Representatives from five Bahraini opposition groups led by al-Wefaq bloc did not participate in the Wednesday talks which were planned to end the kingdom’s political deadlock, Al-Alam reported. Al-Wefaq said in a statement on Thursday that the opposition boycotted the talks in protest to Justice Ministry’s decision to limit "meetings of political societies with diplomats and international delegates". Under the limitations, political groups in the Persian Gulf kingdom need government Read more [...]

In Bahrain we hardly hear the moderates speaking out. The loudest voices in our society are different brands of religious hardliners, who in reality only represent a small fraction of our diverse and tolerant society. The problem isn't that most Bahrainis are sympathetic to extremist ideas - they aren't. Rather, the problem is that it is the extremists who are most assertive in promoting their agenda and pressuring others to follow them. For example, when an Islamist MP stands up in parliament and Read more [...]

UNIONISTS are urging Bahraini authorities to ratify a global treaty that came into force yesterday and protects the rights of domestic workers. The General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) said Bahrain, like other GCC countries, had not ratified the Domestic Workers Convention. GFBTU women and children affairs head Suad Mubarak said the International Labour Organisation (ILO) supported the convention, which obligates governments to protect domestic workers from violence and abuse. "When Read more [...]

AN exciting line-up of Pakistani superstars, designers, comedians and theatre performers will take to the stage in Bahrain later this year. They will arrive for separate events as part of a major cultural initiative being organised by the Pakistan Embassy, in an attempt to educate Bahrainis on a wide variety of Pakistani arts. The list of talents includes three Bollywood stars, internationally acclaimed fashion designer Nilofer Shahid and a variety of theatre groups, in addition to renowned singer Read more [...]

New WikiLeaks Docs Expose Secretive, Unruly Surveillance Industry Details Published on Thursday, 05 September 2013 11:41 1 - 4 RT The growing surveillance industry complex is providing governments with increasingly sophisticated spying software to track and control their citizens, the latest documents obtained Read more [...]