Author: News Desk

Bahrain : Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister, Essam bin Abdulla Khalaf, issued edicts reducing October fees for 192 Bahraini tenant families. The move is line with the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to ensure decent living conditions for all citizens and exempt low-income families from paying the fees or waive their arrears, he said. The edicts are based on the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to alleviate the living costs on the citizens, as well as the Cabinet’s resolution to deal…

Bahrain : His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa held today a telephone call with His Eminence Shaikh Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif. HM the King commended the efforts made by HE Shaikh Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb in serving Islam and Muslims as well as promoting the Islamic values and conveying the good image of the Bahraini society which has been known throughout history by its tolerance, moderation and coexistence. HM the King lauded the pioneering role of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in the intellectual, cultural and civilizational fields as well as in supporting the Islamic and Arab…

Manama: Following the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), today announces it will be receiving submissions for the 4th edition of the Government Innovation Competition, “Fikra”, from 11 November until 1 December 2021. “Fikra” aims to further develop government workstreams and promote a culture of creativity and innovation, in line with the principles of sustainability, competitiveness and fairness, outlined in Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030. The competition reinforces the engagement of public sector employees in contributing to national development plans and initiatives, in…

Bucharest: Two patients died and a nurse was injured when a fire broke out in a COVID-19 hospital in the central Romanian city of Ploiesti early on Thursday, officials said, the latest in a string of deadly hospital fires over the past year. The fire, which was quickly extinguished, broke out at around 0200 GMT and affected one room. Fifteen patients in the wing were moved to another hospital, Reuters reported. There were more than 17,400 COVID-19 patients, including 310 children, being treated in Romanian hospitals on Thursday, including 1,823 in intensive care units. Romania has the second lowest…

WASHINGTON : Women — and some men — in Congress have been fighting for government child care assistance for almost 80 years. With President Joe Biden’s $1.85 trillion social services package, they are as close as they have ever been to winning. And it’s not just child care subsidies. Biden’s bill making its way through Congress would put the U.S. on course to providing free prekindergarten, paid family leave to care for children or sick loved ones, and an enhanced child tax credit in a massive expansion of federal support to working families. Taken together, it’s Democrats’ answer to President Richard Nixon’s…

BALTIMORE : With Americans facing the highest annual inflation rate in decades, President Joe Biden is trying to persuade the country his infrastructure economic plans can fix the problem. The president heads to the Port of Baltimore on Wednesday for the start of what is likely to be a national tour to showcase the $1 trillion legislation that cleared Congress last week. The president intends to emphasize how the spending can strengthen global supply chains to help lower prices, reduce shortages and add union jobs, the White House says. That message became more critical after the government reported Wednesday that consumer…

TOKYO :  Fumio Kishida, reelected as Japan’s prime minister on Wednesday after his governing party scored a major victory in key parliamentary elections, said the coronavirus remains the country’s most urgent issue and pledged to take steps to mend the pandemic-battered economy. Kishida, who briefly met with U.S. President Joe Biden at the U.N. climate summit last week, said he hopes to visit Washington by the end of the year to deepen the bilateral alliance amid growing concerns about China’s rise in the Indo-Pacific. He said the pandemic, the economy and national security are his top priorities. “Coronavirus remains the…

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, opened up Tuesday about her campaign for paid family leave, the struggle for gender equity in corporate America, and her own mental health. “Paid leave, from my standpoint, is just a humanitarian issue,” she said in a panel discussion at the DealBook Online Summit Tuesday. The Duchess has been getting on the line with members of Congress to advocate for a federal guarantee. Her remarks echoed an open letter she wrote last month to lawmakers, urging them to recognize paid leave as a “national right.” “This is one of those issues that is not red or…

LOS ANGELES : Rudd, known for his starring roles in Marvel’s “Ant-Man” films, “This is 40” and “Clueless,” was revealed as this year’s winner Tuesday night on CBS’ ”The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” The actor tells the magazine in an issue out Friday that some will be surprised by him receiving the honor. “I do have an awareness, enough to know that when people hear that I’d be picked for this, they would say, ‘What?’” he said. “This is not false humility. There are so many people that should get this before me.” But of course, Rudd won’t turn down…

KENOSHA :  The judge in Kyle Rittenhouse’s murder trial sent the jury out of the courtroom and berated the prosecutor for questioning Rittenhouse about whether he was using deadly force to protect property. Judge Bruce Schroeder heatedly accused lead prosecutor Thomas Binger on Wednesday of improperly trying to introduce testimony that he had earlier said he was inclined to prohibit. The judge accused Binger of attempting to provoke a mistrial in the case with his line of questioning.