In the week leading up to the one year anniversary of Bahrain's February 14 Revolution, many journalists have been denied visas to the country. Journalists from the New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, the Wall Street Journal, the BBC, Associated Foreign Press, and Al-Jazeera English were all denied visas because of what the government is calling a "high volume of requests."

"This refusal to allow access for such prestigious media organizations is another ominous signal from the Bahrain government about what might happen this coming week,” said Brian Dooley of Human Rights First. "The days approaching the anniversary are tense and rife with rumor. Bahrain's refusal to admit human rights and media organizations only fuels suspicions that the government wants to hide the truth about its ongoing abuses."

It is unclear how many journalists are allowed to enter the country for the February 14 anniversary, but the Information Affairs Agency maintains they are allowing many foreign media outlets to cover the events.

As part of the 2011 "Arab Spring" uprising, the protests in Bahrain were initially aimed at achieving greater political reforms and equality for the predominantly Shia population. However, following a bloody night raid on February 17, 2011 against peaceful protestors staging sit-ins at Pear Roundabout in Manama, the protestors raised their demands and called for an end to the centuries-long authoritarian rule of the Khalifa dynasty. On March 14, Hundreds of Saudi troops entered Bahrain to help protect government facilities amid escalating protests against the Sunni-led government.

Mohammed al-Maskati, head of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights, says his team has documented 60 deaths since February 14, 2011 and that the police's aggressive approach in countering activists has stiffened in the past two months. Meanwhile, hundreds of activists have been detained, injured, and tortured in the past year.

After almost a year, violence is still rife in Bahrain as the revolutionary youths remain resolute in their demands and Saudi-backed forces are increasingly brutal in their crackdowns. This week the February 14 Youth Coalition issued a "charter" saying the government crackdowns had gone too far. "The aim of this revolution has become to bring down the regime and decide our own fate after it became clear that trying to live with it and reform it has become impossible," it said.

As next week's anniversary approaches, many people are uncertain about how the events will unfold and worry of increased violence, chaos, and deaths. Emile Hokayen, Mideast Analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, tweeted, "Here in Bahrain, lots of uncertainty abt next week. Rumors galore, concern in some quarters, fatigue in others, real frustration among opp."

Photo: A girl flashes the victory sign with her fingers amid fellow anti-government protestors waving Bahraini flags during a rally held by Al-Wefaq, Bahrain's main Shiite opposition, in Sanabis, west of Manama January 12, 2012. Thousands of anti-government protesters participated in the rally shouting anti-government slogans demanding the downfall of the ruling family. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

Libya: The revolutionaries have made tangible progress in their advance toward the city of Sirte, Muammar Gaddafi’s birthplace and final stronghold. According to a source close to the revolutionaries, their forces are approaching the city from both the east and the west. The revolutionaries expect the battle for Sirte to be a decisive one because they have acquired more advanced weaponry from Gaddafi's arsenals. While the revolutionaries are gathering additional equipment and fighters in their advance toward Sirte, they say they would prefer to enter the city peacefully to avoid additional bloodshed.

Bahrain: In a televised speech, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa attempted to pacify the Bahraini street with calls for forgiveness, dialogue, and recognition that Bahraini detainees have been mistreated. However, his speech was not viewed favorably by the opposition, who believe that the speech offered no real concessions and that Manama’s government has completely lost its legitimacy.

Syria: Opposition activists said that six people, including a child, were killed in the town of Sermin in the northern province of Idlib during the Syrian army’s security operations. This morning, military vehicles including tanks, armored personnel carriers, and military cars stormed the town of Hit near the Lebanese border. This news comes as the formation of a 94-member transitional council for the Syrian opposition was announced in Istanbul.

Libya: Opposition forces stormed Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi's residence at the Bab al-Aziziya compound after hours of intense fighting. The opposition achieved additional military gains in the east and took control of the port of Ras Lanuf, pushing Gaddafi's supporters to the outskirts of Bin Jawad. However, in a surprising move, Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi, who was reportedly arrested two days ago, appeared in front of the media last night affirming that his father and his family are in Tripoli. NATO is continuously bombing the Bab al-Aziziya compound in the hopes of forcing Gaddafi and his family out of hiding.

Syria: The UN Human Rights Council adopted a draft resolution calling for the formation of an independent committee to investigate human rights violations in Syria. The draft resolution was proposed by the US, the EU, and the four Arab countries at the council (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Kuwait). Russia, China, and Cuba opposed the resolution. On the ground, a UN team has arrived in the city of Idlib. The visit coincided with a protest rally that was held on city streets demanding the downfall of the regime.

Bahrain: Rights groups have condemned the Bahraini regime and state-linked firms for unlawfully terminating 2,500 Bahraini employees for participating in nation-wide protests against the ruling Al Khalifa dynasty. The state employees were dismissed from their jobs on Tuesday. Meanwhile, 40 people detained in connection with anti-regime protests have been formally charged after spending several months in custody. The charges include "illegal assembly" and "trying to distort Bahrain's image."

(Al Jazeera English Headlines: 1200 PST, February 17, 2011) Troops and tanks have locked down the Bahraini capital of Manama after riot police swinging clubs and firing tear gas smashed into demonstrators in a pre-dawn assault, killing at least four people. Hours after the attack on Manama's main Pearl Roundabout, the military announced a ban on gatherings, saying on state TV that it had "key parts" of the capital under its control.

Khalid Al Khalifa, Bahrain's foreign minister, justified the crackdown as necessary because the demonstrators were "polarising the country" and pushing it to the "brink of the sectarian abyss." Speaking to reporters after meeting with his Gulf counterparts, he also said the violence was "regrettable". Two people had died in police firing on the protesters prior to Thursday's deadly police raid.

An Al Jazeera correspondent, who cannot be named for security reasons, went to Salmaniya hospital, which was thrown into chaos by a stream of wounded protesters from Pearl Roundabout.

WARNING: This video contains images that some viewers may find disturbing.

(Al Jazeera English Headlines: 0635 PST, February 15, 2011) The king of Bahrain has made a rare appearance on television, offering condolences for protesters who have died in anti-government demonstrations. Two people were killed in clashes with police; the king has also promised an investigation.

Police in Iran confirmed that two people were killed during Monday's anti-government protests in Tehran, but they blame oppositions protesters for starting the violence.

The head of Egypt's ruling military council has issued a decree ordering the constitutional amendment committee to finish its work within 10 days. It's hoped reforms can speed up the transition to democratic rule and subdue ongoing labor protests. Sectors such as tourism have been hit economically due to disruptions caused by anti-Mubarak protests.

And the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is to stand trial on charges he paid for sex with an underage girl and then tried to cover it up.