Bahraini.TV

‘Unrealistic’ rights report slammed

A top government official and a leading opposition member have criticised as unfair and unrealistic an annual global report which ranks the country alongside Afghanistan, China and North Korea in terms of political freedom and civil liberties.
Bahrain is one of five countries downgraded into the “not free” category of Freedom House’s Freedom In The World [...]

Despite fundamentalist anger Saudis go to the movies for the first time in 30 years

With a mob of angry extremists outside the movie theatre calling for ‘divine punishment’, an all-male audience watches ‘Menahi’, a movie produced by a nephew of King Abdullah. For the Saudis it is the first step in a peaceful revolution.

For the first time in 30 years last Saturday was movie night in Riyadh. With [...]

Impressive move

Draft law scraps jail terms for journalists
In a major move to give a further boost to the Fourth Estate in the Kingdom, the Cabinet yesterday endorsed a draft law to amend the 2002 Press legislation and scrap jail terms for journalists.
The weekly Cabinet meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, [...]

Free to speak out

Freedom of expression in Bahrain yesterday received a major boost as the amended law on Press and publications was approved.Chaired by Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Cabinet gave the green light to this important step as Bahrain joined hands with the international community to celebrate World Press Freedom Day.
Under new law [...]

Press a cornerstone of reforms says King

Bahrain’s media is a cornerstone of the nation’s reforms process, His Majesty King Hamad said last night.

Tougher anti-riot measures vowed

Riot police will be forced to use more potentially lethal methods to disperse rioters if MPs ban them from using chemicals, the Interior Ministry warned yesterday.
All substances currently being used in Bahrain to disperse rioters are internationally approved, military courts director Major Humood Saad told parliament at its weekly session.
He said that they were natural [...]

Clampdown on hotels during Ramadan

Tough restrictions are being imposed on all Bahrain’s hotels during Ramadan, sources revealed yesterday.
A total ban on alcohol sales is being imposed in all the country’s hotels throughout the Holy Month, for the third year running, they said.
Hoteliers reported receiving a Tourism Affairs circular ordering them to halt all alcohol sales throughout Ramadan.
Hotels had for [...]

‘Back blogger in libel case’ call

Journalists, bloggers, writers and intellectuals are being urged to show up in support of Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif, as a libel case brought against him by Municipalities and Agriculture Minister Mansoor Bin Rajab gets underway today.
The Bahraini Journalists Association (BJA) says it is important for journalists to be present, to show solidarity with Mr [...]

جمعية الصحفيين البحرينية تستنكر محاكمة البلوغر البحريني محمود اليوسف

ندعو الصحافيين للإحتشاد أمام المحكمة

الجفير – جمعية الصحفيين البحرينية – الأحد الموافق 15 ابريل 2007
تدعو جمعية الصحفيين البحرينية جميع المنتمين للجسم الصحافي في البحرين إلى الإحتشاد والتضامن مع البلوغر البحريني محمود اليوسف، وذلك أمام المحكمة الجنائية الكبرى يوم غد الثلاثاء القادم الموافق 17 أبريل 2007 في القضية المرفوعة ضده من قبل وزير البلديات منصور بن [...]

‘Bahrain DNA database’ call

BAHRAIN should set up a national DNA database to help crime-solving efforts by making it easier to track down suspects, according to a visiting forensic expert.
UK-based Kingston University forensics lecturer Darren Phillips said that while it was up to Bahrain’s legislative bodies to decide whether such a database should be collected, Britain’s experience has [...]

Woman held for ’stunt’ on car

A woman has been arrested after she was seen dancing in a moving car with her upper body sticking out of the sunroof, according to the a Public Prosecution spokesman. The woman, who was described only as a Gulf national, was with two Qatari men she had met earlier that day in a café after [...]

New licences ruled out

Information Minister and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar last night
ruled out granting any new licences to private radio and television channels. “There is no law regulating such activities”, he added.
GDN :: 24 June ‘06 (pdf)

Hospitals and malls out of bounds for Bahrain rallyists

Bahrain’s lower house has approved a new law that bans rallies near airports, hospitals and shopping malls, but allows them on the main avenues and near diplomatic missions.
Rallies are also banned in locations deemed security-sensitive by the Interior Minister, the Council of Representatives agreed on Tuesday afternoon following a heated debate over the merits of [...]

Fresh blow for Press law plan

Bahrain’s new Press law suffered another blow yesterday when MPs refused to discuss it due to “unclear” recommendations by its services committee. Discussion, which began on April 18, resumed at yesterday’s parliament session but was cut short by protests of a group of MPs.
They said the services committee, which prepared its views on the law [...]

Freedom of Press in peril

The Bahraini Press corps is preparing for a showdown with the religious groups who are launching a campaign against liberal journalists, especially the daily Al Ayam, according to a report in the online Arabic newspaper Elaph.
Al Asala Islamic Society and the National Menber Islamic Society have called upon both the Sunnis and the Shias to [...]