25th November 2013

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

Bahrain: Schools 'need ministry approval' to publish news
Schools in Bahrain have been asked to submit any news they want to publish in the local press, or distribute via social media, to the education ministry for approval, it's reported. Head teachers in the small Gulf state are required to submit "all news and images to the public relations and media department", which will publish them "in line with the policies and directions of the ministry", theAlWasat daily quotes the circular as saying. "No school shall be entitled to publish them directly in any media outlet, including Instagram," it continues. Some people have apparently linked the decision to the proliferation of images showing the condition of schools after heavy rainfall last week. The Gulf Daily News says "scores of pictures" of "water-lled school playgrounds and parents carrying their children to avoid massive puddles" were posted online. Snapshots of the unusual weather and its aftermath can be found on Facebook as well as Instagram. Read More political society in Manama said its deputy head Abdulla Janahi was interrogated for hours.

Bahraini activist barred from entering Egypt

A Cairo airport ofcial says a prominent Bahraini activist was barred from entering Egypt, but denies opposition claims that he was mistreated. A statement issued on Monday by the Waad

The ofcial said Janahi was barred from entry on Saturday upon the request of a security agency, but said he was allowed to move freely inside the transit hall until his departure. The ofcial spoke anonymously as he is not authorized to brief the media. Read More Addressing a press conference in the Bahraini capital Manama alongside his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, the minister expressed hope the agreement would help banish the spectre of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and end concerns about the existence of such weapons, be they in Iran or any other state in the region. Read More

Bahrain wants good relations with Iran

Bahrains foreign minister said that his country welcomed the agreement brokered in Geneva over Irans nuclear agreement. This is an important agreement that will eventually serve stability and defuse any imminent crisis, Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa said.