Bahrain deadlocked talks saved from brink, some hope for progress

MANAMA (Reuters) - Bahrain's crown prince has pulled reconciliation talks back from the brink by organising a meeting with the Shi'ite opposition, and the appointment of a royal delegate, and agreed topics for new talks, have raised some hope of progress.

However, mistrust between the Shi'ite Muslim majority and the ruling Sunni al-Khalifa family is still high three years after the government crushed pro-democracy protests and many Bahraini Shi'ites regard these reconciliatory gestures with scepticism.