Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain - Bahrain's king declared a state of emergency Tuesday, imposing a curfew, banning rallies and handing broad powers to a military bolstered by the fresh arrival of dozens of tanks sent by other Gulf monarchies.

A military force from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states has entered Bahrain in an attempt to restore order as anti-government demonstrations escalate.

Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to demand an end to the rift between Hamas and Fatah that has left the territories in the control of rival governments.

Analysts say uprising will be forced to retreat absent foreign intervention.

How difficult are the decisions the president must make about the turmoil in the Mideast?

The Israeli navy on Tuesday intercepted what officials alleged was a ship carrying Iranian weapons destined for Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip.

Latest developments in the unrest sweeping the Arab world from North Africa to the Persian Gulf:

MANAMA, Bahrain - Frenzied clashes swept Bahrain Tuesday, a day after a Saudi-led military force entered the country to defend its Sunni monarchy from a Shiite-led protest movement. Hundreds of demonstrators were injured by shotgun blasts and clubs, a doctor said.

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq - Two top Kurdish politicians resigned Tuesday from local government in northern Iraq in what appears to be a political maneuver to challenge Arabs for control of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, one of the nation's most volatile fault lines.

JERUSALEM - Israel intercepted a ship carrying a large delivery of arms off the country's Mediterranean coast on Tuesday, saying the shipment included sophisticated weaponry sent by Iran and Syria for Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.