Story highlights Democracy campaigners in Bahrain want Sunday's F1 race in the Gulf state to be canceled Protesters see race as publicity stunt by country's rulers to make nation seem more unified Shiite opposition groups in the Sunni-ruled kingdom want equality and human rights reforms Motorsport's governing body say race should go ahead; drivers brush off safety concerns Democracy campaigners in Bahrain and politicians around the world are calling for this Sunday's Formula 1 race in the Gulf state to be canceled as violent clashes continue between activists and authorities. What are the issues around the controversy, and how are the sport and its fans reacting? Why are there calls for this weekend's Grand Prix in Bahrain to be scrapped? Opposition groups in Bahrain as well as politicians, rights groups and many F1 fans around the world want Sunday's Grand Prix -- which could be watched by a global audience of more than 500 million -- to be canceled while the Gulf state braces … [Read more...] about Why is Bahrain F1 race under fire?
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Demonstrations rev up ahead of Bahrain Grand Prix
Story highlights Opposition groups promise demonstrations ahead of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix The Formula 1 race will be held this weekend Bahrain security forces have been criticized for being too harsh on demonstrators Bahrain authorities arrested demonstrators Wednesday as they tried to "disrupt public and private interests" ahead of this weekend's Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, state media reported. "The saboteurs (attempted) to disrupt the flow of the traffic and terrorized people," according to the state-run Bahrain News Agency. "They also assaulted citizens and policemen, hurling Molotov Cocktails, iron rods and stones." Opposition groups have promised to demonstrate ahead of Sunday's Formula 1 race and beyond. Over the weekend, the Bahrain Youth Coalition called for "popular days of overwhelming rage." Motorsport's governing body elected last week to hold the Formula 1 in the Gulf kingdom after weeks of speculation. In a news release issued Friday, the race's governing … [Read more...] about Demonstrations rev up ahead of Bahrain Grand Prix
As protests continue, Bahrain prince says Grand Prix ‘builds bridges’
Story highlights The crown prince says canceling the race would be a win for extremists Protests are part of the political process, he says, state news reports Four U.S. senators urge Bahrain to release an activist on hunger strike Protesters say the Gulf kingdom is making arrests ahead of the race, set for Sunday The Bahrain Grand Prix will act as a unifying force amid the nation's unrest, the Bahraini government said Friday, while opposition activists accused the Gulf kingdom's rulers of cracking down on demonstrations. The Bahrain Grand Prix is set to run Sunday. "The government guarantees the safety of everyone. We are very confident about our security measures that we have in place," Fahad Albinali, spokesman for the Bahrain Information Affairs Authority, told CNN's Becky Anderson. Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa told reporters that canceling the race would play into extremists' hands, according to a report Friday in the state-run Bahrain News Agency. "The Formula … [Read more...] about As protests continue, Bahrain prince says Grand Prix ‘builds bridges’
Life after seeing death: How Romain Grosjean’s family inspired him as he was engulfed by flames
(CNN) Time seemed to slow down as Romain Grosjean's car -- split in half from the force of hitting the race barriers -- was enveloped in flames. "Twenty-eight seconds I was in the flames, if you look," the racing driver tells CNN Sport as he remembers the crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix last November. "If you ask me how long it was, I would have said a minute ... minute-and-a-half." That Grosjean was able to climb out of the wreckage and into a medical car shortly after the crash appeared nothing short of miraculous. What must make the Frenchman's memories of the crash more troubling is knowing that if the car had become angled slightly differently, or if the barrier had not shifted as much as it did, then he might not have made it out alive. Read More "I remember everything about it, every single detail -- from the moment I started undoing my seat belt, to the moment I realized I was stuck in the car thinking it was okay, they [race safety staff] would … [Read more...] about Life after seeing death: How Romain Grosjean’s family inspired him as he was engulfed by flames
For better or worse: Which way will US-Saudi relations go under Biden?
Stepping back for a moment from the tension between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia over the role of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi , what are the fundamentals of the relations between our nation and theirs? What should they be, and what could they be? For decades, defining the relationship boiled down to the simple adage of oil for security: “You supply the world with oil. We will provide you with security.” In those days, the threats to the kingdom came from the Arab nationalism of former president Gamal Abdel Nasser’s Egypt, Iraq and Syria, rather than Iran, then still ruled by Mohammad Reza Shah. Things changed with the 1973 Yom Kippur War and the Arab oil embargo , which prompted a dramatic price increase. (The architect, Saudi oil minister Ahmed Zaki Yamani, died this week .) We quickly learned that the oil part of the deal meant “oil at reasonable prices,” and there was little agreement on the definition of … [Read more...] about For better or worse: Which way will US-Saudi relations go under Biden?
