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NATO Extends Libya Campaign Until Late September

NATO allies agreed Wednesday to extend its military campaign in Libya for another 90 days until late September, the alliance said.

"NATO and partners have just decided to extend our mission for Libya for another 90 days," said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

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Syria Opposition Meet in Turkey to Push Regime Change

Syrian opposition activists opened a conference in Turkey on Wednesday to discuss ways of a regime change in their country and draw up a "roadmap" for a peaceful transition.

More than 300 dissidents, mostly exiles representing various opposition and ethnic groups, gathered at a hotel in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya, a day after Syrian President Bashar Assad decreed an amnesty for political prisoners which they dismissed as inadequate.

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Bahraini Activists Call for Fresh Protests as Authorities Lift State of Emergency

Bahraini activists called on supporters to hold pro-reform protests on Wednesday as a state of emergency imposed during a March crackdown on demonstrators was being lifted, one day after the king called for dialogue.

Shiites, who form a majority in the Sunni-ruled kingdom, began demonstrations on February 14 but were crushed by security forces the following month.

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Israeli Police on Alert on Jerusalem Day

More than 3,000 police were deployed in and around the Holy City on Wednesday as Israelis marked Jerusalem Day to remember when they seized its Arab eastern sector 44 years ago, during the Six Day War.

"We have deployed extra police, border guards and civil guard volunteers, particularly in the eastern part of the city and in and around the Old City to maintain public order during the ceremonies," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Agence France Presse.

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Iran Deputies Send Ahmadinejad's 'Violations' to Judiciary

Iranian lawmakers on Wednesday denounced President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad being a caretaker of the oil ministry and sent the report of this "violation" of the constitution to the judiciary, state television website reported.

It said Ahmadinejad violated the law by "not appointing a caretaker for the oil ministry and his maintaining (himself) as a caretaker," the website said.

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France Demands 'Bolder' Reforms from Syria

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe on Wednesday demanded "more ambitious and bolder" action from Syria after President Bashar Assad decreed a general amnesty for political prisoners.

"I fear that it might already be too late," Juppe told France Culture radio after the Syrian leader announced the amnesty following two months of deadly anti-government protests.

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Dissident Yemen General's Headquarters Shelled

The Sanaa headquarters of dissident General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar was hit by two shells late on Tuesday during clashes between government forces and fighters loyal to Yemen's most powerful tribal leader, a source close to the general said.

"Two shells hit the headquarters of the First Armored Division," commanded by General Mohsen, the source said.

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Libya Says NATO Raids Killed 718 Civilians

Libya Tuesday accused NATO of killing 718 civilians and wounding 4,067 in 10 weeks of air strikes, as African efforts for a truce stalled and Italy said Moammar Gadhafi's regime is "finished."

The toll of dead and injured was given at a news conference in Tripoli by government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim, who also warned the departure of Gadhafi would be a "worst case scenario" for Libya.

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Syria to Probe 'Torture, Murder' of 13-Years-Old Boy as 3 Dead in Crackdown

Three civilians were shot dead on Tuesday by Syrian security forces at Rastan in the center of the country and in the southern region of Daraa, a rights activist said on condition of anonymity.

"Ibrahim Salhum was killed today at Rastan" near the city of Homs, as the military attempted to quell anti-regime protest there for the third straight day, the activist said.

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China Says U.N. Resolution on Syria Unhelpful as Homs Crackdown Continues

China voiced support on Tuesday for Syria's stability and said a U.N. Security Council resolution on the nation was unlikely to ease tensions there.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad is currently in Beijing and is slated to hold talks with Chinese Foreign Ministry Yang Jiechi, ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told journalists.

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