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Libyan ex-PM Extradition Rattles Tunisia Alliance

Tunisia's post-revolution political alliance faced its deepest crisis yet Monday after the Islamist prime minister ignored the president's opposition to the extradition of a former top Libyan official.

President Moncef Marzouki was furious that Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali ordered the transfer to Libya of Moammar Gadhafi’s last prime minister, Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi, without his consent.

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13 Dead in Syria as Army Tries to Regain Control of Rebel-Held Areas

Violence killed 13 people across Syria on Monday, as the army pounded towns and cities in an attempt to regain control of territory lost to rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

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Report: Turkish Rescue Plane Also Targeted by Syria

A rescue plane searching for a Turkish fighter jet that had been shot down over the eastern Mediterranean was itself placed in the crosshairs by the Syrian military, a European diplomat told Agence France Presse on Monday.

The Turkish army Casa CN-235, a twin-propeller transport, was targeted by a Syrian ground-to-air defense system as it looked Friday for the F4 Phantom jet that had been downed earlier with its crew of two, said the diplomat.

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Kuwaiti Cabinet Submits Resignation to Emir

The Kuwaiti cabinet submitted its resignation to the oil-rich Gulf state's ruler on Monday, days after the top court nullified legislative elections, the private Al-Rai television channel reported.

"The Kuwaiti cabinet submitted its resignation to the emir," Al-Rai announced, without giving further details.

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Jordan King Congratulates Mursi on Egypt 'Trust'

Jordan's King Abdullah II on Monday congratulated Mohammed Mursi "for winning the people's trust" following his victory in Egypt's presidential election, a palace statement said.

"We congratulate you for winning the people's trust. We wish Egypt all progress and prosperity," the king told Mursi, saying Amman is "keen to enhance relations" with Cairo.

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Islamic Bloc Urges Syria Suspension

The 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation's executive committee has recommended suspending Syria's membership in the pan-Muslim grouping, it said in a statement on Monday.

The committee has "recommended to the meeting of the council of foreign ministers to be held in Djibouti the suspension of Syria's membership in the OIC in light of the bloody events taking place in the country," said the statement that followed a meeting in Saudi Arabia late Sunday.

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Syria Says Downed Turkish Jet Violated Sovereignty

Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad al-Makdissi on Monday insisted that a Turkish F-4 Phantom jet its forces shot down on Friday had "violated Syrian sovereignty."

"The Turkish warplane violated Syrian airspace, and in turn Syrian air defenses fired back and the plane crashed inside Syrian territorial waters," he told a news conference that he said would "refute the lies" of Turkish officials.

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EU Imposes Fresh Sanctions on Syria

The European Union imposed fresh sanctions on President Bashar Assad's regime Monday, targeting six government ministries and firms and one individual, while clarifying an existing EU arms embargo.

The measures were approved by foreign ministers of the 27-nation-bloc meeting in Luxembourg, an EU statement said.

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Kuwait Tries 68 Activists for Storming Parliament

A Kuwaiti court began Monday the trial of 68 youth activists, including nine MPs, for storming the parliament building in November to demand the resignation of the former prime minister, a lawyer said.

The court accused the activists with various charges including storming parliament, resisting police, unauthorized gathering and urging policemen to disobey orders, Al-Humaidi Al-Subaie, one of the defense lawyers, told AFP.

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Putin in Israel, West Bank for Talks on Syria, Iran

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Israel on Monday for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders against the backdrop of sustained violence in Syria and concern on Iran's nuclear program.

Putin arrived around midday (09:00 GMT) for a first stop in the northern Israeli town of Netanya, where he was to participate in the unveiling of a memorial honoring the role of the Red Army in World War II.

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