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Bahrainis Protest on Eve of Revolt Anniversary

Thousands of Bahraini Shiites took to the streets Wednesday on the eve of the second anniversary of their crushed uprising, as a national dialogue aimed at ending a political stalemate resumed.

Following a call by opposition groups, demonstrators marched in 12 villages and chanted anti-regime slogans, witnesses said, amid calls for a general strike and nationwide protests on Thursday and Friday to commemorate the uprising.

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West Bank Settler Population Grew 4.7% in 2012

The number of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank grew by 4.7% in 2012, according to figures obtained by Agence France Presse Wednesday from a settler organization.

The settler population stood at 360,000 at beginning of January 2013 compared to 343,000 in January 2012, according to the Yesha Council, the largest organization of West Bank settlers.

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Tunisia's Ennahda Calls for pro-Islamist Rally Saturday

Tunisia's ruling Ennahda party has called on supporters to rally Saturday and back its "legitimacy" even as the prime minister, who belongs to the Islamist party, scrambles to form a new government of technocrats.

"Supporters of Ennahda must defend their revolution and the interests of the people," Mohamed Akrout, an Ennahda deputy chief, said on in a video posted Wednesday on the party's Facebook page.

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Syria Regime ex-Spokesman Breaks Silence

Former foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi said Wednesday he has a neutral stance on Syria's 23-month conflict, as he broke his silence for the first time since leaving the country.

"I left Syria because the polarization in the country has reached a deadly and destructive stage... I left a battlefield, not a normal country, and I apologize to those who trusted my credibility and for leaving without prior notice," he said.

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Iran Dissidents Say Khamenei Ordered Attack on Iraq Camp

The Iranian dissident group MEK on Wednesday accused Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of ordering a deadly attack on its camp in Iraq and said the Iraqi government facilitated the assault.

The People's Mujahedeen of Iran (MEK) said in a statement that the decision to carry out the attack was taken late January by Iran's national security council on Khamenei's orders.

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Hamas MPs in Ground-Breaking Bulgaria Visit

A Hamas parliamentary delegation of three MPs arrived in Bulgaria on Wednesday in a groundbreaking visit to a European Union member state, a delegate told Agence France Presse.

"We arrived today in Bulgaria on our first official visit and we will meet state officials, MPs from the ruling party and the opposition to discuss cooperation and explain the Palestinian cause," MP Ismail al-Ashkar said by phone from Sofia.

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Kuwait Court Acquits Five Tweeters of Insulting Emir

Kuwait's lower court Wednesday acquitted five opposition activists on charges of insulting the emir via their Twitter accounts, a human rights official said.

"The court acquitted the five tweeters," director of Kuwait Society for Human Rights Mohammad al-Humaidi, who is a defense lawyer, said in a tweet.

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In War-Torn Syria, Bouquets Wilt on Valentine's Day

Red roses, tulips, heart-shaped toys and teddy bears cram the stands of Rawda Flowers in an upscale district of Damascus, but with war raging few people have indulged in gifts for Valentine's Day.

"My business is almost dead. Most of my old clients, who once came to buy bouquets for thousands of Syrian pounds, have fled the country because they fear kidnapping," the shop owner told Agence France Presse on condition of anonymity.

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MSF to Open Hospital for Syrian Children in Jordan

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Wednesday it will open a hospital for Syrian refugee children at the Zaatari camp in northern Jordan, which complains its healthcare services are already burdened.

"MSF is now coordinating with the government to open the hospital in Zaatari in two weeks," Antoine Foucher, head of the organization in the kingdom, told Health Minister Abullatif Wreikat, the official Petra news agency reported.

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Egypt Expresses 'Concern' for Palestinian Hunger Strikers

Egypt on Wednesday expressed "concern" for the well-being of Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli prisons and warned that endangering their lives could inflame tensions in Palestinian territories.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr "expressed his concern over reports about the deteriorating health of Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli jails, especially Samer Assawi and Ayman Sharawneh," a ministry statement said.

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