The US State Department report about human rights in the world for 2017 that was recently issued stated that the Bahraini government denied holding any political prisoners, although it acknowledged holding several dozen high-profile individuals, including leaders or prominent members of political societies and organizations and others who were publicly critical of government institutions or government actions prior to their arrests.

The US State Department annual report about human rights stated that the Bahraini government does not implement the laws against official corruption adequately. Reports indicated that some officials reportedly engaged in corrupt practices with impunity.

The United Arab Emirates said Qatari fighter planes intercepted a civilian aircraft carrying 86 passengers to Bahrain on Sunday, UAE state news agency WAM reported.

An incumbent prime minister, his ousted predecessor and a paramilitary chief instrumental in defeating the Islamic State group are the three favorites vying for Iraq's premiership.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who is heading to Washington to urge his US counterpart to stay in the Iran nuclear deal, said in an interview broadcast Sunday that there is no "Plan B" if the accord is scrapped.

US Ambassador to Bahrain Justin Hicks Siberell expressed his country’s support to Bahrain’s efforts in combating human trafficking.

Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned “the interception of an Emirati airliner by Qatari fighter jets as it was carrying dozens of passengers from Dammam to Abu Dhabi.”

Human Rights activist Nabeel Rajab Said that he is serving a prison term without knowing the reasons behind the sentence raised against him.

Bahrain’s Gulf Air is counting on Middle East routes to help drive passenger growth and turn around the loss-making airline, its deputy chief executive said on Sunday.

The Government of Bahrain said in its response on a bill preventing members and heads of dissolved political societies from running in the election that the members and heads of these societies are on a par with those joining banned and secret organizations

Oil and gas analysts at BMI Research said that they do not expect Bahrain’s recent discovery of a large oil and gas field to yield a “significant economic windfall” for the country.

The Supreme Court of Appeals upheld a 5-year jail term given to a Pakistani national for selling fake gold to shops. The first-instance court had sentenced him to 7 years in jail and ordered to deport him.

The National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) issued a statement on what it called “reports issued by some foreign parties on the human rights situation in Bahrain”.

Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Khalid bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, said: “Demand Number 14: Putting Al Jazeera on trial” in reference to the 13 demands presented by each of Saudi Arabia, Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to Qatar.

Brigadier-General Ibrahim Hassan, Commandant of the Royal Police Academy in the Interior Ministry, said that ongoing security developments and changes are being taken into consideration in order to develop the academic programs in the academy, especially those related to terrorism and cybercrime and economic crimes.

Director of Operations and Control at the General Directorate of Traffic Adel Al-Dosari asserted that the first quarter of the current year witnessed the registration of many stunt driving violations, in which 17 cars and four motorcycles were seized. He said that more traffic patrols had been deployed to tackle such dangerous practices and that severe measures are taken against the violators according to the law.

Riyadh police spokesman said that a shooting incident took place on Saturday night near royal palaces in the Saudi capital.

Saudi Energy Minister Khaled al-Faleh said Friday the global market has the capacity to absorb higher oil prices, drawing a swift reaction from US President Donald Trump who accused OPEC of inflating prices.

Dozens of Saudi families flocked to the movies on Friday for the first time in almost 40 years after the lifting of a ban on a form of entertainment once deemed corrupting and un-Islamic.

U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron will discuss the Iran nuclear agreement at the White House on Tuesday, although discussions with European countries on addressing U.S. concerns about the 2015 deal were “not quite done yet,” a senior administration official said on Friday.