Author: News Desk

Hong Kong : Hong Kong will scrap some of its COVID-19 restrictions, including PCR tests for inbound travelers and vaccination requirements to enter certain venues, the city’s leader said Wednesday. For most of the pandemic, Hong Kong has aligned itself with China’s “zero-COVID” strategy, requiring stringent COVID-19 tests and isolation for close contacts of infected cases as well as for incoming travelers, reports AP. But the mainland has relaxed measures in recent weeks, and Hong Kong is preparing for the January reopening of its border with China, which had previously imposed harsh restrictions and snap lockdowns to stamp out the…

Manama : The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) announced the arrival of three cruises at Khalifa Bin Salman Port (KBSP) from December 26 to 28, carrying over 11,000 tourists onboard. Operated by APM Terminals Bahrain, KBSP is scheduled to welcome tens of cruise ships as part of the 2022–2023 cruise season between November 2022 and May 2023, celebrating 11 years of launching the cruise industry services in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The “MSC World Europa” arrived at KBSP, carrying 6,000 tourists from France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. With 19 ships in its fleet, MSC Cruises…

Manama :  The Prime Minister’s Office today announced the end of the application process for the fifth edition of the Government Innovation Competition (Fikra). Fikra, in all its editions, has been established in line with the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to further Team Bahrain’s efforts in the Kingdom’s growth and development, and to support excellence across government services. All applications for the fifth edition of Fikra will be reviewed by a professional evaluation committee. Previous editions of Fikra have been successful in delivering innovative and distinctive ideas…

Manama :  The Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) and Labor Ministry has announced the registration has extended for the Technical Development Program January 8, 2023. Applicants must be Bahraini, aged 21-30, hold a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology (IT) computer science or equivalent fields, and must be registered at the Ministry of Labor. Documents required are a copy of the applicant’s university certificate, an updated CV, and any other certificates that may help with their selection for the training program. The Program is one of the leading national training projects in the technical field. It aims to provide extensive training…

Manama : His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa today issued Royal Decree (85) of 2022, appointing an Ambassador at the Foreign Ministry, based on the proposal of the Foreign Minister, and following the approval of the Cabinet. Under the decree, Fawzia Abdulla Zainal was appointed as an Ambassador at the Foreign Ministry. The Foreign Minister shall implement the provisions of this decree, which takes immediate effect, and will be published in the Official Gazette.

Manama : His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa today issued Royal Decree (86) of 2022, appointing the Head of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Diplomatic Mission to the Arab Republic of Egypt, based on the nomination of the Foreign Minister, and following the approval of the Cabinet. The decree stipulates the appointment of Fawzia Abdulla Zainal as Head of Bahrain’s Diplomatic Mission to Egypt, with the title of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. The Foreign Minister shall implement the provisions of this decree, which comes into force immediately, and will be published in the Official Gazette.

Manama :  His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa today issued Royal Decree (87) of 2022, appointing an Ambassador at the Foreign Ministry, based on the proposal of the Foreign Minister, and following the approval of the Cabinet. The decree stipulates the appointment of Shaikh Khalifa bin Mohammed bin Atiyatullah Al Khalifa as Ambassador at the Foreign Ministry. The Foreign Minister shall implement the provisions of this decree, which comes into force immediately, and will be published in the Official Gazette.

Manama :  Export Bahrain, the national export development and internationalization support entity, is celebrating four years of driving the Kingdom’s mission to export Bahrain to the world, playing a central role in boosting export-driven growth by connecting businesses with partners from around the globe and enabling them to thrive by accessing international markets and contributing to economic prosperity in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Export Bahrain’s remarkable 4 years have been punctuated by an unprecedented series of milestones. Bahrain based businesses have been able to ramp up their export endeavors on a larger scale with Export Bahrain’s tailor-made services and…

Manama : First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, General Sports Authority Chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee President, His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, has directed to launch a media campaign, themed “#You Deserve Gold” to support the Bahrain national football team during its participation in the 25th Gulf Cup, set to be held in Basra, Iraq, from January 6 to 19, 2023. HH Shaikh Khalid instructed the General Sports Authority and the Bahrain Olympic Committee to coordinate with the Bahrain Football Association in launching a media campaign to the support the national football…

Tokyo :  Japan will require a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival for travellers from mainland China due to the rapid spread of the virus in the country, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday. Travellers from China who test positive will be required to quarantine for seven days, Kishida told reporters, adding that the new border measures for China will go into effect from midnight on December 30, Reuters reported. The government will also limit requests from airlines to increase flights to China, he said. Japan reopened its borders to tourists in October after more than two years of strict…