Syria: Human rights activists reported that security forces stormed several towns in the countryside of Idlib this morning. Yesterday, 34 people were killed by security forces, according to the Syrian Revolution General Commission. On the second consecutive day of security operations in Homs, Syrian state media reported that eight security members were killed by what it referred to as terrorist groups. The opposition has named tomorrow the "Friday of International Protection" in the hopes that the international community will step in to help protect Syrian civilians. 

Libya: The International Criminal Court announced today that has it requested the International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol, issue an arrest warrant for Muammar al-Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and his intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senoussi on charges of committing crimes against humanity. This comes after Gaddafi denied fleeing from Libya to Niger in an audio message. On the ground, the National Transitional Council dispatched additional forces to the town of Bani Walid. A spokesman for the revolutionaries said clashes broke out last night after Gaddafi's battalions launched attacks on the revolutionaries from inside the town. 

Bahrain: Security forces launched a fierce attack on activists who were celebrating the recent release of doctors and workers from the regime's jails. Saudi-backed Bahraini security forces fired live ammunition, sound bombs, and tear gas to disperse and pursue the protestors. Politically, the Bahraini opposition has accused the US and the UK of collaborating with Manama in the murder of civilians and of supplying the regime with internationally-banned arms and ammunition. The opposition also condemned the Arab League for ignoring reports of human rights violations in Bahrain.

Libya: Muammar Gaddafi's whereabouts remain unknown. Several reports indicate that Gaddafi left the city of Bani Walid and is headed to Libya's southern borders with Niger and Chad. However, the US State Department said there is no evidence that Gaddafi or his family have crossed the border into Niger. A State Department spokesperson said that the Niger authorities informed the US ambassador that those who crossed the border into Niger on Monday night were high-ranking officials of Gaddafi's regime. Many believe that the revolutionaries' delayed entry into Bani Walid and Sirte gave Gaddafi and his family more time to escape. 

Egypt: The fourth trial session of ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak and his top associates has resumed in Cairo. Eighty-three year old Mubarak appeared before the court with his two sons Alaa and Gamal, former Egyptian Interior Minister Habib al-Adly and a senior police officer, Ahmed Ramzi. They are being charged with ordering the killing of hundreds of protestors during the popular January 25 uprising. Hundreds of security vehicles, armored cars, ambulances, and fire trucks lined the streets surrounding the courthouse. 

Syria: Seven people were killed and several others injured in Syria in yet another military operation in Homs. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said soldiers and security forces used heavy machine guns near the Khaled ibn al-Walid Mosque. Meanwhile, Syria has requested to postpone the scheduled visit of Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi on Thursday. The secretary-general intends to propose an Arab initiative to Syrian officials in order to end the crisis that has lasted six months.

Syria: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the acts of violence in Syria and called on the international community to adopt a unified position on the situation. The UN has reported that over 2,000 have been killed since the beginning of the Syrian uprising last March. Today, activists said that security forces killed two people today, as military vehicles continue to surround the city of Homs and patrol its streets. 

Bahrain: As the peaceful pro-democracy movement continues in Bahrain, so does the heavy handed government crackdown. In addition to the security operations on the ground, regime forces are now conducting operations against demonstrators from the air. It has been revealed that the poisonous tear-gas bombs used by Manama's forces against protestors are imported from the United States. These bombs have killed a number of Bahrainis over the past months, including 14-year-old Ali Jawad who was recently killed by a tear-gas canister during protests on Sitra Island during Eid ul-Fitr. 

Yemen: The organizing committee of the Yemeni revolution urged all Yemeni communities to participate in protests throughout the country as part of a new phase of escalations to topple Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime. Demonstrators took to the streets today demanding that President Ali Abdullah Saleh not return to Yemen. They also demanded that Saleh's son, the chief commander of the Republican Guards, be tried on charges of ordering his forces to shell Taiz. 

Syria: The movement against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is gaining momentum as anti-regime protests continue across various Syrian cities, despite the relentless campaign of raids and arrests. On the eve of a Friday dubbed "Death Not Humiliation," the Syrian opposition has renewed their call for staging additional protests after the Eid ul-Fitr holiday. In a video released online, Hama Province Attorney-General Adnan Bakkour announced his resignation in protest of the crackdown on protestors. He also denied the authorities' claim that he was kidnapped by an armed group.

Libya: Russia has recognized the Libyan National Transitional Council as the legitimate representative of the country's authority ahead of the "Friends of Libya" International Conference in Paris. Meanwhile, Muammar al-Gaddafi affirmed in a new audio speech that he will not turn himself in and will continue fighting. The Libyan Transitional Council has extended its deadline for the surrender of Gaddafi's forces in Sirte by one week. 

Yemen: Confrontations between pro- and anti-Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh activists were renewed in the southern city of Taiz as hundreds of people demonstrated in the eastern city of al-Bayda. They called for massive protests on Friday, under what they named "revolutionary resolve" against Saleh's regime. The past two days witnessed a political and media debate between the Yemeni president and his opponents. Saleh, who is carrying out his duties from the Saudi capital of Riyadh and appeared in good health, accused his opponents of "lies, corruption, hatred, and envy."

Bahrain: Saudi-backed Bahraini troops attacked anti-government protestors in the island city of Sitra, killing a 14-year-old boy. Witnesses say the victim was hit in the head by a tear gas canister fired from close range. Reports say the city's hospital refused to admit the critically injured teenager and that he died shortly afterwards. It is believed that hospital authorities refused to treat the wounded teenager for fear of being arrested by security forces.

Libya: Clashes broke out between Muammar Gaddafi's battalions and Transitional National Council forces in the Um al-Qanadil region and its surrounding areas, close to Sirte. Chairman of the Council Mustafa Abdul Jalil gave Gaddafi's loyalists in Sirte until this coming Saturday to surrender before using military force. The revolutionaries are approaching Sirte from both the east and west but are refraining from launching attacks in the hopes of a negotiated surrender of the city. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Gaddafi himself still remain unknown.

Syria: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 473 people were killed in Syria during the month of Ramadan, including 360 civilians and 113 soldiers and members of the Internal Security Forces. Twenty-five minors and 14 women are among those killed, but the death toll does not include victims killed during the military operations in the city of Hama. Amnesty International confirmed that 88 Syrians, including ten children, died in detention centers and police stations between April and August.