Archive for 'featured'
‘Torture’ injuries self-inflicted
Nine men standing trial for murder inflicted injuries on themselves and tried to pass it off as police torture, a medical examiner told Bahrain’s High Criminal Court yesterday.
The Bahrainis claimed they were beaten into confessing by police, but Dr Hatim Mahmood Nabeel told judges that was unlikely during a gruelling two-and-a-half hour session.
They are standing [...]
Bahrain: Strength in Diversity
Bahrain appears to have finished 2009 in better shape than many could have foreseen at the beginning of the year, and will be looking to 2010 with a confidence garnered from the solid performance of the country’s economy under pressure. There had been fears that Bahrain would be hard hit by the global crisis, especially [...]
Full StorySectarianism ‘threat to Bahrain’s stability’ says report
Sectarianism is one of the leading challenges imperiling social stability and hindering the development of Bahrain, a report by the Bahrain Centre for Studies and Research, one of the country’s leading think tanks, said last week.
The 157-page Bahrain Strategy Report, made public last Thursday, dedicated a 14-page chapter to the issue, documenting a sharp increase in sectarianism over the past few years and warning of its implications.
Full Story«التقرير الاستراتيجي البحريني 2009»: عامل الطائفية في تصاعد
كشف «التقرير الاستراتيجي البحريني 2009» عن تصاعد عامل الطائفية في البحرين في الأعوام الأخيرة، الأمر الذي جعل تفسير الكثير من الأحداث من منظور طائفي، بحسب التقرير.
وأكد التقرير وجود 12 قضية مهمة طُرحت خلال العامين 2008 – 2009، تقدمتها: البيئة، الجامعات الخاصة والتعليم العالي في البحرين، حرية الصحافة، البطالة، وغيرها.
ولفت إلى أن المشهد الداخلي «يتأثر بعاملين [...]
Bahrain’s women work to win more parliamentary seats
Just eight women ran in Bahrain’s first general election in 2002, with the number increasing to 18 four years later. Despite a handful of close races in 2006, only one woman managed to secure a seat in the country’s fledgling parliament, after she ran unopposed.
But if May al Otaibi and others have anything to do with it, female candidates will have a good chance during Bahrain’s next general election slated for November 2010.
Full StoryCelebrations begin
The iconic Bahrain World Trade Centre (BWTC) will act as the backdrop for a pioneering multimedia projection show being held to mark Bahrain’s National Day tomorrow.
The twin towers, located directly behind the performance venue on the King Faisal Highway corniche, will form the canvas for a series of events and shows using technology never seen before in Bahrain, including a multimedia show and several dance performances spread across nine stages.
Full StoryGulf monetary union agreement enacted, Kuwait says
Gulf Arab countries enacted a monetary union agreement on Tuesday despite the absence of major player the United Arab Emirates and fellow oil producer Oman.
The central bankers from four states in the union — Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain — will now set a timetable for the creation of a joint central bank, Kuwait’s [...]
Iran nuclear talks failed because Gulf left out: Bahrain
Tehran’s talks with the West on the Iranian nuclear programme failed because the Arab states of the Gulf were not involved, Bahrain’s foreign minister told a security conference on Saturday.
Because the process was flawed, its failure should not result in new sanctions on Iran, Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Khalifa told the sixth Manama Dialogue.
“Somebody’s trying to do business while we’re not there, while we’re not present in that room,” he said. “This is a fundamental mistake of how these talks were conducted. I think that is the main reason of why the talks failed.”
Full StoryRuqaya ends glittering career
Golden Girl Ruqaya Al Ghasra stunned the Bahrain sports world last night after announcing her retirement from competitive athletics.
The 27-year-old multi-titled sprinter revealed the sad and unexpected news in front of a handful of shocked media members in a conference held at the National Stadium in Riffa.
Ruqaya said that concern for her overall health was [...]
Dubai crisis is the Arab economy’s opportunity
Dubai, which until last week loomed tall – literally – as an enterprising, cosmopolitan, glitzy and happy antithesis to the Middle East’s economic stagnation, has now emerged as a sad monument to all that is ill about the pan-Arab economy, which includes more than a quarter-billion people but is smaller than Spain’s.
Full StoryDubai Debt Follows String of Troubles for Its Ruler
Amid a global financial-market rout, Dubai’s announcement Wednesday that it would seek to delay debt payments represents the latest setback for the city-state’s ruler, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Full StoryQatar-Bahrain causeway: A bridge between differing cultures
The fishing village of Askar is one of the more picturesque spots in Bahrain. Low pastel-coloured houses flank a tidy, palm-lined high street, with little sign of life on a Saturday afternoon besides the occasional stray cat. On the shoreline, a handful of fishermen tinker with engine parts and clean their boats.
Full Story7th Century pottery found
Pieces of pottery dating back to the seventh century have been uncovered at an old traditional building site in Muharraq Suq, it emerged yesterday. However, archeologists were equally happy to also find the remains of several walls and floors of shops, date presses and documents dating back to the late 18th and early 19th century.
Full StoryBahrain’s allure extends beyond alcohol
This tiny Gulf island nation is sick of its reputation as a seedy off-shore Las Vegas and a hotspot of sin for Saudis, so it’s starting to rein in the booze. Already it’s flooded with Saudis looking for tamer fare they can’t get at home in their ultraconservative kingdom – Hannah Montana and heavy metal.
The [...]
UAE releases suspected Al Qaeda militant of Bahraini origin
Emirati authorities release a terror suspect linked with Al Qaeda
Manama, Bahrain- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities released on Thursday a terror suspect of Bahraini origin, Khalil Janahi.
For his family in Bahrain, the news was something they were waiting to hear since his arrest in 2007.
“I could not believe when he called us and spoke [...]
