Bahrain folds 25 years of state of emergency

Bahrain is preparing to make probably the most important changes of its modern political history after it gained independence from British rule in 1971. Some 217,000 Bahrainis are set to participate in a referendum this week that could lead to the abolition of a 25-year state of emergency and the return of parliamentary life in a democratic royal state as promised by the country's Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Issa al-Khalifa few days ago.