Bahrain begins quest for new parliament

BAHRAINIS began to cast their votes for a new parliament yesterday against a backdrop of rising sectarian tensions in the Gulf Arab country where decision- making is tightly controlled by its rulers.

Bahrain has a Shi'ite majority population but is governed by the Sunni al-Khalifa dynasty, which allies Saudi Arabia and the US see as a bulwark against the regional influence of Shi'ite power Iran.