Bahrain protesters blockade parliament

Bahraini protesters blockaded the parliament building on Monday, two weeks after the Shiite uprising started demanding political reform in the country and an end to alleged discrimination at the hands of the Sunni ruling class.

The siege of the parliament coincided with a meeting of the 40-member upper chamber on Monday, and resulted in a delay of the proceedings, AP reported.

On Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed the Bahraini monarch's decision to reshuffle his cabinet in response to demands for political reform.

I welcome the announcement by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa about making important changes to the cabinet and restating his commitment to reform, a statement from the president said.

The ministers of key portfolios like housing, health and cabinet affairs were among those fired as protests continued in various parts of the tiny kingdom, which was the first to drill oil in the region.

The Shiites, who are majority in the country ruled by the Sunni monarch, allege that the oil wealth has not been equitably distributed and criticize the lack of political freedom for them.

Meanwhile, the impact of the two-week long protests in Bahrain spread to Oman, a fellow member of the Gulf Cooperation Council.