Bahrain Snapshot: The New Look of the "Last Independent Newspaper"

British Minister of Defence with Bahrain's KingFor weeks, Bahraini authorities and their supporters have waged a campaign against Al Wasat, the only newspaper which is not connected with the Government. A steady "information" effort has accused the paper of lies and distortions, and its printing works were attacked by armed civilians last month, forcing a reduction in the newspaper's number of pages.

On Saturday, after hours of "special" coverage on State TV denouncing Al Wasat, the newspaper was suspended by authorities. It was allowed to resume publication yesterday, after the board replaced the editor-in-chief, chief, and local news editor.

So what does the "new" Al Wasat look like? 

Well, this morning, only two of its featured nine stories are about Bahrain: 1) The Ministry of Education reports on the "negative impact" on the educational process and threat to the safety of students from recent events challenging national unity, and 2) Why is the Ministry of Municipalities not developing some of the old public parks?

Oh, yes, there is also the lead item in Local News: "King Receives British Minister of Defence and Confirms Importance of Cooperation and Joint Defense".