ANYONE who has followed the revolutions across North Africa will find the barely-concealed menace in the statement from Saif al-Islam, one of Muammar Gaddafi’s sons, that “everything will be over in 48 hours”, more than a little chilling.

A three-month state of emergency has been declared in Bahrain to try to quell political unrest threatening the monarchy.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad played down talk of a possible American strike against his country during a visit to Bahrain.