Egypt: Thousands of Egyptians staged protests in Tahrir Square, marking the “Second Friday of Anger.” Organizers said that the rally was aimed at speeding up the trials of members of the former regime. Meanwhile, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces ordered all army units out of Tahrir Square and protest areas. The council said that it relies on the youths of the revolution to organize and secure the event, as they bear "historic responsibility for the country's interest."

Syria: Protestors took to the streets demanding freedom in a number of Syrian cities immediately after Friday prayers on what is being called the “Friday of Guardians of the Homeland.” Security forces opened fire on protestors in Homs, Dir-Zure, and several areas of Damascus and its countryside, killing a total of eight people.

Libya: Fierce fighting continues between Libyan revolutionaries and Gaddafi's battalions in Misurata and its surrounding areas. Eyewitnesses say the fighting began in the early morning after the battalions attacked the revolutionaries in an attempt to recapture Misurata, which has been under the revolutionaries’ control for two weeks. The African Union called on NATO to stop shelling Libya, considering it a necessary step on the path to a political solution.

Yemen:  Thousands people in the Sa'ada province took to the street in a massive demonstration affirming that the Yemeni revolution is a peaceful one. The protestors carried banners demanding the downfall of the regime and chanted slogans for a peaceful revolution and against civil war. They also chanted slogans rejecting negotiations and dialogue.

(Euronews: 0726 PT, May 11, 2011) Greece is once again in the grip of a general strike as people protest against the governments raft of harsh austerity measures aimed to keep the debt-ridden the country solvent. Athens is currently planning further measures to save an extra 23 billion euros by 2015, but ordinary Greeks are outraged.

Violence Erupts During Potests in Athens

(ITN News: 0431 PT, May 11, 2011) Police in Athens have arrested ten people during a violent march against economic austerity measures.

(Euronews: 0421 PT, May 11, 2011) Anti-Gaddafi fighters in Misurata are engaged in trench warfare against Libyan government forces. Euronews has exclusive pictures from the fluid frontline as the rebel army make slight gains against a better-trained and well-equipped foe.

Government forces are deploying snipers to keep the rebels pinned down and then hit their positions with shells and mortars. Those opposed to Gaddafi say they are expecting NATO air strikes to target government troops at any time.

EU to Open Office in Rebel Stronghold Benghazi

(Euronews: 0726 PT, May 11, 2011) The European Union says it will open an office in the rebel-held Libyan city of Benghazi. However, this is not a sign of recognition for the rebel administration. The aim is to help with security and getting aid to where it is needed. The office will also assist with health and education.

(Press TV: 0833 PST, April 20, 2011) The leader of one of the main opposition parties in Serbia, Tomislav Nikolic, is still on a thirst and hunger strike that began during a protest on Saturday April 16. He is calling for an extraordinary election, while President Boris Tadic hopes to delay any vote while Serbia applies for European Union membership.

(Al Jazeera English: 1232 PST, April 11, 2011) If representatives of the African Union were expecting a heroes' welcome in Benghazi, they'd have been very much disappointed as they arrived on Monday morning.

The delegation came to the stronghold of the Libyan Transitional National Council in a bid to begin mediation talks - but was met by crowds of protesters, insisting on Gaddafi's removal from power as a prerequisite to any negotiations with Tripoli. Al Jazeera's Sue Turton reports from Benghazi with a wrap-up of the day's events.

A delegation from the African Union arrived in Benghazi this morning to attempt to mediate the escalating situation in Libya. Prior to the delegation’s arrival, revolutionaries said they would welcome the AU’s proposal under the condition that Muammar Gaddafi step down. NATO also welcomed the mediation, after saying there is not a military solution to the conflicts in Libya. According to al-Jazeera, the AU’s peace plan includes an immediate ceasefire, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians, and starting negotiations between all Libyan parties. Gaddafi met with the African delegation on Sunday and officially accepted the peace plan. Critics believe that his acceptance of the plan was merely a maneuver to stay in power as long as possible.

Al-Alam reports that Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has accepted the Gulf Cooperation Council’s peace initiative, the opposition has announced its complete rejection of it. The initiative stipulates that Saleh must transfer his authority to Vice President Abduraboo Mansur Hadi and that an opposition-led national unity government be formed. The political efforts to end the conflict in Yemen coincide with continued sit-ins and protests demanding the ouster of Saleh's regime.

The state prosecutor-general of Egypt, faced with mounting public pressure, has summoned former President Hosni Mubarak and his family for questioning However, Dubai TV reports that as Mubarak continues to proclaim his innocence, some Egyptians fear that he and members of his family may escape prosecution due to a lack of evidence. Mubarak added that he will file legal charges against anyone attempting to defame his or his family's image.

The BBC reports that a demonstration at Damascus University, in the Syrian capital, ended with one student killed and several others were arrested . Syrian activists confirmed that this unprecedented protest quickly turned into a confrontation as security forces beat and detained dozens. In addition, eyewitnesses said that there was heavy security presence throughout the cities of Banias, Dara’a, and Homs, sparking confrontations.

Egyptian writer, Emad Abu Basha has published what is being called the Encyclopedia of the January 25th Revolution in order to “immortalize the martyrs of the revolution.” Nile TV reports that the encyclopedia contains a biography of every individual killed in the revolution so that their stories may be circulated throughout the country.

(0830 PST, April 11, 2011) There have been some signs of progress made in Libya towards a possible ceasefire, with Muammar Gaddafi accepting a proposal from the African Union. However, as the plan includes allowing Gaddafi and his family to remain in power, it has been greeted by protests in the opposition strongold of Benghazi.

AU Representatives Mobbed by Protesters in Benghazi

(Al Jazeera English: 0420 PST, April 11, 2011) Representatives from the African Union have been greeted by protesters as they arrived in the northern Libyan city of Benghazi. They are in the opposition stronghold to present their "Road Map to Peace" to the Transitional National Council.

The plan has already received the approval of Libya's Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli. Al Jazeera's Laurence Lee, reports from the rebel stronghold, where AU leaders found themselves "mobbed by the crowds."

Gaddafi Accepts Roadmap to Peace

(Al Jazeera English: 2239 PST, April 10, 2011) There has been more than a month of fighting in Libya - and at last there appears to be some hope on the horizon. And it has come in the form of the African Union.

A delegation from the organisation, including South African president Jacob Zuma, has visited the capital, Tripoli. And they say Muammar Gaddafi has accepted their road map to peace. Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reports from Tripoli.

(MSNBC.com) Rachel Maddow gives an easy-to-understand breakdown of what is happening -- and causing problems -- at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Deutsche Welle provides this Anatomy of a Nuclear Meltdown. According to Mark Hibbs, senior associate for the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Chernobyl-like meltdown is "not possible" at the Fukushima plant.

More information about the Sendai Earthquake from Wikipedia

Google Person Finder: 2011 Japan Earthquake

Find out what you can do to help in the saving and rebuilding of lives in Japan

(Al Jazeera English Headlines: 0635 PST, February 14, 2011) The opening of Egypt's stock exchange has been delayed until the economy stabilizes. The new military rulers are trying to assert their control over the country, and have warned they will act against chaos and disorder. Meanwhile transportation workers are striking in the capital, demanding better pay and an end to corruption.

In other news, the Taliban says it was behind an attack on a hotel in the Afghan capital Kabul that killed at least two people. Anti-government protests in Yemen enter their fourth straight day. The entire Palestinian cabinet has resigned and President Mahmoud Abbas has asked Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to form a new government. And, in Indonesia, cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has gone on trial over weapons terror charges.

The latest news from Cairo, and an interview with UK journalist and Middle East expert Robert Fisk.

Record Rally in Tahrir, Egyptian Protests Spread, Labor Unions Strike

(Democracy Now! 0930 PST, February 9, 2011) Egypt's pro-democracy uprising is seizing new momentum one day after hundreds of thousands turned out for one of the largest protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square to date. A gathering of protesters led to the evacuation of the Egyptian cabinet building today, and tent camps are also being set up outside the Egyptian parliament. Egypt's labor movement has launched new strikes across the country, with an estimated 10,000 workers taking part. Democracy Now! senior producer Sharif Abdel Kouddous interviews Mona el Seif, a demonstrator outside the Egyptian parliament building.

Robert Fisk on the Gap Between U.S. Rhetoric and Action in Egypt

(Democracy Now! 0930 PST, February 9, 2011) Two-part interview with Robert Fisk, longtime Middle East correspondent of the Independent newspaper in London, about the popular uprising ongoing across Egypt, its regional implications, and how President Obama should respond.

Click here for important background information on the unrest in Egypt.