Bahrain, Yemen, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Trouble in the Villages

Claimed footage of police breaking into a parked car in Bahrain on Friday, possibly taking items from inside the vehicle

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2025 GMT: Bahraini authorities have said they will hold a second round of by-elections on 1 October in nine of the Parliamentary constituencies where voting took place on Saturday.

The authorities said no candidate had won 50% of the vote in the first round in the constituencies.

The second-round ballots will be another test of political strength after the low turnout of 17.4%, amidst a boycott by the opposition Al Wefaq party, on Saturday.

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Kuwait Snapshot: Imprisoned for Tweeting (Motaparthy)

Armed security officers wearing balaclavas led Nasser Abul, blindfolded and shackled, into a courtroom in downtown Kuwait City on July 19.  Accused of crimes against the state, he answered the judge's questions from a wood-and-metal cage in the courtroom. His mother, watching the proceedings, hoped her 26-year-old eldest son would finally be released after nearly two months in detention. The judiciary has refused to grant her wish.

Abul found himself in jail because of a few Tweets.

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Libya, Syria, Jordan (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The Beat of Fighting, A Promise of Reform

1940 GMT: A witness has said six rockets hit an oil refinery near the port of the opposiiton-controlled Libyan city of Misurata.

The rockets appeared to have hit the refinery's power generators and did not strike storage facilities.

1935 GMT: Back after an extended academic break to note that 11 male doctors went on trial today in Bahrain, accused of taking control of a hospital during anti-regime protests, storing weapons, and detaining people.

One of the doctors tried to tell the judge that his confession had been extracted under torture, but the judge told him to stop and that he would be able to give evidence later in the trial.

Defense lawyers asked for civilian doctors to examine their clients, who have only been seen by military medical staff. The judge agreed and adjourned the until next week; he denied a request from some defense lawyers that the doctors be released while the trial is ongoing.

The 11 doctors are among 47 medical staff facing trials.

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Syria, Yemen, Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: An Attack with Helicopters

1745 GMT: Regime forces and insurgents have been fighting in Zawiyah, 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Tripoli, shutting the coastal highway to Tunisia.

Activists on social media are claiming at least 30 people have been killed.

"The situation is very bad in Zawiyah. There's been fierce fighting since the morning between the Gaddafi forces and the rebels," said a resident.

The opposition held Zawiyah for a few weeks this spring before the town fell to the regime.

1735 GMT: Yemeni authorities say the army has killed 21 Al Qa'eda members in Abyan Province in the south.

Nine Yemeni soldiers were reportedly slain.

The provincial capital Zinjibar was occupied by insurgents last month.

1730 GMT: Residents and refugees from the besieged Syrian town of Jisr al-Shughour report ongoing fighting. One said, “Helicopters and tanks are bombing Jisr from all the sides and the situation is extremely miserable --- they are even targeting cars carrying civilians and the wounded.”

Claimed footage of attack helicopters above the town:

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