The United Nations Security Council on Friday unanimously approved the deployment of a U.N. advance team to monitor a ceasefire in Yemen’s Hodeidah region after days of wrangling that pitted the United States against ally Britain.

Human rights groups along with current and former soccer players on Saturday called on FIFA and the Australian government to intervene to stop a Melbourne-based refugee and semi-professional soccer player being extradited from Thailand to Bahrain.

The Financial and Administrative National Audit Office stated in its report for 2017 and 2018 that the Higher Education Council does not present the qualifications of academic members of universities, who are non-Bahrainis to the National Qualifications Committee.

The Financial and Administrative National Audit Office stated in its report for 2017 and 2018 that the actual expenditures of three ministries exceeded the allocated financial allocations by 7.3 million dinars.

The Financial and Administrative National Audit Office disclosed in its report for 2017 and 2018 that the Ministry of Works and Municipalities has not paid its financial obligations to a number of suppliers, some of which go back to 2011, worth 3.3 million dinars.

The Financial and Administrative National Audit Office disclosed in its report for 2017 and 2018 that the Capital Secretariat and its three municipalities exempted a number of persons from paying municipal fees.

The Bahrain Financial and Administrative National Audit Office said in its report for 2017 and 2018 that the Ministry of Industry and Trade does not conduct any periodic inspections of bakeries.

Bahrain's Foreign Ministry said Bahrain and India had agreed to a mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and private passports, which was signed on July 15, 2018 and entered into force on Wednesday December 19, 2018.

A number of Palestinian activists and sympathizers with the Palestinian cause launched a campaign against Bahrain's Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.

Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has expressed concern about the “considerable restrictions of fundamental freedoms” in Bahrain following the Middle Eastern nation’s parliamentary elections last month.

Citizens in Bahrain are getting ready for the first direct tax on goods and services, after the government obtained a formal approval from parliament to apply the value added tax (VAT) starting next year.

The Australian SBS website said that Detained Melbourne-based refugee Hakeem Al-Araibi thanked Australia for supporting him as he fears deportation from Thailand to his native Bahrain.

More than three years after the verdict on his appeal, a young man challenged a verdict, sentencing him to 10 years in prison and stripping him of his Bahraini nationality on charges of manufacturing, possessing, training on the use of explosives.

National Audit Office report for the years 2017-2018 said that there are mistakes in the Gulf Air's assessment of the bids of suppliers participating in the tender over economy class seats of the new fleet that reached an amount of 15.9 million dinars, as the tender was awarded to the second bidder.

The First High Appeals Court commuted a 5-year jail verdict issued against a suspect over putting a fake bomb on Sheikh Zayed Street near a driving school in A'ali to 3 years.

The Fourth High Criminal Court sentenced a Bahraini residing outside Bahrain to 10 years in jail and 100 thousand fine over charge of sending money to families of detainees. It also sentenced the second suspect to 3 years in jail and 6 others to 2 years over assembling in Buri and A’ali.

Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa issued five edicts of 2018 appointing two directors at Ministry of Finance, a director at Ministry of Transportation and two others at the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission. The Crown Prince also issued an edict transferring a director in the National Communication Centre.

Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday the creation of three new government bodies aimed at improving the country's intelligence operations in the wake of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which has sparked international outrage.

National Audit Office report for the years 2017-2018 said that Ministry of Works, Municipality Affairs and Urban Planning gave improving livelihood allowance to 23 employees on the fourth legislative level, contrary to the law.

A number of political death row prisoners in Bahrain said that on Tuesday (December 18, 2018) police attacked the unarmed building in the notorious Jaw Prison and evacuated all death-row convicts from the building, hand folded them and made them stand for long hours. They also threatened them saying that these were their last days and they will soon be executed.