Author: News Desk

Washington :  NASA has commissioned three companies to develop designs for new commercial space stations, said dpa international. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin firm is among them, and will receive 130 million dollars. Texas firm Nanoracks will get 160 million dollars and Virginia’s Northrop Grumman 125.6 million dollars, NASA said Thursday. NASA said it was seeking to transition from the International Space Station (ISS) to other platforms and thereby maintain an “uninterrupted US presence in low-Earth orbit.” “With commercial companies now providing transportation to low-Earth orbit in place, we are partnering with US companies to develop the space destinations…

Washington :  The Senate passed a stopgap spending bill Thursday that avoids a short-term shutdown and funds the federal government through Feb. 18 after leaders defused a partisan standoff over federal vaccine mandates. The measure now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. Earlier in the day, congressional leaders announced they had finally reached an agreement to keep the government running for 11 more weeks, generally at current spending levels, while adding $7 billion to aid Afghanistan evacuees. Once the House voted to approve the measure, senators soon announced an agreement that would allow them to vote…

Bahrain :  HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, President of the General Sports Authority and President of Bahrain Olympic Committee has received at his office Dr Abdulhussain bin Ali Mirza, Sustainable Energy (SEA) Chairman and Shaikh Nawaf bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, CEO of the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA). The meeting was attended by HH Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Vice President of the General Sports Authority and Dr Abdulrahman Sadiq Askar, CEO of the General Sports Authority. HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa welcomed the…

Wellington :   After 107 days, New Zealand’s largest city is now free from strict Covid-19 restrictions as the country moves to a new strategy on Friday. Auckland, with a population of about 1.7 million, has been under strict rules after a single case was detected on August 18. The number of cases in the outbreak has now reached 8,745. The city’s Mayor Phil Goff said Friday was a day to celebrate after a “long and challenging” lockdown, but that it was necessary to continue to take steps to keep safe, said dpa international. A “traffic light” system has come into force…

Tokyo : Stocks were mixed in Asia on Friday after a broad rally on Wall Street as investors kept an eye on the spread of the new coronavirus variant and measures governments are taking to restrain it. Hong Kong slipped more than 1% while Tokyo edged lower. Shanghai and Seoul were higher while Sydney was nearly unchanged, reports AP. The recent rebound may prove to be short-lived, Craig Erlam of Oanda said in a commentary. “Early signs aren’t promising given the rate of case increases in South Africa and the fact that omicron is already popping up in numerous other…

Bahrain : His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today issued Edict (66) of 2021, appointing the following directors at the National Communication Centre (NCC): 1- Maram Mahmoud Qassim Al-Bardoli- Director of the Strategic Planning Directorate 2- Sahayer Ebrahim Isa Al-Hashimi – Director of the Digital Media Directorate 3- Ali Ahmed Ali Al-Jowder- Director of the Monitoring and Analysis Directorate 4- Zainab Abdulaziz Jassim Al Nasheet- Director of the Communication and Media Relations Directorate 5- Dr. Mohammed Ali Hamid Al-Shaaban, Director of the Media Office Directorate The Chief Executive Officer of the…

Bahrain : The 13th Annual International Conference of the BCICAI, with the theme “Pathways to Progress,” is being conducted under the patronage of H.E. Zayed R. Al Zayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism of the Kingdom of Bahrain on the 3rd and 4th of December 2021. The Crowne Plaza, Manama will host the International Conference. Subject experts, management leaders, actors from the film industry, and politicians have all been invited to speak at BCICAI’s prestigious conference. Here’s a little glimpse at what BCICAI has in store for you. COVID-19 had a significant influence on businesses in the previous year.…

Manama : The Sports Cardiology Conference kicked off today under the patronage of Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and in the presence of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport (SCYS), President of the General Sports Authority and President of Bahrain Olympic Committee. The event, which is being held from December 2 to 4, is organised by the Ministry of Health and Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa Specialist Cardiac…

Jeddah :  The next round of the epic F1 title battles takes place in Saudi Arabia this weekend – where everything or nothing could be settled, said dpa international. One of the hardest fought world championship battles in Formula One history will either conclude Sunday at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix or be spun on for one more, final, round in Abu Dhabi a week later. Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton? Red Bull or Mercedes? It is all to play for with Red Bull’s Verstappen holding an eight-point advantage but Hamilton and Mercedes on a high after dominant victories in…

Bahrain :  President Joe Biden is set to kick off a more urgent campaign for Americans to get COVID-19 booster shots Thursday as he unveils his winter plans for combating the coronavirus and its omicron variant with enhanced availability of shots and vaccines but without major new restrictions. The plan includes a requirement for private insurers to cover the cost of at-home COVID-19 tests and a tightening of testing requirements for people entering the U.S. regardless of their vaccination status. But as some other nations close their borders or reimpose lockdowns, officials said Biden was not moving to impose additional restrictions beyond his recommendation…