Author: News Desk

Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the origin of the virus tormenting the world remains shrouded in mystery. Most scientists believe it emerged in the wild and jumped from bats to humans, either directly or through another animal. Others theorize it escaped from a Chinese lab. Now, with the global COVID-19 death toll surpassing 5.2 million on the second anniversary of the earliest human cases, a growing chorus of scientists is trying to keep the focus on what they regard as the more plausible “zoonotic,” or animal-to-human, theory, in the hope that what’s learned will help humankind fend off…

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, on Thursday received Bill Gates. Sheikh Mohamed and the founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation discussed co-operation in the fight against diseases such as polio and malaria. The announcement by Niger that it has eradicated river blindness is a milestone in the fight against neglected tropical diseases. Through initiatives such as the Reaching The Last Mile Fund, we remain committed to working with our partners to support these crucial global efforts. They reviewed their co-operation and future…

Mexico : A cargo truck jammed with people who appeared to be Central American migrants rolled over and crashed into a pedestrian bridge over a highway in southern Mexico on Thursday, killing at least 53 people and injuring dozens more. The federal Attorney General’s Office said the preliminary estimate lists 53 dead, with three of the injured in critical condition, reports AP. Luis Manuel Moreno, the head of the Chiapas state civil defence office, said about 21 of the injured had serious wounds and were taken to local hospitals. The crash occurred on a highway leading toward the Chiapas state…

London :  More than 267.99 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 5,582,824have died. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

Taipei :  Taiwan lost Nicaragua as a diplomatic ally after the Central American country said it would officially recognize only China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory. “There is only one China,” the Nicaraguan government said in a statement Thursday announcing the change. “The People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents all of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory.” “As of today, Nicaragua breaks its diplomatic relations with Taiwan and ceases to have any official contact or relationship,” it added. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “sadness and regret”…

Bahrain :  His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa sent a cable of congratulations to President  Roch Marc Christian Kaboré of Burkina Faso on the occasion of his country’s National Day. In the congratulatory cable, HM the King wished President Kaboré good health and happiness on this national occasion.

Johannesburg : The new Omicron coronavirus variant is driving up infection figures in South Africa and is now increasingly spreading to older people, Health Minister Joe Phaahla said on Friday. In the country’s worst-hit region – Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria – the number of cases rose by 400 per cent week-on-week, Phaahla announced. Tests showed that the Omicron variant was behind about 70 per cent of the cases. However, the figures appear to confirm initial observations of relatively mild symptoms and shorter hospital stays, according to scientist Glenda Gray and her colleague Michelle Groome from the National…

Riyadh : The Governor of the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HRH Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, received outgoing Bahraini  Ambassador to Riyadh,  Shaikh Humood bin Abdullah Al Khalifa. HRH Prince Saud Al Saud, praised the role played by the ambassador  in strengthening the brotherly and historical relations that unite the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The ambassador hailed bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia across all fields

Manama : The Royal University for Women (RUW) hosted a discussion session marking the 2021 Bahraini Women’s Day, annually observed on December1. Supreme Council for Women (SCW) Secretary-General Hala Al Ansari, RUW President Professor Yusra Mouzughi, members of the administrative and academic staff and students attended. Al Ansari said that the national days provide an opportunity to highlight Bahrain’s achievements at regional and international arenas, particularly women-related indicators. She pointed the importance of investing in such national occasions to build on achievements, in line with the aspirations of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the directives of…

Max Verstappen drew first blood against title rival Lewis Hamilton as the action kicked off ahead of Sunday’s showdown thriller at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Red Bull racer topped the first practice session on around Yas Marina Circuit with a 1m 25.009s lap Hamilton went off three times trying to keep up on the re-configured Yas Island track. His Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas went off twice, making it a staggering five times Mercedes had lap times wiped off That suggests the champions as struggling to keep up with Red Bull’s opening pace. But neither team has revealed their full hand…