Author: News Desk

Czech President Miloš Zeman was taken into intensive care on Sunday, shortly after holding talks with the country’s populist prime minister, whose leadership hangs in the balance following a dramatic election. The president plays a crucial role in appointing the next prime minister after the election. But the Czech Republic’s political future is now in limbo while Zeman is treated at Prague’s Central Military Hospital. “The reason for [Zeman’s] hospitalization is complications from the illnesses for which he has been receiving treatments,” doctor Miroslav Zavoral said in a brief statement to the press on Sunday, adding he could not yet talk about the…

Bahrain : Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Essam bin Abdulla Khalaf, today opened the fifth edition of the Bahrain Smart Cities Summit at the Gulf Hotel’s Gulf Conventions Centre, in the presence of Housing Minister, Bassim bin Yacoob Al-Hamar and senior officials. Technology, sustainability and smart cities experts from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE participated in the two-day event. 250 representatives of public and private entities concerned with transforming sustainable smart cities into a tangible reality took part in the Summit. In addition, more than 15 exhibitors from the private sector, ministries and government departments took part in…

CAIRO: Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport received its first flight from London after Egypt was removed from the UK’s travel “red list.” Nabil Al-Mallah, the airport’s director, and Dr. Islam Nabil, director of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Board in Sharm El-Sheikh, received the passengers with flowers, flyers, and promotional films by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Tourism and Antiquities Minister Dr. Khaled El-Anany met with British Ambassador to Egypt Gareth Bayley in Cairo a fortnight ago to discuss enhancing bilateral cooperation, especially with regard to increasing the number of tourists from the UK. Bayley tweeted: “We were looking forward to…

Bahrain : Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Fawzia bint Abdulla Zainal, has extended sincere thanks and gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for opening the fourth session of the Fifth Legislative Term. She lauded the royal keynote speech, affirming that HM the King’s directives support further national action and achievements, through fruitful Executive-Legislature cooperation. The Speaker also extended appreciation and gratitude to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for HRH’s constant directives to enhance cooperation between the Council of Representatives and the government, as well as…

AMMAN: The Jordanian government’s ministers have submitted their resignation ahead of a reshuffle, state-owned Al-Mamlaka television said on Sunday. The reshuffle would be the fourth since Bisher Al-Khaswaneh became prime minister in October 2020, official sources said. The British-educated Khasawneh, a veteran former diplomat and palace aide, was appointed by King Abdullah to restore public trust over the handling of the coronavirus health crisis and defuse anger over successive governments’ failure to deliver on pledges of prosperity and curbing corruption. Khasawneh’s government has won International Monetary Fund praise for its handling of the economy during the pandemic and had negotiated…

LONDON: A car bomb exploded on Sunday in the center of Yemen’s Aden, killing five and causing several injuries, according to Reuters witnesses and Al-Arabiya news channel. A security source said that the governor of Aden was unharmed. Meanwhile, Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi directed all the executive, security and military government agencies to take the necessary measures to ensure security and stability. His comments came during a call with Lamles to check on his health following the attack. He also directed to set up a comprehensive investigations to determine the circumstances of the terrorist operation, follow up its elements…

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to resume domestic and overseas travel from Monday, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob told a news conference on Sunday. The decision was made because 90 percent of the country’s adult population are now fully inoculated, he said.

A plane carrying a group of skydivers has crashed in the Russian region of Tatarstan, killing 16 people and injuring six, the Emergencies Ministry says. The plane, which came down near the city of Menzelinsky, had been carrying 20 parachutists and two crew members. Six people were in a serious condition, the Health Ministry said. A Let L-410 Turbolet twin-engine short-range transport aircraft, the plane was owned by an aeroclub in the city of Menzelinsk, the TASS news agency reported. Cosmonauts use the area for training and the aeroclub has hosted local, European and world championships, the club’s director Ravil Nurmukhametov…

Bahrain : The Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA) was presented with the COVID-19 Innovation Award at Smart Cities Summit 2021 for its BeAware Bahrain app, which played a crucial role in helping the Kingdom combat the pandemic. The award was received by iGA Chief Executive, Mohammed Ali AlQaed. The event, now in its fifth year, started on the 10th of October under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Eng. Essam bin Abdullah Khalaf. The two-day event, held at the Gulf Convention Centre, saw the participation of 250 representatives of public and private sector…

Seoul: Lee Jae-Myung was set to become the presidential candidate for South Korea’s ruling party on Sunday, hoping to overcome a property scandal and gather national support while conservative opponents trade barbs over acupuncture and fortune-tellers. Lee, the governor of Gyeonggi province, was expected to seal his victory in the primary to represent the Democratic Party primary in the March 9 presidential election, Reuters reports. The leading contender to among a fractured field from the main conservative People Power Party, Yoon Seok-youl, has been caught up in scandals of his own – including murky ties to an acupuncturist and accusations…