Author: News Desk

China : Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu has been formally arrested on suspicion of rape. The move comes after 30-year-old Wu was first detained on July 31 by police in the Chinese capital, following an online outcry over sexual assault allegation against him in what has become the most high-profile #Metoo case in China. The allegations first emerged last month on Chinese social media platform Weibo, when a woman posting under the verified handle “Du Meizhu” alleged Wu, whose Chinese name is Wu Yifan, had sexually assaulted her while she was drunk at the pop star’s home, where she said she had…

China : China’s top legislative body is expected this week to pass a privacy law that resembles the world’s most robust framework for online privacy protections, Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation. Unlike European governments, which themselves face more public pressure over data collection, Beijing is expected to maintain broad access to data under the new Personal Information Protection Law. The national privacy law, China’s first, is being reviewed as frustration grows within the government, and in Chinese society at large, over online fraud, data theft and data collection by Chinese technology giants. The law is on its third round of reviews,…

Bahrain :  Deputy Prime Minister His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa received the newly appointed Bahraini ambassadors; Ambassador to China Dr. Muhammad Ghassan Muhammad Adnan Shaikho, Ambassador to Indonesia Ahmed Abdullah Al Harmsi Al Hajri, Ambassador to Thailand Mona Abbas Mahmoud Radhi, Ambassador to France Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, and Ambassador to Brazil Bader Abbas Al Halibi. The deputy prime minister expressed his congratulations to the ambassadors on obtaining the royal trust, wishing them success in performing their new diplomatic duties and enhancing cooperation between Bahrain and these countries. The ambassadors expressed their gratitude…

Bahrain : Labour and Social Development Minister, and Chairman of the National Childhood Committee, Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, today paid inspection visits to the Child Welfare Home (Batelco Home for Child Welfare) in the Seef District, and the Child Protection Centre in Gudaibiya. The minister checked on the final preparations for the beginning of the work of the Child Shelter Home, a facility that offers shelter for children who are subjected to ill-treatment, to ensure that the best services are provided there. The facility will be transferred to the Social Care Complex in Hamad Town upon completion of its…

India : India administered more than 8.8 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine in the past 24 hours, the highest-ever number of vaccinations achieved on a single day, the federal Health Ministry said on Tuesday, dpa international reported. The new peak in inoculations comes amid a sharp fall in daily infections, which declined to 25,166, the lowest since March 16, the ministry said. “India achieves the highest single-day record in Covid-19 vaccine doses. Yesterday will go down in the history of the world’s largest vaccine drive. Congratulations India,” Health Minister Mansukh Mandavya said on Twitter. India earlier hit a record of…

Bahrain :  The National Medical Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus (COVID-19), today announced the Vaccination Committee’s approval of the vaccination of children aged 3-11 suffering from comorbidities and low immunity with the Sinopharm vaccine. The decision, taken to safeguard public health, is based on a study that reviewed COVID-19 symptoms in patients suffering from diseases that cause weak immunity, including; respiratory illnesses, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, down syndrome, birth defects and obesity. The Taskforce further noted the Vaccination Committee’s approval of the Sinopharm vaccine for those aged 12 to 17 years, in addition to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The Taskforce stressed…

Bahrain : His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, sent a cable of congratulations to President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, on his country’s Independence Day. His Majesty wished the president good health and happiness, and Indonesia further progress and prosperity.

Hamburg’s state government has been y warned against using Zoom over data protection concerns. The German state’s data protection agency (DPA) took the step of issuing a public warning yesterday, writing in a press release that the Senate Chancellory’s use of the popular videoconferencing tool violates the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) since user data is transferred to the US for processing. The DPA’s concern follows a landmark ruling (Schrems II) by Europe’s top court last summer which invalidated a flagship data transfer arrangement between the EU and the US (Privacy Shield), finding US surveillance law to be incompatible with…

Stockholm : IKEA, the world’s biggest furniture brand, is branching out into selling renewable energy to households, starting with home market Sweden in September. Ingka Group, the owner of most IKEA stores worldwide, said households would be able to buy affordable renewable electricity from solar and wind parks, and track their usage through an app. Ingka’s partner Svea Solar, which produces solar panels for IKEA, will buy the electricity on the Nordic power exchange Nord Pool and resell it without surcharge. Households will pay a fixed monthly fee plus a variable rate. IKEA, which also sells solar panels for households…

Bahrain : His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today sent a congratulatory cable to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, HE Joko Widodo, on the occasion of Indonesia’s Independence Day. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister sent a similar cable to the Vice President of Indonesia, HE Ma’ruf Amin.