Egyptian troops and protesters clash in Cairo as thousands rally

Al Jazeera - Over 20 people were injured in confrontations between the Egyptian security forces and protesters attempting to reach the headquarters of the Defense Ministry in Cairo. Al Jazeera correspondent reported that 20 armored trucks amassed in al- Abbasiyah Square after pushing the protesters away from the surroundings of the Defense Ministry. Tahrir Square hosted a demonstration against the Military Council, and so did al-Abbasiyah Square that received even more protesters.

Syrian troops storm Aleppo University killing four and arresting hundreds

BBC Arabic - Syrian opposition activists say a number of students at Aleppo University were killed by the gunfire of Syrian security forces when they stormed the campus.The university's president announced classes will be suspended until May 13th. Following these incidents, demonstrations broke out in and around as the faculties of Aleppo University in solidarity with the targeted students. Other demonstrations erupted in various areas as well.  
             
Israeli court postpones Palestinian hunger strikers' appeals

Palestine TV - After Bilal Diab and Thaeir Halahla entered their 68th day of their open-ended hunger strike, a hearing was held today in the so-called Israeli Supreme Court, where their trial was postponed indefinitely to review the demand of their release. During the trial session, Bilal and Tha'ir's defense attorney presented the judge with his argument which condemns the so-called administrative detention, which allows the detention of the prisoners without any charges.

Blasts in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Taliban claims responsibility

Dubai - US President Barack Obama visited Afghanistan for six hours and met with his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai. The two leaders signed a strategic partnership pact for cooperation between Washington and Kabul. Following Obama's visit, Kabul was rocked by a series of explosions that claimed the lives of 6 people. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks, and warned they will launch an offensive against NATO on Thursday.

Al Alam - At least 20 people were killed, and 45 others were wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself at a market in Bajur, leading to the killing and injury of dozens of people. He targeted a police checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan. Among the dead were a number of policemen and civilians.

Image: A member of security forces jumps before throwing a stone back at protesters near Egypt's Defence Ministry May 4, 2012. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih

Bahrain: Supporters of Bahrain's February 14 Revolution called for a mass demonstration in the village of Krana to demand that the regime meet the people's demands. The Bahraini government has become even more isolated as more political groups are boycotting the upcoming parliamentary elections. Al-Wefaq Islamic Society, the National Democratic Action, al-Menbar, and the Democratic National Rally are among the political group who have announced their boycott of the elections. 

Syria: For the first time, US President Barack Obama has called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, condemning the violent acts against citizens by the Syrian forces. Britain, France, and Germany have also called on Assad to step down. The international community believes that Assad has lost all legitimacy and can no longer rule the country. The Obama administration also imposed fresh sanctions on Syria's government, including freezing Syrian assets in the US and banning all Syrian fuel products.

Libya: Sources close to the Libyan revolutionaries have said they are advancing from Misurata toward the eastern city of Sirte, the birthplace of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. The revolutionaries are continuing their advance toward Tripoli, where they hope to soon put an end to Gaddafi's regime after six months of intense fighting. The city of Brega is still witnessing seesaw battles between Gaddafi forces and the revolutionaries, who have achieved gains in parts of the city, especially the area of al-Arqub.

Yemen: The situation in Yemen remains ambiguous amid President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s departure. The US and Saudi Arabia are exerting efforts for a renewed Gulf initiative to help Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansur Hadi effectively run the country in President Saleh’s absence. Protestors are calling for the formation of a transitional presidential council and opposition blocs said they would support a transfer of power to the vice president. 

Libya: NATO ministers affirmed their commitment to continue military operations in Libya and to provide the necessary support for the operations until they achieve their goal. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated that it is only a matter of time before Muammar Gaddafi's regime is overthrown. The Libyan government reported that over 60 missiles hit Tripoli in NATO’s most violent daytime attack, which killed 30 people and injured dozens. In a video message aired on Libyan state TV, Gaddafi vowed to stay in Tripoli, dead or alive. 

Syria: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan said that Turkey will not close its border to refugees fleeing Syria. The Turkish Foreign Ministry indicated that almost 450 Syrians have escaped to Turkey since March, including 122 refugees who crossed the border yesterday. British Prime Minister David Cameron said that London and Paris will submit a draft resolution today to the UN Security Council condemning Syria's crackdown on protestors. 

Bahrain: Iran is preparing a proposal to find a solution to crisis in Bahrain. King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa has proposed a date for a dialogue between the opposition and the regime, but the opposition has yet to respond to the invitation. In a meeting with Bahrain’s crown prince, US President Barack Obama affirmed his support for national dialogue in Bahrain.

Thousands of Yemenis have gathered in Sana'a and Taiz to mark a day of protest they have dubbed “Last Chance Friday," and to call for the immediate departure of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Saleh’s supporters held a counter protest in the capital, called the “Friday of Reconciliation.” Following the Gulf Cooperation Council's initiatives in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, the GCC will meet in Sana’a in a new attempt to find a solution to the Yemeni crisis. Dubai TV reports that no details of the new initiative have been released yet. 

The BBC reports that anti-government protests continue in a number of Syrian cities, despite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s announcement that the emergency law was lifted yesterday. Reports from Syria indicate that security forces opened fire on tens of thousands of people who were taking part in demonstrations. At least five people were killed in Dara'a after nearly 100,000 people took part in a massive demonstration.

Protests are being in held in several Bahraini cities today to condemn the burning of the Quran and destruction of mosques by Saudi and Bahraini troops. Al-Alam reports that images from Diraz show protestors praying on the ground where mosques have been destroyed. A similar protest was suppressed in the village of Karzakan by Saudi's and Bahraini's firing tear gas and live bullets at demonstrators.

The chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, said that  coalition forces have destroyed 30 to 40 percent of Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi's ground troops, but that the situation in Libya seems to be moving closer to a stalemate. Al-Jazeera reports that US President Barack Obama has approved the use of Predator Drones for low-level attacks on Gadaffi’s troops, yet the US continues to oppose sending ground troops to Libya.  

Al-Iraqiya reports that Iraqis in Monsul are protesting for the ninth consecutive day, demanding the removal of US forces from Iraq. They are requesting the complete transfer of security duties from US troops to Iraq’s security institutions as well as the release of detainees who have not been charged.

Dubai TV reports that rival protests have split Yemen on a day called the “Friday of Persistence” by the opposition, and the “Friday of dialogue” by the regime's loyalists. A group of prominent religious and tribal leaders have declared their support for the protest movement, including the chief of the Hashed Tribe of which Saleh is a member. The opposition has rejected the Gulf’s new proposal to attend mediation talks in Riyadh, because it omitted the article which called for the ouster of President Saleh. Instead, the new initiative calls for Saleh to transfer power to his deputy.  

The “Syrian Revolution” Facebook page called on Syrians to take to the streets today in a demonstration that is also called the “Friday of Persistence.” The BBC reports that protests took place in Damascus, Deraa, Banias, Deir ez-Zor, Homs, al-Qamish, and Latakia. This comes a day after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced the formation of a new government and the release of hundreds of detainees. Human Rights Watch has accused Syrian security and intelligence institutions of torturing hundreds of protestors detained during demonstrations throughout the country.

A doctor in the western Libyan city of Misurata said that eight civilians, including children, were killed this morning in a missile attack by Gaddafi’s battalions. Residents say that about 120 missiles hit the besieged city. Al-Jazeera reports that Gaddafi’s forces are using Grad Rockets, which is a kind of rocket that lacks accuracy and causes wide-range destruction. While these kinds of rockets are usually only used in battlefields where there are no civilians, Gaddafi’s forces have been targeting densely populated areas like Misurata, turning the city into a “large graveyard,” where the death toll continues to rise.

Al Alam reports that Bahrainis in Manama are still trying to break through the intense checkpoints around Sulaimaniya Hospital in Manama to allow access to injured people. Meanwhile, Zainab al-Khawaja, the daughter of the detained Bahraini human rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, has been on a hunger strike for days and said the authorities are not allowing the families of the detained to contact them. She added that she has sent a letter to US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, holding them responsible for the blatant human rights violations in Bahrain.

Tonight, al-Iraqiya features a report on the 1988 massacre in Halabja. What is known as the al-Anfal Campaign was a genocidal campaign against the Kurdish people in northern Iraq led by Saddam Hussein and the Ba’ath regime. Al-Iraqiya’s report commemorates the anniversary of the massacre in which over 182,000 Kurds were killed and over 4,000 Iraqi villages were destroyed.