EGYPT

Libya said on Friday that it has decided to postpone indefinitely the 23rd summit of Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab nations, said a media report.

As authorities in Middle East countries hit by protests continue to censor media and disrupt communication, deaths and the consequent funerals in Bahrain, Yemen and Libya are expected to escalate the unrest.

Thousands of protesters chanting anti-government slogans marched through Bahraini city of Sitra on Friday as they buried comrades killed in the government's crackdown on demonstrations which erupted this week.

Eben Moglen, professor of law and legal history, is reportedly trying to rebuild the Internet in a way that will make it impossible for governments or corporate authorities to restrict its use and access.

A themed 'Freedom Evolution' cruise ship will sail from Egypt through Jordan and Israel, with guest speakers on board to provide insights about the historical and modern events in the region.

Dr. Paul Beran, the Outreach Director at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University is a researcher, writer and teacher on civil society in the Middle East. International Business Times spoke with Beran to discuss the current unrest in the region.

The price of large, wholesale Gold Bars continued rising for US investors on Thursday, ending London trade at a 5-week high of $1383 per ounce as world stock markets held flat and the Dollar slipped on the currency market.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that an election promised by September would not be held if Hamas refused to allow voting in the Gaza Strip.

Amidst growing political unrest in Algeria, one of the country’s founding fathers has called for a peaceful change in government, accusing the present regime of incompetence.

The cancellation of plans by two Iranian naval vessels to pass through the strategic Suez Canal removed on Thursday a potential foreign policy headache for the new military rulers struggling to get Egypt back on its feet.

Unrest spread across the Middle East and North Africa on Thursday as Bahrain launched a swift military crackdown on anti-government protesters and clashes were reported in Libya and Yemen.

Strikes damaged Egypt's vital export industries on Thursday as manufacturers kept factories idle because a nationwide bank shutdown stopped them buying supplies and selling their goods, industry officials said.

Egypt's uprising has cost its tourism, construction and manufacturing industries at least 10 billion Egyptian pounds, a government statistics authority said on Thursday.

Egyptian youth leaders moved to set up a new political party on Thursday in the post-Mubarak era while a committee worked on changing the constitution to prepare for elections promised by military rulers within six months.

Hundreds of supporters of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi rallied on Thursday but there were reports of unrest in several locations as the opposition called for a day of anti-government protests.

China's Internet censors have deleted U.S. Embassy posts promoting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's speech on Internet freedom from microblogs, parrying U.S. efforts to spur debate about Beijing's grip on free speech.

What is happening in the Middle East is a major historical critical juncture, said Dilshod A. Achilov, a professor of political science at East Tennessee State University.

The 'Provisions on News Information Services', which was issued in 2005, states that the purpose of news websites is not to inform the public of the facts, but instead to “serve socialism” and to “safeguard the nation’s interests and the public interest.”

After the sexual assault on CBS news' Lara Logan in Egypt, an ABC reporter Miguel Marquez has been attacked in Bahrain. Slideshow recalls incidents of assault against journalists in the Middle East based on the CPJ statement.

In an attempt to sabotage the pro-democracy protests, Iran has censored internet by slowing speed, electronic communication and the media has been gagged.

Who could play the leading (and tragic role) of Mubarak? There are not many Arab actors in Hollywood – Arab characters have traditionally been played by East Indian, Italian and Hispanic actors (think of Anthony Quinn in “Lawrence of Arabia”). Here are some possibilities for the role of a lifetime: