he Secretary General of the General Federation of Workers Trade Unions in Bahrain (GFWTUB), Hassan Al-Halwaji, expressed his regret that those who are considered representatives of the people passed the proposed amendments to the Unemployment Fund law and disregarded and facilitated the encroachment on the workers' funds instead of protecting them.

Bahraini journalists and activists have confirmed the participation of speakers from the Israeli entity at the 2019 Global Entrepreneurship Congress, which Bahrain will host next April 15-18, 2019.

Six UN experts have expressed “serious concerns” over violations and threats that three Bahraini human rights defenders, Hajar Mansour, Ebtisam Al-Sayegh and Zainab Al Khamis, have been routinely subjected to in Bahrain, demanding an investigation into their mistreatment.

Head of the Civil Service Bureau, Ahmad Al-Zayed, said that the cost of financing the voluntary retirement program will be 295 million dinars, noting that the pension funds will pay 70 million dinars, while the remainder will be financed from the surplus of the Unemployment Fund, according to the government’s plan.

General Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain National Guard, met with Pakistan Armed Forces Commander General Qamar Javed Bajwa in his office at the Pakistani Armed Forces General Command HQs in Rawalpindi.

Dubai-based MBC Group has announced that it acquired the rights to broadcast the FIA Formula One races in the Middle East and North Africa region. The broadcaster will offer F1 racing free-to-air under the deal which gives MBC five-year exclusive rights to show all 21 races.

Amnesty International said that the verdict issued by Bahrain on February 27, 2019, sentencing 167 people in a single proceeding to prison terms for their participation in a non-violent sit-in is yet another example of the suppression of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly that has been ongoing since 2011, and a new instance in the growing pattern of mass trials in Bahrain.

The Bahraini House of Representatives approved on March 19, 2019, a bill referred by the government as a matter of urgency. It includes amendments to the law on unemployment insurance. Among the amendments are the transfer of funds from the Unemployment Fund to finance the voluntary retirement program, and the sum amounts to 230 million dinars.

The General Federation of Workers Trade Unions in Bahrain (GFWTUB) refused any act of spending the unemployment funds on anything other than the fields they're allocated to and using them for objectives other than what the Fund was established for.

Football player Hakeem Al-Araibi condemned Australia's support for the re-election of Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa.

Health Minister Faeqa Saeed Al-Saleh said that she "hopes" Bahrainization level in nursing field would increase to reach 80% within two years, a local newspaper reported.

The Third High Criminal Court ordered to suspend the execution of the 6-month prison term issued against prominent opposition leader and former Secretary-General of Wa'ad Ibrahim Shairf to 3 years, from the date of issuing the verdict.

The Albanian Foreign Ministry announced that it would make it possible for Gulf nationals, including Bahrain, to travel to Albania during the coming summer season without having to obtain an advance visa from Albania's embassies.

Australia's football body announced its support for the re-election of under-fire Asian soccer chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa on Monday, drawing criticism from a prominent campaigner who called it "sickening".

Former Socceroo Craig Foster has described as "sickening" the support of Australia for the re-election of Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa.

The local Al-Ayam newspaper reported that the unemployment insurance fund surpluses are 80 million BD per year, while the benefits for the unemployed do not exceed 8 million Bd per year

The Services Committee in the House of Representatives approved on Sunday (March 17, 2019) amendments to unemployment insurance law, which allows the government to finance the voluntary retirement program from the "unemployment" fund.

Finance Minister Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said that revenues from service fees, products and government goods constitute about 70% of total non-oil revenues, according to the state final account data for 2017 without subsidies.

Protestors staged protests in front of the Emirati embassy building in the Canadian capital Ottawa, demanding the withdrawal of Gulf forces from Bahrain, marking the eighth anniversary of the raid of the Emirate and Saudi forces to Bahrain.

London-based Salam for Democracy and Human Rights Organization sent a letter to the UN High Commissioner and President of the Human Rights Council urging them to establish a mechanism to investigate the human rights situation in Bahrain.