Manama, May 24 (BNA)—His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa held a telephone call today with First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport and President of Bahrain Athletics Association Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
HM congratulated him on the National Athletics Team's ability to grab third place, in general, in the 18th Arab Athletics Championship which was hosted by Qatar from May 21 to 24. HM King Hamad lauded the honourable achievement brought about by the Bahraini athletes, commending the efforts made by the President of Bahrain Athletics Association as well as the technical and administrative staff and the national team in achieving the best results in the championship. Shaikh Khalid extended thanks and gratitude to HM the King for his continuous support to the Bahraini sport which was behind the numerous achievements brought about so far. AOQ

Manama, May 24 (BNA)—Bahrain strongly condemned the crime which claimed the life of a British soldier in London, the UK, yesterday. Meanwhile, it expressed full support to the British government in confronting terrorism.
The Foreign Ministry stressed in a statement Bahrain’s call to prevent the extremists and terrorists from using the land of any country to receive funding and exploit mass media to incite violence and extremism. “ Bahrain has a strong belief that acts of violence, extremism and terrorism are global phenomena that are not exclusive to a particular people or region and that there must be concerted efforts by the international community to take unified stances and regulations to stop all acts of violence and terrorism,” it added. AOQ

Bahrain English News Bulletins 24-05-2013-11 pm

Manama, May 24 (BNA)—Security forces were able to confront a group of around 100 saboteurs who were among about 14000 people who took part in an authorized gathering in Deraz, Northern Governorate Police Director General said.
The vandals hurled iron bars, stones and locally re-manufactured tear gas bombs at the security officers. They also carried out acts of sabotage on Budaiya highway, which required to deal with them according to legal regulations, he added. AOQ

Manama, May 24 (BNA)—Prime Minister Court Head Shaikh Hussam bin Isa Al Khalifa received Dr. Ali Fuladh who presented him with a copy of his new book on Bahraini handicrafts.
Shaikh Hussam praised the efforts made in writing the book which documents the evolution of traditional Bahraini handicrafts, wishing Dr. Fuladh more success. AOQ

Manama, May 24 (BNA)— A terrorist who has been at large since an arrest warrant was issued on May 8, 2012 was arrested with a gun in his possession intended for use against the security officers, the Director General of the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science announced.
Redha Abdullah Isa was arrested in Bani Jamrah this morning on a motorbike, he said, adding that swift intervention of the security officers brought him under control after showing resistance and trying to use the gun in his possession. Two security officers were injured in the incident, he pointed out, adding that the gun was stuffed with twelve bullets. AOQ

Manama, Friday 24 May 2013: His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister and the Chairman of the board of trustees for the Isa Award for Service to Humanity, received Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, the laureate of the first edition of the Isa Award for Service to Humanity 2011-2012. His highness also congratulated her on being named the laureate of the award and wished her a pleasant stay in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Dr. Jemilah expressed her appreciation of his highness’s gesture to personally welcome and receive her, and said that the award is a testament for humanitarian achievements, and that she is proud to be the first to be given such honour which embodies the spirit of the late Amir of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Sheihk Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa. Dr. Jemilah was also welcomed by her Excellency, Dr. Fatima bint Mohammed Al Balushi, Minister of Social Development, Mr. Ali Abdulla Khalifa, Secretary General for the Award as well as Assistant Secretary General, Dr. Mahmood Mohammed Sarhan. The Laureate is set to be honoured in a prestigious ceremony held under the Patronage of His Majesty, King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, and will take place in Isa Cultural Center on Sunday the 26th of May. The ceremony also seeks to commemorate the memory of the later Amir, Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa.

Manama, May 24th (BNA) –Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al-Dhahrani congratulated Their Majesties and Highnesses the leaders of the GCC states and the Gulf people on the 32nd Anniversary of the inception of the Council. He also asserted that this dear occasion comes in time amid conditions and challenges which require recalling the deep history of the Gulf to inspire them with the feeling and spirit of one family.
Khalifa Al-Dhahrani lauded the honorable stances of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the Prime Minister His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, and the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa. He asserted that those stances reflect the honesty and truth of the aspirations of the people of Bahrain for the Gulf Union. The Speaker of the Council of Representatives called on all GCC leaders to review the aspirations of the Gulf people soon, and announce the establishment of the Gulf Union, for it is the proper time for its inception considering the political, economic and military issues. Al-Dhahrani also stressed that the legislative councils, the Shura, Al Omma, and the National in the GCC states highlighted the aspirations of the Gulf people in inaugurating the Gulf Union in many occasions. Al Dhahrani pointed out that the call launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for the establishment of the Gulf Union still resonate deeply in the hearts of the citizens of the GCC, who are looking hard to see something tangible and practical to be implemented in the next GCC summit held in Riyadh. “The Gulf nations are willing to provide the necessary sacrifices at all levels to see the establishment of the Gulf Union and to achieve the desired goal,” Dhahrani said. MR.

Bahrain English News Bulletins 24-05-2013

Manama, May 24th (BNA) –Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, sent an official letter to the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Dr. Nabil El-Araby informing him and the Arab countries of the recent hostile and blatant threats committed against the Kingdom and its national security by one of the Iranian officials.
This was in the light of the statement of Hussain Amir Abdullahiyan, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for African and Arab Affairs to Fars News Agency last Saturday May 18, 2013. The statement was considered as a hostile and a grave threat and was also unprecedented and unacceptable in relations between independent States. The statement was a flagrant encroachment on the sovereignty and safety of the lands of Kingdom of Bahrain, and was also considered a blatant interference in its internal affairs which went beyond the rules of international diplomacy and international relations. Bahrain's letter was handed in to the Secretary General of League of Arab States by Bahrain’s Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt and its permanent representative to the Arab League, Shaikh Rashid Bin Abdul Rahman Al Khalifa. MR.

Manama, May 24th (BNA) – Shaikh Fahd Bin Salman and the President of the Youth and Sports Organization, Hisham Mohammed Al Jooder inaugurated late Shaikh Khalid Bin Salman Bin Abdullah Al Khalifa’s park which was established by the Youth and Sports Organization at Hamad Town Youth Center, in the presence of a number of figures and officials of the Club.
The cost of the park was about 23,500 dinars which includes fun and entertainment games for kids, and special places to sit and a walk to practice walking. The Head of the club highlighted the keenness of Shaikha Thajba Bint Salman Al Khalifa, the Honorary President of the Club, to establish the park through the support of Shaikh Fahd Bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, as well as the great support of Shaikh Hisham Mohammed Al Jooder. MR.

Manama, May 24th (BNA) –Minister of Municipalities and Urban Planning, Dr. Juma Bin Ahmed Al Kaabi stated today the review of the achievements of the five municipal councils in the Kingdom, where he highlighted that the Municipalities issued about 4402 building permits during the first five months of 2013.
The minister added that such number of permits reflect the speedy course of urban development and the confidence in the distinctive investment climate in the Kingdom, of which the respected government under the chairmanship of HRH the Prime Minister, Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa was keen to provide to citizens and investors. Al-Kaabi highlighted that the Central Municipality issued about 1410 permits followed by the Northern Municipality, which issued about 437 permits and the Southern Municipality issuing about 358. The minister said in his statement that the permits issued have added more than 1396159 square meters of space in the various governorates of the Kingdom. In the same context, Al-Kaabi pointed out that the ministry is keen to support the urban development through the preparation of urban plans for areas in accordance with the data of the strategic structural plan of Bahrain, where defining the use of the residential, investment, industrial, administrative and service lands facilitates the process of obtaining different building permits. Al-Kaabi added that the municipalities had taken a series of measures aimed at facilitating the customer's access to the service, including electronic connectivity, delivery and receiving of building permits in digital form, as well as the application of quality systems and promoting investment surveys to measure the customer’s satisfaction. Al-Kaabi also said that the official website for the Ministry of Municipalities and Urban Planning allows the owners to know about the classification of their property and the regulatory requirements for the reconstruction of the property, without the need to review the ministry, which forms a quantum leap in supporting the wheel of urban development in the Kingdom. In this regard, the minister praised the role of municipal councils in strengthening the municipal center’s comprehensive role and their contributions in organizing areas and the participation in the preparation of urban plans, in addition to the contribution of active government service actors in the center, and their continuous cooperation to elevate urban development. The minister stressed in his statement that the ministry and in line with its new strategy ( Inmaa and Tanmiya) and with cooperation and coordination with the municipal councils, is keen to harness all capabilities and resources to facilitate the reception of these various services, including building permits for citizens and residents. It is worth mentioning that Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning and within the work programme of the government, chaired by His Royal Highness the Prime Minister and the Economic Vision 2030 and the National Strategy and in coordination with the municipal councils has adopted a new strategy for servicing the community entitled (Inmaa and Tanmiya) based on overall quality. MR.

Rabat, May 24. (BNA) – On the sidelines of the on-going visit of the Bahraini official human rights delegation to Morocco, Human Rights Affairs Minister Dr. Salah bin Ali Abdulrahman met here today with the Chairman of the Central Authority for the Prevention of Bribery Abdesselam Aboudrar.
Dr. Salah Ali praised the solid deep-rooted Bahraini-Moroccan ties of fraternity and cooperation, and was briefed on the formation of the Central Authority for the Prevention of Bribery, established as per a Royal Decree after Morocco’s ratification of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. Mr. Abdesselam Aboudrar said that the authority’s main role include coordinating, supervising and following up on policies to prevent bribery, publish information in this regard, proposing the necessary directives to the government to fight bribery, organizing awareness raising campaigns to prevent bribery and inform judicial authorities about bribery complaints to take the required procedures, adding that there is a partnership agreement with official establishments and sides to monitor bribery and prepare a work plan to prevent and combat it. The Human Rights Affairs Minister said that Bahrain is a state of law and institutions, noting that the milestone Reform Project launched by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa laid the basis for constitutional establishments that represented a legal barrier to protect public money from being squandered and inflicted the toughest penalties on crimes of bribery, stealing, harming of public funds and abuse of public office for illegitimate personal gains. He pointed out that the National Audit Court, which is affiliated directly with HM the King and issues annual reports including remarks on irregularities in the administrative and financial performance of government bodies, the amendments to the law governing the Tender Board, the government’s issuance of a number of laws inflicting tougher punishment on bribery in the public and private sectors, adoption of mechanisms to receive complaints related to bribery and abuse of public money reflected the national efforts to enhance transparency and combat corruption, a disease which delays progress and development in many countries. On his part, Chairman of the Central Authority for the Prevention of Bribery Abdesselam Aboudrar asserted that combating corruption and bribery required the official sides to develop a holistic plan and enhance professional institutional work, calling for more cooperation and coordination in order to eradicate bribery and corruption and hold the criminals accountable. The two sides agreed to carry on their cooperation and exchange of information so as to ensure the success of the policies aiming to prevent bribery and corruption. WHQ

Rabat, May 24. (BNA) – On the sidelines of the on-going visit of the Bahraini official human rights delegation to Morocco, Human Rights Affairs Minister Dr. Salah bin Ali Abdulrahman met here today with the Chairman of the Moroccan National Human Rights Council (NHRC) Idris Al-Yazmi, in the presence of and NHRC’s members, as well as former members of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission.
The Human Rights Affairs Minister hailed the solid deep-rooted fraternal relations bonding the kingdoms of Bahrain and Morocco and the fruitful cooperation between them. Then, he was briefed on the formation of the National Human Rights Council, the mechanism adopted in selecting its members and the gradual development of its role from an initially advisory body when it was first established in the early 1990s to its current status. In this regard, Idris Al-Yazmi explained that the NHRC’s roles include mainly monitoring human rights violations, lodging complaints to the concerned sides, contributing to activating the mechanisms outlined by the international human rights conventions signed or ratified by the Kingdom of Morocco, visiting reform and rehabilitation centres, in collaboration with the relevant sides and examining the appropriateness of the existing legislative and regulatory texts to the human rights treaties. He also underscored the accomplishments of the National Human Rights, as an advisory body, since its establishment, noting that the Equity and Reconciliation Commission emerged from it, investigated into violations of human rights that took place in a given period in Morocco’s history and recorded them in a national report through which many legal and judicial procedures were taken. Mr. Idris Al-Yazmi said that there was a lack of human rights culture in our societies, which, he asserted, affected the behaviour of law-enforcers negatively. On his part, the Human Rights Affairs Minister said that the Royal Order No. 46 for 2009 promulgating the establishment of the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) was issued, in line with the government’s continuous approach to protect human rights through setting up the required mechanisms, noting that the NIHR receives human rights complaints and refers them to the relevant sides to verify them, provide assistance and advice for the affected groups, promote the human rights culture and review national legislations to examine the extent of their suitability with international laws and conventions, among others. He underlined that the National Institution for Human Rights represented a unique GCC experience in the fields of human rights protection and consolidation of rights and freedom, adding that it is assuming its duties perfectly, in line with the Royal directives to make it (NIHR) a beacon of human rights awareness and a human rights think-tank. Dr. Salah Ali affirmed the importance of consolidating the human rights culture in order to highlight both rights and duties in a constitutional citizenship state, such as Bahrain which is committed to preserving human rights, safeguarding national achievements and optimizing milestone civilisational accomplishments. He added that Bahrain dealt with the repercussions of the regretful incidents of 2011 wisely and according to the international standards, and presented a bright model in the field of human rights after the bold initiative of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to set up the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, consisting of eminent independent international judges, and the political leadership’s acceptance of its recommendations and pledge to implement them through legal and constitutional channels. WHQ

Manama, May 24. (BNA) -- Bahrain's Royal Endurance Team is supporting a 120km Endurance Horse Ride, part of the Compiegne Festival Mondial d'Endurance, to be held on Sunday at Compiegne, near Paris, in France.
Team captain Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa will lead a group of prominent Bahraini riders in this two-day festival, which also includes a 160km ride, set to take place today. Shaikh Nasser will be racing alongside Yaqoub Al Hammadi, Raed Mahmood, Mohammed Abdulsamad and Abdulrahman Al Saad this weekend. Fresh from their participation in the recently-concluded Windsor Show in the UK, the Bahrain delegation moved to Compiegne, a commune in the Oise department in northern France, ahead of today's event, which is sponsored by Shaikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE. Bahrain team manager Dr Khalid Ahmed Hassan had reached the French capital ahead of the team delegation arrival to ensure the completion of all matters related to the team participation and ensure smooth organisation of the 120km ride. The programme for the 160km ride started yesterday with the veterinary inspection and trotting on the veterinary gate at the equestrian stadium. A briefing for each team chefs d'equipe then took place at the press room, which was followed by team registration at the office. The 160km ride is due to commence at 6am (Bahrain time) with more than 120 riders from Bahrain, Belgium, Chile, Spain, France, Great Britain, Oman, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Russia, South Africa, Thailand and the UAE taking part. On Sunday, more than 110 riders from Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Switzerland, Portugal, Netherlands, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Italy, India, Germany, France, Spain and Brazil will vie for the trophy in the Bahrain-sponsored ride, which gets underway at 6am. The race is due to conclude between 2pm and 2.30pm when the first riders return to the equestrian stadium. The official prize-giving ceremony will then be held at 5pm. A team of media personnel also travelled to Paris to prepare the telecasting of this week festival. The website http://endruancebh.com was launched recently in cooperation with a French telecommunication company to provide live broadcasting of the races in France. This all-new website is being supervised by Bahraini media representatives Hassan Al Doy, Mohammed Sharida, Hamad Al Majed and Saddam Nasser. The media delegation is being headed by Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa Media Office and Information Centre Director Tawfeeq Al Salehi, and includes Hamad Dawood, Mohammed Al Qallaf, Osama Mohammed, Hamad Ramadan and Khalifa Al Sherooghi. (Source: GDN) WHQ

Manama, May 24. (BNA) – The Student Services Directorate at the Education Ministry has hosted a ceremony to honour the participants in the first-aid training session for this school year, 2012-2013, in the presence of Director Jassim Mohammed bin Harban, Colonel Abdulaziz Rashid Al-Amer, from the Civil Defence Academy, and a number of specialists.
During the event, Director of Student Services delivered a statement in which he lauded the fruitful cooperation with the Civil Defence Academy at the Interior Ministry in organizing such sessions, affirming the Education Ministry’s keenness to ensure the safety and security of its affiliates and facilities. He added that social guides, especially the newly-recruited ones, members of the administrative, teaching and technical staff at schools and personnel of the Ministry’s directorates benefitted from the training, noting that the Student Services Directorate will carry on its efforts to organize more sessions on first aid and fire. Then, he honoured those in charge of the session, as well as the 190 participants. WHQ

Washington, May 24 (BNA) - The major highway bridge linking Seattle with Canada and the rest of the Pacific Northwest region collapsed Thursday evening, dumping a handful of vehicles and people into a river, the Washington State Patrol said.
Authorities said there were no deaths, and three people were rescued and taken to hospitals. he four-lane Interstate 5 bridge more than half a century old collapsed about halfway between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, Trooper Mark Francis said. rancis said he did not know what caused the collapse, which came at the start of one of the country's busiest holiday weekends of the year. The collapse came before sundown on a clear day. The state Transportation Department said it was investigating whether an oversize truck load may have struck the bridge. The bridge was built in 1955 and has a sufficiency rating of 57.4 out of 100, according to federal records. That is well below the statewide average rating of 80, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal data. EM

Tunis,May 24 (BNA) - Governor of Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) and head of national commission to recover funds, Chedly Ayari has announced the progress made to recover of SFr60 million ($67 million) of Tunisian funds frozen in Switzerland.
Ayari said the recovery of the stolen assets located in Switzerland will help in financing the social projects in the deprived internal areas as well as providing new job opportunities to the Tunisian people and pushing ahead the economic wheel . Tunisia needs TND 5bn ($3bn) to fund the budget of the state, he said, noting that these funds will assist in in overcoming the current crisis in Tunisia. This came during a symposium on combating the corruption held at the premises of the Constituent Assembly of Tunisia, where Ayari reviewed the results and future programs of the Tunisian Administrative Reform and Combating Corruption Committee. EM

Moscow, May 24 (BNA) - An earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale struck Russia's Far East on Friday, with slight tremors felt thousands of miles away in Moscow.
The earthquake occurred in the Sea of Okhotsk off the Kamchatka Peninsula, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported. Emergency agencies in the Far East issued a tsunami warning for Sakhalin and the Kuril islands. There were no reported injuries or damage, RIA Novosti reported. The epicenter of the quake was located 385 km (244 miles) west northwest of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy at a depth of 608 km (385 miles), the USGS said. EM

Beirut, May 24 (BNA) - Cautious calm dominated over the various fighting axes between Cautious calm between Bab ElTebbaneh, Jabal Mohsenand Jabal Mohsen in Lebanon's Tripoli on Friday morning, but snipping operations targeted the international road, National News Agency (NNA) reported.
The report said that a flare bomb fell at Naji Center in Azmi Street where damages were limited to physical ones. The city witnesses a very light traffic movement and most commercial markets, schools and universities are still closed because of the deteriorated security situation. Last night, the city witnessed violent clashes which claimed many victims, killed and injured, according to NNA. EM