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U.S. Currently Unconcerned by Syria-Bound Russian Ships

The United States is aware of a Russian naval flotilla headed for a Syrian port but does not yet see cause for concern, the White House said Tuesday.

"We currently have no reason to believe this move is anything out of the ordinary but we refer you to the Russian government for more details," Erin Pelton, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, told Agence France Presse.

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Iran 'Concerned' over Saudi Violence against Shiites

Iran expressed concern on Tuesday over what it called "violent actions" by Saudi security forces against demonstrators from the country's Shiite minority, in which two people were killed.

Tehran is "concerned by the violent actions carried out by Saudi forces against religious figures and the population" in the heavily Shiite east of the country, foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmaparast was quoted by state news agency IRNA as saying.

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Syria's Qusayr Prepares for Ramadan under Siege

In Syria's rebel-held city Qusayr, which has been besieged by government forces for months, the shelves are empty and the market practically destroyed as residents prepare for a difficult Ramadan.

"There are only 50 grocery stores still standing in the whole of Qusayr, and their shelves are empty," sighs merchant Nadim, with the annual fasting month just days away.

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Syrian Authorities Release 275 Activists

The Syrian authorities freed on Tuesday 275 prisoners who were "involved" in the popular uprising against President Bashar Assad, state TV reported.

"The authorities have freed 275 prisoners involved in recent incidents, but none of them have blood on their hands," the state broadcaster said.

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Trial of Gadhafi Spy Chief Adjourned Again

The Libya trial of ex-intelligence chief Bouzid Dorda, the first of Moammar Gadhafi’s top officials to face justice, was postponed again on Tuesday after the defense team asked for more time to review his case.

"The trial was postponed until August 28 to allow the defense to study the case," defense lawyer Saleh al-Faituri said.

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Arafat's Widow to File Suit in Paris over His Death

Yasser Arafat's widow is to file a lawsuit in France following allegations the Palestinian leader died at a Paris hospital in 2004 after being radioactively poisoned, her lawyers said on Tuesday.

"Mrs. Suha Arafat, widow of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, has asked a Parisian legal practice to file suit against an unnamed person under French jurisdiction," lawyer Pierre-Olivier Sur's practice said in a statement.

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Annan Visits Baghdad as He Seeks Iran, Iraq Help in Ending Syria Crisis

U.N.-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan met top Iranian officials Tuesday before flying to Iraq, as he sought the help of key regional players in shoring up his tattered peace plan for Syria after meeting President Bashar Assad.

Annan underlined Tehran's importance in international efforts to stem the bloodshed, following talks with Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi.

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Report: Russia Sends Naval Fleet to Syrian Port

Russia has sent a naval flotilla of six warships led by an anti-submarine destroyer to its naval base at the Syrian port of Tartus, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday.

The Admiral Chabanenko and three landing craft have left their home port of Severomorsk in the Arctic Circle on their way to the Mediterranean where they will be joined by the Russian patrol ship Yaroslav Mudry as well as an assistance vessel, a military source told the agency.

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Egypt Parliament Convenes amid Legal, Political Crisis

Egypt's dissolved parliament convened on Tuesday in defiance of the powerful military and the judiciary, amid a legal crisis triggered by a presidential decree to reinstate the Islamist-led assembly.

"We are gathered today to review the court rulings, the ruling of the Supreme Constitutional Court," which ordered the house invalid, speaker Saad al-Katatni said.

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Clinton Urges Talks to End Egypt Crisis

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Tuesday called for talks among all those involved in a showdown between the Egyptian parliament and the military to bring an end to the crisis.

"We urge that there be intensive dialogue among all of the stake-holders in order to ensure that there is clear path for them to be following," she said in a press conference after talks in Vietnam.

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