Gun battle at UN compound in Mogadishu ends

Somali and African Union forces regain control of compound in Somali capital after attack kills at least 15 people.

Somali and African Union forces have regained control of a UN compound in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, after it was attacked by gunmen, killing at least 15, according to officials.

The gun battle lasted an hour-and-a-half that followed an explosion at the site killing at least four foreign security staff, the Somali government said on Wednesday.

Somali Interior Minister Abdikarim Hussein Guled told reporters: "So far we have confirmed four UNDP [UN Development Programme] foreign staff who were responsible for security, four Somali guards and seven militants."

The al-Shabab armed group claimed responsibility for the attack.

A plume of thick black smoke was seen billowing into the sky after the initial explosion was heard at approximately 11:30am local time (08:30 GMT) on Wednesday.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is currently in China for talks with the country’s leaders, was "shocked" at the news of the attack, his spokesman said.

"The Secretary-General is aware of the attack against the United Nations in Somalia, and he is shocked by it," Martin Nesirky, the spokesman, said in an e-mail.

"He is being updated regularly as we get more information from Mogadishu and UN Headquarters in New York."

A UN official, who cannot be named because she is not authorised to speak to the media, said the attack was against a building just outside the secure airport compound where all the UN agencies were based. The compound includes both residential and office areas. UN staff took shelter in a bunker at the compound, UN staff told Al Jazeera.

Nicholas Kay, the UN secretary-general's special representative to Somalia, confirmed to Al Jazeera that "a complex attack" had taken place at the compound, but that "the vast majority of UN staff" were safe.

"It did begin with an explosion at the main gate followed up by armed attackers entering the compound where they attempted to assault our staff," he said.

Government-run Radio Mogadishu reported that the attack had started after a suicide bomber blew himself up at one of the gates of the complex.

UN back in Mogadishu

Somalia's capital has been hit by a series of attacks including suicide and car bombers, mortar attacks and shootings, although in recent weeks the city has been relatively calm.

Al-Shabab fighters used to control most of the seaside capital until it abandoned fixed positions in August 2011, but the armed group has since carried out a string of attacks against the UN-backed government.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Mogadishu last December and announced that the UN would re-open its offices in the seaside capital. The UN began the process of moving its personnel from nearby Nairobi, Kenya, back to Mogadishu, a process that has accelerated in recent weeks.

International embassies - from Turkey and Britain, for example - followed.

The 17,000-strong AU force, fighting alongside Somali government troops, has forced al-Shabab from a series of key towns.

Wednesday's attack, though, underscores the fragile security situation and will force the UN and embassies to review their safety plans and decide if they have enough defences to withstand a sustained al-Shabab assault. 

Abdi Farah Shirdon, the Somali prime minister, condemned the "senseless and despicable" attack on Wednesday, saying "the UN are our friends and partners, and the UN agencies offer us humanitarian help and support, so I and all Somalis are appalled that they should be the target and victims of such barbaric violence".

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Global refugee numbers at 19-year high

UN's refugee agency says 45.2 million people remain displaced from their homes due to worldwide conflicts.

The number of people who have been forcibly displaced by war and other crises worldwide has risen to its highest level for almost two decades, hitting 45.2 million, according to the UN's refugee agency.

Annual figures released by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) on Wednesday showed that 1.1 million fled across international borders in 2012, while a further 6.5 million were displaced within their own homelands.

"This means one in each 4.1 seconds. So each time you blink, another person is forced to flee," Antonio Guterres, the UN high commissioner for refugees, told reporters.

The total figure of 45.2 million included 28.8 million internally displaced people, 15.4 million border-crossing refugees, and 937,000 asylum seekers.

"War is the main reason for this very high number of refugees and people internally displaced. Fifty-five percent of them correspond to the well-known situations of Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Sudan, and Syria," Guterres said.

Overall, the Afghan conflict continued to produce the most refugees, a position that it has held for 32 years. Worldwide, one refugee in four is Afghan.

Guterres also cited conflicts in Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic as producing large numbers of displaced people and refugees.

Due to the raft of crises, he said, the total number of refugees and internally displaced had risen to a level unseen since 1994, a year marked by the Rwandan genocide and bloodshed in former Yugoslavia.

'Multiplication of conflicts'

While last year saw 2.1 million internally-displaced people and 526,000 refugees return home, as well as the resettlement of 88,6000 in rich nations, fresh crises drove the global total higher.

"New refugees, new internally displaced, unfortunately represent much more than those able to find an answer to their plight," said Guterres, lamenting the international community's limited capacity to prevent conflicts and to find timely solutions to existing ones.

"We witness a multiplication of new conflicts, and it seems that old conflicts never die," he said.

Guterres pointed out that the number of people who had fled the spiralling violence in Syria had soared from 650,000 at the end of 2012 to around 1.6 million now, surpassing last year's total from all conflicts.

The UNHCR has warned that Syrian refugee numbers could hit 3.5 million by the end of this year, while there are also fears that the number currently displaced within the country, 4.25 million, will also climb.

Syrian refugees have flooded into neighbouring Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq, stretching those nations' ability to cope.

Guterres urged the international community to help shoulder the load, although he said UNHCR-brokered resettlement programmes for Syrians in rich countries were not yet on the cards.

Pakistan top host nation

With the economic crisis having sharpened the asylum debate in developed nations, Guterres said it was important to keep some perspective.

"Who is supporting refugees in the world? Essentially, developing countries," he said, stressing that 87 percent of the world's refugees were protected by developing countries, up from 70 percent a decade ago.

"So when we see discussion sometimes that exist about refugees in many developed countries, I think it's good to remind public opinion in those countries that refugees are not people fleeing from poor countries into rich countries in search of a better life," he added.

Pakistan remained the world's top host nation in 2012, with 1.6 million refugees mostly from Afghanistan, followed by Iran, with 868,200, and Germany, with 589,700.

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Police and protesters clash in Istanbul

Clashes come as protesters attempt Taksim Square entry and PM accuses international media of "lying".

Clashes have taken place between police and anti-government protesters in the streets leading to a central square in Istanbul, as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has displayed a show of strength in a rally organised by his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party only a few kilometers away from the violence.

Thousands of protesters have been trying to reach Taksim Square on Sunday after overnight police intervention at an Istanbul park where anti-government protests were first ignited more than two weeks ago.

Spotlight Follow Al Jazeera's coverage of growing political unrest

Riot police fired bursts of tear gas and water cannon on Sunday after a night of unrest to try to prevent demonstrators from regrouping and keep them away from Taksim Square, where Gezi Park is located.

Bulldozers removed barricades and municipal workers swept the streets around the central Taksim Square, sealed off by police, after thousands took to the streets overnight following the raid on the park.

Meanwhile, speaking at his party's pro-government rally in Istanbul, Erdogan accused international media of "lying", apparently referring to the coverage of the recent protests. He said that foreign media sources were not portraying an accurate representation of Turkey.

"Come on BBC, CNN and Reuters… Display this differently as well," he told tens of thousands of supporters. "This is the real picture of Turkey, despite international media." 

Throughout Saturday night, police forces entered hotels and other buildings harbouring injured protesters in Istanbul, using tear gas inside buildings and detaining demonstrators.  

There have been rallies and clashes in cities such as capital Ankara, Izmir, Eskisehir, Bursa, Antalya and Adana following police’s intervention in Gezi Park in Saturday evening.

Hundreds of police officers have poured into Istanbul in order to work around Taksim Square and Kazlicesme, where the pro-government rally is taking place.

‘No access to Taksim Square’

Meanwhile, Istanbul's governor said on Sunday that the planned gathering by an anti-government protest group in Taksim Square would not be allowed to go ahead.

"There is a call for gathering in Taksim at 4:00pm [local time; 13:00GMT]," Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu told reporters. "Any call for Taksim will not contribute to peace and security. After the current environment becomes stable, they can continue exercising their democratic rights. Under current circumstances we will not allow any gathering."

Mutlu said two police officers were shot during Saturday’s riots by live ammunition, adding that they are in good condition.

He also confirmed the reports that doctors helping protesters were arrested. "Yes, doctors have been arrested but they are acting in conjunction with the protesters," he said.

He also rejected reports claiming that water sprayed from water cannon at protesters contained any additional chemicals.

In Ankara, police forces have prevented a large group of people from entering capital Ankara’s central Kizilay Square. Water cannon and tear gas have been used by riot police against protesters.

The group was trying to enter the square following protester Ethem Sarisuluk's funeral in order to commemorate him where he died.

The government says the demonstrators are being manipulated by illegal groups seeking to sow instability while the movement says that the government has been acting increasingly authoritarian.

Turkey has been in turmoil since late May after a sit-in protest against an urban development project at Gezi Park of Istanbul transformed into countrywide anti-government demonstrations.

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Syria lashes out at Egypt for ties cut

Officials condemn Egyptian decision to sever diplomatic ties and backing of no-fly zone, as violent uprising continues.

The Syrian government has condemned Egypt's decision to cut ties with Damascus and back the armed uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's government, terming it an "irresponsible" move.

"The Syrian Arab Republic condemns this irresponsible position," an unnamed Syrian official told state news agency SANA on Sunday.

The official said Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi had joined the "conspiracy and incitement led by the United States and Israel against Syria by announcing the cutting of ties yesterday".

"Syria is confident that this decision does not represent the will of the Egyptian people," the official added, accusing Morsi of announcing the severing of ties to deflect attention from internal crises in Egypt.

A day earlier, Morsi had announced the "definitive" severing of ties with war-torn Syria, and the recall of Egypt's charge d'affaires in Damascus.

He also called for the international community to impose a no-fly zone and denounced the role of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah in Syria, where its members are helping the army battle rebels.

Meanwhile, Syria's neighbour Jordan also expressed concern at the rising violence in the country and possible repercussions on its own territory,

Jordan's King Abdullah II told graduating military cadets on Sunday that his country, a key US ally, was ready to fend off any Syrian threats.

Abdullah said Jordan, which hosts more than 500,000 Syrian refugees, "will emerge victorious in the face of all challenges, the way we always have in the past".

Abdullah's country is currently hosting multinational military exercises involving thousands of US troops. The US has also agreed to install Patriot missiles along Jordan's 375-kilometer border with Syria and is allowing a squadron of 12 to 24 F-16 fighter jets to remain after the exercises.

Cameron for opposition aid

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron is due to hold talks on Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Syria's civil war, a meeting which could set the tone for the G8 summit, with the West at odds with Moscow over how to handle the conflict.

Cameron is seeking to forge a consensus as he hosts the leaders of the world's top industrialised nations in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland, from Monday.

Spotlight In-depth coverage of escalating violence across Syria

Washington has upped the ante on Syria by vowing to send military aid to rebel forces battling to topple President Assad after saying it had proof that the government had crossed a "red line" by using chemical weapons on a small scale.

Ahead of his talks at Downing Street with Putin, Cameron said it was essential to assist the moderate rebels prepared to work with the West before fighters linked to al-Qaeda gained the upper hand in the opposition.

"I want to help the Syrian opposition to succeed and my argument is this: yes, there are elements of the Syrian opposition that are deeply unsavoury, that are very dangerous, very extremist, and I want nothing to do with them," he said.

"But there are elements of the Syrian opposition who want to see a free, democratic, pluralistic Syria that respects the rights of minorities, including Christians, and we should be working with them."

Fighting continues

In Syria itself, the fighting is continuing, with government forces shelling Ghouta, on the eastern outskirts of the capital, on Sunday. Activist videos also showed the Syrian army bombing the al-Asali district of Damascus, and intense fighting in al-Rastan in Homs.

In the village of Hatla, in the eastern Deir Ezzor province, amatuer video that emerged on Sunday showed armed fighters blowing up a Shia mosque on Sunday. In a battle last week, more than 60 Shia fighters and civilians had been killed in violence between rebels and pro-government militias.

"The situation in Syria is absolutely critical right now," reported Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons, who has recently returned from reporting in Aleppo. "Morale is low among the rebels [after losing the village of Qusayr]."

As tension escalates, rebel fighters and government forces have both adopted stricter strategies and, for instance, are no longer trading prisoners for money, Simmons said.

Adding in Egypt's move, and with the US and Russia remaining at odds on how to help solve the conflict, there is also "a diplomatic escalation," too, Simmons said.

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Iran celebrates Rouhani's presidential win

Moderate cleric Hassan Rouhani has called his defeat of conservative hardliners a victory of moderation over extremism and pledged a new tone of respect in international affairs.

This victory is a victory of wisdom, a victory of moderation, a victory of growth and awareness and a victory of commitment over extremism and ill-temper Hassan Rouhani

Thousands of jubilant Iranians poured onto the streets in celebration of the victory on Saturday, chanting: "Long live reform! Long live Rouhani!", according to witnesses at the scene.

"Ahmadi, bye bye!" they added in reference to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - who was legally barred from seeking a third consecutive term.

Many were dressed in purple, Rouhani's campaign colour, and others in 
green, the colour of the reformist movement.

Rouhani will take up the presidency, the highest elected office in Iran's hybrid clerical-republican system, in August.

"This victory is a victory of wisdom, a victory of moderation, a victory of growth and awareness and a victory of commitment over extremism and ill-temper," Rouhani told state television, promising to work for all Iranians, including the
hardline so-called "Principlists" whom he defeated at the poll.

"I warmly shake the hands of all moderates, reformists and Principlists," he said.

Final results

In his first televised address on Sunday Iran's president-elect asked for help during his term and promised to abide by Iranian law.

"[I'm proud that] the great people [of Iran], the honourable people, thought that I deserve this," Rouhani said.

"They trusted me so that I can begin on the path to serve the country, to enhance people's lives and welfare, and preserve national pride and national interests. I deeply feel that I need your assistance along this path. I need you to be there. I need your cooperation."

Rouhani won outright against five conservative candidates with 18.6 million votes, Interior Minister Mohammad Mostafa Najjar said.

Iran Election 2013 Live Blog

That was enough to ensure there would be no run-off against the runner-up, Tehran mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who came a distant second with 6.07 million votes.

Saeed Jalili, Iran's Chief nuclear negotiator received four million votes and Mohsen Rezaei, a former head of the elite Revolutionary Guard, was also backed by close to 4 million people.  

Matters of national security remain the domain of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but the president runs the economy and wields broad influence in decision-making in other spheres.

Friday's vote was the first since the disputed 2009 re-election of Ahmadinejad triggered massive street protests by supporters of his rivals, that were crushed in a deadly crackdown.

The 2009 protests that followed Ahmadinejad's re-election led to the eventual house arrest of opposition candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, and the widespread suppression of reformists.

Rouhani background

Al Jazeera's Soraya Lennie, reporting from Tehran, said that in the Iranian context, Rouhani is not exactly a true reformist but a moderate. She explained that moderates want to reform only the system but they want Iran to abide by its constitution and emphasise easing of restrictions on personal freedoms.

Rouhani, a former top nuclear negotiator who has championed more constructive engagement with world powers, seemed to strike a new tone in the way he talked about Iran's foreign relations in his statement.

He said there was a new chance "in the international arena" for "those who truly respect democracy and co-operation and free negotiation".

Though an establishment figure, Rouhani was known for his nuanced, conciliatory approach when he was Iran's chief nuclear negotiator.

He inherits an economy that has been badly hit by EU and US sanctions targeting the key oil and banking sectors because of its nuclear programme.

In 2003, when Rouhani was under former President Mohammad Khatami, the republic agreed to suspend its controversial enrichment of uranium.

That programme resumed two years later when Ahmadinejad was first elected.

In campaigning, Rouhani pledged to move to ease the sanctions, which have hit hard. Inflation is more than 30 percent, the rial has lost nearly 70 percent of its value and unemployment is rising.

Rouhani is a representative Khamenei on the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's top security body, and was its secretary for 16 years until 2005.

Reactions

Emphasising political continuity, Khamenei congratulated both the people of Iran for the high turnout in the polls and Rouhani for his electoral success.

"The true winner of yesterday's election is the great nation of Iran that was able to take a firm step with God's help," Fars news agency quoted Khamenei as saying.

Spotlight Follow in-depth coverage of Iran's presidential poll

As Iranians celebrate, the US, Israel, Russia and some Gulf countries have been giving their reaction to the election result.  

Iran's rial strengthened about four percent against the US dollar on Saturday after partial vote tallies pointed to an easy Rouhani victory, web sites tracking the currency said.

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US considers North Korea offer of talks

Washington to hold meetings with South Korea and Japan to discuss Pyongyang call for discussion aimed at easing tension.

Officials from the United States, South Korea and Japan will meet in Washington this week to discuss North Korea's offer to hold high-level talks.

A senior US administration official said on Sunday that the meetings would take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"We will be meeting with our Japanese and South Korean partners in a trilateral setting and this will be one of the
subjects for discussion," the official said.

North Korea proposed high-level talks with the US on security in the region and the nuclear weapons issue, with the aim of easing tension on the Korean peninsula.

North Korea's National Defence Commission said in a written statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency on Sunday that the North was willing to have "serious discussions on a wide range of issues, including the US goal to achieve the world free of nuclear arsenal", as it urged the US to set the time and venue for the talks.

The White House said earlier it was open to talks with North Korea but Pyongyang must comply with UN Security Council resolutions and ultimately agree to denuclearisation.

Subsiding tensions

The invite comes days after the North reportedly called off talks with South Korea.

But overall, the rare proposal comes amid subsiding tensions, which softened in May and June, as Pyongyang made overtures to re-establish dialogue with South Korea and the US.

In a notable shift in propaganda in Pyongyang, posters and billboards calling on North Koreans to "wipe away the American imperialist aggressors" have been taken down in recent weeks.

Al Jazeera talks to N Korea expert Robert Kelly

Foreign analysts say impoverished North Korea often expresses interest in talks after raising tensions with provocative behaviour in order to win outside concessions.

The Korean Peninsula remains divided by a heavily fortified border.

North Korea is expected to draw attention to Korea's division in the weeks leading up to the 60th anniversary in July of the close of the Korean conflict, which ended in an armistice.

A peace treaty has never been signed formally ending the war.

Nuclear woes

Washington's biggest worry is North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. Pyongyang is estimated to have a handful of crude nuclear devices and has been working toward building a bomb it can mount on a missile capable of striking the US.

Earlier this year, Kim Jong-un, North Korea's leader, formalised the drive to build a nuclear arsenal, as well as growing the economy, as national goals.

Spotlight Follow coverage of escalating threats in Northeast Asia

Pyongyang claims the need to build atomic weapons to defend the country against what it sees as a US nuclear threat in Korea and the region. 

North Korea will not give up its nuclear ambitions until the entire Korean Peninsula is free of nuclear weapons, a spokesman from the North's National Defence Commission said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.

"The denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula does not only mean dismantling the nuclear weapons of the North," the spokesman said, but also should involve "denuclearising the whole peninsula, including South Korea, and aims at totally ending the US nuclear threats" to North Korea.

After blaming Washington for raising tensions, he called on the US to set the venue and date for talks.

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Kuwait court dissolves parliament

Kuwait’s top court has dissolved parliament and called for new elections after an opposition challenge to the voting system was thrown out. 

Head judge Youssef al-Mutawa said the Constitutional Court made its decision after examining and rejecting the challenge. 

The case had questioned the constitutionality of a change to the electoral system ordered by the emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah.

Mutawa said the hearing had decided not to make a ruling on the challenge, in effect leaving the emir’s decree unchanged. Al-Sabah is described as “immune and inviolable” in the constitution.

The government said the new system, which reduced the number of votes per person to one from four, brought Kuwait in line with other countries.

However, opposition politicians said the decree was unconstitutional and an attempt to stop them from forming a majority or bloc in parliament.

Al-Sabah had used emergency powers in October last year to change voting rules, six weeks before the country was due to hold parliamentary elections.

Opposition politicians boycotted the poll, and on the eve of the election tens of thousands of Kuwaitis marched in protest against the decree.

Protest march ban

The Interior Ministry said on Friday it would not allow any unlicensed protest marches.

"We will never allow any rallies or marches outside Erada Square," said a statement from the Interior Ministry, referring to a designated protest area opposite parliament. 

State news agency KUNA said any protesters who break the law would be dealt with firmly.

Political parties are banned in Kuwait and the four-vote system helped opposition MPs form alliances in elections and gave them more clout in parliament.

Islamic, nationalist and liberal opposition groups said the emir's decree would enable the government to manipulate election results and subsequent legislation as a consequence. 

The case has international significance because political stability in Kuwait, owner of more than six percent of global oil reserves, has traditionally depended on co-operation between the government and the elected parliament, the oldest and most powerful legislature in the Arab Gulf states. 

The country sits in a strategic position between Saudi Arabia and Iraq and across the Gulf from Iran.

Kuwait has been ruled by the Al-Sabah dynasty since 1750, but the opposition has repeatedly said it is challenging the constitutional system and not Al-Sabah rule per se.

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Hezbollah leader vows to continue Syria fight

Nasrallah says his group is aware of cost of military engagement in civil war and will not be deflected from its goals.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has declared the Lebanese armed group will keep fighting for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after it spearheaded the recapture of the strategic city of Qusayr last week.

In a televised speech on Friday, Nasrallah said Hezbollah was aware of the cost of military engagement in Syria's civil war and would not be deflected from its goals.

"We will not change our position," Nasrallah said. "After Qusayr is the same as before Qusayr".

Hezbollah has become increasingly embroiled in the conflict in neighbouring Syria that is now in its third year.

"Wherever we need to be, we will be," said the Hezbollah leader during an event honouring fighters wounded in Hezbollah's military campaigns, including a 2006 war with Israel.

"What we assumed responsibility for, we will continue to be responsible for, and there is no need to give details."

The Shia Muslim movement's open military cooperation with the Assad regime to seize back Qusayr from mainly Sunni rebels has escalated tensions in Lebanon between supporters and opponents of Assad.

Damascus has said it plans to build on the victory by trying to retake large parts of the northern city of Aleppo and its surrounding province, but it is unclear whether Hezbollah will also join that operation.

"The details will depend on the requirements on the ground," Nasrallah said.

He urged his supporters to exercise restraint and maintain stability in Lebanon, after rocket fire hit both Sunni and Shia towns in the Bekaa Valley, and dozens of people were killed in street fighting in the northern city of Tripoli.

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Bahrain arrests 'Iran-linked' cyber group

Bahrain accuses Hezbollah of interfering in internal security affairs by backing local Shia opposition groups.

Authorities in Bahrain say they have identified and arrested leading members of the Shia opposition February 14 Revolution Youth Coalition, an influential cyber-group accused of working against the government and having links to Iran.

In making the arrests, the country's interior ministry accused the opposition on Thursday of taking part "in criminal acts" and "terrorist" activities.

The February 14 Coalition has been the main force behind a Shia-led uprising that began in 2011 to demand more rights from the country's ruling Sunni leaders.

The ministry identified the group's spiritual leader as Hadi al-Mudaressi, a leading Shia cleric living in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala.

The ministry said he "provided divisive sectarian support to the organisation".

It named 11 of those arrested, saying they had played prominent roles in the coalition inside Bahrain, and said other members were still being sought.

Sentenced in absentia

The ministry also named 13 people that it said were leading the coalition from abroad, some of whom are based in London.

Among those, it said, is Saeed Abdulnabi al-Shahabi "who is responsible for coordination with Iranian leaders".

Shahabi is an opposition leader who has been sentenced to life in prison in absentia for his role in the 2011 uprising.

"They frequently travel between Iran, Iraq and Lebanon to obtain financial and moral support as well as weapons training," the ministry statement said.

These members contact leaders in Iran "to receive direct financial support and field instructions".

"The information presented shows the active role in incitement and terror acts and the support that is provided by extremist religious and political leaders from outside and inside Bahrain," said the statement.

In one of the highest profile cases, Ali Abdulemam, a Bahraini blogger, who was also sentenced to a long prison term, managed to slip out of the country, and sought asylum in England.

Bahrain also accused Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah - listed as a "terrorist organisation" by the kingdom -- and "extremists" in Iraq of interfering in its internal security affairs.

Tehran, which has repeatedly criticised the kingdom's crackdown on protesters, denies it is backing the uprising.

Bahrain's Shias, mainly in response to calls by the February 14 Coalition, continue to demonstrate in their villages, frequently clashing with police.

A total of 80 people have been killed since the protests erupted in 2011, according to the International Federation for Human Rights.

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Google finds Iranians hacked on election eve

Web giant calls attacks "email-based phishing" attempts as election campaign is wound up.

Google says tens of thousands of Gmail accounts belonging to Iranian users have been targeted in an extensive hacking campaign in the weeks leading up to the country's closely watched presidential elections.

The US Internet company made the announcement as the six presidential candidates wrapped up campaigning and Iranians prepare to vote on Friday to find a successor to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who cannot run for a third term in office.

Google described the attacks as broad "email-based phishing" attempts seeking to trick unsuspecting Gmail users into giving up their user names and passwords.

They said they originated in Iran and appeared to be "politically motivated in connection with the Iranian presidential election on Friday".

Google said it has a policy to alert users to "state-sponsored attacks and other suspicious activity," but did not identify the perpetrators beyond saying that it appeared to be the same group behind a Gmail hacking campaign in 2011 involving fraudulent digital certificates.

The most recent phishing campaigns began almost three weeks ago, Google said. The "timing and targeting of the campaigns" suggested a connection to the election, Google said without elaborating.

Election run-up

Momentum has built for Muslim leader Hassan Rouhani after the withdrawal of reformist Mohammad Reza Aref, and the endorsement of two former presidents, pro-reform Mohammad Khatami and pragmatist Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Thanks to the support, Rouhani, 64, has emerged as one of the front-runners in the poll and has a real chance of forcing a run-off against the conservatives, analysts say.

One reformist remaining in Iran race

The moderate-level leader, who was Iran's chief nuclear negotiator from 2003 until 2005, faces stiff competition in Friday's election from the conservatives, especially top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, Tehran mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and ex-foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati.

The three held separate campaign rallies in Tehran in the late afternoon on Wednesday, with none agreeing to step down to boost conservative chances.

According to an opinion poll published by Mehr news agency, Qalibaf was leading with 17.8 percent support from 10,000 voters canvassed, ahead of Rouhani with 14.6 percent.

Jalili followed with 9.8 percent.

The number of undecided voters in the survey stood at 30.5 percent -- translating to about 15 million voters - while 11.3 percent declined to answer.

Rouhani and Rafsanjani

The surge of support for Rouhani came after Aref, the only reformist candidate, announced on Tuesday he was withdrawing at the urging of Khatami.

The former president subsequently asked voters "who seek the dignity and elevation of the nation" to vote for Rouhani.

Iranian youth struggle with unemployment

Rafsanjani, a pillar of the 1979 revolution who himself was barred from running, has also backed Rouhani, saying he was "more suitable" for Iran's highest elected office than the other candidates.

A Thursday report by the pro-reform Etemad newspaper quotes Rafsanjani as saying that people "should not boycott" the vote.

Many reform-minded Iranians say they will snub the election over crackdowns by Iranian authorities and the decision to keep former Rafsanjani from the ballot.

Rafsanjani's stature rose sharply with liberals after he criticised hardline tactics used in 2009 against protesters following the disputed re-election of Ahmadinejad.

The closing of reformist ranks behind Rouhani prompted the conservative camp on Wednesday to urge their candidates to coalesce.

Habibollah Asgaroladi, secretary-general of a leading umbrella organisation for conservative groups, said without elaborating that consultations were under way to make "a coalition happen".

But any behind the scenes talks appear to have failed.

Jalili's campaign manager, Ali Bagheri, said his candidate would remain in the race "until the end".

"Jalili will make it to the second round should there be one," Bagheri told the AFP news agency.

Velayati, at a separate meeting in central Tehran, also vowed not to drop his bid.

Campaigning

Wednesday was officially the last day of campaigning, but under Iran's electoral law, candidates and their supporters had until 0330 GMT on Thursday, 24 hours before the polls open, to wind up their campaigns.

This year's campaign has been low-key compared with 2009 when boisterous rallies and street parties attracted crowds, as supporters of pro-reform candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi faced off against conservative-minded incumbent Ahmadinejad.

Spotlight Follow in-depth coverage of Iran's presidential poll

The rallies turned into heated street protests when Ahmadinejad was declared winner for a second term, leading his opponents to allege massive electoral fraud.

Months-long demonstrations that followed turned deadly and were eventually crushed by the security forces.

Mousavi and Karroubi were later placed under house arrest.

Some 50.5 million voters are eligible to vote for a successor to Ahmadinejad, under whose presidency Iran has been isolated internationally over its controversial nuclear drive.

Hooman Majd, Iranian-American journalist, author and commentator, told Al Jazeera that if the youth, who make up a big percentage of the population, show up to the polls, it could be significant.

He added that the likelihood is that a number of them probably will not vote due to disillusionment and apathy with the government. Majd said that the youth did show up in large numbers in the 2009 elections.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all key state issues, including nuclear activities, has urged a high turnout on Friday.

"If I insist on a massive turnout, it is because it will discourage the enemies (forcing) them to reduce the pressure and choose another path," he said.

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