'Cherished moments with late amir' move launched

The collection will be used to produce a new documentary which will showcase many humanitarian initiatives undertaken by the late Amir.

The Board of Trustees of the Isa Award for Services to Humanity has launched a campaign entitled "Cherished Moments with Late Amir" Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa at an event held at the Isa Cultural Centre in Manama.
The campaign aims to collate photographs, testimonies, or videos from the general public documenting some special moments with the late Amir of Bahrain and his humanitarian services on the local and international levels.
The collection will be used to produce a new documentary which will showcase many humanitarian initiatives undertaken by the late Amir.
The documentary will be shown at the 3rd Isa Awards for Services to Humanity, taking place in mid-2017 under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, in the presence of Arab and international figures from around the world.
The Isa Award for Services to Humanity is a world-wide initiative from Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, which was established by a Royal Decree in 2009.
The biennial award honours individuals and organisations around the globe that have provided outstanding services to humanity, regardless of their race, religion, culture, beliefs, or locations. An international jury evaluates the contributions of these individuals and organisations to humanity and the winner receives a $1 million cash award and a gold medal.
Bahrain free of Zika virus disease: Health Ministry
The Health Ministry has said that no cases of Zika virus have been reported in Bahrain, nor in neighbouring countries.
The ministry said that it has been in constant contact with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to learn about the latest updates and guidance on the disease, stressing it has developed an early detection plan of the disease at border exits.
The ministry said that the Zika virus is a disease that spread to people through mosquito bites, a type of mosquito that is found in South American countries. But WHO reports have recorded few cases spread by sexual and blood contact. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, conjunctivitis eye (red eyes). The symptoms in most cases are categorised as simple and in few cases are medium.
The disease control is determined by the elimination of the mosquito breeding places.
It asserted the non-existence of the type of mosquito that spread the virus in Bahrain nor in GCC countries.
New tobacco tariffs clarified
Import duty levied on tobacco have increased from 100 per cent to 200 per cent under a recent decision to readjust taxes on special commodities. The move is part of initiatives to develop state revenues and revitalise the financial standing amid budget deficit resulting from plummeting oil prices in international markets.
However, the price of a single packet of cigarette would go up by 200 fils only. For instance, a packet of cigarettes usually priced at BD1 would be up by a maximum of 200 fils, to be sold from now on at retail outlets at BD1.200.
Meanwhile, the prices of US tobacco would remain unchanged after the import duty exemption took effect on the 1st of January, 2016, under the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) binding the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States of America.
The new levy is deemed special and does not thus constitute a customs tax, nor does it contravene Bahrain's legal or trade obligations with other countries, relevant regional and international organisations, specially the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), as stipulated in the provisions of the unified customs law.

• MENA
• Bahrain