Author: News Desk

Manama: His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today received Elissar Farah Antonios, Citi Head of MENA Cluster & CEO Citi UAE, and Michel Sawaya, Citi Country Officer and Corporate Banking Head – Citi Bahrain, at Gudaibiya Palace. His Royal Highness emphasised the importance of further strengthening the role of the Kingdom’s banking and finance sector, one of the key economic sectors that supports growth and attracts investment. His Royal Highness highlighted the Kingdom’s commitment to enhancing facilities that improve business opportunities and investments in line with the Kingdom’s comprehensive development, led…

Manama: The Executive and Legislative Authorities today held a joint meeting, headed by the Speaker of the Council of Representatives, HE Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal, to review plans and initiatives related to the Kingdom’s post-pandemic economic recovery. Key points of discussion: – HM the King’s directives to ensure the protection of public health, including mitigating the economic impact of the pandemic – Initiatives to support the national economy and the private sector, to preserve sustainable economic growth, protect jobs, create new opportunities for citizens, and ensure labour market stability – Pre-pandemic economic and financial data to February…

Manama: The Interior Ministry has stressed that the aggressive defaming campaigns against Bahrain through the Qatar-sponsored Al Jazeera channel are systematic and are staged at particular times. The campaigns include a broadcast by Al Jazeera of an alleged conversation between Bahraini youth and one of the Interior Ministry’s personnel, the ministry said in a statement. Along with frequent allegations of torture and of visit prevention against inmates, it referred to the youth as “imprisoned children.”  The intensity of incitement against Bahrain intensifies during the annual assembly of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. This particular defamatory campaign by the channel targets…

Reykjavik:  Iceland briefly celebrated electing a female-majority parliament Sunday, before a recount produced a result just short of that landmark for gender parity in the North Atlantic island nation. The initial vote count had female candidates winning 33 seats in Iceland’s 63-seat parliament, the Althing, in an election that saw centrist parties make the biggest gains. Hours later, a recount in western Iceland changed the outcome, leaving female candidates with 30 seats, a tally previously reached at Iceland’s second most recent election, in 2016. Still, at almost 48% of the total, that is the highest percentage for women lawmakers in…

Sharjah: HH Shaikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, has stressed that the development of the human factor, which is so essential to nation-building, can be achieved by striking the perfect balance between socio-economic progress and intellectual and emotional development. This understanding, he said, fuelled the farsighted vision of H.H. Shaikh Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, who laid the foundations of the emirate’s development project with culture at its heart, more than 40 years ago, UAE news agency WAM reports. H.H. Shaikh Sultan’s remarks came during the opening ceremony of the…

Manama: Finance and National Economy Minister Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa highlighted Bahrain’s success in combating the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). He said that the priority was given to national and citizens’ interests, adding that all resources were harnessed to support efforts to mitigate the pandemic, in line with the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, supported by the Government, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He stressed the importance of mustering all efforts to deal with the pandemic fallout, achieve economic recovery, and meet aspirations…

New York: “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” a jukebox adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s hyperactive 2001 movie, won the best new musical crown at the Tony Awards on a Sunday night when Broadway looked back to honor shows shuttered by COVID-19, mourn its fallen and also look forward to welcoming audiences again. The show about the goings-on in a turn-of-the-century Parisian nightclub, updated with tunes like “Single Ladies” and “Firework” alongside the big hit “Lady Marmalade,” won 10 Tonys. The record is 12, won by “The Producers.” Producer Carmen Pavlovic struck a philosophical note in her acceptance speech, sharing the award with…

New York: The Prime Minister of  Israel,  Naftali Bennett, received the Minister of Foreign Affairs,  Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in the UAE,  Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, on the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. https://youtu.be/lHqPY203OsQ The meeting discussed relations between Bahrain and the UAE with Israel and the advanced level they have reached.

Washington:  It’s a consequential week for President Joe Biden’s agenda, as Democratic leaders delicately trim back his $3.5 trillion “Build Back Better” package to win over remaining lawmakers and work to quickly pass legislation to avoid a federal shutdown. An expected Monday vote on a related $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package is now postponed until Thursday, amid ongoing negotiations. More immediately, the Senate has a test vote set Monday to keep the government funded and avert a federal debt default before Thursday’s fiscal year-end deadline. That package stands to run into a blockade by Republican senators — all but ensuring…

London:  Britons are encouraged these days — though in most cases not required — to wear face coverings in crowded indoor spaces. However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson regularly appears in the packed, poorly ventilated House of Commons cheek-by-jowl with other maskless Conservative lawmakers. For critics, that image encapsulates the flaw in the government’s strategy, which has abandoned most pandemic restrictions and is banking on voluntary restraint and a high vaccination rate to curb the spread of the coronavirus, AP reports. As winter approaches, bringing the threat of a new COVID-19 surge, Britain’s light touch is setting it apart from more…