#BAHRAIN: Record Numbers of Candidates In Election, But Opposition Candidates

[world politics news]

Bahrainis headed to the polls Saturday but a ban on opposition candidates meant the election will bring no meaningful change despite a record number of people vying for seats, rights groups said.

More than 330 candidates, including a record 73 women, are competing to join the 40-seat council of representatives — the lower house of parliament that advises King Hamad, who has ruled since his father died in March 1999.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#BAHRAIN: King Restores Citizenship Of 551 Prisoners, Reversing Court Decision To Strip Them Of Citizenship

[world politics news]

The citizenship of more than 500 people in Bahrain has been restored after an intervention by King Hamad. The leader issued an order to reinstate the citizenship of 551 prisoners whose nationality had been revoked by the courts.

King Hamad, who can reverse judicial decisions, requested that the authorities take "the nature of crimes committed" into account. The order didn't specify the crimes for which the prisoners had been convicted.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#BAHRAIN: Foreign Minister's Tweet Tacitly Recognizes Israel As "State" That Has Right To Defend Itself

[world politics news]

[ORIGINAL TO WORLD POLITICS NEWS] - A tweet posted by Bahrain's foreign minister, Khalid al Khalifa, recognized Israel's right to attack Iran in their recent scuffle in Syria. Bahrain is among several Middle Eastern nations alarmed by Iran's aggressive military actions in the region, and its quest for nuclear weapons. The May 10 Tweet on his official account, @khalidalkhalifa, read: "As long as Iran has breached the status quo in the region and has violates, with its troops and missiles, any state in the region, including Israel, is entitled to defend itself by destroying the sources of danger." The tweet, posted in Arabic, was remarkable in another sense: it was a tacit and explicit recognition of Israel as a "state," something few political leaders in the region will acknowledge publicly. It shows the depths of concern Iran's actions and ambitions have stirred among its neighbors.

#QATAR: Saudi-Led Bloc Gives Qatar 10 Days To Meet "Anti-Terror" Demands Blockade/Cut Relations

[world politic news]

A Saudi-led bloc had given Qatar a 10 days to comply with 13 demands, which included shutting down the Al Jazeera Media Network, closing a Turkish military base and scaling down ties with Iran. In the document, the countries also demanded that Qatar sever all alleged ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and with other groups, including Hezbollah, al-Qaeda and ISIS. Qatar has dismissed a list of demands submitted by four Arab nations as neither reasonable or actionable.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#QATAR: Neighboring Nations Cut Ties With Qatar Over Iranian & Alleged Terror Ties

[world politics news]

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Yemen have cut ties, claiming the energy-rich monarchy is undermining stability in the region by supporting in the Iran-aligned militant groups. Authorities gave Qataris living in and visiting their countries two weeks to leave.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#BAHRAIN: Terrorists Hack, Temporarily Take Over, Foreign Minister's Twitter Account

[world politics news]

Hackers temporarily took over the Twitter account of Bahraini foreign minister Khaled bin Ahmad al-Khalifa on Saturday. Bahrain's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Saturday afternoon acknowledging al-Khalifa's Twitter account had been taken over by "terrorists." al-Mukhtar Brigades, a Shia group with a strong online presence, claimed responsibility for the hacking and posted anti-government videos and images.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#BAHRAIN: Foreign Min. Attacks Iraqi Gov't For Criticism Of Sentence Of Man For "Denigrating Institutions"

[world politics news]

Bahrain’s foreign minister reacted negatively after Iraq "expressed  concern" about the conviction of a man for "incitement to divisions." Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa tweeted: "I am bewildered as how a country...where terrorism and sectarianism are widespread... issues a statement about a man being tried legally in another country."

#BAHRAIN: TV Station Banned By Gov't After It Interviews Dissidents

[world politics news]

Billionaire Al-Waleed Ben Talal’s TV news channel, Al-Arab (The Arabs) was banned on its second day, after it interviewed a Bahraini dissident critical of the government's decision to revoke the citizenship of 72 nationals. The new station said it would break the mold of news reporting and would be unbiased.

#QATAR

#SaudiArabia, #UAE, #Bahrian Recall Envoys to Quatar After "Stormy" Riyadh Meeting [world politics news]

QATAR

Gulf Countries to Blacklist Hezobollah As Terrorist Group [world politics news]

The Gulf Cooperation Countries - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman - are beginning to stake steps to officially blacklist Hezbollah, the Lebanese group that has declared allegiance to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and has been seen as a threat to several Gulf countries. Bahrain blacklisted Hezbollah in April.

BAHRAIN: Crown Prince Calls for Dialogue With Opposition, Condemns Unrest [World Politics News]

BAHRAIN: Military Breaks Up Protest Supporting 13 Arrested in Arab Spring Protests

BAHRAIN: Nearly 100,000 In Anti-Government Protests