LIBYA
The rebel ruling council rejected African Union mediation efforts because they did not involve Moammar Gadhafi stepping down, while European leaders expressed their suspicion of the Libyan leader's promises of a ceasefire. The international air campaign, meanwhile broke up government assaults on Ajdabiya, allowing rebels to retake the city and move towards the oil terminal of Brega.
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EGYPT
A military tribunal sentence a blogger to three years in prison for insulting the army in a blog posting publicizing the alleged abuses of the institution which took power in the country two months earlier. In a television interview, two generals justified the sentence because criticism of the military was only allowed if carried out in a respectful manner. Protesters continued to occupy parts of downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square demanding the resignation of the defense minister. The Justice Ministry also announced the 15 day detention of regime stalwart Safwat el-Sherif on corruption charges, pending investigations.
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SYRIA
European countries condemned the deadly crackdown in Syria that has already claimed at least 170 lives after three weeks of protests calling for reform. Hundreds even protested at Damascus University, in a rare demonstration in the capital, which was dispersed by security forces, killing at least one person.
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YEMEN
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has welcomed mediation efforts by the regional bloc of oil-rich Arab nations even as he rejected their calls for him to step down, in a blow to regional efforts to resolve the weeks of turmoil that have been wracking this impoverished Arab nation.
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BAHRAIN
Three top editors for the island kingdom's biggest opposition daily, Al-Wasat, have been referred to trial on charges of allegedly publishing fabricated reports about the unrest wracking this Shiite majority country dominated by a Sunni ruling family. The editors have denied the charges, amid a widespread government crackdown in effort to quell the protests.