior team. The former secured a narrow win in the first juniors’ competition, which showcased 95/105cm hurdles as he topped the podium thanks to 12 fractions of a second gap (31.87s). Sultan Al Rumaihi of the Ministry of Interior team took second place after clocking 31.99 seconds, and he…

Washington : The United States is nominating former Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga to lead the World Bank, President Joe Biden announced, crediting him with critical experience on global challenges including climate change. The news comes days after Trump appointee David Malpass announced plans to step down in June from his role leading the 189-nation poverty reduction agency. His five-year term was due to expire in April 2024. Banga, currently vice chairman at private equity firm General Atlantic, has more than 30 years of business experience, having served in various roles at Mastercard and the boards of the American Red Cross,…

Moscow : Russia launched a rescue ship on Friday for two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut whose original ride home sprang a dangerous leak while parked at the International Space Station. The new, empty Soyuz capsule should arrive at the orbiting lab on Sunday. The capsule leak in December was blamed on a micrometeorite that punctured an external radiator, draining it of coolant. The same thing appeared to happen again earlier this month, this time on a docked Russian cargo ship. Camera views showed a small hole in each spacecraft. The Russian Space Agency delayed the launch of the replacement…

Manama : Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) Assistant Undersecretary for Foreign and Domestic Trade Shaikh Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa opened the World Food Festival hosted by Lulu Hypermarket. Lulu Group Director Juzer Roopawala and members of Lulu management attended the launch of the celebration of food from around the world that brings alive some of the globe\s food themes until March 28. Chefs will be preparing special menus focused on global cuisine and on February 27, Indian actress Honey Rose from the state of Kerala will make an appearance at the festival.

Berlin : The German economy contracted more strongly than expected in the final three months of 2022, as inflation and the energy crisis took their toll on household consumption and capital investment. The German economy shrank by 0.4% in the fourth quarter of 2022 compared with the previous three months, the statistics office said on Friday. Preliminary data from the office had pointed to a 0.2% quarter-on-quarter contraction adjusted for price and calendar effects. In the third quarter of 2022, gross domestic product saw slight growth of 0.5% compared to the three months prior. The second consecutive drop in the…

Paris : The UNESCO conference Internet for Trust, dedicated to discussing the draft global guidelines for regulating digital platforms and safeguarding freedom of expression and access to information had gathered 4,300 participants in person and online. The conference brought to the table different stakeholders including governments, independent regulators, digital companies, academia, the technical community and civil society, UNESCO said. Among the issues raised were how to make platforms more transparent and have content governance policies and practices consistent with human rights standards; striking a balance between AI and human moderation; fostering greater engagement by civil society, youth, influencers and other…

Manama : His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa today sent a cable of congratulations to the Amir of Kuwait HH Shaikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, on his country’s National Day and Liberation Day. In the cable, HM the King wished the Kuwaiti Amir abundant health and happiness and the people of Kuwait further progress and prosperity under his leadership. He hailed Kuwait’s development strides which consolidated its standing in the international community, lauding deep-rooted historic and fraternal relations binding the two countries and peoples. HM the King reiterated Bahrain’s keenness on furthering outstanding bilateral relations…

New York : Hollywood is gearing up for the 95th Academy Awards, where “Everything Everywhere All at Once” comes in the lead nominee and the film industry will hope to move past “the slap” of last year’s ceremony. AP has compiled “everything you need to know about the 2023 Oscars, including when they are, where to watch the live show and this year’s controversies.” WHEN ARE THE OSCARS? The Oscars will be held Sunday, March 12, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony is set to begin at 8 p.m. EST and be broadcast live on ABC. CAN…

Damascus: Following the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to support the brotherly Syrian people in their humanitarian ordeal caused by the devastating earthquake that struck parts of their country recently, and in line with the distinguished fraternal relations between the two countries and their peoples, a plane carrying the first relief aid shipment to those affected by the earthquake arrived at the Damascus International Airport today. Secretary-General of the Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) and CEO of the National Committee for Supporting Earthquake Victims in Syria and Türkiye, and members of the National Committee accompanied the…

Manama : Türkiye’s Ambassador to Bahrain Esin Çakıl has expressed her deep thanks and profound gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, HM the King’s Representative for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and the people of Bahrain for their support and solidarity with Türkiye in dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake. “On behalf of the Republic of Türkiye, I wholeheartedly thank Bahrain’s leadership and people. Türkiye will never forget this solidarity,” Ambassador Çakıl told Bahrain…