Saudi Arabia reported major progress on Thursday in cutting a huge state budget deficit caused by low oil prices, and said it would increase government spending next year to boost flagging economic growth.

Bahraini authorities have questioned detained activist Nabeel Rajab about an article under his name in France's Le Monde daily containing what they called misinformation and "false rumors" about Gulf Arab states.

The Bahraini Fourth High Criminal Court sentenced a defendant (24 years) to 3 years in prison and ordered the confiscation of seized items.

The Bahraini Fourth High Criminal Court acquitted two suspects of planting hoax bomb, setting fire, making riots, assembling as well as acquiring Molotov and ordered the confiscation of seized items.

The Bahraini Fourth High Criminal Court sentenced five defendants to 3 years in prison and ordered the confiscation of seized items.

The fourth High Criminal Court decided to adjourn the trial of 24 defendants in the case of murder of 2 police officers, and the attempted murder of 6 others. The trials, along with that of al-Wefaq member Sheikh Hassan Isa, who is accused of financing a terrorist group, was adjourned until January 18, 2017.

Al-Wasat newspaper said that the Ministry of Health has carried out major changes to department heads at Salmaniya Medical Complex, which included merging departments together.

Bahrain is moving towards canceling the Kafala (Sponsorship) labor System, claiming it is trying to fix the status of the labor market.

Professor at the government-own University of Qatar said that the killer of Russian Ambassador in Turkey is a “martyr”.

The fifth High Criminal Court decided last week to postpone the trial of prominent Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab till December 28, 2016, to listen to the statements of prosecution witness. The technical expert concerned with examining a “Twitter” account in Rajab’s name, is also expected to present his report.

French daily “Le Monde” published a new letter by prominent Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab, in which he asked Europeans to reconsider their relations with the Gulf countries.

Bahraini and international human rights organizations sent a letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, H.E. Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, urging him to call on the Government of Bahrain to immediately and unconditionally release detained human rights defender Nabeel Rajab and drop the charges against him.

Violence and protests escalated in Bahrain on Wednesday (December 21, 2016) after clashes broke out between the regime forces and protestors outside the Shiite majority religious leader Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim’s house.

Bahraini regime forces clashed on Wednesday (December 21, 2016) with protestors in Sitra Island southeast of the capital, Manama.

Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression David Kaye called on Wednesday (December 21, 2016) for Nabeel Rajab’s immediate release.

The Director-General of Anti-corruption and Economic & Electronic Security has announced that the Cyber Crime Directorate has identified an article in French newspaper 'Le Monde' quoting Nabeel Rajab. The article contained false and malicious information and rumors that defamed Bahrain and other GCC countries in an attempt to harm their interests.

A jailed activist in Bahrain on trial for allegedly spreading "false news" is being investigated over a letter published in his name by a French newspaper, authorities said Thursday, the second such probe into his writings in recent months.

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior said on Wednesday (December 21, 2016) that it arrested a number of wanted in some villages and searched their houses.

Human Rights Watch said that the Bahraini authorities held a telecommunications engineer incommunicado for five weeks without access to a lawyer or his family. The authorities failed to provide accurate information on the whereabouts of the engineer, Sayed Alawi, from his arrest on October 24, 2016, until November 27.

Bahraini authorities say they have interrogated detained opposition leader Nabil Rajab for spreading "false information" in an article published in French daily Le Monde that accused Gulf monarchies of fomenting "extremism".