Author: News Desk

China’s exports rose at their fastest pace in five months in June as factories revved up after the lifting of COVID lockowns, but a slowdown in imports, fresh virus flare-ups and a darkening global backdrop pointed to a bumpy road ahead for the economy. Analysts say the rebound in exports reflects the easing of supply chain disruptions and port congestion that hammered the economy in spring when the government rolled out widespread lockdowns. Outbound shipments in June rose 17.9% from a year earlier, the fastest growth since January, official customs data showed on Wednesday, compared with a 16.9% gain seen…

The European Union’s body for dismantling failed banks said on Wednesday it would ratchet up pressure on lenders over the coming months to bolster their defences so that none remain “too big to fail” by January 2024. The Single Resolution Board (SRB), in its first “heat map” on progress in preventing failing banks from needing a taxpayer bailout, said that the shortfall in special debt issuance by banks to replenish burnt-out capital was down to 32.6 billion euros, or 0.45% of the total risk exposure. The SRB is the main resolution authority for banks in the 19-country euro zone, along…

Katmandu :  A team from the Royal Guard at the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) has successfully climbed the Ama Dablam Mountain in Nepal. After six months of intensive training and preparations, the Royal Guard expedition climbed the mountain on May 5, at 12:53, and returned safely to their camp in Katmandu, ahead of their return to the kingdom. On the occasion, National Security Advisor and Royal Guard Commander, Major-General His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, affirmed that the members of the Royal Guard team had set the best examples in overcoming challenges, citing their determination to attain honourable…

Bolvia :  A tear gas grenade set off during a university assembly in Bolivia triggered an stampede in which four students died and 50 were injured on Monday, officials said. Tomas Frias University Rector Pedro López told Radio Panamericana that the students had gathered to elect new student body leaders at the school in the mountainous city of Potosi, some 420 kilometers (260 miles) south of La Paz, the capital. “In the middle of the assembly, a tear gas grenade was detonated, which created a stampede,” he said. “Many students were trampled.” Col. Limberth Choque, Potosi’s police chief, told state…

PARIS : The lone survivor of a 2009 plane crash that killed 152 other people is expected to attend the trial of Yemen’s main airline which is opening Monday in Paris. At just 12 years old, Bahia Bakari clung to floating debris from the plane for 11 hours in the Indian Ocean before being rescued. She called it “a miracle.” Now 25, she recently told France 3 television she would attend the trial with both “apprehension” and “relief.” The trial is needed to “finally know the truth,” said Bakari, who lost her mother in the crash. The company, Yemenia, has…

UAE : Hoteliers in the UAE and the region have reported an increase in long-term bookings as people mix work and play during their holidays. Experts at the Arabian Travel Market told that employees were taking advantage of a new flexible work culture that evolved during the pandemic and opting for “workcations” this summer. This is despite rising air ticket prices caused by high travel demand and fuel costs. “We are seeing a lot more people booking workcations this summer,” said Caroline Jonsson, Radisson Hotels’ communication manager for the Middle East. She said that people were feeling pent up after not being able to travel far…

NEW YORK :  “A Strange Loop,” Michael R. Jackson’s critically cheered theater meta-journey earned a leading 11 Tony Award nominations Monday as Broadway joined the national discussion of race by embracing an envelope-pushing Black-written and Black-led musical. Jackson’s 2020 Pulitzer Prize drama winner about a Black gay man writing a show about a Black gay man earned nods for best musical, best leading man in newcomer Jaquel Spivey and best featured actress for L Morgan Lee, who becomes the first openly transgender performer to be nominated for a Tony Award. The show also was nominated for scenic design, lighting, sound, orchestrations, Stephen Brackett’s…

Ukraine : Russian President Vladimir Putin used his country’s biggest patriotic holiday Monday to again justify his war in Ukraine but did not declare even a limited victory or signal where the conflict is headed, as his forces pressed their offensive with few signs of progress. The Russian leader oversaw a Victory Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square, with troops marching in formation and military hardware on display to celebrate the Soviet Union’s role in the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany. But his much-anticipated speech offered no new insights into how he intends to salvage the grinding war, and he instead stuck…

Bahrain :  Al-Mabarrah Al-Khalifia Foundation (MKF) announced the commencement of registration for the medical scholarships carrying the names of the late His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and Her Highness Shaikha Moza bint Hamad at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland – Bahrain (RSCI). Registration will take place for 11 days starting from 29th May to 8th June 2022.  Applicants will be accepted after passing several stages of selection, which will require them to achieve a minimum academic achievement of 98%, along with passing the university’s selection process and the personal interview, in addition to outstanding achievements…

Rescue crews searched the rubble of a luxury hotel in Havana on Sunday with more than a dozen people still missing two days after a blast that tore off its facade and killed at least 27 people. The Hotel Saratoga, a 96-room property in the Old Havana area of Cuba’s capital, was in the final stages of renovation work when an apparent gas leak produced a massive explosion on Friday. The blast buried workers inside and passersby outside under concrete and twisted metal. The explosion came in the late morning when the streets and plaza in front of the stately hotel would have…