In brief: Bahrain Shiites hold seats in vote
MANAMA, Bahrain – Embattled by months of crackdowns, Bahrain’s Shiite Muslim majority held onto its strength in parliament, according to election results announced Sunday, but fell short of dealing a humbling blow against the minority Sunni rulers of this island kingdom and key U.S. ally.
But the overall advantage appeared to go to the Sunni rulers because of the relatively high turnout of 67 percent and the strong Shiite participation, said Shadi Hamid, a researcher on Gulf affairs at The Brookings Doha Center in neighboring Qatar.
Election results announced Sunday on state television gave 18 of the 40 seats to the largest Shiite political group and 13 to pro-government Sunnis.
Hundreds protest security chief
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan – Hundreds of people rallied Sunday in this Central Asian capital in support of a top Kyrgyz politician who claims he was wounded in an attack linked to contested election results.
Protesters backing Kamchibek Tashiyev, the leader of a nationalist party, demanded the resignation of Kyrgyzstan’s security chief, Keneshbek Duishebayev, whom Tashiyev blamed for an alleged attack Saturday at his home in a suburb of Bishkek, the capital.
The crowd of some 700 people in Bishkek’s central square also demanded the release of official results for the Oct. 10 parliamentary elections.
Preliminary results gave a surprise first place to Tashiyev’s Ata-Zhurt party amid claims of widespread fraud.
Guides missing after avalanche
KATMANDU, Nepal – A veteran Sherpa guide who has scaled Mount Everest 19 times and another Nepalese guide are missing after an avalanche hit them while they were climbing a smaller Himalayan peak, his agent said Sunday.
Chhewang Nima, 43, was hired by a British expedition to scale the 23,380-foot Mount Baruntse and was fixing ropes near the summit when an avalanche hit him and the other guide on Saturday, said Jeevan Ghimire of the Sherpa Shangrila Trek and Expedition agency.
The accident occurred at an altitude of 23,100 feet, he said.