SITRA, Bahrain — Sometimes a name suggests a condition. There was Beirut a generation ago, Baghdad more recently. In Bahrain, a Persian Gulf state so polarized that truth itself is a matter of interpretation, it is Sitra. Here, the faces of young men foretell a future for the country that looks like the rubble-strewn and violent streets of this town.

On a recent night, after clashes that erupt almost daily, one of them entered the house of a relative, squinting as though he had stumbled from a dungeon into the sun. Tear gas. His friend smirked as he showed the smooth scars left by rubber bullets fired at his leg and chest. Another shrugged as he removed his shirt to reveal a back scarred by pellets...Read More

AMMAN - Scores of journalists converged at the Jordan Press Association (JPA) on Thursday to show their solidarity with Al Ghad journalist Yousef Damra, who was threatened after publishing an article exposing a major fraud case.

The demonstration was joined by Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Rakan Majali, who reiterated the government’s rejection of recent acts of intimidation against journalists.

The story, according to Damra, started in April when he started writing about victims of fraud.

He added that his last article, dated October 19, exposed a JD3 million real estate fraud case...Read More