State television says (quote), "leaders of the civil strife" have been arrested for communicating with foreign countries and inciting murder and destruction of property.

State TV did not say how many had been arrested or name them.

Among those detained overnight was Ibrahim Sharif, head of the secular leftist party Waad.

Sharif’s wife Farida Ismail describes what happened.

[Farida Ismail, Wife of Waad Leader Ibrahim Sharif]:                                                                                                                                                                                   "They kept ringing the bell, shouting, 'open the door, open the door, open the door' over and over again, very loudly, it was scary."      

Ismail is calling on the government to engage in a dialogue with the opposition.      

[Farida Ismail, Wife of Waad Leader Ibrahim Sharif]:                                                                                                                                                                                     "We hope the government will realize that using force will only lead to more chaos, more destruction. We hope it goes back to its senses and engages in dialogue, which the Crown Prince called for. And we hope that we have the right environment to have that dialogue so the results can satisfy Bahraini citizens, without Sunni and Shi'ite."     

Bahraini forces used tanks and helicopters to drive protesters off the streets and clear a camp that had become a symbol of their demand for more democratic rights in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.  

3 police and 3 protesters have died in the crackdown.

A deadly crackdown on protesters in Manama, Bahrain - a day after the government declared martial law to quell sectarian unrest.              

Backed by helicopters, Bahraini forces cleared hundreds from a camp in Pearl Square that had become the symbol of an uprising by the Shi'ite Muslim majority.              

Hospital sources said three policemen and three protesters were killed in the assault. 

Protesters released images they say show security forces firing live rounds during the operation.              

A medical source said dozens were taken to Bahrain International Hospital, hit by rubber bullets or shot gun pellets or suffering tear gas inhalation, all weapons used by riot police.  

A member of parliament from the largest Shi'ite Muslim opposition group denounced the government assault as a declaration of war on the Shi'ite community. 

With a noticeable security detail surrounding her, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton toured Cairo's Tahrir Square on Wednesday -- drawing a huge crowd of men and women.

Clinton smiled, waved and shook hands as she visited the Square that was the epicenter of the revolt that toppled long-time Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak from power.  

During her 15-minute stroll, Clinton encountered a friendly crowd excited to meet the U.S. Secretary of State.              

Clinton then met with interim Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf.              

[Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State]:          

"I am so looking forward to helping, in any way that we can, in this transformation and all the work that needs to be done. I was just saying to one of the ministers that, we have an expression, it's like drinking from a fire hose, there is so much to be done. But the United States stands ready to help in every way possible to translate what happened in Tahrir Square into the new reality for Egypt."  

Clinton also met with the country's military rulers - including the head of Egypt's Higher Military Council, Mohamed Hussein Tantawi.  

Clinton urged Tantawi to lay the groundwork for a transition to democracy - setting the stage for presidential elections within six months.      

Kenya's Tsavo East National Park is home to more than 12,000 elephants - but they are under threat from habitat loss, drought and poaching. 

Park officials are looking to satellite technology for a solution. 

They plan to track a selection of animals by GPS to map exactly how they use the huge area. 

The Kenyan Wildlife Service has teamed up with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to fit GPS collars on eight male and female animals for a 20 month period,  according to Elphus Bitok, a KWS research scientist.   

[Elphus Bitok, Researcher Scientist, Kenya Wildlife Service]:             

"The collar that we just fitted has a GPS component and a VHF component. The GPS component communicates with the satellite and the satellite will relay back the information via internet where you can be able to assess on real-time basis where the elephant is." 

Knowing exactly where the animals are, say rangers, will help improve security and fight poaching and produce better ways to intervene when there are instances of conflict with humans.              

The project has been funded by IFAW, who's president and CEO, Fred O'Regan, said the cost of losing elephants and other wildlife and their habitats is greater than securing them.

[Fred O'Regan, President & CEO, Int'l Fund for Animal Welfare]:               

"Another thing we are trying to do out here is to identify where the legitimate migratory corridors that we can protect to make sure this animal thrives for the future."  

The elephant population in Kenya is increasing, rising 8 percent over the past two years and with the latest satellite technology now helping, environmentalists will be hoping that trend continues.            

Few cars could be seen on Monday on the streets of Libya's Ajdabiyah, and many shops closed for business in anticipation of the advance of Gaddafi forces arriving in the city.  

Cars were laden with belongings, as people prepared to flee the area. 

Libyan planes bombed Ajdabiyah, behind rebel lines, the only sizeable town between Brega and the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

From Ajdabiyah there are roads to Benghazi and to Tobruk, which could allow Gaddafi's troops to encircle the rebel stronghold of Benghazi. 

Libyan state television said Brega, an oil producing town, is under control of government troops. 

Many residents said they're afraid of the unfolding situation.

[Sharif, Pharmacist]:               

"Everybody is confused and scared. You can see the shops are closed because nobody knows what will happen." 

But others have said they will continue to fight against Muammar Gaddafi, who has been in power for more than four decades. 

[Karim, Ajdabiyah Resident]:             

"Anybody who supports Muammar (Gaddafi) should re-think before it's too late. Why do they support Muammar? He sent aircraft against Libyans, Muslims. Muammar is not a Libyan, he is corrupt. In the name of God we will win." 

Gaddafi's tanks and planes have proved more than a match for the rag-tag rebel force, especially in the flat desert terrain in between major towns, pushing them back some 95 miles since the counter-attack began on March 6.  

Rebels say the government assaults follow a pattern: first warplanes attack, striking fear into rebel ranks, then comes a rolling artillery barrage as ground troops move in, some of them landing from the sea. 

While advancing east, government forces have also moved to crush pockets of resistance left in the west.

Government troops attacked Zuwarah on Monday, a small town 60 miles west of Tripoli. Four people were reportedly killed.            

A special concert was held in Tel Aviv, Israel to raise awareness about the suffering of women imprisoned in Iran.

The concert featured song poems of Iranian writers and musicians.

Israeli musician Heftsiba Zer Aviv, who is also the organizer of the concert, performed Iranian as well as Western music.   

Marina Nemat, a writer and former prisoner in Iran, touched the hearts of the audience… recounting her arrest by Iranian security forces during the Islamic revolution. She was only 16-years-old at the time.

[Marina Nemat, Former Iranian Prisoner]: 

"They came for me on January 15, 1982. I was 16. I was about to take a bath, the doorbell rang, I opened the bathroom door and there was two guns pointing at my face."

Marina recounted the pain and suffering she endured back then… but also spoke about how she overcame the hardship.

[Marina Nemat, Former Iranian Prisoner]:  

"The guards put me in a car and they drove me to Evin prison. They handcuffed me and then they saw that my hands are small, so they took both of my wrists together in one cuff and when it clicked my bones cracked!"

Her experiences motivated her to write a book about the tragic story.

Israeli Musician Heftsiba Zer Aviv contacted Marina after reading her book. Heftsiba was very touched and applauded Marina's courage… so touched that she put together this concert to raise awareness to the suffering of women in Evin Prison.  

[Heftsiba Zer Aviv, musician]: 

“When I read Marina’s book ‘Prisoner of Tehran,’ it touched my heart in a very unusual way! I was deeply shaken, and I felt a great need to speak with her and somehow also join her struggle to close Evin Prison and save women who face stoning! I asked her what could be done. What can we do in order to help?”

The concert also drew interest from those who work with women… people like Orna Sadgat-Erez.

[Orna Sadgat-Erez, Head of Women's Administration]:

"I came to this event because my profession also deals wit these kinds of cases: To help women and to work towards a new and good day for women."

Marina’s story is just the tip of the iceberg. Today, a lot of Iranian women are suffering from religious and political persecution.

But one thing's for sure. Many sincerely hope that freedom will ultimately emerge and prevail in Iran. 

Reporter:Lee Rom       Photographer:Michael Ash

NTD News, Tel Aviv, Israel.

A fighter jet thunders across the sky over Ras Lanuf - some 340 miles east of the Libyan capital.

Rebels try to track the plane, unleashing large-caliber anti-aircraft rounds into the air from their 4X4 trucks.

Libyan warplanes are bombing rebel positions in the region - airstrikes have already hit opposition forces in the desert between Ras Lanuf and Bin Jawad.

As embattled leader Muammar Gaddafi's planes swoop in, no one knows where the bombs will fall.

International media run for cover.

And rebel fighters bow in prayer, while others symbolically fire small arms into the air.

Ras Lanuf and the surrounding area have recently become central in clashes between Gaddafi's troops and opposition forces.

The rag-tag rebels - mostly young volunteers and military defectors - are facing increasingly fierce fighting, as warplanes and attack helicopters continue to launch daily attacks in the region.
 

Hundreds of protesters chant against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The demonstration erupted at a funeral for rebel fighters in Benghazi's central square.

Libya is in the midst of intense fighting between anti-government rebels and Gaddafi loyalists.

People here held banners calling on the United Nations and the international community to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, to aid them in their struggle.

Rising causalities and threats of a refugee crisis have increased pressure on foreign governments to act, but the U.S. has stressed that a no-fly zone would have to have global backing.

Before the funeral, residents and government opponents gathered for prayers in honor of the fallen rebel fighters, who were killed during heavy fighting with government forces.

Several hundred protesters take to the streets of Kuwait city, demanding change.

These demonstrators want more political freedoms and for their Prime Minster, Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah, to be replaced.

[Unidentified Protester]: 

"Today March 8 is the beginning of the end and downfall of Sheikh Nasser Mohammed who caused this economic situation in Kuwait and harmed national unity and freedoms. Public funds have been stolen and we will not remain quiet."

The protests come amid a wave of demonstrations and uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa.

Now these Kuwaitis also want change.

[Unidentified Protester]:

"We have several demands, the most important of which is the call for a new Prime Minster and formation of a new government, as this government has been unable to cope with certain issues and crises that Kuwait has gone through."

But change won't come easily.

The Prime Minister is the nephew of the ruling emir, and all the key government positions are held by the ruling al-Sabah family, who have governed Kuwait for some 250 years.

This boutique shop owner specializes in selling second hand, vintage clothes from the 80’s and earlier. That means a lot of nostalgia. Second hand fashion is a strong trend now due to the increased awareness of the importance of recycling, and of course the old style is back in fashion.

The shop owner says her clients enjoy finding special clothes, and on the way, help the process of recycling. 

[Ophira Oberweger, Shop Owner]: 

“We’re into smart shopping! Buying second hand means using viable materials, not necessarily clothing. It concerns every material and has to do with producing as little junk as possible in our world! This is an approach that is economically right for our pocket as it is to the global pocket, and no less ecologically right.” 

Once a month the mannequins in the shop window are replaced by a real life person, a singer!

The sound system is installed to direct the sound toward the street, and passersby have a nice surprise when they approach the window. 

This week the musician Yigal Carmel performed in the boutique. 

[Yigal Carmel, Musician]: 

“This is a very moving gig. It’s the first time I’m doing it, and it’s quite surprising. I saw a young woman dancing to the music with a baby and it was lovely."

Shopping is more fun here, and there are also regular customers who return again and again to enjoy the clothing as well as the music.

[Sophy Simon, Client]: 

"I work in the hi-tech indusry, so the cost of clothes does not constitute a problem for me. It’s not a consideration. What I do care about is ecology and recycling.”

The music coming out of the store intrigues and interests the passersby and creates a unique ambience in the store itself.

[Ophira Oberweger, Shop Owner]: 

"We are offering an added value of fun. Music here connects with fashion. The artists are dressed partly with our clothes and stand in our window facing the street, and this scene draws a crowd and stirs action.” 

Add liveliness, music and fun and you get an experience that is more appealing and enjoyable by several degrees than your everyday shopping.

Reporter:Lee Rom     Photographer:Michael Ash

NTD News, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Libyan rebels prepare to defend the oil port city Ras Lanuf.

The men set up check points and gather weapons after losing the nearby city of Bin Jawad to government forces after fierce clashes on Sunday.

Ras Lanuf is 400 km east of the capital Tripoli and boasts an oil refinery, terminal and several pipelines.

The rebels say they refuse to surrender until they have won their freedom.

[Mohammad Khodayni, Rebel]:  

"We have one main demand. Our freedom and the departure of this tyrant. But we wish to catch him alive in order to show the world justice of the rebels of Libya and present him for a trial."

Witnesses claim a warplane launched an air strike on the eastern outskirts of Ras Lanuf early on Monday.

The likelihood of more violence worries members of the European Union.

[Augustio Miozzo, EU Envoy Leading Fact Finding Mission]: 

"As you know the European Union doesn't have a mission in Libya, so we were in need to have a vision, a direct vision and to know directly the situation, mainly the situation of the European citizens, the situation of our missions - the European ambassadors still present in the country - to understand if any problem for the European citizens to move and to leave the country."

The UN and EU are dispatching fact-finding missions to the North African nation to investigate possible war crimes committed by pro-government forces.

Hundreds of thousands have fled the country since violence erupted in February.

Interim Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, in, his first address since he took the place of ousted President Hosni Mubarak, says his government will be motivated by the principles of democracy, freedom and social justice.

Essam Sharaf spoke to reporters a few hours after he and his cabinet were sworn in by the head of the Egyptian military, which took control of the country after a popular revolution ended the near 30-year rule of Mubarak.

[Essam Sharaf, Interim Egyptian Prime Minister]: 

"In this exceptional period, there are basic concepts that we are inspired by and they are freedom, democracy and social justice. These are the basic concepts that govern our work. These are the principles that revolution called for. And we have priorities within that, there are many details, many priorities - restoring security, restoring stability, and in the shortest time, restarting the wheels of production." 

Sharaf also reaffirmed that Egypt's economy, which has suffered during the uprising, would continue to be a free market economy, but said there would be an emphasis on social rights.

[Essam Sharaf, Interim Egyptian Prime Minister]: 

"And we reaffirm that our economy is a free economy moving in the right direction, God willing, but within the context of social justice which gives to everyone the right to a dignified living." 

The new Prime Minister was popular with anti-government protesters that unseated Mubarak and said he hoped the people would back his government's efforts.

[Essam Sharaf, Interim Egyptian Prime Minister]: 

"I say that if we derived our legitimacy and our zeal from the people, then we would also request that the people provide us with the power and ability to continue - and that is something that today would be unacceptable to delay." 

Sharaf, who said a full cabinet should be in place by Wednesday, warned that an accounting for past abuses by the regime should be done with caution so as not to destabilize the country.

[Essam Sharaf, Interim Egyptian Prime Minister]: 

"I heard a very nice expression yesterday and that is that we are in the stage of searching for the truth. But as we search for the truth, I implore you, let the search for truth be a search for justice and not a search for truth that leads to distortions and to the creation of society divisions that could be more dangerous than poverty." 

Prime Minister Sharaf replaces Ahmed Shafiq, whom Mubarak appointed to the post in his last weeks in power.

Bahraini Shi'ite protesters stage a peaceful demonstration outside the U.S. embassy - as discontent with the monarchy continues to escalate.

They want assurance that the U.S. will not back Bahrain's monarchy.

But their chants quickly turned to smiles when a political officer for the U.S. embassy emerged and offered everyone doughnuts.

He also took time to speak with the leaders of the rally.

[Sheikh Mohamad Hassan Ibrahim, Member of Islamic Action Society]:  

"We hope to come here again and eat that sweets with you after the regime is gone."

The U.S. political officer said the embassy encourages dialogue between all parties.

[Ludovic Hood, Political Officer, U.S. Embassy in Bahrain]: 

"The embassy is in daily contact with all kind of different civil society and political factors here in Bahrain, we continue to think that engaging in some kind of talks is the right way forward."

Bahrain, which is home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, is ruled by the Sunni al-Khalifa family - and its majority Shi'ites complain of discrimination in jobs, housing, and social services.

Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa has said the protests would be allowed to continue but must remain peaceful.