Thousands of Bahrainis have taken to the streets across the Persian Gulf kingdom in a show of protest against the continued imprisonment of prominent Shia cleric and opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman.Protesters staged a rally in the northwestern Bahraini village of Diraz, situated about 12 kilometers (7 miles) southeast of the capital, Manama, following Friday prayers, demanding the freedom of Salman, who heads Read more [...]

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Azkals didn’t take long to prove team manager Dan Palami’s pre-tournament pronouncements that they could spring some surprises in Group H of the Fifa World Cup qualifiers. The Pinoy booters ambushed higher-ranked Bahrain, 2-1, in Thursday’s opening match at the Philippine Sports Stadium, boosting their stock and jacking up their confidence level in the home-and-away competition with the famous result. “It’s a great start for the team. I was always saying Read more [...]

Ratings agency Standard Poor's said a lack of certainty around government measures to counter falling oil prices contributed to its affirmation of a 'BBB-/A-3’ rating. The agency expected the gulf state to implement fiscal consolidation measures in 2015 beyond, but said the political climate was “delicate”. “The outlook is still negative, reflecting our view of Bahrain's weakening fiscal profile and ongoing uncertainties around the extent and implementation of a sustainable response Read more [...]