Syria, Yemen, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Children Chant in Damascus, Protesters Die in Sana'a

2030 GMT: Today was a very important day for two countries, where we witnessed a dramatic escalation in Yemen and the shutdown of an entire city in Bahrain. In Syria, large protests continued, despite more violence.

This video reportedly shows a large protest in the al Saqba district of Damascus:

And this video was taken in Al Hula, Homs, where 9 people were killed by security forces today. That alone would make it important. But it is unique in and of itself, because of the unique messages, written in English, on the signs that the protesters are holding:

Muslim or Christian, we all want freedom

Religion is for God, but Syria is for All Syrians

Large night protests in Dael, Daraa:

And in Khalidiya, Homs, the site of much violence and a brutal crackdown that has been intensifying in recent days, the people chant that they want the execution of President Bashar al Assad:

Our coverage will begin early tomorrow morning. Stay tuned.

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Syria, Bahrain, Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Once Again They Rallied

See also Syria Video Feature: Saturday Night's Protests --- Executing Assad, Burning Russian Flag, and Calling for Protection
Bahrain Propaganda 101: How a US PR Firm Puts "News" in American Newspapers
Syria Video Special: "We'll Continue until the Regime is Toppled"
Bahrain Feature: Repression Tears Apart a Country
Friday's Syria, Bahrain, Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Watching the Protests

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1930 GMT: Claimed footage of security forces shooting at protesters today in the Damascus suburb of Douma:

1925 GMT: We have posted a series of clips from tonight's protests in Syria in a separate video feature.

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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: Endgame in Tripoli?

Now see Monday's Libya LiveBlog: The Last Push Against Former Leader Qaddafi

View Free Tripoli - Red Rebel - Green Gaddafi in a larger map

Map of the reported fighting in the Libyan capital Tripoli

See also Saturday's Syria, Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Emergency Meetings

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0451 GMT: James Miller is going to bed. Scott Lucas will be picking things up, with a brand new Live blog and a brand new URL. Check back between 0530 and 0600 GMT.

Al Jazeera has this update:

Senior Libyan rebel figure Mahmoud Jibril said early Monday there are still pockets of resistance in Tripoli from forces loyal to strongman Muammer Gaddafi, after rebels surged into the capital.

"I warn you, there are still pockets of resistance in and around Tripoli," Jibril said in a speech on the opposition television station al-Ahrar.

"You have to be aware that some pockets are coming from the east and you have to be cautious. The fight is not over yet. God willing, in a few hours our victory will be complete."

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Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Overwhelmed by Protests

2115 GMT: More night demonstrations in Syria, first in Homs, then in Kafranbel in the northwest:

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Syria, Egypt (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Trying a President, Cutting Off Hama

2215 GMT: Mass rally in Homs in Syria tonight:

2100 GMT: Two clips of tonight's protest in Harasta, northeast of the Syrian capital Damascus, demanding the fall of the Assad regime:

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Syria, Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: In the Camps

A refugee camp of Syrians in Turkey (Reuters)

2110 GMT: NATO has acknowledged that an airstrike on the Libyan capital Tripoli may have caused "a number of civilian casualties" when a residential building was destroyed.

The Libyan regime, claiming nine people were killed and six injured, has been showing foreign journalists the building site and taking them to a hospital where casualties have been taken.

"This is cold-blooded murder," regime spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said amidst the rubble of the building. "Is this the protection of civilians? Is this really the search for peace and democracy in Libya, to attack peaceful neighborhoods of Tripoli?"

NATO said in a statement Sunday that a military missile site was the strike's intended target: "However, it appears that one weapon did not strike the intended target and that there may have been a weapons system failure."

The development has already had an effect on reporting: the BBC's Jeremy Bowen, in a lengthy report tonight that highlighted the damage and hostile reactions of local residents, declared, "For NATO, this has been the worst day since the start of the conflict."

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Syria, Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Occupation and Defiance

View Syria - Tuesday 17/05/11 in a larger map

Map of protests on 17 May

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Today's videos have moved to a separate entry "Syria and Yemen Video Special: The Protests of Defiance

2045 GMT: Within this summary of the Obama Administration's diplomatic push ahead of the President's speech on Thursday is this nugget:

White House counterterrorism advisor John Brennan has been busily firming up the administration's stance on Yemen, where protesters have been pressing the government to fulfill promises of a leadership change. Brennan called President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Wednesday to urge him to implement the Gulf Cooperation Council-brokered agreement, which would see Saleh step down from power.

"Brennan noted that this transfer of power represents the best path forward for Yemen to become a more secure, unified, and prosperous nation and for the Yemeni people to realize their aspirations for peace and political reform," the White House said in a statement about the call.

The US intervention did not work, at least in the short-term: Saleh pushed away the deal this evening.

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Syria, Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Finding the Dead

Candle-lit demonstration in the Damascus suburb of Saqba last night

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2045 GMT: Activists says Lebanon has detained at least two Syrian soldiers who crossed the border to escape clashes between security forces and protesters.

The soldiers reportedly fled after opening fire on regime troops attacking civilians near a border checkpoint that they were manning. One soldier is said to have been killed.

2040 GMT: Libyan officials said they have been trying unsuccessfully to contact Minister of Oil, Shukri Ghanem, who has reportedly defected (see 1030 GMT), for the past 24 hours.

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Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Qaddafi Son, 3 Grandsons Reportedly Killed in Airstrike

2150 GMT: Back to the start of our busy Sunday --- Libyan State TV has shown footage of what it claims is the body of leader Muammar Qaddafi's son Seif al-Arab, reportedly killed by a NATO airstrike:

2140 GMT: Activists, residents, and a prominent lawyer have said that Syrian authorities are rounding up busloads of young men in the occupied city of Daraa.

"They are arresting all males above 15 years. They only have old security tactics and they are acting on revenge," said the lawyer. "Bullets are their response to the people's revolt. The security forces who came to Deraa told us 'Go buy bread from a bakery called Freedom. Let's see if it feeds you.'"

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