ARABIALINK Daily News – BAHRAIN – Excerpts from International Media Reports
[Links to full articles were active on the date posted here]
Rights group seeks probe into Bahrain shooting incident [May 23]
“Amnesty International has urged Bahrain to investigate whether riot police used excessive force in the shooting of an anti-government protester accused of taking part in riots in a Shiite village. The London-based rights group said the protester, Hassan Ali, was shot on Monday in disputed circumstances the same day that Bahrain’s Attorney General said clashes between villagers and policemen resulted in a police car being set alight. “He is suffering from 12 different gunshot wounds all over his body, including three in his head,” the Bahrain Human Rights Society said, adding that Ali had been moved to a military hospital and demanding he be returned to an intensive care unit. Local media reports said Ali would be remanded in police custody for one month. “The authorities need to establish whether he [Ali] was the victim of excessive force, in which case the police officer who shot him and any others responsible for the use of excessive force should be held to account,” Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme Director, said in a statement posted on Amnesty’s website..” [Complete report]
Bahrain’s Arcapita signs $200 mln loan, sees FY loss [May 23]
“Bahraini investment house Arcapita [ARCAB.UL] on Sunday signed a new $200 million loan, signaling that debt markets are opening up to the troubled sector, and said it expected a sizable loss for this year. Bahrain’s investment houses have been badly hit by the financial crisis and a regional property down-turn, and some of them had to revert to rights issues to shore up their balance sheets as debt capital markets remained largely shut. Arcapita said in a statement it had signed the $200 million loan facility with Standard Chartered (STAN.L), which it would use to strengthen its balance sheet and for general corporate purposes. It did not provide any further details such as the tenor of the facility..” [Complete report]
Bahrain and Sharjah trade rises to $272m [May 23]
“Bahrain’s trade with Sharjah topped one billion UAE dirhams ($272 million) last year, says a report. The kingdom was also ranked fifth largest trading partner of the UAE emirate in the GCC. Sharjah’s foreign trade jumped to 60.5bn dirhams last year. During a presentation of a report on foreign trade activities last year, Sharjah Economic Development Department general manager Ali bin Salem Al Mahmoud said that foreign trade constituted a basic foundation that not only helped increase the emirate’s gross domestic product (GDP), but also improved living standards. In addition, he said, it led to export orientation and replacement of imports, and paved the way for improved economic performance and investor-friendly climate. He added that the replacement of imports had been accorded the highest priority to improve export performance, increase demand and achieve better balance for all economic sectors..” [Complete report]
