| Latest news from the wires: | |
Bahrain Police Arrest Demonstrators on Protest Anniversary
Mainly Shiite Muslim protesters in Bahrain marked the first anniversary of their anti-government rallies yesterday by marching toward the former Pearl Roundabout, the focus of last year’s demonstrations. Riot police fired tear gas at the protesters heading to the location, where the roundabout has been demolished and turned into an intersection. (Bloomberg News, 2/14/12)
Two separate blasts kill 3, wound 18 in Iraq
Two separate attacks against Iraqi security forces killed three people and wounded 18 others yesterday, officials said. (Associated Press, 2/14/12)
Syria dismisses UN criticism as the assault on Homs continues
The Syrian government yesterday brushed aside a stern castigation from the top U.N. human rights official about its deadly attacks on civilians, calling her assessment propaganda as Syria’s military resumed what one activist described as the “brutal shelling’’ of the city of Homs. A day after the official, Navi Pillay, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, offered a grim appraisal of the Syrian conflict, activists said the shelling resumed in earnest at 6 a.m. yesterday, with rockets and tank shells. (New York Times, 2/14/12)
Divided opposition is key to Syrian regime's power
At a rented house just outside Syria's border, a dissident known only as "The Doctor" maps out attacks. Planners speak by Skype with fighters on the ground in Syria, while others raise money, drumming up cash from fellow exiles to buy weapons. (Associated Press, 2/14/12)
Libyan militias parade through Tripoli
Thousands of fighters from across western Libya have held a mass parade in Tripoli, showing off heavy machine guns and rocket launchers and firing rifles in the air. (Associated Press, 2/14/12)
Tunisian court tosses out suit vs. ex-Libya PM
Tunisia's state news agency says an appeals court has dismissed a criminal lawsuit filed by authorities against the former Libyan prime minister for allegedly crossing into the country illegally. (AP, 2/14/12)
Iran opposition site: Police smother protest plans
An Iranian opposition website says security forces in Tehran staged a major clampdown following calls for protests to mark the anniversary of pro-reform leaders being placed under apparent house arrest. (AP, 2/14/12)
Israeli relief delegation welcomed in Turkey
Israel's Defense Ministry says a humanitarian assistance team it sent to Turkey this week received a warm greeting, despite a deepening rift between the countries. (AP, 2/14/12)
Israel OKs tourist center in tense Arab area
The Israeli government has given a hardline Jewish group permission to build a new archaeological center in a tense Arab neighborhood in east Jerusalem, officials said Tuesday. (Associated Press, 2/14/12)
Moroccan gets 3 years for anti-king video
A Moroccan court has convicted a student of "violating the sacred values" of the kingdom and sentenced him to three years in prison after a video posted online showed him criticizing the king, the state news agency reported Tuesday. (Associated Press, 2/14/12)
Iran to unveil new nuclear projects Wednesday
Iran's official news agency says that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will unveil new nuclear projects on Wednesday. (AP, 2/14/12)
Iranian boats shadow US aircraft carrier in Gulf
Iranian patrol boats and aircraft shadowed a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group as it transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. (Associated Press, 2/14/12)
Kuwait sticks with PM, no women in new Cabinet
Kuwait's ruler has named the Gulf nation's new government, appointing the prime minister who served in a caretaker role before parliamentary elections earlier this month. (AP, 2/14/12)
Israel to 'settle score' with Bangkok attackers
An Israeli Cabinet minister says his country will "settle the score" with the perpetrators of a bombing attempt in Bangkok. (Associated Press, 2/14/12)
Yemen troops kill 12 al-Qaida militants in south
A Yemeni security official says government troops have killed 12 al-Qaida-linked militants in heavy artillery shelling in the south while two soldiers died in clashes with militants in the same area. (Associated Press, 2/14/12)
Egypt releases Australian journalist, US student
Egyptian authorities have released an Australian journalist, his Egyptian translator and an American student detained last week for allegedly inciting people to strike. (AP, 2/14/12)
Bahrain Shiites mark revolt anniversary
Bahraini security forces fanned out across the island nation in unprecedented numbers on Tuesday as Shiites marked the one-year anniversary of their uprising against the country's Sunni rulers. (Associated Press, 2/14/12)
Two separate blasts kill 3, wound 18 in Iraq
Two separate attacks against Iraqi security forces killed three people and wounded 18 others on Tuesday, officials said. (Associated Press, 2/14/12)
Egyptian minister's remarks stoke tensions with US
An Egyptian Cabinet minister has stoked tension with the U.S. over funding nonprofit groups working for democracy in Egypt, accusing Washington of intentionally seeking to create chaos to prevent the country from prospering. (Associated Press, 2/14/12)
Fresh violence in Syria as UN warns of civil war
Syrian government forces renewed their assault on the rebellious city of Homs on Tuesday in what activists described as the heaviest shelling in days, as the U.N. human rights chief raised fears of civil war. (Associated Press, 2/14/12)