Bahrain king names four women to upper chamber

A Bahrain court sentenced eight Shiite opposition activists to life in prison on Wednesday for "plotting to overthrow" the kingdom's Sunni rulers, nearly a week ahead of a national dialogue proposed by the king.The National Safety Court of first instance also jailed 13 others for two to 15 years on similar charges, state news agency BNA added.A member of Bahrain's largest Shiite formation, the Islamic National Accord Association (Al-Wefaq), slammed the sentence as contradicting King Hamad's calls for dialogue, set to begin on July 1.

Bahrain's King Hamad called on Tuesday for a national dialogue to begin on July 1, as the authorities readied to lift a state of emergency enacted during a crackdown on demonstrators, BNA state news agency said."I appeal to the executive and legislature to convene a dialogue of national consensus," the king was quoted as telling a group of journalists.He called for "all necessary steps to prepare for a serious dialogue, comprehensive and without preconditions, adding that it should "start from July 1."

Bahrain's King Hamad named a cabinet on Tuesday following last week's parliamentary elections that is virtually unchanged, state news agency BNA said.The pro-Western Al-Khalifa family, which has ruled Bahrain since 1783, continues to hold the same leading positions, with Prince Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa as prime minister and Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad al-Khalifa as foreign minister.Prince Khalifa has served as prime minister ever since independence from Britain in 1971.

Bahrain on Monday inched closer to imposing a ban on Muslims drinking or trading in alcohol in the Gulf kingdom, a favourite watering-hole of Saudis who use a causeway linking the two Arab neighbours.Its all-appointed upper chamber adopted an amendment to the penal code, banning imports and consumption of alcohol for and by Muslims, in a move subject to King Hamad's approval.The council authorised Bahraini authorities to decide where alcohol can continue to be served to non-Muslims.

Bahrain on Wednesday set up an independent committee of legal experts to investigate the bloody unrest during anti-regime protests in February and March, state news agency BNA reported.Ordered by King Hamad, the five-man panel will be chaired by Mahmud Sharif Bassiouni, an international expert in criminal law.

PR Newswire - WASHINGTON, March 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz delivered the keynote address yesterday at the inauguration of the annual session of the Majlis Al-Shura (Consultative Council). His speech addressed a variety of issues, including employment, education, counterterrorism, women's rights, economic policies, oil prices, the Arab-Israeli conflict and humanitarian aid. The audience included members of the Saudi royal family, foreign diplomats, ministers and senior government officials.

OTTAWA — U.S. President Barack Obama has chosen a political fundraiser from Chicago to be the new American ambassador to Canada, according to a media report. CBC reported Wednesday that Bruce Heyman, a partner at the investment firm of Goldman Sachs, has been asked to take the diplomatic posting and that he has accepted. His posting, yet to be formally announced by the White House, must still be confirmed by the U.S. Congress.

Bahrain has foiled a "foreign plot" to target Gulf countries, King Hamad said in a possible reference to Iran, after security forces crushed Shiite-led unrest, the state news agency reported Monday.He said there was a "foreign plot being prepared over a period of 30, maybe 20 years... so that if it works in one of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, it could spread," the king was quoted as saying.