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| Syria and Middle East - live updates | Syria and Middle East - live updates |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 10.22am: Syria: The results of the Syria's parliamentary elections will be announced tomorrow, the state news agency, Sana, reports. | |
| The chair of the Higher Committee for Elections, Judge Khalaf al-Azzawi, told Sana that the results will be announced at 11am (9am BST) Tuesday at the palace of justice in al-Mezzah, Damascus. Voting took place on 7 May. The opposition boycotted the vote and claimed turnout was low, with many polling stations empty, but the government described the turnout as "remarkable". | |
| 10.06am: Syria: An army captain has been "assassinated" in Kafrouma, Idlib, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says: | |
| Information given by local activists states that the officer was from the coastal town of Jableh and was responsible for killing tens of locals in the Hamidiyyah base, south of Ma'arat al-Nu'man. He was also known for abusing his position and mistreating the local inhabitants. | |
| The Free Syrian Army claims to has been observing the 12 April ceasefire but reportedly threatened last week to resume attacks because the government had failed to honour it. The UN peacekeeping chief says there have been violations of the ceasefire on both sides. | |
| 9.51am: Syria: A demonstration is reportedly taking place at Aleppo University. The university reopened on 13 May after it was closed following a raid by security forces earlier this month that left at least four dead, according to activists | 9.51am: Syria: A demonstration is reportedly taking place at Aleppo University. The university reopened on 13 May after it was closed following a raid by security forces earlier this month that left at least four dead, according to activists |
| Photo from a protest taking place now in #Aleppo University twitter.com/#!/aboodyx/sta… via @aboodyx #Syria | Photo from a protest taking place now in #Aleppo University twitter.com/#!/aboodyx/sta… via @aboodyx #Syria |
| — Rose Alhomsi (@tweets4peace) May 14, 2012 | — Rose Alhomsi (@tweets4peace) May 14, 2012 |
| 9.43am: Iran: A senior UN nuclear watchdog official said Iran needed to give his inspectors access to information, people and sites as he began a two-day meeting with Iranian officials on the Islamic state's disputed atomic activities, Reuters reports. | 9.43am: Iran: A senior UN nuclear watchdog official said Iran needed to give his inspectors access to information, people and sites as he began a two-day meeting with Iranian officials on the Islamic state's disputed atomic activities, Reuters reports. |
Herman Nackaerts, deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told reporters as he arrived at an Iranian diplomatic mission in Vienna that Iran should now engage on issues of substance with the U.N. agency, which is investigating suspicions that Tehran may be seeking nuclear weapons capability. | Herman Nackaerts, deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told reporters as he arrived at an Iranian diplomatic mission in Vienna that Iran should now engage on issues of substance with the U.N. agency, which is investigating suspicions that Tehran may be seeking nuclear weapons capability. |
| "The aim of our two days is to reach agreement on (an) approach to resolve all outstanding issues with Iran, in particular clarification of the possible military dimensions remains our priority," Nackaerts said. | "The aim of our two days is to reach agreement on (an) approach to resolve all outstanding issues with Iran, in particular clarification of the possible military dimensions remains our priority," Nackaerts said. |
| 9.15am: Syria: The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 23 Syrian soldiers were killed in Rastan, near Homs, by opposition Free Syrian Army fighters, who destroyed three armoured personnel carriers. | 9.15am: Syria: The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 23 Syrian soldiers were killed in Rastan, near Homs, by opposition Free Syrian Army fighters, who destroyed three armoured personnel carriers. |
| Earlier, opposition sources said nine people, including a local rebel commander, were killed in heavy army shelling of Rastan. | Earlier, opposition sources said nine people, including a local rebel commander, were killed in heavy army shelling of Rastan. |
| This video purports to show the effect of shelling overnight. | This video purports to show the effect of shelling overnight. |
| Another video (warning: graphic) claims to show injured people including a young girl, whose father was killed according to activists, being treated at a field hospital. | Another video (warning: graphic) claims to show injured people including a young girl, whose father was killed according to activists, being treated at a field hospital. |
| 9.07am: Israel/Palestinian Territories: The leaders of the hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners have denied reports that a deal has been agreed to end the strike. | 9.07am: Israel/Palestinian Territories: The leaders of the hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners have denied reports that a deal has been agreed to end the strike. |
| Urgent : The Hunger Strike leadership Committee denies all rumors have been published in media about deals to end the strike #PalHunger RT | Urgent : The Hunger Strike leadership Committee denies all rumors have been published in media about deals to end the strike #PalHunger RT |
| — #Palhunger (@Palhunger) May 14, 2012 | — #Palhunger (@Palhunger) May 14, 2012 |
| 8.40am: Good morning. Welcome to Middle East Live. Here is a summary of the main developments today. | 8.40am: Good morning. Welcome to Middle East Live. Here is a summary of the main developments today. |
| Syria | Syria |
| • Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad shelled the town of Rastan on Syria's main northern highway this morning, killing at least nine people and wounding 40 in an offensive to retake the area from Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels, opposition sources told Reuters. "Shells and rockets have been hitting the town since 3am (1am BST) at a rate of one a minute. Rastan has been destroyed," an FSA member in the town, 25 kms (15 miles) north of the city of Homs, who declined to be named, told Reuters by satellite phone. | • Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad shelled the town of Rastan on Syria's main northern highway this morning, killing at least nine people and wounding 40 in an offensive to retake the area from Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels, opposition sources told Reuters. "Shells and rockets have been hitting the town since 3am (1am BST) at a rate of one a minute. Rastan has been destroyed," an FSA member in the town, 25 kms (15 miles) north of the city of Homs, who declined to be named, told Reuters by satellite phone. |
| • China has today sent six observers to join the UN monitoring mission, Syrian state media reported. The observers are monitoring the ceasefire, which was supposed to have taken place on 12 April but has seen violations on both sides. | • China has today sent six observers to join the UN monitoring mission, Syrian state media reported. The observers are monitoring the ceasefire, which was supposed to have taken place on 12 April but has seen violations on both sides. |
| Lebanon | Lebanon |
| • The violence in Syria spread to neighbouring Lebanon on Sunday with deadly clashes between Alawite supporters of the Assad regime and opponents, security officials said. From Business Day: | • The violence in Syria spread to neighbouring Lebanon on Sunday with deadly clashes between Alawite supporters of the Assad regime and opponents, security officials said. From Business Day: |
| Ten people were injured and four killed in the Lebanese port city of Tripoli when clashes broke out between residents of the Jabal Mohsen suburb, mainly populated by Alawites, and rivals from the Sunni Muslim-dominated district of Bab al-Tabbaneh, witnesses said. | Ten people were injured and four killed in the Lebanese port city of Tripoli when clashes broke out between residents of the Jabal Mohsen suburb, mainly populated by Alawites, and rivals from the Sunni Muslim-dominated district of Bab al-Tabbaneh, witnesses said. |
| Israel/Palestinian territories | Israel/Palestinian territories |
| • Egypt has brokered a deal aimed at ending a hunger strike of some 1,600 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, Reuters reports, citing a Palestinian source close to the negotiations . "Egypt has concluded a deal to resolve the prisoner crisis that included Israel's acceptance of prisoners' demands in exchange for ending the hunger strike," said the source, who is close to the talks in Cairo. About 2,000 Palestinian prisoners are on hunger strike and two, who have refused food for 77 days, are thought to be close to death with another six in a critical condition, according to Palestinian groups. | • Egypt has brokered a deal aimed at ending a hunger strike of some 1,600 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, Reuters reports, citing a Palestinian source close to the negotiations . "Egypt has concluded a deal to resolve the prisoner crisis that included Israel's acceptance of prisoners' demands in exchange for ending the hunger strike," said the source, who is close to the talks in Cairo. About 2,000 Palestinian prisoners are on hunger strike and two, who have refused food for 77 days, are thought to be close to death with another six in a critical condition, according to Palestinian groups. |
| Libya | Libya |
| • Nato air strikes killed 72 civilians in Libya last year, Human Rights Watch has said, accusing the western alliance of failing to acknowledge the scope of collateral damage it caused during the campaign that helped to oust Muammar Gaddafi.In a report based on investigations at bombing sites during and after the conflict, the New York-based group said Nato strikes killed 20 women and 24 children. It called on the alliance to compensate civilian victims and investigate attacks that may have been unlawful. Fred Abrahams, special adviser at HRW, said in a statement: | • Nato air strikes killed 72 civilians in Libya last year, Human Rights Watch has said, accusing the western alliance of failing to acknowledge the scope of collateral damage it caused during the campaign that helped to oust Muammar Gaddafi.In a report based on investigations at bombing sites during and after the conflict, the New York-based group said Nato strikes killed 20 women and 24 children. It called on the alliance to compensate civilian victims and investigate attacks that may have been unlawful. Fred Abrahams, special adviser at HRW, said in a statement: |
Attacks are allowed only on military targets, and serious questions remain in some incidents about what exactly Nato forces were striking. | Attacks are allowed only on military targets, and serious questions remain in some incidents about what exactly Nato forces were striking. |