Four people have been killed in anti-government demonstrations in Manama. Without warning, police launched the crackdown at around 3.00 am (12am GMT) on Thursday, leaving up to 95 protesters injured. Earlier in the week a man was killed at the funeral procession of a person who died in the protests the day before.
In Sana’a President Saleh is walking a fine line — using violence to disperse peaceful protests works until civilian deaths make international news. Iona Craig reports
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A number of protesters have been injured during clashes with the police in a pro-democracy rally held in Algiers. The rally was held in protest to a new law that banned public gatherings. Protests to rising costs and unemployment started in Algeria following the Tunisian unrest that ended with the collapse of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s government.
French ministers denied Tunisia was a dictatorship and offered Ben Ali’s regime police support to deal with the recent protests. Myriam Francois-Cerrah explains how France found itself on the backfoot
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