Bahrain Bans Protests as Unrest Spreads

The Shiite majority is challenging the Sunni-led government

Bahrain says it is banning all protest gatherings amid escalating clashes in the strategic Gulf kingdom that hosts the US Navy's 5th Fleet.

The decision re-imposes state of emergency-style rules in the Sunni-ruled nation, whose Shiite majority launched an uprising over 20 months ago, aiming to win a greater political voice.