Hackers claiming to be members of the Anonymous Internet freedom group posted video messages on Facebook pages of Tunisian Islamists, threatening reprisals over their attempts to introduce Salafist laws in the country. "We are fighting you... your emails, your bank accounts and transactions will be probed, your hard discs will be copied," Middle-east-online.com quotes a man wearing the Guy Fawkes mask as saying. This attribute has become a trade mark of Ano... Read more »

A Moroccan appeal court confirmed a death penalty against Adil Al-Atmani, the mastermind of the April 2011 Marrakesh café bombing that killed 17 people, and converted the life term into a death sentence to one of the others convicted, Hakim Dah. But the sentences are unlikely to be carried, with capital punishment in the process of being taken off the statutes. The court also increased the jail terms against six of the other men convicted at the original tr... Read more »

Israeli air strikes have pounded Gaza for a second day, in what experts called the worst violence in the region for almost a year. According to Palestinian sourcesm at least 15 militants had been killed in the two days of fighting. Israeli says almost 100 rockets fired from Gaza have struck Israel since the exchange of fire began. The US criticized the rocket attacks, calling them "cowardly", while the Arab League called the Israeli air strikes "a massacre"... Read more »

Thousands of Libyans have gathered to protest in the country's two main cities to denounce moves by authoroties in the east to create a semi-autonomous territory. Demonstrators demanede unity and used shoes to hit photos of Ahmed Zubair al-Senussi, the head of the regional council seeking a split. According to bbc.co.uk, Mr Senussi said he was ready to hold talks with the country's leadership about setting up the oil-rich semi-autonomous territory, to be kn... Read more »

Saudi Arabia has launched an investigation after at least 50 women were reportedly injured when a protest at a university in Saudi Arabia turned violent. Hundreds of women participated in the protest against discrimination and mismanagement at the King Khalid University, in Abha. Dozens were said to have been injured after polica and religious police moved in to break it up. Bbc.co.uk reported that images of the women shouting in protest against the univers... Read more »

Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has discussed Iran's nuclear plans with Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, and other influential US politicians during his visit to the US. The meeting concluded what Netanyahu called "a very good visit" to Washington. "We've had a very good visit in Washington, first in our discussion with the president in the Oval Office... and now culminating in this remarkable display of solidarity here in the congre... Read more »

Thousands of Syrians have recently crossed the border with Lebanon, the UN says, amid reports security forces are committing atrocities in the city of Homs. According to estimates of the UN refugee agency said as many as 2,000 people fled in the past two days. The UN's humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said she had been given permission to visit Syria and wanted unhindered access for humanitarian aid, bbc.co.uk reported.

Scores of gunmen launched a night raid on police targets in the western Iraqi city of Haditha, killing at least 27 police officers. The attacks began at 02:00 local time with the kidnapping of two senior officers from their homes. They were later found shot dead. The gunmen, some wearing military uniforms, then moved through the city, attacking police at checkpoints. Police blamed al-Qaeda rebels for the attacks, bbc.co.uk reported.

Syrian forces have resumed their assault on Homs, bombarding central city. Activists say that aid agencies still unable to gain access to neighbourhoods in desperate need of relief. Sunday's bombardment of Syria's third-largest city came as China proposed to end the violence in the country, calling for an immediate ceasefire and talks by all parties. Conditions in the western Homs neighbourhood of Baba Amr have been described as a disaster with shortages of... Read more »

The Bahraini authorities have imposed restrictions on groups attempting to monitor reforms and has asked a United Nations Human Rights investigator to delay a visit to investigate allegations of torture. The UN human rights office in Geneva said that Bahrain had officially requested that the visit of the special investigator on torture be delayed until July.According to a spokesman for the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Juan Mendez, th... Read more »