Bahrain on Sunday turned down a request to transfer to Denmark a jailed Shiite activist who has been on hunger strike for two months and also holds Danish nationality.

"The handover of accused and convicted persons to foreign countries takes place under specific conditions... This does not apply in Abdulhadi al-Khawaja's case," a Supreme Judiciary Council official said, quoted by state news agency BNA.

Clashes between government troops and army deserters raged on Sunday across Syria, where at least 84 people were killed and more than 200 arrested, activists and monitors said.

The weekend escalation in violence came ahead of a U.N. deadline of Tuesday for regime forces to cease fire, prompting harsh words from international envoy Kofi Annan who said the escalation was "unacceptable."

Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday reiterated calls to find a political solution in Syria and avoid more bloodshed in the neighboring country, where thousands have been killed in violence.

"Jordan believes in finding a solution to the Syrian crisis in line with Arab consensus and believes in supporting (peace envoy) Kofi Annan," a palace statement quoted the king as telling a U.S. congressional delegation.

Pope Benedict XVI called on Sunday for an end to bloodshed in Syria and a commitment to dialogue to end the violence there, as part of a wider appeal to give hope to the entire Middle East.

"May the risen Christ grant hope to the Middle East and enable all the ethnic, cultural and religious groups in that region to work together to advance the common good and respect for human rights," he said in his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" message to mark Easter Sunday.

The international mediator for Syria, Kofi Annan, said on Sunday he was shocked by the "unacceptable" surge in bloodshed there despite a U.N. deadline for a halt to all violence next week.

"I am shocked by recent reports of a surge in violence and atrocities in several towns and villages in Syria, resulting in alarming levels of casualties, refugees and displaced persons, in violation of assurances given to me," Annan said in a statement.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Sunday warned the six-power group negotiating with Iran to set stringent limits on its nuclear enrichment at forthcoming talks.

"If the P5+1 will set a much lower threshold, like just stop reaching 20 percent it means that basically the Iranians at a very cheap cost bought their way into continuing their military programs, slightly slower but without sanctions," Barak said in English in an interview aired on Sunday by CNN.

An online video shows Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri, Saddam Hussein's vice president and the highest-ranking member of his regime still on the run, in what appears to be his first video message since 2003.

The authenticity and date of the clip posted on YouTube on Saturday could not be verified.

Air strikes have killed 24 Al-Qaida suspects in their strongholds in the country's south and east, the Defense Ministry and a tribal chief said on Sunday.

A Yemeni air raid late on Saturday killed "16 terrorists belonging to Al-Qaeda network in Kud near Zinjibar," the extremists' stronghold in the south, the Defense Ministry news website 26sep.net reported.

Syria said Sunday it will not withdraw its forces from protest hubs without "written guarantees" that the opposition will also lay down its arms, a demand swiftly rejected by rebels, who said they will not give guarantees to a regime they do not recognize.

"To say that Syria will pull back its forces from towns on April 10 is inaccurate, with (U.N.-Arab League envoy) Kofi Annan having not yet presented written guarantees on the acceptance by armed terrorist groups of a halt to all violence," the Syrian foreign minister said in a statement.

Libyan leaders in Misrata could be held legally accountable by the International Criminal Court for crimes committed by militias under their command, Human Rights Watch warned on Sunday.

"The leaders of the Libyan city of Misrata could be held criminally responsible for ongoing serious crimes by forces under their command," the watchdog said in an open letter to the city’s military and civilian leaders.