Syria: Eyewitnesses said government forces are indiscriminately firing at the outskirts of Maarat al-Numan with the intention of terrorizing residents. This has led more residents to flee the town. Fifteen kilometers east of Maarat al-Numan, residents of Mantas are also fleeing as armed convoys approach the village. The city of Hama witnessed anti-regime demonstrations yesterday to counter the pro-regime protests in Damascus. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged President Bashar al-Assad to carry out reforms before time runs out.

Libya: Revolutionaries say they have taken control of various areas in the Jabal al-Gharbi region after days of battles against Gaddafi's forces. Seesaw battles continue between the two sides in areas east of Tripoli, particularly between of Misurata and Zliten. While a number of countries assert that NATO's air strikes on Libya are impeding the efforts to reach a political resolution to the crisis, disputes between NATO members emerged as some refused to pledge to provide additional supplies for the military operations in Libya.

Iraq: On the first Friday since the end of Maliki’s 100-day deadline, protests in Tahrir Square were drastically different from prior weeks’ protests. As the weekly anti-regime protests began, they were soon met by opposing slogans swearing allegiance to the prime minister. The competing slogans did not last long and the protests soon turned violent.

Libya: Muammar Gaddafi met with South African President Jacob Zuma on Monday in Tripoli. After the meeting, Gaddafi called for ending NATO air strikes and agreed to to a ceasefire in addition to opening a dialogue with the Libyan opposition and to enact a ceasefire.  He refused to leave the country, however, and continued to call for NATO to end air strikes. The opposition rejected the African Union’s peace initiative because it does not include Gaddafi stepping down, and was bolstered by Italy's announcement that it will provide €100 million in aid to the Libyan opposition.

Yemen: After a brief ceasefire, new clashes erupted today between pro-government forces and gunmen loyal to the Hashid tribe leader Sadek al-Ahmar and pro-government forces. The death toll from the attack on protestors in Taiz rose to over 50.  Massive Yemeni civilians, fearful of civil war, took to the streets in Sana’a demonstrations took place in Sana’a to condemn the killing of protestors in Taiz and to demand the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. 

Syria: Syrian state TV reported that President Bashar Bashar al-Assad willwould issue a decree granting general amnesty to members of all political movements for crimes committed before May 31. According to human rights activists, the Syrian army continues to besiege and shell a number of regions near Homs and Daraa to prevent residents from taking part in protests. Fourteen people have been killed in Homs in the past two days.  

Iraq: Protests erupted in the city of Nasiriya in Dhi Qar province against Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government and the Dawa Party. Protestors have accused Maliki of been being unable to deliver on promises made to Iraqi citizens during either of his terms in office. Maliki gave his administration a 100-day deadline to achieve reform in Iraq. As that day deadline approaches and as Iraqis grow increasingly frustrated, many believe the date will mark the beginning of an Iraqi revolution. 

As the Syrian military finally retreats from Dara’a after a ten-day siege, Dubai TV reports that tanks and armored vehicles were seen entering a number of other towns in Homs province, including Rastan and Talbisa. The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that the military began withdrawing from Dara’a after capturing what it referred to as “terrorist elements.” However, activists on social networking sites said that Dara’a is still under a “suffocating siege,” with military forces in the street and snipers stationed on rooftops. 

Al-Jazeera features a report on media repression throughout the Middle East during the revolutions in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain. These countries’ regimes have carried out similar campaigns to suppress the media by confiscating permits, arresting journalists, and even killing journalists and photographers. Al-Jazeera’s office in Syria was shut down after several employees received threats. Only Syrian state-run media has been allowed to cover the protests in Dara’a since they erupted two months ago. Yet these extreme measures have not prevented the spread of revolutions across the Middle East. 

Amnesty International has called on Bahraini authorities to end the arrests of opposition members and to release detained protestors. Bahraini authorities continue their violent crackdown on protests despite international pleas. Religious scholars, soldiers, medical personnel, and journalists have been arrested throughout the country. Al-Alam reports that Bahraini authorities asked Human Rights Watch lawyer Joshua Colangelo to leave the country before he was able to investigate human rights abuses. 

Sixteen police officers were killed and 65 people injured in a terrorist attack in the Iraqi city of Hilla early this morning. Al-Iraqiya reports that a car filled with explosives targeted police headquarters in the city center. Residents of Hilla affirmed that the attack will not hinder the determination of the Iraqi people to “pave the way to a new Iraq.”

The BBC reports that protests calling for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime continued in cities throughout Yemeni, as living conditions deteriorate due to heightened food and gas prices. Some believe that the gas crisis is being staged by Saleh and as a punishment to the opposition.

Several days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas a choice between seeking reconciliation with Hamas and achieving peace with Israel. Today, Abbas said the Palestinian Authority will stand by Hamas. He made this statement at the signing ceremony for the national reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas in Cairo, Egypt. Palestinians expressed cautious optimism over the agreement, hoping it will open a new chapter for Palestinians.

Dubai TV reports that Syria protests have spread to the country’s second largest city, Aleppo. Students from the University of Aleppo took to the streets to demand that authorities lift the siege on Daraa. Nearly 3,000 protestors demonstrated in the coastal city of Baniyas with the same demand. Over 1,000 people have been arrested over the past three days, raising the total number of Syrian detainees to 2,800.

In Bahrain, 23 doctors and 24 nurses will be put on trial for their involvement in the uprising. The Bahraini military court is accusing them of providing medical care to protestors, being involved in the attempts to topple the ruling family, participating in illegal gatherings, and damaging public opinion by spreading false news. Al-Alam reports that this comes days after the military court issued death sentences to four young men accused of killing two police officers during protests.

In Libya, Muammar Gaddafi’s forces have shelled the Misurata port again, this time killing five people. Al-Jazeera reports that the forces are preparing to launch a new attack on the Wazen border crossing with Tunisia. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said that over 80,000 Libyans have been displaced from the western Jabal al-Gharbi district in the past few days. International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said that NATO forces might be used to capture Gaddafi.

France 24 reports tonight from Morocco, where demonstrators are gathering under the slogan “the people want to topple corruption and despotism.” The Morocco protests began on February 20, and have been growing in size everyday, despite King Mohammed VI’s promises to release of political prisoners and enact reforms.

Hundreds of Iraqis poured into Tahrir Square in central Baghdad last week to participate in the “Friday of Resistance.” Protestors are demanding the end of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government, the eradication of corruption, and the release of detainees. In Mosul, demonstrators rallied in Ahrar Square for the 20th consecutive day, despite the government’s attempts to scatter the crowd.

Al-Jazeera reports that two people were killed and over 20 injured when security forces opened fire on protestors in Mosul’s Ahrar Square in Iraq. Protestors have rejected the concessions made by the government so far, including the nomination of a new police commander, and have also rejected Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's invitation to meet with a delegation of Mosul residents.

Al-Alam brings us the latest developments from Libya, where Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s forces have shelled Misurata's port, injuring several African refugees. The attack also forced a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Misurata to turn back. NATO attacks targeted Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziyah compound, but Gaddafi himself was not harmed. While some sources have indicated that Gaddafi forces have retreated from Misurata, residents say that the city is still under siege.  

The BBC reports that Britain, France, Germany, and Portugal are circulating a draft statement within the Security Council condemning the violent crackdown on Syrian protestors. The White House announced yesterday that it is considering imposing sanctions on the Syrian government in response to what it described as brutal violence against Syrian civilians.

The Yemeni opposition has fully approved the Gulf transition plan after receiving clarifications on several of the initiative’s clauses. Dubai TV reports that while the Yemeni president's position on the initiative remains vague, the ruling party has announced that Saleh will agree to step down from power in exchange for immunity. The revolution's youth groups have rejected the initiative and say they will continue to protest until their demands are met.

Cairo Criminal Court has delayed the trial of former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly, six of his senior assistants, and Interior Ministry security leaders, until May 21st. The case relates to their involvement in the attacks and killings of protestors during the January 25 Revolution. Nile TV reports that Egypt's Attorney General Abdul Majid Mahmoud has decided to extend the detention of Alaa and Gamal Mubarak for another 15 days as a precaution while the allegations against them are investigated.