Bahrain releases more than 100 detainees

Bahrain on Saturday released more than 100 people who were detained on security-related charges. No official statement has been issued about the number or names of those who have been allowed to go home. The release coincides with the launch of the national dialogue, a forum for more than 300 Bahrainis from political societies, NGOs, the media, the parliament, the municipal councils, the trade unions and the business community, to discuss the future of Bahrain following weeks of deep divisions sparked by the country's worst crisis in its modern history. Kuwaiti naval force concludes mission Article continues below In neighbouring Kuwait, Kuwait News Agency (Kuna) reported that the Kuwaiti naval force, assigned to protect Bahrain's maritime borders has concluded its three-month mission. "The Kuwaiti naval joined a Gulf effort with a number of boats to secure the Bahraini maritime borders as part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) joint defense treaty," Kuwaiti military attaché Colonel Ali Al Asaker told Kuna. "Our presence in Bahrain since mid-March was a national duty toward a country that has deep-rooted ties with the State of Kuwait," he said. Other developments from agencies: Bahrain launches national dialogue Bahrain on Saturday launched a national dialogue aimed at getting reforms back on track, buoyed by the last-minute decision of the main Shiite opposition bloc to take part. Parliament speaker Khalifa Dhahrani told the opening session, which was broadcast live by state television, that the dialogue would have "no preconditions and no ceiling" on the demands that could be raised by delegates. He said the aim was to draw up "common principles for the relaunch of the political reform process". The authorities had come under huge pressure from their Western allies to begin a dialogue with the opposition after a month-long protests in mid-March. Shiite opposition bloc The main Shiite opposition bloc, the Islamic National Accord Association (Al Wefaq), joined the dialogue after a protracted debate on whether to take part that was only resolved late Friday. Senior Al Wefaq official Khalil Al Marzoug said the group's five-strong delegation would maintain its demand for the prime minister to be drawn in future from the majority bloc in parliament, the Manama daily Al Wasat reported on Saturday. In an address to supporters on Friday, the movement's leader Shaikh Ali Salman insisted: "Al Wefaq will not abandon the demands of the people which are an elected government, a fair electoral law and an elected parliament with full powers." Under Bahrain's current constitution, an elected lower house shares legislative powers with an appointed upper house. Al Wefaq boycotted parliamentary elections in 2002 in protest at the division of powers, although it took part in 2006 and 2010, winning a majority of the vote. Shaikh Salman also demanded the release of all prisoners detained during protests, insisting his party would "accept nothing less."