Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Heavy Fighting in Damascus?

Workers in front of a building in Aleppo, Syria, damaged by a Sunday car bomb --- three people reportedly died

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2056 GMT: An energetic evening demonstration in Qosour in Homs has a message for President Assad, "We're coming, curse your soul, we're coming!":

2006 GMT: I've been discussing this video with several sources. According to the description, the video shows Free Syrian Army soldiers destroying a tank in Deir Ez Zor. We never see the tank, but we do see the RPG launch at an unknown target.

I showed this video to Ahmed al Omran, from NPR, who says that the videographer appears to say today's date. Also, another source says that this video shows a battle in the Ghassan Abboud roundabout, an area where we have received reports of heavy fighting today:

Video said to show clashes between FSA fighters and gov security forces in Deir ez-Zour youtube.com/watch?v=RTMY4i… #SYRIA (via @JMiller_EA)

— Ahmed Al Omran (@ahmed) March 19, 2012

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Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: More Than 100 Die as Regime Takes Idlib

2024 GMT: We've been discussing a video on Twitter with several prominent activists that claims to show soldiers from the Free Syrian Army using a guided missile to destroy a T-72 tank in a convoy near Qalaat al Madiq, a besieged city in Hama province.

In which a #FSA soldier destroys a regime tank using an Anti-Tank missile - youtube.com/watch?v=LD2Eo6… #Mar15

— Fadi Mqayed ★★★ (@DSyrer) March 14, 2012

We'd note that the town of Qalaat al Madiq has been shelled by tanks for several days, and there are reports that a historic castle in the city has partially collapsed. While there are also rumors of FSA activity there, we have not been able to verify reports that the Free Syrian Army has successfully destroyed any tanks belonging to the regime.

2016 GMT: Saudi Arabia has closed its embassy in Syria and has withdrawn all embassy staff.

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Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Bombardment Continues

A demonstration last night in Hama in Syria

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Saturday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Defiance

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2040 GMT: Medics and officials in Yemen have said that at least 35 soldiers have been killed in clashes with insurgents near Zinjibar in the south of the country.

Dozens of troops were also reportedly wounded. A local offical said 12 insurgents were slain.

2035 GMT: The head of a Libyan militia has said that two British journalists working for Iran's Press TV, detained on 22 February in Misurata, are being held on suspicion of espionage.

Faraj al-Swelhi, commander of the Swelhi Brigade, said that, among the possessions of Nicholas Davies and Gareth Montgomery-Johnson, there was footage of them firing weapons and equipment used by the Israeli military.

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The Latest from Iran (25 February): A Far-from-Simple Election

A man sweeps up discarded flyers for the Parliamentary campaign

See also Iran Snapshot: Expecting an Unhappy New Year in Tehran
Iran Analysis: Elections and Power --- This is More Than The Supreme Leader's Show
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The Latest from Iran (24 February): Here a Deviant Current, There a Deviant Current

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1735 GMT: Bank Fraud Watch. Voice of America has posted video of Amir Mansour Khosravi, the man at the centre of the $2.6 billion bank fraud, detailing bribes of 600 billion Toman (then about $500 million) to officials from Transport, Industry, & other Ministries, as well as banks.

1725 GMT: Elections Watch. Digarban notes conservative and principlist bloggers who are calling for an election boycott next Friday, including Ahmad Najmi from Qom, Mohammad Saleh Meftah of "Tribune of the Disenfranchised", and Hesameddin Motahari of "Ketab-e Esha".

The pro- Ahmadinejad "Armanshahr" (Utopia) and "Khat-khati" (Criss-cross Lines) blogs also doubt that the Parliamentary vote will have any value for people.

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