Although much of the mainstream media appears to have forgotten Bahrain, it is clear that the situation is worsening. Frighteningly so.

Last week, Bahrain International Circuit CEO, Sheik Salman bin Isa al-Khalifa, signalled that the race might still go ahead this year, telling the Bahrain News Agency (who else?): "Now that security has prevailed and normal life has returned to Bahrain, we are stepping up contacts to host the race anew."

However, that didn't tie-in with reports Pitpass was receiving from its sources in Bahrain, nor with reports from The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times or Reuters.

At the weekend, The Observer ran a number of articles on the ever worsening situation, indeed, the British newspaper even devoted its editorial to the crisis.

Today, the Independent sheds further light on the situation and contrary to Khalifa's suggestion that 'all is well, nothing to see here', there are fears that the destruction by Saudi troops of Shia mosques and places of worship in the kingdom, could prove to be the catalyst for revolution that tears the entire Muslim world apart.

With less than two weeks to go before the May 1 deadline, at which point the powers that be must make a decision on the future of the event, Planet Paddock would do well to take notice of what is happening in the real world.