Bahrain bans al-Qaida, Hezbollah websites

The Bahraini authorities have banned website with links to al-Qaida, Hezbollah and other groups affiliated with terrorists as part of a tougher anti-terror measure, local media reported on Saturday. The Minister of State for Communications, Sheikh Fawaz bin Mohammad Al Khalifa announced the regulation, which is a response to the recent recommendations by the country's National Assembly to take more anti-terror measures. "With the increasing threat of terrorism, it is critical for Bahrain to join its allies and global partners in preventing the spread of extremist ideology through shutting off access to websites developed by internationally recognized terror groups, such as al-Qaida and Hezbollah," Sheikh Fawaz said in a statement. He added that legal action will be taken against those who incite violence and encourage terrorism. The ministry has already established a hotline and an email account to receive complaints about social media abuse, according to the report.