Hezbollah slams Bahrain for second time

In another attack against the Gulf Island state Hezbollah on Thursday accused the Bahraini authorities of “destroying mosques and houses of worship and desecrating the noble Quran.” (more…)

Analysts say Syria unrest not led by Islamists

Despite accusations by Syrian authorities, Islamists did not instigate and are not leading the unrest that has rocked the country , analysts say

Syrian bus accident kills 25 Iraqis

At least 25 Iraqis were killed when a bus plunged into a valley after striking two trucks in Syria, officials in Damascus said. (more…)

Analysts ties Estonian hostages to Libya, thinks Israel has info

The kidnapping of seven Estonian tourists in Lebanon is tied to the war in Libya, and talk of Syria is just a distraction, political scientist Toomas Alatalu speculated. (more…)

2 killed in clashes over illegal housing in Lebanon

Two people were killed and two others wounded Thursday in clashes in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Internal Security Forces said. (more…)

Future Movement denies any link to Hizb ut-Tahrir rally

Hizb ut-Tahrir’s spokesperson in Lebanon Ahmad Kasas said on Thursday afternoon that his party’s call for a demonstration against the Syrian regime in Tripoli this Friday was an “independent decision without any coordination with any political movements in Lebanon.” (more…)

Assad ends state of emergency in Syria

President Bashar al-Assad ended Syria’s state of emergency, in effect for nearly 50 years, on Thursday in a bid to defuse pro-democracy protests against his authoritarian rule that have gripped the country for over a month. (more…)

Libyan rebels wrest control of Tunisian border crossing

Libyan rebels seized control of a key border crossing into Tunisia, a spokesman for an opposition group said Thursday. (more…)

Syrian regime braces for more protests on Good Friday

Authorities in Syria are reportedly bracing for the possibility of huge protests throughout Syria on Good Friday April 22.

The Facebook group, The Syrian Revolution 2011, which boasts more than 120,000 followers and which has emerged as the organizing force behind the demonstrations that have been demanding “freedom” in Syria has called on the Christian community to protest on Good Friday. (more…)

U.S. pledges $25M to Libyan rebels

The Obama administration plans to send $25 million in assistance to Libyan rebels fighting the regime of longtime leader Muammar Qadhafi, the State Department confirmed Wednesday, though the support will not include arms or other military backing. (more…)