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Rebels Seize Key Northwestern Crossroads in Syria

Syrian rebels have taken full control of a strategic crossroads in the northwest that further limits the government's ability to reinforce its troops in the second city Aleppo, a watchdog said Friday.

Rebel fighters forced troops to pull back from their last position in the Saraqeb area where the main highways to Aleppo from Damascus and from the Mediterranean coast meet, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

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Syrian Opposition Says Received $40 Mln in Aid

The main opposition Syrian National Council said on Thursday that it has received $40.4 million (31.1 million euros) in international aid since it was set up a year ago, half of which came from Libya.

Libya has contributed $20.4 million, followed by $15 million from Qatar and $5 million from the United Arab Emirates.

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Report: Benghazi Consulate was Mainly CIA Operation

The U.S. mission in Benghazi that came under attack by militants on September 11 was mainly a secret CIA operation, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, shedding new light on the deadly assault.

President Barack Obama's administration has faced a storm of pre-election questions about why there was not more security at the U.S. consulate where four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, were killed on September 11.

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Tunisia Security Officers Protest against Salafist Attacks

Hundreds of officers from several Tunisian security forces demonstrated on Thursday against attacks on them, particularly by Salafists, and protested at the lack of resources to protect themselves.

Police, national guard, civil defense and the presidential guard officers protested for an hour in front of the interior ministry, an Agence France Presse reporter said.

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Top Egypt Islamist Faces Trial in Journalist Case

A senior member of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood faces prosecution after a television presenter filed a complaint that accused him of defaming her, a judicial source said on Thursday.

The source said the prosecution service has decided to refer Essam al-Erian, vice president of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, to a criminal court.

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Analysts: Syria Looks to Reverse Rebel Gains with Air Strike Surge

The unprecedented surge in air strikes carried out by Syrian forces this week is a desperate attempt by President Bashar Assad's regime to reverse recent gains by rebel fighters, analysts and rebels say.

The air raids, they say, are not so much aimed at hitting rebel positions but at striking enough fear and provoking enough anger to turn local populations against the opposition fighters in their midst.

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Arab World Left Disappointed as Obama Ends Term

Three years after he promised a rapt Cairo audience a shift in his country's unpopular Middle East policy, U.S. President Barack Obama goes to the polls leaving disappointment in a region swept by the Arab Spring.

Obama's critics say he has not honored his pledges, such as settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, or improving relations with Muslim countries.

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China Offers 'New Suggestions' on Syria

China said Thursday it had made "constructive new suggestions" to end the bloodshed in Syria, including a phased region-by-region ceasefire and the formation of a transitional government.

In an apparent attempt to position China at the heart of efforts to solve the issue, the foreign ministry gave a detailed account of proposals it made to Lakhdar Brahimi, the visiting United Nations-Arab League joint peace envoy.

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Kuwaiti Court Frees Top Opponent after Violent Clashes

A Kuwaiti court on Thursday ordered the release on bail of opposition leader Mussallam al-Barrak following a night of violent protests that left dozens hurt, his lawyer said.

News of the court order came as opposition groups convened in an emergency meeting in the wake of the night-long clashes, which also saw more than 20 demonstrators arrested, according to activists.

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SNC Blames International Community for Syria Extremism

The head of the main opposition Syrian National Council on Thursday blamed the international community's failure to react to the country's conflict for fueling Islamic extremist sentiment.

The comments came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the opposition should "strongly resist the efforts by the extremists to hijack the Syrian revolution".

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