Author: News Desk

Bahrain : Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications Kamal bin Ahmed Mohamed affirmed that the 2022-2026 Telecommunications, ICT, and Digital Economy Sector Strategy is a major pillar in the Economic Recovery Plan and will contribute towards achieving the Kingdom’s comprehensive economic growth and development. The minister explained that the Economic Recovery Plan mandates the development of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector in the Kingdom. He affirmed that the sector’s development is in line with various initiatives put forth to achieve the Kingdom’s comprehensive development goals, led by HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. He added that the ICT…

Bahrain :  Within the framework of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s directives to provide 40,000 housing units, and in line with the order of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to distribute additional 2,000 units to the citizens, the Housing Ministry started the distribution of units to eligible citizens across various governorates, according to a clear timeline. The Ministry asserted that the housing projects add to the kingdom’s housing achievements attained under the comprehensive development march spearheaded by HM the King, and the unwavering interest of the government,…

Bahrain : Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) Khalid Humaidan stressed the importance of the Kingdom’s four-year ICT and Digital Economy strategy, as an enabler to attract further direct investments which will contribute to the growth of this sector. Humaidan affirmed that Bahrain EDB will continue to promote the ICT sector to attract operators who could benefit from Bahrain’s competitive advantages. These advantages include best-value operating costs, skilled local workforce and government support which will enable investors to enhance their operations and expand into other markets by operating from Bahrain.

Taiwan will launch a $1 billion credit programme to help fund joint projects between Lithuanian and Taiwanese companies in six business categories, a Taiwan government minister said on Tuesday. Lithuania is under pressure from China which claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, to reverse a decision last year to allow the island to open a de-facto embassy in Vilnius under its own name. China has downgraded diplomatic ties with Vilnius, and is pressuring companies, such as German car parts giant Continental to stop using Lithuanian-made components. It has also blocked Lithuanian cargos from entering China. Taiwan last week announced plans to set…

BANGKOK :  A court in Myanmar sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to four more years in prison on Monday after finding her guilty of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies and violating coronavirus restrictions, a legal official said. Suu Kyi was convicted last month on two other charges and given a four-year prison sentence, which was then halved by the head of the military-installed government. The cases are among about a dozen brought against the 76-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate since the army seized power last February, ousting her elected government and arresting top members of her National League…

Bahrain :   His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, announced today that imported livestock is to be included in the list of the 94 basic commodities exempt from VAT. Following His Royal Highness’ directives, imported livestock will be added to the list of basic food products exempt from VAT, which includes fresh and frozen beef, sheep, goat, chicken and fish.

MELBOURNE :  Novak Djokovic returned to the tennis court Monday for training, having won a legal battle to stay in Australia to play in the Australian Open after his exemption from strict coronavirus vaccine rules was questioned. But the government is still threatening to cancel his visa and deport him. The unvaccinated tennis star was released after being confined to an immigration hotel for four nights — a drama that has gripped many in Australia and beyond. Federal Circuit Court Judge Anthony Kelly reinstated Djokovic’s visa, which was pulled after his arrival last week because officials said he didn’t qualify…

CHICAGO : The  leader of the Chicago Teachers Union on Monday blamed the city’s mayor for a continued standoff over COVID-19 protocols as classes for hundreds of thousands of students were canceled for a fourth day. CTU President Jesse Sharkey said union and district representatives negotiated until 10 p.m. Sunday but “remain apart on a number of key features” that teachers want before returning to classrooms, including a testing program and triggers to close a school for in-person instruction due to an outbreak. Sharkey accused Mayor Lori Lightfoot of refusing to compromise on teachers’ main priorities and said union leadership…

NEW YORK :  Doctors raced Monday to save the lives of people who were knocked out or trapped in their apartments by a fire that sent smoke billowing through a New York City high-rise. Nineteen people, including nine children, died in the blaze. Dozens of people were hospitalized, including several in critical condition, after Sunday’s fire in the Bronx, which was already the city’s deadliest in three decades. Mayor Eric Adams told  that the death toll could rise. “We pray to God that they’ll be able to pull through,” he said. Investigators determined that a malfunctioning electric space heater, plugged in…

Kazakhstan’s security forces have detained 7,939 people as of Monday over last week’s unrest, the Interior Ministry has said. It was the worst violence in the Central Asian nation’s post-Soviet history, with 164 people reportedly killed. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Monday called the unrest a coup attempt and vowed his security services would never shoot peaceful protesters. “Armed militants who were waiting in the wings joined the protests. The main goal was obvious: the undermining of the constitutional order, the destruction of government institutions and the seizure of power. It was an attempted coup d’etat”, he said. Government buildings were briefly captured or…