Latest in Arab world’s unrest
Moammar Kaddafi threatens to carry out attacks in Europe against “homes, offices, families,” unless NATO halts its campaign of airstrikes against his regime in Libya. He delivers the comments in an address to one of the largest pro-government rallies in months in Tripoli’s Green Square.
SYRIA
Hundreds of thousands of protesters flood cities around Syria on Friday in what activists describe as the largest outpouring against the regime of President Bashar Assad. At least 14 people were killed in various clashes, activists say. The centerpiece of the protests is in the city of Hama, where the streets seem fully under the opposition’s sway.
BAHRAIN
Bahrain’s biggest Shiite bloc says it will join reconciliation talks with Sunni rulers despite a harsh crackdown on pro-reform protests in the Gulf kingdom. The decision by the group, Al Wefaq, lends important credibility to the US-encouraged talks after more than four months of Shiite-led protests for greater rights and harsh crackdowns.
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Article continues after this advertisementThe Muslim Brotherhood says it is willing to enter a dialogue with the United States, taking up an offer that signals Washington’s acknowledgment that the fundamentalist group will play a significant political role in the new Egypt. Several thousand pro-democracy protesters rally in Tahrir Square, demanding speedy trials for former regime figures and policemen accused of killing protesters during the 18-day revolt that claimed 846 lives.
MOROCCO
Moroccans brave searing temperatures to vote for a new constitution their king says will bring the country much needed democratic reform. While the constitution, like all past referendums, is expected to be approved by a landslide, the real test will be in the turnout indicating whether Moroccans have faith in the reform process of 47-year-old King Mohammed VI.
YEMEN
The son of Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh has led a crackdown arresting dozens of military officers suspected of turning against his wounded father, including many one of the country’s most elite forces, the Republican Guards, military officials say.