Bahraini

At least 300 people were freed early Wednesday from Bahrain's jails, but rather than calming the waters, the releases could very well intensify the nation's already charged atmosphere. With an angry public now calling for the ouster of King Hamed ibn Isa Khalifa, some of those pardoned could find an audience far more receptive than when they were jailed by the island's security services. Some shouted "Death to Khalifa!" on Wednesday night as they listened to accounts of torture in Bahrain's jail.

Chanting protesters reportedly clashed with police Friday in Bahrain even as race cars began looping the tracks before the Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday. Reuters reported that dozens of young men skirmished with police firing tear gas as an authorized rally broke up west of Manama. Miles away at the races, which went on unaffected, Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone brushed off reports of trouble. "You guys are the ones who write about the rubbish," he told reporters, according to the Associated Press . "Have you found any?"

Chanting protesters reportedly clashed with police Friday in Bahrain even as race cars began looping the tracks before the Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday. Reuters reported that dozens of young men skirmished with police firing tear gas as an authorized rally broke up west of Manama. Miles away at the races, which went on unaffected, Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone brushed off reports of trouble. "You guys are the ones who write about the rubbish," he told reporters, according to the Associated Press . "Have you found any?"

A Bahraini court on Thursday cleared 21 medics who had been convicted in connection with protests against the government, a victory for rights activists in the closely watched case. The exonerated doctors, nurses and other medical personnel were among scores of health professionals arrested and charged during the unrest that erupted two years ago in the island monarchy. Bahrain faced intense criticism from human rights groups and the U.S. State Department for pursuing the charges; many of the accused medics claimed they were tortured and forced to confess to charges such as "instigating hatred" and "taking part in illegal assemblies" after treating injured protesters.

A Bahrain court has sentenced two policemen to spend seven years in jail for beating a man to death, one of those killed amid anti-government protests last year. The court decision was handed down Sunday, according to Reuters news service and Bahraini news outlets . The case centered on Karim Fakhrawi, an opposition member who founded an independent newspaper. He died while in police custody after going to a police station to complain, reportedly, about the planned demolition of his house, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists . He had been accused by the government of falsifying news.

Protesters celebrated Saturday in Bahrain when police and soldiers withdrew from Manama's symbolic Pearl Square, allowing young Shiite Muslims eager for a larger role in Bahraini society to take back their central stage. "The police backed down when they saw thousands of people coming from four directions," said one demonstrator. Confrontations gave way to a massive party as protesters chanted, hugged and waved yellow and red plastic flowers. Hundreds of Bahraini flags fluttered in the wind.

Aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. is under criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department over allegations the company bribed officials in Bahrain in an effort to obtain business. The U.S. submitted papers Thursday in federal court in Pittsburgh requesting permission to participate in a lawsuit filed there by the government of Bahrain containing similar allegations against New York-based Alcoa. Aluminum Bahrain, or Alba, sued Alcoa on Feb. 27, claiming the company bribed unidentified Bahraini government officials and overcharged over a period of 15 years for alumina, an ingredient used to make aluminum.

An unmarked road lined with ancient palm trees snakes gently toward the sea. Without warning, huge concrete cubes painted canary-yellow block the roadway, and a stenciled sign orders with understated menace: "Dim Your Headlights for the Sentry." Behind the sentry box, the white roofs of huge warehouses loom over the greenery. An orange crane for loading and unloading cargo ships stands idle on the quay.

A Bahraini court on Thursday cleared 21 medics who had been convicted in connection with protests against the government, a victory for rights activists in the closely watched case. The exonerated doctors, nurses and other medical personnel were among scores of health professionals arrested and charged during the unrest that erupted two years ago in the island monarchy. Bahrain faced intense criticism from human rights groups and the U.S. State Department for pursuing the charges; many of the accused medics claimed they were tortured and forced to confess to charges such as "instigating hatred" and "taking part in illegal assemblies" after treating injured protesters.

The eyes of the world are on the battle for Libya. It's undeniably a compelling drama: Spirited but untrained rebels, plus NATO airstrikes, pitted against an eccentric dictator with a cinematic wardrobe. But it's the wrong drama to worry about. The brutal truth is that Libya doesn't matter very much. It's a desert backwater of 6 million people with little influence over the rest of the Middle East. The main reason Libya matters at all is that President Obama and his NATO allies have taken it on as a challenge.

Thirteen people will remain imprisoned, eight of them for life, after  Bahrain's high court upheld their convictions Monday for plotting to overthrow the state. The decision cements a deeply controversial case that has troubled human rights groups and the U.S. State Department. The defendants were accused of participating in a “terrorist plot” during protests that erupted nearly two years ago as demonstrators agitated for greater democracy and a bigger voice for Shiite Muslims.

A Bahrain court has sentenced two policemen to spend seven years in jail for beating a man to death, one of those killed amid anti-government protests last year. The court decision was handed down Sunday, according to Reuters news service and Bahraini news outlets . The case centered on Karim Fakhrawi, an opposition member who founded an independent newspaper. He died while in police custody after going to a police station to complain, reportedly, about the planned demolition of his house, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists . He had been accused by the government of falsifying news.

Nearly a year after Bahrain pledged to free political prisoners, investigate torture allegations and embark on other reforms, it has reneged on its promises, Amnesty International said in a scathing new report . The human rights group excoriated the Persian Gulf island monarchy for ramping up repression in the year since an independent commission chronicled a long list of abuses during a crackdown on protests. Last November, the government promised the commission's recommendations would be heeded.

WASHINGTON - Harsh jail terms upheld this week for 13 Bahraini activists marked a setback to the Obama administration's hope that the Sunni Muslim monarchy was ready to settle its bloody conflict with the country's restless Shiite majority. It wasn't the first time Washington has been disappointed. In the 18 months since the tiny but strategically vital Persian Gulf ally exploded in street protests, the administration has repeatedly pinned its hope on moves by the monarchy that appeared promising but soon fell short.

Bahrain sentenced eight activists to life in prison Wednesday in the latest crackdown on a 5-month-old rebellion by the island monarchy, which has been criticized by international human-rights groups for mass arrests, torture and shooting protesters. The verdicts follow the lifting of martial law but indicate the ruling Sunni-Muslim family will not tolerate unrest among a majority Shiite population demanding an end to discrimination. Several of the activists, such as Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, are respected dissidents, and their sentences are likely to spur fresh protests.

Bahrain on Wednesday lifted the emergency rule it imposed in March during a crackdown on widespread protests for democratic reform dominated by the island nation's Shiite Muslim majority. On Wednesday, much of the military pulled out of Manama, the capital, though police-manned checkpoints across the city remained. At least 30 people have died and hundreds have been arrested since the protests began in February, according to human rights groups. King Hamed ibn Isa Khalifa expressed hope in a speech the previous day that his subjects could open a new chapter after months of discord.

Nearly a year after Bahrain pledged to free political prisoners, investigate torture allegations and embark on other reforms, it has reneged on its promises, Amnesty International said in a scathing new report . The human rights group excoriated the Persian Gulf island monarchy for ramping up repression in the year since an independent commission chronicled a long list of abuses during a crackdown on protests. Last November, the government promised the commission's recommendations would be heeded.

When Nabeel Rajab saw his picture splashed on the front pages of a state-run newspaper over the weekend as an alleged member of a terrorist network plotting to overthrow the government, he knew it was time to start packing. The prominent Bahraini human rights activist sent his children away and put toothpaste and shampoo into a small bag in anticipation of his arrest. "I've kept the children out of our home for the past four days," he told The Times by telephone on Monday. "I don't want to be beaten in front of them.

The eyes of the world are on the battle for Libya. It's undeniably a compelling drama: Spirited but untrained rebels, plus NATO airstrikes, pitted against an eccentric dictator with a cinematic wardrobe. But it's the wrong drama to worry about. The brutal truth is that Libya doesn't matter very much. It's a desert backwater of 6 million people with little influence over the rest of the Middle East. The main reason Libya matters at all is that President Obama and his NATO allies have taken it on as a challenge.

When thousands of protesters spilled into Bahrain's streets in February, Dr. Mohammed Al-Muharraqi, a self-professed pessimist, thought his country might change for the better. Though most of the demonstrators gathering in the capital's Pearl Square roundabout were Shiite Muslims and he is a Sunni Muslim, Muharraqi was excited to hear them voice hopes he'd long shared. "When it started, we found it really, really cool," Muharraqi said. "They wanted a more equal distribution of wealth, less unemployment, more parliamentary power.