A Bahrain policewoman charged with torturing a female journalist during last year's crackdown on anti-government protests will go on trial next month, the prosecution said on Thursday. More »Bahrain policewoman to face trial for torturing reporter
DUBAI (Reuters) - Jailed Bahraini … More »Bahrain hunger striker attends retrial …
Bahrain faced calls at the United Nations on Monday to release its political prisoners, … More »Bahrain in UN spotlight over political …
Bahrain faced calls at the United Nations on Monday to release its political prisoners, including prominent rights activist Nabeel Rajab who is charged with tweeting insults against the government. More »Bahrain in UN spotlight over political prisoners
KUWAIT (Reuters) - A 26-year-old Kuwaiti pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges he insulted the Prophet Mohammad and the Sunni Muslim rulers of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on social media, the first day of a high-profile and divisive court case in the Gulf … More »Kuwaiti pleads innocent in Twitter trial
DUBAI (Reuters) - A court in Bahrain on Monday fined Zainab al-Khawaja, the daughter of a prominent opposition activist, for insulting a government employee and her lawyer said she was still detained pending trial in a different case. Bahrain, a U.S. … More »Bahraini court fines daughter of opposition activist
The government of Bahrain condemned on Sunday Iran's continued "flagrant meddling" in Gulf affairs after the Islamic republic slammed plans for union between the Shiite-majority kingdom and Saudi Arabia. More »Bahrain condemns Iran's Gulf 'flagrant meddling'
DUBAI (Reuters) - A leading Bahraini opposition activist accused of insulting authorities remained in jail on Sunday, despite being granted bail, because he faces a second charge of organising illegal protests, his lawyer said. Nabeel Rajab is the founder … More »Bahraini activist granted bail but not released
Thousands of Sunnis staged a rally in Manama on Saturday in support of of a controversial proposal to unite Bahrain with neighbouring Saudi Arabia, witnesses said. More »Sunni Bahrainis stage rally in support of Saudi union
DUBAI (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of mainly Shi'ite Bahrainis protested outside the capital Manama on Friday against the possible unification of Gulf Arab countries, a Reuters witness said. Arab heads of state met in Riyadh on Monday to discuss a call … More »Tens of thousands protest in Bahrain against Gulf union plan
The Queen has been accused of making a catastrophic error of judgment by dining with the King of Bahrain, whose regime is accused of a catalogue of human rights abuses. More »Queen under fire over Bahrain guest
The Foreign Office has been accused of putting the Queen in the position of having to dine with despots as the row over a royal lunch with foreign monarchs intensified. More »FO accused over royal lunch guests
DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's thrust for a Gulf Union, driven by fear of Arab Spring contagion and spreading Iranian influence, has stumbled on misgivings among smaller neighbours about a loss of sovereignty and increasing domination by Riyadh. Gulf … More »Analysis - Saudi Gulf union plan stumbles as wary leaders seek detail
MANAMA (Reuters) - Bahrain issued arrest warrants on Wednesday for 20 people accused of injuring policemen and civilians with homemade bombs during months of pro-democracy unrest in the island kingdom. In another sign of a crackdown on dissent, well known … More »Bahrain seeks arrest of 20 over homemade bombs
DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahrain has summoned Iran's charge d'affaires to protest against what it called a "gross violation of its sovereignty" in a row after Tehran criticised efforts by Gulf Arab states to forge closer political and military union. Sunni Muslim … More »Bahrain protests Iran criticism of GCC union plans
DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahrain has summoned Iran's charge d'affaires to protest at what it called "gross violation of its sovereignty" in a new diplomatic row after Tehran criticised efforts by Gulf Arab states to forge closer political and military union. … More »Bahrain protests Iran criticism of GCC union plans
RIYADH (Reuters) - Gulf Arab countries failed to agree on further integration on Monday after a high-profile summit seen as part of Saudi efforts to counter Iran's growing influence and Shi'ite Muslim discontent in Bahrain. Gulf politicians had played … More »Gulf Arabs delay talk of union at Riyadh meeting
RIYADH (Reuters) - Gulf Arab leaders were meeting to discuss a closer political, economic and military union on Monday, part of a strategy by wealthy Sunni Muslim monarchies to counter Shi'ite Muslim discontent in Bahrain and Iran's growing influence. … More »Gulf Arabs weigh closer union at Riyadh meeting
KUWAIT (Reuters) - A Kuwaiti man charged with defaming the Prophet Mohammad on Twitter as well as insulting the rulers of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will stand trial on May 21 and plead not guilty, his lawyer said on Monday. The case of Shi'ite Muslim Hamad … More »Kuwait Twitter trial set for May 21 - lawyer
DUBAI/RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are expected to announce closer political union at a meeting of Gulf Arab leaders on Monday, a Bahraini minister said, a move dismissed by the opposition as a ruse to avoid political reform. The decision … More »Saudi and Bahrain expected to seek union - minister
RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and Bahrain will weigh closer political union at a summit of Gulf Arab leaders on Monday aimed at pooling efforts to neutralise Shi'ite Muslim protests in the region that they believe is instigated by Iran. Iran denies … More »Gulf Arabs to weigh unity vs perceived Iran threat
DUBAI/RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are expected to announce closer political union at a meeting of Gulf Arab leaders on Monday, a Bahraini minister said, a move dismissed by the opposition as a ruse to avoid political reform. The decision … More »Saudi and Bahrain expected to seek union-minister
MANAMA (Reuters) - Pro-democracy protesters burned tyres and clashed with police in Bahrain on Saturday to demand the release of opposition leaders and rights activists, one of whom has been on a three-month hunger strike, residents said. Hundreds of … More »Bahrain protesters clash with police outside capital
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will resume some military sales to Bahrain, a key Gulf ally facing Iran, despite human rights concerns linked to months of popular protests against the island kingdom's rulers, the State Department said on Friday. … More »U.S. resumes Bahrain arms sales despite rights concerns
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Two years ago, as his girlfriend flew off to the Turkish Formula One Grand Prix for her work as a television reporter and he had no race to go to, Romain Grosjean hit rock bottom. More »Grosjean making the most of his second chance
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Nico Rosberg defended his driving tactics on Thursday as the German's fellow Formula One drivers said they would discuss what was acceptable on the track. The Mercedes driver has come in for criticism for two controversial moves … More »Rosberg says he was harsh but fair
DUBAI (Reuters) - When an economic crisis in Uruguay strained the finances of Pio Olascoaga Amaya's family farm, he found salvation halfway across the world: the horse racing industry of Dubai. More »In UAE, horses are big business as well as passion
DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahrain has arrested a prominent human rights activist and critic of the country's ruling family, the Interior Ministry and an activist said on Sunday, as the authorities escalated a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. Bahrain, which … More »Bahrain arrests rights activist Nabeel Rajab
DUBAI (Reuters) - An improvised bomb explosion wounded four Bahraini policemen on Saturday, a police commander said, as protesters demanding the release of a rights activist who has been on hunger strike for three months clashed again with police. Unrest … More »Bahrain says home-made bomb wounds four policemen
ZURICH (Reuters) - Faisal Private Bank, struggling since the collapse of property schemes in the Gulf and beyond, is up for sale after failing to raise enough money to meet the Swiss regulator's minimum capital requirements, its chief executive said on … More »Troubled Faisal Bank up for sale
DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahrain's king ratified constitutional reforms on Thursday that the government hopes will help end a year of protests, but the main opposition party denounced them as inadequate and said the struggle for democratic reforms would continue. … More »Bahrain king enacts parliament reforms as protests continue
RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia repeated on Wednesday that it would not tolerate threats to the Gulf Arab states' sovereignty, the latest warning to Iran after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to an island claimed by both Tehran and the United Arab … More »Saudi Arabia warns Iran over Gulf islands, Bahrain
KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait is about to take a firmer line on regulation of social media, uneasy about people who it says use Twitter and Facebook to stoke sectarian tensions and wary of spillover from turmoil in nearby Gulf states and Syria. Although Kuwait … More »Kuwaitis worry Twitter cases stir sectarian tensions
MANAMA (Reuters) - Riot police firing tear gas and stun grenades routed protesters in Bahrain's capital on Tuesday as the government came under mounting international pressure to release jailed leaders of last year's uprising. An appeals court decision … More »Bahrain breaks up protests, faces calls to free prisoners
MANAMA (Reuters) - Human Rights Watch urged Bahrain on Tuesday to immediately free leaders of last year's uprising after an appeals court ordered a retrial, raising pressure for farther-reaching gestures to defuse resurgent street protests. Bahraini authorities … More »Bahrain should free uprising leaders - rights group
DUBAI (Reuters) - Wary of Iran and regional protest movements, Gulf Arab states are pushing ahead with plans for a political union that would involve joint foreign and defence policies, the Saudi foreign minister said in a speech at the weekend. The comments … More »Wary of Iran, Saudis seek progress on Gulf union
MANAMA (Reuters) - A Bahraini court has ordered a retrial for jailed hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and 20 other men convicted of leading an uprising last year, but an opposition leader said the gesture was not enough to defuse resurgent unrest. … More »Bahrain orders retrial for hunger striker, protest leaders
(Reuters) - A Bahraini court has ordered a retrial for jailed hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and 20 other men convicted in a military court of leading last year's pro-democracy uprising, but ruled they would remain in jail until new verdicts are … More »Bahrain orders retrial for hunger striker, protest leaders
DUBAI (Reuters) - The wife of a jailed Bahraini activist and hunger striker said on Sunday he was being drugged and force-fed, but authorities denied the accusations saying the man had agreed to receive medical treatment. Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, one of … More »Bahrain hunger striker force-fed, drugged - wife
DUBAI (Reuters) - Islamic finance may face its biggest shake-up in years as a top standard-setting body seeks to reform the way the industry does business, including the role of highly paid scholars in enforcing religious principles. Khaled Al Fakih, … More »Exclusive - AAOIFI in wide review of Islamic finance standards
Protesters have hurled petrol bombs at a police station in Bahrain and riot police have responded with teargas and stun grenades. More »Bahrain Clashes Erupt After Funeral March
MANAMA (Reuters) - Bahraini protesters attacked a police station with petrol bombs on Thursday and riot police responded with teargas and stun grenades after a funeral march for a man killed in clashes during the Gulf Arab state's Formula One race last … More »Bahrain mourners attack police after funeral march
DUBAI (Reuters) - Three policemen were wounded by an explosion in a village in western Bahrain on Tuesday that the government said was a "terrorist" act after weeks of protests against a Formula One Grand Prix held in the Gulf Arab state. The Interior … More »Three policemen wounded in Bahrain explosion