Libya: The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and his intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanussi. ICC Attourney General Luis Moreno Ocampo requested the arrest warrants in May after obtaining evidence of their crimes against humanity. It has been estimated that 3,000 people have been killed since the Libyan revolution began. Gaddafi has been in hiding since NATO escalated its bombing of Tripoli and his whereabouts still remain unknown.

Syria: Opposition leaders are meeting in Damascus today to discuss the future of Syria. This is the opposition’s first gathering sanctioned by the government since protests began three months ago. Many anti-government activists see the meeting as an attempt to bargain with protestors and divide the opposition. Syrian authorities announced that July 10 will be the date of the first session of meetings called for by the National Dialogue Body, headed by Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa. 

Yemen: A UN team is due to arrive in Yemen today to asses the country’s humanitarian situation. The team will investigate the opposition’s claims against the Yemeni government about the crackdown on the popular protest movement. The UN team will meet with Yemeni authorities, members of the opposition, human rights activists, and victims of violence. The spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that it will take the team ten days to complete the investigation.

Bahrain: Several protests were held today throughout the country to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Victims of Torture. Demonstrators called for an end to the regime's crackdowns on civilians and for the release of all political prisoners. Al-Wefaq Society released a statement reporting that over 1,000 Bahraini citizens have been arrested and tortured. It said that male as well as female medics, scholars, and students, and others were targeted in the regime’s campaign of torture and harassment.