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Prince Charles: Arabic hard to learn
Prince Charles is learning Arabic but said he's having a difficult time of it.
At a networking event Thursday in Qatar for alumni of UK universities, he complimented guests on their impeccable English.
Qatar's energy minister inquired if Charles spoke any Arabic.
FULL STORY
Prince Charles visits refugee camp in Jordan
Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla visited a U.N. refugee camp in Jordan on Wednesday, near the border with Syria.
The camp, run by the United Nations, UNICEF and Save the Children, is home to about 1,000 people who have fled the conflict that has raged for about two years.
About 20 children staying at the camp sang songs to the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
FULL STORY
Radical cleric Abu Qatada released from jail
Radical cleric Abu Qatada was released from jail on bail today, following a successful appeal Monday against deportation from the United Kingdom to face terror charges in Jordan.
It's the latest stage in a long-running battle over British efforts to deport the man accused of funding terrorist groups and said to have inspired one of the 9/11 hijackers.
Radical cleric Abu Qatada to be released on bail
[Updated at 11:05 a.m. ET] Abu Qatada is expected to be released on Tuesday, but his bail conditions are still being set, Britain’s Judicial Communications Office said Monday.
Britain's Special Immigration Appeals Commission upheld the radical cleric's appeal against deportation to Jordan earlier Monday
[Posted at 7:47 a.m. ET] Radical cleric Abu Qatada has won a legal battle that means he will not be deported from the United Kingdom to Jordan, the latest round in a long-running battle over British efforts to deport the man accused of funding terrorist groups and said to have inspired one of the 9/11 hijackers.
Jordan pleads for help with 200,000 Syrian refugees
The hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have fled across borders can sleep without fear of another attack. But they're also causing serious strains on their host countries, such as Jordan.
Israeli, Palestinian officials meet in Jordan to relaunch negotiations
Israeli and Palestinian representatives are holding talks in Jordan Tuesday in an effort to relaunch negotiations between the two sides after more than a year of deadlock.
Israel's special envoy, attorney Yitzhak Molcho, and chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat are meeting in Amman with representatives of the Middle East Quartet - made up of the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia.
Peace talks between the two sides fell apart more than a year ago over disagreements on the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
FULL STORYProtesters attack employees at Syrian Embassy in Jordan, official says
About a dozen protesters attacked employees at Syria's embassy in Jordan on Sunday, an embassy official said.
After posing as citizens who said they had business at the embassy, the group of about a dozen people started hitting employees with sticks, leaving one unconscious briefly, said Syria's vice ambassador to Jordan, Mohammad Abu Serreah.
The group arrived when the embassy opened at 9 a.m., Serreah said. They were dressed inconspicuously, some in suits and others casually. After entering the building, they took off their jackets to show that they were wearing t-shirts in support of the Syrian opposition, he said.
Officials asked the group to leave the embassy, but they refused - and then began attacking some employees with sticks, Serreah said.
FULL STORY
North Africa and Middle East unrest, country by country
Countries in the Middle East and North Africa have been swept up in protests against longtime rulers since the January revolt that ousted Tunisian strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. In many cases, these demonstrations and movements have been met with brute force that has escalated into seemingly unending violence. Here are the latest developments and information about the roots of the unrest.
Jordan
Several hundred protesters marching through Amman on Friday were attacked by riot police, CNN's Arwa Damon said. A Jordanian security official said riot police were called in only after a group of loyalists clashed with the pro-reform protesters.
The protesters departed Al Hussein mosque on their way to Palm Tree Square, when they were surrounded by police along the way, Damon reported. Upon reaching the square, riot police charged the protesters, beating them with batons and using shields to push them back, she said.
Arab Unrest: Middle East and North Africa, country by country
Countries in the Middle East and North Africa have been swept up in protests against longtime rulers since the January revolt that ousted Tunisian strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. In many cases, these demonstrations and movements have been met with brute force and escalated into seemingly unending violence.
Here are the latest developments from each country and information on the roots of the unrest.
SYRIA
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad offered another general amnesty Tuesday for those accused of crimes, Syrian state TV reported. It's the second known amnesty overture from the embattled Syrian leader since protests erupted in the Middle Eastern country.
GPS: Another deeply disappointing speech by Bashar al-Assad
Ammar Qurabi, chairman of the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria, said Tuesday that dozens of protesters were arrested Monday during peaceful anti-government demonstrations in the city of Aleppo.
State TV showed images Tuesday of thousands joining pro-regime rallies in cities such as Daraa, Aleppo and Homs. Some in the crowds chanted, "With our blood, with our souls, we will sacrifice for you, Bashar" and "God, Syria and Bashar only."
At least 10,718 Syrian refugees, many of whom fled a military advance in and around the city of Jisr al-Shugur, have crossed the border into Turkey, the Turkish government said.
Diplomats, reporters and U.N. agencies visited northern Syria in a government-sponsored trip on Monday. The war-battered town of Jisr al-Shugur was virtually deserted.
The International Committee of the Red Cross says Syrian officials agreed to give the ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent wider access to areas of unrest and that the government has "expressed its readiness" to discuss ICRC visits to detainees.
Opinion: Obama can't 'lead from behind' on Syria
Roots of unrest: More than 1,100 people may have died since the unrest began in mid-March after teens were arrested for writing anti-government graffiti in Daraa, according to Amnesty International. As the crackdown intensified, demonstrators changed their demands from calls for "freedom," "dignity" and an end to abuses by the security forces to calls for the regime's overthrow. On April 19, Syria's cabinet lifted an emergency law, which had been in effect since 1963. But security forces then moved quickly to crack down. Government opponents allege massive human rights abuses.
FULL POST
Pew: U.S. image largely unimproved in Middle East after 'Arab Spring'
The United States' image in four Middle Eastern nations and the Palestinian territories largely doesn't appear to have improved during anti-government uprisings that have shaken regimes in the region, a survey from the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project found.
Fewer people in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon view the United States favorably now than in 2010, while small gains were seen in Egypt - where an uprising toppled longtime leader Hosni Mubarak earlier this year - and the Palestinian territories, according to the survey.
Pew said America's image also dipped in the two other predominantly Muslim nations that were surveyed: Pakistan and Indonesia.
The results of the survey, which was taken between March 21 and April 26, come as U.S. President Barack Obama prepares to deliver on Thursday a highly anticipated address on U.S. policy toward the "Arab Spring" uprisings that have shaken autocratic regimes across North Africa and the Middle East.
Tuesday's live video events
Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage of space shuttle Endeavour's final mission.
Today's programming highlights...
8:30 am ET - Casey Anthony trial - Jury selection continues in the case of Casey Anthony, the Florida woman accused of killing her young daughter.
On the Radar: China's top general visits; U.S.-Jordan talks; NBA playoffs
Chinese general visits: China's top military officer, Gen. Chen Bingde, visits the Pentagon on Tuesday. Chen, chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, is the highest ranking Chinese military officer to visit the U.S. in seven years.
Chinese state media has touted Chen's U.S. visit as a chance to build on goodwill established during Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to the U.S. earlier this year.
"It is worth noting that the military ties between the two countries lag far behind their relations in other fields partially because the Chinese and U.S. militaries still lack strategic mutual trust," By Yang Yi, a research fellow with China's National Defense University, wrote in the People's Daily Online.
Chen has meetings scheduled with Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, among others during his week-long visit.
On Monday night, Chen and Mullen watched a joint performance of Chinese and U.S. Army bands at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Xinhua reported.
N. Africa, Mideast unrest: Three killed as demonstrations turn deadly in Tunisia
Across the Middle East and North Africa, CNN's reporters and iReporters are covering protests, many of them inspired by revolts in Tunisia and Egypt that toppled those countries' longtime rulers. Check out our story explaining the roots of the unrest in each country and full coverage of the situation in Libya. Have a story to tell from the scene? Click here to send an iReport.
Developments on unrest in the Middle East and North Africa:
SUNDAY
[OMAN, 9:00 a.m. ET, 6:10 a.m. local] At least two protesters were killed and about 10 injured during clashes between protesters and police in the Omani industrial town of Sohar, according to reports from state media and Oman TV editor Asma Rshid. "The police shot them because they burned shops and cars in Sohar," Rshid said. Another source said police fired rubber bullets. A number of police had also reportedly been injured, but CNN has not been able to confirm how many.
[LIBYA, 9 am ET, 4:15 p.m. local] Protests are picking up in Libya's western city of Zawiya with former security forces who said they have switched sides and joined the opposition.
The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a draft resolution to impose sanctions against Libya amid escalating attacks on anti-government protesters in the north African country.
The resolution draft includes an arms embargo, asset freeze and a travel ban. It also refers Libya to the International Criminal Court.
SATURDAY
[TUNISIA, 9:12 p.m. ET, 3:12 a.m. local] Protests in Tunisia turned violent and deadly Saturday, just over six weeks after a popular uprising forced the president out of office, and lit a spark of desire for democratic reform in parts of Africa and the Middle East.
Three people were killed Saturday and nine others injured during mayhem in the capital, Tunis, according to a Interior Ministry statement cited by the state-run news agency, Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP).
More than 100 people were arrested, the ministry said, in the area around Habib Bourguiba Avenue, in the city's center, accused of "acts of destruction and burning."
[LIBYA, 4:58 p.m. ET, 11:58 p.m. local] City councils in areas no longer loyal to Moammar Gadhafi have chosen former Justice Minister Mustafa Abdul Jalil to head an interim government which will represent all of Libya, according to Amal Bogagies, a member of the February 17 Uprising coalition, and a separate Libyan opposition source.
[LIBYA, 4:40 p.m. ET, 11:40 p.m. local] President Barack Obama, in a statement issued Saturday after reports that forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi had fired on civilians, said "that when a leader's only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now."
The White House statement was issued after Obama spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
[BAHRAIN, 9:37 a.m. ET, 5:37 p.m. local] Exiled opposition leader Hassan Mushaima has arrived back in Manama, Bahrain. Mushaima, leader of the Haq Movement, had told followers earlier in the week that he had been detained in Beirut, Lebanon.
[YEMEN, 2 a.m. ET, 10 a.m. local] Four people were killed and 26 wounded in clashes Friday night between anti-government protesters and security forces in southern Yemen, medical officials in Aden said Saturday.
[LIBYA, 2 a.m. ET, 9 a.m. local] A U.N. security panel is scheduled to meet Saturday to discuss new sanctions against Libya amid escalating attacks on anti-government protesters in the north African country. The resolution draft includes an arms embargo, asset freeze and a travel ban. It also refers Libya to the International Criminal Court.
On the Radar: Weather, Middle East, Fort Hood, New Year
Severe weather
Bitter cold, with some more snow and ice mixed in, will follow the monster storm that dominated much of the country earlier in the week. Wisconsin can expect wind-chill values between 20 and 25 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, and parts of Maine and New Hampshire can expect several inches of new snow, the National Weather Service said. Sleet and freezing rain are expected along the Gulf Coast. All of this is coming as vast areas try to clear streets and restore electricity after the massive storm that brought as much as 2 feet of snow to some locales.
Australians are still feeling the effects of Cyclone Yasi, whose torrential rain and high winds have knocked out power to large portions of the country's northeast.
Middle East protests
Demonstrations continue in Cairo, Egypt, after anti-government protesters held their ground overnight in the capital city's Tahrir Square. Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq said Wednesday's attacks on demonstrators would be investigated.
Meanwhile, in Jordan, the main Islamist group says it plans further street demonstrations Friday in the capital to protest the appointment of a new prime minister by King Abdullah II. The Islamic Action Front, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, has rejected talks with new Prime Minister Marouf al Bakhit, who is forming a new government. But several of its representatives will be meeting the king later Thursday.
And in Yemen, thousands of anti-government protesters gathered near Sanaa University, indicating many in the country were not satisfied with President Ali Abdullah Saleh's recent announcement that he would not seek re-election. About a kilometer away, a large crowd of government supporters gathered for a demonstration.
Fort Hood report
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman and Ranking Member Susan Collins will hold a news conference at noon to release their bipartisan report on the failures of the U.S. government to prevent the November 5, 2009, shooting at Fort Hood Army Post that killed 13 people and wounded 32 others.
Chinese New Year
Today marks the beginning of year 4709 on the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Rabbit. Celebrations were taking place across Asia.
On the Radar: Egypt uprisings, 25 years since Challenger, Davos
Egypt - The uprising in the African nation continued Friday as police fired tear gas into crowds in an attempt to disperse thousands of anti-government protesters. Vans filled with riot police circled Cairo neighborhoods before Friday afternoon prayers, and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei was placed under house arrest, a high-level security source told CNN on Friday. Keep up with minute-by-minute action right here at "This Just In."
Meanwhile, in other nations, protests broke out in the Jordanian capital, and an opposition party in Albania pushed for more protests in Tirana. Analysts said the widespread protests are part of a ripple effect that began last month in Tunisia.
Challenger - It’s been a quarter-century since the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds into takeoff, killing the six astronauts on aboard and teacher Christa McAuliffe. The disaster grounded the space shuttle program for three years. NASA Television will air a remembrance service honoring the crew, and June Scobee Rodgers, the widow of Cmdr. Dick Scobee, will be among the speakers. CNN will also talk to a former neighbor and Sunday school pupil of McAuliffe’s, who says McAuliffe inspired her to become a teacher. Be sure to check out CNN’s full coverage page, Remembering Challenger.
Davos - World leaders, economists and business people continued gathering Friday in Switzerland to discuss the global economy. The theme this year is “The New Reality.” Last year’s World Economic Forum in Davos focused on financial reform. CNN will explore whether reforms have made the global banking system more stable.
This year, a “little explosion” at a hotel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s defense of the euro already have made headlines.
Clashes between protesters, riot police play out on Twitter
Riot police line up in downtown Amman after a protest got out of hand.
The Jordanian Twittersphere was abuzz Tuesday with news of a protest in downtown Amman - local citizen journalists reported street closures, crowds, and rumors of tear gas deployment and even death.
Amateur video posted on YouTube showed a police outpost in flames in the Jordanian capital Amman.
And the clashes between protesters and riot police resulted in the death of one protester and the injury of several others, according to Jordanian media reports.
Public Security Directorate Spokesperson Mohammed Al-Khatib told Ammon News that the flare-up began when security forces with a warrant went to search a man’s home for drugs. According to al-Khatib, when the police entered the home, they were attacked by the occupants and a fight broke out resulting in the death of one man - Abdul Salam Mthari.
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