Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Ripples of Protest

Claimed footage of a march in Taiz in Yemen today, demanding a transitional government

2030 GMT: The Tunisian news agency TAP says two Libyan ministers have crossed into Tunisia to join the regime's Foreign Minister, reportedly seeking a solution to the political crisis.

Health Minister Mohamed Al-Hijazi and Social Affairs Minister Ibrahim Cherif crossed into southern Tunisia. Foreign Minister Abdul Ati Al-Obeidi has met "several foreign parties" there, part of an effort to find a solution to a civil war in the north African country.

1850 GMT: Opposition and regime forces have clashed about 80 kilometres (50 miles) southwest of the Libyan capital Tripoli.

Sunday's fighting began when government forces tried to cut off the insurgents, who have moved into the plains from the western mountains, by attacking from behind.

The front line is now thought to have moved just north of Bir Ayad, near the town of Bir al-Ghanam. Bir al-Ghanam is only 30 kilometres (19 miles) south of Zawiya, a western gateway to Tripoli.

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Iran Feature: The Political Struggle Moves to the Cinemas (Erdbrink)

Nader and SiminIn Iran, newspapers stay away from politically sensitive topics, more and more Web sites are being blocked and anti-government demonstrations have been declared illegal.

But the popular cinema is going strong, and in recent weeks, the screenings of two locally made films at theaters across the capital have become a popularity contest of sorts between supporters of the government and the grass-roots opposition movement.

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Bahrain Feature: Setting the Record Straight on the Start of the Uprising (Chanad)

Pearl Roundabout, 15 February 2011On February 14, protests did indeed take to the streets around the country to demand reform, but contrary to the regime's narrative, the government did not recognize their legitimacy or allow them to continue their peaceful protest. The government sent in security forces to violently repress the protests with tear gas, rubber bullets, and shotguns on the very first day.

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EA Cyber-Special: LulzSec Dumps Its Documents and Says Good-Bye

The LulzSec crew, having sailed merrily into the waters of hacktivism this spring, has now dumped their treasure overboard and set course for calmer seas, no doubt with a fleet of law enforcement in pursuit.

The files released last night appear to be the user accounts of the cracked NATO bookshop customer database, an archive of AT&T corporate data, and an image establishing that LulzSec has cracked the US Navy's website. Details of accounts of gamers and those on other forums, an output of network data labelled "FBI being silly", and 91 pages of IP addresses whose routers were using default passwords were also included.

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The Latest from Iran (25 June): A 2nd Week for the Hunger Strikes

2040 GMT: Elections Watch. Teaser of the day comes from Aftab News, which reports that a series of allies of Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf have resigned their posts to run for Parliament next March and that Qalibaf has set up an election headquarters.

1925 GMT: Oil and Politics. Further signs of pressure on Tehran over the international oil price....

Iran's OPEC representative Mohammad Ali Khatibi has charged, "America and Europe...have done everything they could to reduce global oil prices. The developments of the past few days are not at all based on supply and demand or the needs of the market, but are rather a side effect of political pressure exerted particularly from the American side."

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Syria, Yemen (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The Marches of the 10,000s

Claimed footage of a funeral procession in the Damascus suburb of Al Kiswah in Syria for a protester killed by security forces on Friday

2005 GMT: Activists say the Syrian military has occupied another village in northwest Syria near the border with Turkey.

Troops and tanks moved into Najia today. The village is near Jisr al-Shughour, the flashpoint town cleared out by the military after dozens of people --- activists says civilians, the regime says security forces --- were killed in clashes.

The military also reportedly moved into Qusair near the Lebanese border.

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Iran Opinion: "We Should Side with the Clergy" in Tehran Showdown (Nasr)

Ahmadinejad is a threat to clerical supremacy, but without him, Khomeinism is even more vulnerable to reformist challengers. The alternative would be a right-wing ideological state -- nationalist, fundamentalist, populist, and ruled by militarism, something akin to the Japan of the 1930s. And that cannot last. In this contest between Iran's elite factions, the world should be rooting for the clergy -- their victory will bring about the quickest end to the Islamic Republic.

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Egypt Follow-Up Video: The Man Who Will Fight a Lion Today

Two weeks ago, we reported on Al-Sayed al-Essawy, the strongman who wanted to help the new Egypt by fighting a lion in front of the Pyramids.

Despite reports that the Government had banned the fight and al-Essawy had been detained, information is still circulating that the fight will take place today.

Time offers a video profile of al-Essawy and the event, including concerns that he is going to his death with his mission:

Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: "The Day of National Legitimacy"

Mass pro-reform rally in Taiz in Yemen today

See also Syria Video: Today's "Day of National Legitimacy" Protests Set 1 AND Set 2

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2025 GMT: Claimed footage of security forces firing tear gas on a protest in Daih in northern Bahrain:

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The Latest from Iran (24 June): The Net Closes on Ahmadinejad's Men....Continued

2005 GMT: Parliament v. President The head of Parliament's Article 90 Commission, which oversees Government activity, has said that a report on 18 violations of the Constitution by President Ahmadinejad will be read out in the Parliament this week.

Mohammad Ebrahim Nekounam said the violations include refusing to provide a budget for the Tehran Metro, failing to prepare the Ministry of Oil's article of association, and refusing to announce the establishment of the Ministry of Sports and Youth.

Nekounam said Ahmadinejad must answer questions about the constitutional violations.

1920 GMT: The Hunger Strikes. Kalemeh reports that five hunger strikers at Evin Prison --- Adbollah Momeni, Mohsen Aminzadeh, Abolfazl Ghadyani, Bahman Ahmadi Amoui, and Mehdi Karimiyan Eghbal --- have been transferred to the infirmary for treatment.

The five are among 12 political prisoners who are in the seventh day of the hunger strike, which protests the deaths of activists Haleh Sahabi and Hoda Saber and the general conditions in detention.

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