Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Nailing Jelly to the Wall

1935 GMT: The New York Times is now covering the story that we reported earlier of Saudi blogger Feras Bugnah, who was arrested for his a documentary "We Are Being Cheated" that was critical of the Saudi regime and the economic reality in Saudi Arabia. Bugnah's colleagues have responded that the Saudi government is “trying to control the new Internet media” by making the arrest.

1921 GMT: Bahrain's Minister of Interior Lt. General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa appeared on Al Arabiya. He expressed his concern about the alleged Iranian plot to bomb the Saudi embassy, insinuated that there were links between this plot and violence in the streets of Bahrain, he accused militants of attacking protesters and security forces, and he distinguished between legal protests, which, Khalifa said, were permitted, and illegal protests that were disrupted. When asked about the use of live ammunition, this is how he answered:

"First of all, I personally have never received orders from any officer to fire [on demonstrators]. This has never happened even on the days of the crisis, if it can ever be called a crisis, nor in any other event. On the other hand, if the Ministry of Interior ever issued an order during the said period [of dealing with demonstrators] who were present at the GCC roundabout, then such an order was to affirm commitment to the provisions of the Public Security Law on matters pertaining to the use of arms."

1835 GMT: Claimed video from a funeral for yesterday's martyrs in al Harak, Houran region, Daraa province, Syria. The sign that is held up has today's date:

1818 GMT: According to Al Jazeera,the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has a reported that 17 civilians and 7 soldiers have been killed today in Syria:

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Syria Snap Analysis: "This Regime Crackdown Cannot Be Sustained"

Footage from inside a tank, as it destroys the minaret of a mosque in Deir Ez Zor in the northeast

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Assad's strategy of killing away his opposition has not worked, a lesson brought out by the events of yesterday. That opposition is not going anywhere, and i seems that every region of the country is now a hotbed of dissent. The President may not be ready to fall, but all hopes he ever had of putting Arab Spring in the rear-view mirror seem to be fading quickly.

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Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The Questions in the Silence from Homs

1936 GMT: The Palestinian prisoners return to the West Bank:

One of the accusations floating around is that some of these prisoners are, in fact, murderers, and Israel is likely to pay a high price for this prisoner exchange. Osama Hamdan, a senior member of Hamas, responds to the accusations:

See EA Correspondent Ali Yenidunya's analysis, Israel Special: How Gilad Shalit Saved Prime Minister Netanyahu

1821 GMT: In Daraa, the crisis may be even wider spread than we initially thought. The LCCS posts this:

Daraa: Msaifra: Authorities cut off electricity to the town after a massive night protest and security forces raiding of it

So, with a massive military campaign under way in Daraa proper, and in Harak, and perhaps now one about to be underway in MSaifra, while the military is conducting unprecedented raids near Damascus, and the campaign against Homs continues, one wonders how stretched Assad's military is as the current moment. It appears that he is threatened enough by the strength of this opposition that he has tanks deployed from Lebanon to the border with Turkey.

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Syria, Yemen (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The "New Normal" of Daily Deaths

A fighter for Libya's National Transitional Council plays guitar while battle rages in Sirte (Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images)

See also Middle East Video: US Embassy Promotes Opposition's "Support Yemen" Campaign

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1930 GMT: Videos of protest and clashes across Syria today....

In Homs, where 21 people reportedly died, bystanders shelter from gunfire:

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The Latest from Iran (16 October): A New Ambassador in Syria

See also Iran Audio Feature: How Ahmadinejad's Advisor Stumbled Into An Admission of The Battle Within
Iran Analysis: Sometimes A Plot is a Drug Deal Gone Wrong
Iran Analysis: Sometimes A Plot is Just A Plot
Iran Analysis: Duelling Propaganda Banjos Play Over Backroom Manoeuvres

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1900 GMT: Bank Fraud Watch. On Saturday, Iran Prosecutor General Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei met with the Chief Executive Officers of 13 banks and eight more detained suspects in the $2.6 billion bank fraud.

Mohseni Ejei met w CEOs of 13 banks, 8 more culprits arrested in case of bank fraud yesterday

1830 GMT: Reformist Watch. Former President Mohammad Khatami, speaking to University professors, has asked, "Would bank frauds have happened if press and organisations were free?" He continued, "Oppressing dissidents and apparent calm do not mean society is calm."

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Syria, Yemen (and Beyond): The Drumbeat of Protests and Killings

Claimed footage of snipers firing on protesters today in Sana'a, Yemen

See also Syria 1st-Hand: Life with Assad's Alawites

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2105 GMT: Al Jazeera English's Rula Amin reports via Twitter that at least seven people have died in Homs in Syria today.

Meanwhile, in Harasta, northeast of Damascus, an anti-regime protest chants in solidarity with those in other cities:

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Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The Crackdown Expands

1811 GMT: The claim made in the title of the video: "Syrian actor Jalal Al Taweel leads protest during martyr Ibrahim Shayban's funeral." Ibrahim Shayban was a 10-year old boy who was reportedly killed yesterday in Midan, Damascus.

1745 GMT: Claimed footage of Bahraini police beating a protester in Nuwaidrat after arresting him on Friday:

1735 GMT: Footage of the clashes in the Yemeni capital Sana'a, in which at least 12 protesters were killed by regime forces:

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Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: News Seeps Out of Deaths

2027 GMT: A contact in Bahrain clarifies the "iron skewer" story:

The irony, for months police & govt loyalist have been accusing anti-gov protesters of throwing those metal sticks on police!!!

2020 GMT: A police officer throws "iron skewers" at protesters, reportedly today in Al Eker, Bahrain:

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Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Darkness in Homs

0915 GMT: A woman mourns over last night's deaths of at least 24 people in clashes around a Coptic Christian march in the Egyptian capital Cairo:

0905 GMT: In the United Arab Emirates, the families of five activists who are due back in court on charges of insulting senior officials have made a joint plea for their release.

The five activists --- Ahmed Mansoor, an engineer and blogger; Nasser bin Ghaith, an economist, university lecturer at Sorbonne Abu Dhabi and advocate for political reform; and online activists Fahad Salim Dalk, Ahmed Abdul-Khaleq, and Hassan Ali al-Khamis --- were arrested in April. Some of the defendant had signed a petition in March calling for political reforms, including direct elections and broadening the powers of the UAE legislature, the Federal National Council.

Mansoor faces additional charges of inciting others to break the law, calling for an election boycott, and calling for demonstrations. In March, e publicly supported a petition signed by more than 130 people advocating universal, direct elections for the FNC and legislative powers for the council.

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Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: An Activist's Death Sparks Protests

Demonstration in Aleppo, Syria last night, expressing solidarity with the slain Meshaal Tammo

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Bahrain Special: Zainab Omran Tells Her Story of Abuse in Detention --- Part 2
Yemen Feature: Nobel Prize Winner Karman "Our Revolution is Uniting Yemen"
Bahrain Special: Zainab Omran Tells Her Story of Detention at City Center Mall
Saturday's Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A Celebration in Yemen, A Killing in Qamishli

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2217 GMT: Mohammad Sudam, a Reuters correspondent in Yemen, was kidnapped on Saturday night in Sana’a by forces loyal to defected General Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, according to Ministry of Defence announced on Sunday.

Sudam, who is also a translator for President Saleh, was arrested at a checkpoint run by Al Ahmar’s troop as he travelled from Sana’a airport to his house.

The Yemen Journalist’s Syndicate condemned the arrest of Sudam and called for his immediate release.

2215 GMT: We are getting unconfirmed reports that the Syrian military is shelling Homs, the country's third-largest city, tonight. It is impossible to verify this at the moment, as almost all communication with the city is cut off.

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