Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: End of a Red Ramadan

2340 GMT: Syria. Since this morning, a rumor, pushed initially by Russian media RT, spread that a high ranking Syrian general had died in a Russian hospital. Syrian State Media denied the story, and there have been debates and rumors all day as to the identity of the dead general.

Now, an activist who has a great rack record lately posts this report:

BREAKING | The high ranking military person who died in a Moscow hospital is of Jamil Hassan, Head of Air Force Intelligence Directorate.

— ♕The 47th♕ (@THE_47th) August 20, 2012

A German news agency is also carrying the report that Jamil Hassan has died.

We have to stress that this rumor is completely unconfirmed.

2320 GMT: Syria. A note on our last update - Bashar Fahmi, one of the missing journalists, apparently works for Alhurra, described as "a United States-based Arabic-language satellite TV channel funded by the U.S. Congress that broadcasts news and current affairs."

More information on what happened today (noted, this is still unconfirmed):

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Syria Video Special: Prayer & Protest on the Feast of Martyrs

Heavy security presence at a checkpoint today in Idlib:

In Hama, soldiers can be seen outside a shop. The camera man describes them as looting, though if that is so it happens out of the frame. Gunfire can be heard in the distance.

The dramatic part comes at the end of the video. Right before the video ends, a soldier levels his AK-47 to shoot at the camera man:

A large security presence deploys in Khalidiya, Homs:

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The Latest from Iran (30 August): "Conflict & Retaliation"

Former President Mohammad Khatami (left) to Mehdi Karroubi, under house arrest since February: "Just make a false confession, and Seyed Ali [the Supreme Leader] will pardon you (like me)" [by Eghbal Mahvari]

See Also, Iran Special: Assessing the Latest Cyber-Threat --- The "Rogue Certificate" (Arseh Sevom)
The Latest from Iran (29 August): Catching Up

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2009 GMT: Elections Watch. Akbar Torkan, Minister of Defence in the Rafsanjani Government of the 1990s, said today that the power of the military, the state, and even the Supreme Leader depends on republicanism and the ability for people to vote freely. He also said that the institutions of Iran are threatened if they have no free elections backing them, and thus no popular support.

1958 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Parvin Baharzadeh, assistant professor at Al-Zahra University and member of the "Gnosis Group, and several other people have been arrested by intelligence forces and sent to Evin Prison.

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Libya, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Restoring Order to Tripoli

Children in Zabadani, west of Damascus, call for the execution of Syrian President Assad

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1200 GMT: Moussa Ibrahim, the spokesman for Muammar Qaddafi, has said that the former Libyan leader is ready to negotiate with the insurgents to form a transitional government, as opposition fighters continue their push toward Sirte, Qaddafi's hometown, east of Tripoli.

Ibrahim called the headquarters of the Associated Press in New York late on Saturday. He said he was calling from Tripoli and Qaddafi was still in Libya. Ibrahim claimed Qaddafi had appointed one of his sons, Saadi, to head the negotiations.

A top official in the National Transition Council, Ali Tarhouni, said the new government will not negotiate with Qaddafi unless he surrenders.

The opposition claimed claimed victory in Bin Jawad, east of Sirte, late on Saturday. The success opens the way for an advance of Qaddafi's remaining stronghold from multiple directions.

1105 GMT: An overnight demonstration in Tafas in southern Syria:

1100 GMT: A clip of Syrian troops keeping watch in the centre of the al-Bayada section of Homs:

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Libya, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Rotting Bodies, Beaten Protesters

Ali Ferzat, a Syrian cartoonist who was beaten by masked gunmen earlier this week. 

See Also, Statement on Syria by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Social Media Revolution (Qualman)

Friday's Liveblog: Libya, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The State of the Uprisings

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1700 GMT: Disturbing video footage. A doctor is reportedly taking a bullet off a man's arm who was wounded during the clash in the Rifai mosque.

1655 GMT: Gaddafi's recruited African mercenaries have started leaving Libya.

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Syria Video Special: Assad Kills Protesters, but Can't Kill Protests

We've already received dozens of new videos, night protests in defiance of the massacres. How many people will Assad have to kill before he realizes that killing his own people is only swelling the ranks of the protesters? As the night wears on, we will add more videos to this list

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Syrian civilians in Homs hold up notes for the UN fact-finding delegation to read:

Qalamoun district of Damasacus:

Khalidiya district, Homs:

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Syria Video Essay (3 August): More Night Prayer and Protest

For the third night in a row, civilians in Syria attend their local mosques to pray Taraweeh, part of their Ramadan tradition. After the prayers, the protests begin. We've already received reports of casualties and violence, and we will update this video list as video filters in.

See also today's liveblog, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The Sights and Sounds of Protest

See also Syria Video Special: Another Defiant Night of Ramadan Protests

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UPDATED Thursday, 0503 GMT: We have received over 50 videos of protests tonight, here are just a sampling. Notice that there has been very little video, or news, out of Hama since this morning, where the military action has only intensified, and most forms of communication have been shut down.

Bullets ring out in the night sky over Homs:

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Syria Video Special: Another Defiant Night of Ramadan Protests

UPDATE 1335 GMT: We struggled to find good video of last night's protests in Aleppo, but now we have found a clip of good quality:

Welcome to another night of Ramadan. Already, the opposition, and the regime, have established a routine. Each night, protesters attend Taraweeh Prayers, leave their mosques, and march through the streets. Each night, the Syrian regime beats, arrests, tear gasses, and shoots civilians.

And for the second night in a row, we have posted videos from the night.

We start with live-streaming audio from Hama, where the Syrian military shells the city with tanks. Just moments before the stream drops out, a loud explosion can be heard nearby and intense chanting can also be heard:

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Syria Video Essay: 1st Day of Ramadan was a Day of Chaos

UPDATE 1837 GMT: A new video, posted today, of yesterday's bombardment of Hama.

SeekerSK provides this translation:

Artillery shelling of Hama on 8-1-2011 before/when people break their fast- Vid was uploaded today

UPDATE 1245 GMT: James Miller here, with two additional updates about this first, and now infamous clip.

The first is that if you compare the audio from the original to the audio of the State TV version, the State TV version is worse (the state TV version starts at about 08:22). They have added a low-level buzz, and then the audio drops out and the buzz swells. As an audio professional in a previous life, I can testify that a battery operated camera will not get an audio buzz, only a broadcast camera, and it never sounds like that. It is our assessment that the Syrian State TV is obviously, and clumsily, doctored.

The second update comes from the Guardian's Paul Owen, who links to us and provides a translation for the video:

Some of (the bodies) seemed to have had their throats slit - (are) being thrown into the Al-A'assi river by Shabiha ("ghosts" – pro-Assad militia). The dead people are described in the caption as "heroes of Hama". The people around the Shabiha can be heard encouraging them, and insulting and cursing the dead people. The Shabiha shout "God is greatest" as they throw the bodies in the river. "Don't film" is also heard.

The video was uploaded on 31 July. The Arabic caption reads: "Is there any crime worse than killing someone and then throwing the body in the river? Where are human rights? Where is world opinion? Where is Amnesty International?" There is no way to properly verify the clip. Many thanks to my colleague Mona Mahmood for translation.

UPDATE 0830 GMT: And now a twist in the tale....

This 11-minute clip from Syrian state TV starts with footage which claimed to be of gunmen in Hama shooting at military from the streets and rooftops.

It is the final minutes, however, that are of immediate interest. The clip uses the same footage, posted by James Miller below, of what has been claimed as pro-Assad "thugs" throwing the bodies of protesters into a river near Hama. On state TV, however, the footage is protesters throwing dead troops over the bridge --- the sound has the men talking about the bodies as "soldiers".

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Egypt Video Special: Military Breaks Up Tahrir Square Sit-In

Also See Our Live Blog of the Event: Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The Regime's Deadly Gamble

Al Jazeera describes what happened early on Monday, as the Egyptian military cleared Tahrir Square, Cairo, of all protesters, breaking the long-standing sit-in protest there:

The Army arrives outside the square

As the army arrived, some groups tried to form a human chain to stop them from entering the Tahrir Square:

The army moves in

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