BEIJING –  Chinese President Xi Jinping and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Friday announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, a new milestone in bilateral relations.

The announcement came as Xi held talks with Hamad, who is in China for a state visit. Hamad also attended the opening ceremony of the 10th ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing on Thursday. Bahrain is a good friend and partner of China in the Gulf region, Xi said, adding that although the two countries have different national conditions, they have always treated each other sincerely and enjoyed friendly relations.

As this year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Bahrain, Xi said China is ready to work with Bahrain to develop their comprehensive strategic partnership and to bring more benefits to the two peoples. China firmly supports Bahrain’s efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, security and stability, and supports Bahrain’s path of independent development, as well as Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 and its diversified development strategy, he said. China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Bahrain in the fields of energy, investment, transportation, new energy and digital economy, and achieve more results in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Xi said. Both sides should enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and facilitate personnel exchanges to continuously strengthen public support for the China-Bahrain friendship, Xi said.

He noted that China advocates mutual respect and peaceful coexistence among countries with different systems and civilizations, and supports countries in the Middle East to enhance unity and cooperation, achieve peace and reconciliation, and promote development and revitalization. China is willing to work with regional countries, including Bahrain, to develop its relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries further, host the second China-Arab States Summit successfully, and accelerate the building of a China-Arab states community with a shared future, Xi said.

He also called on the two sides to strengthen communication and coordination on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, practice true multilateralism, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. Hamad said that China is a great country, and Bahrain is deeply grateful that China has provided significant support for its national construction. Bahrain hopes to take the establishment of this comprehensive strategic partnership as an opportunity to align the development strategies of the two countries, strengthen practical cooperation in various fields, and achieve its own diversified development, he added.

Bahrain has strong appreciation for and agrees fully with China’s noble values and rational and wise policy propositions, Hamad said. As long as China develops well, other developing countries can do the same, and the process of global multipolarity can continue to advance. Bahrain is firm in its belief that China will realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and make greater contributions to world peace and prosperity, he added.

He noted that Bahrain abides by the one-China principle, supports China’s peaceful reunification, and is willing to work closely with China through multilateral cooperation to ensure people of all countries enjoy equal rights to subsistence and development. Bahrain is ready to work with China to push for an early completion of the GCC-China Free Trade Agreement, carry forward the spirit of the Arab states-China friendship, and join hands to build an Arab states-China community with a shared future in the new era. Hamad briefed Xi on the recent 33rd Arab League Summit, focusing particularly on the Arab states’ position on the Palestinian question and the efforts they have made to push for an early end to the Gaza conflict. He expressed his appreciation and thanks to China for always upholding justice, and said he looks forward to China’s greater contributions in that regard.

Xi stressed that China and Bahrain share the same stance on the Palestinian question. China appreciates the common voice the Arab states use to discuss the Palestine-Israel issue at the Arab League Summit, and stands ready to work with Bahrain and other Arab states to push for the early, comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question. (Xinhua)…[+]

Light traffic is being allowed to traverse the Linden-Lethem corridor following the washing away of a section of the trail along the Kurupukari to Lethem Trail, Region Nine, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill disclosed on Friday.

In an interview with Kaieteur News, Minister Edghill early Friday said: “Works are ongoing … they had to stop because it had begun to rain. They are currently working on a temporary pass while also working on full rehabilitation works. Traffic should be able to flow by this afternoon. However since it’s a full rehabilitation (for the bridge and trail) those works should be completed within a few days,” Edghill said around noon.

Later on Friday, the Ministry of Public Works announced that “light traffic has begun to traverse the washout bridge in Region nine.” “This development follows swift actions taken to address the infrastructural concerns in the area, including the immediate repair of significant erosion issues identified during recent site visits led by Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Hon. Deodat Indar,” the statement said.

The contractors undertaking the works have been instructed to widen the channels to facilitate better water discharge and “MMC has been actively stockpiling materials for the comprehensive repair of the washout bridge. Further updates will be provided as the repair and restoration continue.” Kaieteur News reported that the disruption of traffic along the trail was due to flooding caused by heavy and persistent rainfall that washed away sections of the trail and several bridges on Wednesday making the road impassable.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Public Works announced that there is a significant disruption along the Kurupukari to Lethem trail a truck traversing the trail attempted to cross an eroded section within the Iwokrama Concession and collapsed as a result of sustained pressure from a storm surge caused by heavy rains. The truck fell into the huge sink hole and within a matter of hours was completely submerged as flood waters began washing away that section of the road. As water levels rose quickly, other bridges at different locations were washed away too.

On Thursday, the ministry said that it completed a series of site visits to assess and address infrastructural concerns in Region nine due to recent flooding caused by heavy rainfall. The inspection covered all bridges from Annai, beginning with bridge number 19, to the washout bridge, number three. (Kaieteur News)…[+]

PARIS  – France has banned Israeli companies from participating in this year’s annual Eurosatory arms and defence industry exhibition in Villepinte near Paris next month, the event’s organizers and French authorities have said.

“By decision of the government authorities, there will be no stand for the Israeli defence industry at the Eurosatory 2024 fair,” organizers Coges Events said on Friday. The French Defence Ministry suggested that the decision was linked to Paris’s opposition to the continuing Israeli assault on Rafah in southern Gaza.

“Conditions are no longer met to host Israeli companies at the show at a time when the President is calling for Israel to cease operations in Rafah,” the ministry told the Reuters news agency. Seventy-four Israeli firms were set to attend the event from June 17 to 21 at fairgrounds close to Paris’s main international airport, with Coges previously saying about 10 of them were to exhibit weapons. Last week, a group of activists issued a legal warning and urged Coges to take measures to avoid buying and selling weapons that could be used in “crimes” committed in Gaza or other parts of the occupied Palestinian territory.

ASER, Stop Arming Israel, Urgency Palestine and the France-Palestine Solidarity Association also warned against profits from the fair “reinforcing the economic power of firms likely to participate in these crimes”. (Al Jazeera)…[+]

MEXICO  – A candidate running for local office in Mexico’s central Puebla state has been killed at a political rally two days before the elections, adding to the toll of murdered contenders in what is seen as the country’s most violent polls on record.

Jorge Huerta Cabrera was shot dead on Friday in the city of Izucar de Matamoros where he was a candidate, according to the state prosecutor’s office. The candidate’s wife and one of his colleagues were also wounded in the attack which was captured on video. The footage showed mayhem erupting at the rally after the shots were fired.

The killing takes the number of assassinated candidates in the 2024 election season to 37, one more than during the 2021 midterm election when 36 candidates were killed, according to data from security consultancy Integralia. However, the federal government reported 22 candidates killed as of Tuesday. Since then, three more deaths have been recorded, AFP news agency reported.

Integralia has also counted 828 non-lethal attacks on candidates during the current election season, up from 749 since just Monday. Campaigning for Sunday’s elections, in which a new president, federal legislators, state governors and thousands of local officials are to be elected, has been marked by a wave of attacks against candidates that spiked in the last week.

On Wednesday, the campaign period closed for the vote, in which about 100 million Mexicans, of a population of 129 million, are eligible to cast ballots. Violence linked to organized crime in Mexico has long killed politicians from various parties, especially those who hold or are seeking regional positions. Drug cartels have often carried out such assassination attempts in an attempt to control local police or extort money from municipal governments. (Al Jazeera)…[+]

GUYANA – A Surinamese singer who recently recorded a song with local music company, The Bad Family Music, on Wednesday succumbed to injuries he sustained during a fiery motorcycle crash at Campbellville, Georgetown.

Steve Caesar, 40 was riding a motorcycle with a female pillion rider on Monday, when he crashed head-on into another motorcycle along First Street Campbellville, Georgetown.  Police said that Caesar lived in B-Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown. Investigators did not say what time of the day the crash took place but revealed that the other motorcyclist identified as Sinclair was heading east along the northern side of First Street, Campbellville while Caesar was heading in the opposite direction along the same street.

In the vicinity of the Campbellville Secondary School, Caesar lost control of his bike and crashed into Sinclair’s motorcycle.  “Both riders and pillion went up in the air and fell to the ground and received injuries,” police said, before adding that Caesar’s motorcycle burst into flames. All three of them were rushed to the hospital and Caesar was admitted in a critical condition. (Kaieteur News) …[+]