Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A Long, Long Tug-of-War
Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 17:31 | Scott Lucas in Africa, EA Global, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 1615 GMT: Abdel Karim Rihawi of the Arab League of Human Rights has claimed that security forces killed two protesters and wounded in Deir Ez Zor in northeastern Syria on Thursday.
Rihawi said the mood was "tense and residents are observing a general strike". Videos indicate there have been stoppages in other cities in the country.
At least seven people were reportedly slain late Wednesday in Idlib Province in the northwest by security forces.
1515 GMT: The Libyan regime has halted all cooperation with Italian energy firm ENI, Libyan Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi Ali Al-Mahmoudi has said.
ENI, with a presence in Libya since the 1950s, is the biggest foreign oil company in the country, but it has suspended operations and establishing ties with the opposition.
Al-Mahmoudi said the regime was in talks with Russian, Chinese and American firms over new projects in Libya, but he did not give details except to say US firms could invest because Washington is not taking a direct role in the NATO bombing of Libya.
1459 GMT: Protesters march today in Al Khamis, Yemen: