Day: August 20, 2024

Manama, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today met with the newly appointed Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the State of Qatar, His Excellency Mohammed bin Ali Al Ghatam. HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad highlighted the longstanding relationship between Bahrain and Qatar, which is supported by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. His Royal Highness noted the Kingdom's commitment to further strengthening cooperation between the two countries. His Royal Highness concluded by wishing HE Mohammed bin Ali success in performing his diplomatic duties. For his part, HE Mohammed bin Ali expressed his gratitude for His Royal Highness's support of diplomatic missions abroad, including the diplomatic mission in Qatar, contributing to furthering the Bahrain-Qatar partnership and meeting mutual aspirations. The Minister of Finance and National Economy, HE Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, also attended the meeting. Source: Bahrain News Agency

Manama, Rawan bint Najeeb Tawfiqi, Minister of Youth Affairs, led a tour of Youth City 2030 for several ambassadors and officials from various embassies. The Ministry of Youth Affairs, in collaboration with the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), organised the tour to highlight the city's diverse training programmes. The ambassadors and officials were briefed on the ministry's and Tamkeen's ongoing efforts to enhance Youth City 2030 through specialised initiatives aimed at developing national competencies. The 13th edition of Youth City 2030 has expanded its programmes and training opportunities, now spanning six weeks and offering 148 specialised programmes across five centres. The city has also increased its training capacity to 4,000 opportunities and will feature 73 youth entrepreneurial projects. The minister, along with the ambassadors and officials, visited a cultural exhibition highlighting the history, art, and folklore of various nations, with a focus on their development initiatives. She emphasised the im portance of the tour in familiarising the ambassadors and officials with Bahrain's strategy for youth empowerment, skill development, and the support of youth initiatives, aimed at facilitating their integration into the labour market. Source: Bahrain News Agency

Amman, At least 77 million, or 1 in 3, children in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have some form of malnutrition, according to the Nutrition Strategic Direction for MENA launched by UNICEF. The new analysis finds a staggering 55 million children in the region are overweight or obese, with these forms of malnutrition on the rise among school-aged children in all 20 countries in the region. One in three school-aged children and adolescents are living with obesity. According to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), a further 24 million children suffer from undernutrition, including stunting, wasting and thinness. In the past 20 years, progress has been made to reduce the regional prevalence of stunting, or low height for age, which is an indicator of chronic undernutrition in children under 5 years of age. "The Middle East and North Africa region is confronting an increasingly complex triple burden of malnutrition that is undermining the growth, development and future potential of its children," said A dele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. "This is occurring against a complex backdrop of ongoing conflicts, political instability, climatic shocks, and rising food prices that together, deny children their right to nutritious food and limit humanitarian access to vulnerable communities." She added, "Many of the same challenges affect women of child-bearing age, with 9 million or 5% of women in MENA being underweight and an alarming 114 million or 68% living with obesity. In 17 countries in the region, the prevalence of obesity among adult women exceeds 60%, significantly higher than the global average of 45%." Source: Bahrain News Agency

Seoul, South Korea's health authorities said Tuesday they began requiring people with mpox symptoms who arrived from eight African nations to report to officials, while redesignating mpox as an infectious disease subject to border screening. The move comes after the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) vowed last week to ramp up containment measures against the virus, following the World Health Organization's declaration of mpox outbreaks in Africa as a global health emergency. According to the South Korean News Agency (Yonhap), arrivals who have visited the eight countries -- Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, Kenya, Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo -- will be required to report to officials if they show symptoms related to mpox, such as fever, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes. The KDCA will also deploy health officials to the arrival gates for direct flights from Ethiopia and implement supplementary monitoring measures, such as inspecting wastew ater from planes. As of August 9, South Korea had reported 10 mpox cases this year, a decrease from 151 in 2023, according to the KDCA. Source: Bahrain News Agency

Manama, Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Chairman of National Financial and Administrative Audit Office (NAO), received Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The meeting discussed means to improve communication in various domains, particularly inspection and investigation. The minister emphasised the importance of continuous coordination to achieve the aspiration of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, noting the NAO employees' professionalism. On his part, the NAO president praised the ministry's efforts in coordinating with the NAO, particularly in preparing reports and implementing recommendations. He added that the NAO will further cooperate with all ministries to contribute to achieving the goals of the comprehensive development process led by HM the King, supported by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. Source: Bahrain News Agency

Manama, The Royal Medical Services have acquired the only open MRI machine of its kind, featuring a magnetic strength of 1.2 Tesla (Fuji-film Oasis Velocity 1.2T Open MRI), for Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Hospital. Brigadier General Dr. Shaikh Fahad bin Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Commander of the Royal Medical Services, emphasised the continuous efforts to integrate the latest advancements in medical technology, specifically designed to meet patient needs. Brig. Gen. Dr. Shaikh Fahad bin Khalifa said that open MRI, with its high magnetic strength, is suitable for children, individuals with obesity, and patients with claustrophobia or extreme anxiety. The open MRI is also recommended for a wide range of diagnostic purposes, including brain diseases, tumors, cancer, ENT disorders, neurological conditions, and fractures. The device operates quietly, reducing the anxiety associated with the noise of closed MRIs, and is expected to significantly improve the management of waiting lists and enable timely, ef fective treatment decisions. Brig. Gen. Dr. Shaikh Fahad bin Khalifa underscored the commitment of the Royal Medical Services to providing advanced technologies for accurate and prompt diagnosis and treatment. Source: Bahrain News Agency

Manama, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today received a cable of congratulations from Her Highness Shaikha Thajba bint Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, on the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of the Supreme Council for Women. Source: Bahrain News Agency

Manama, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, received a cable of congratulations from Her Highness Shaikha Thajba bint Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, on the 23rd anniversary of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW). HH Shaikha Thajba bint Salman expressed her gratitude to His Majesty for the unwavering support and encouragement provided to Bahraini women, which has enabled them to achieve high ranks and positions. She highlighted HM the King's belief in the importance of women's roles in his comprehensive development process with the support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and the government's programmes aimed at advancing and empowering women. Her Highness further remarked on the significant impact of the leadership of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Consort of HM the King and President of the SCW, which has empowered Bahraini women and enabled them to be partners in the comprehensive development process. Sourc e: Bahrain News Agency

Manama, Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Consort of His Majesty the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), received a cable of congratulations from His Highness Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Personal Representative of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and President of the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE), on the 23rd anniversary of the SCW. HH Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad lauded the outstanding contributions of Bahraini women, crediting their achievements to the leadership and vision of HRH Shaikha Sabeeka. He acknowledged the significant role of the SCW in empowering women to reach leading positions across all sectors in Bahrain and highlighted their accomplishments locally and internationally. Source: Bahrain News Agency

Manama, Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Consort of HM the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), received a cable of congratulations from His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Isa bin Salman Education Charitable Trust and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), on the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of the SCW. HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman emphasised SCW's achievements and efforts in advancing the status of Bahraini women, attributing these successes to the leadership of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bin Ibrahim. Source: Bahrain News Agency