Seven climate activists have been arrested during a series of protests across the UK on Monday, which have seen a coal conference blockaded and the occupation of shale gas explorer's PR company.
In Syria, hundreds of civilians fled from rebel-held towns east of Damascus that had been blockaded for at least 18 months.
As they met, hundreds of civilians fled rebel-held areas near Damascus that had been blockaded for over a year.
Of the army's 80,000 men, 11,000 are guarding oil installations yet pipelines are still regularly blown up, and roads blockaded.
But the petrol shortages, blockaded oil depots and schools, jammed roads, burnt cars and sporadic violence this week were of a quite different order.
His eldest son is set to take the helm.On the day of America's election, Sudanese forces blockaded a number of refugee camps in Darfur and moved out hundreds of their residents despite UN condemnation.
Since then, Fatah has sat back as Israel, increasingly criticised by most of the rest of the world, has blockaded the territory.
But Israel, which has blockaded Gaza since Hamas took over, is determined to maintain strict inspections in any circumstance.
With parliament blockaded, no decision can be taken and temporary workers could be fired as their contracts expire.For the opposition, an even more emotive issue is a bill that would enable newspapers and business groups to take large stakes in television stations.
But the station was still burning when Georgia and Russia went to war two days later.The company's other oil pipeline, Baku-Supsa, carrying crude to Georgia's Black Sea coast (now blockaded by Russian warships), had only recently re-opened but was also forced to shut down.
Five more died in a tank that hit a mine, after the Israeli army crossed the border in a vain rescue attempt.In response, Israel bombed targets across Lebanon, including Beirut airport and Hizbullah's radio station in the Lebanese capital itself, and blockaded Lebanon's ports.
