Recap of developments in Middle East, North Africa
AFP
CAIRO- Here are the latest developments in unrest sweeping the Middle East and North Africa following uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia that toppled their long-time rulers.
LIBYA: The premier denounced a "plot" to turn his country into a terrorist base, as anti-regime protests reached the capital and world powers slammed an iron-fisted crackdown said to have cost hundreds of lives.
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BAHRAIN: Bahrain's Sunni Muslim ruling family came under increased pressure to open in-depth talks with the Shiite-led opposition, as protesters erected more tents on the capital's Pearl Square and unions called off a strike.
MOROCCO: Thousands staged rallies in Moroccan cities demanding political reform and limits on the powers of King Mohammed VI, with protesters shouting "the people want change."
KUWAIT: Hundreds of stateless Arabs demonstrated for the third day running to press for basic rights and citizenship of the oil-rich Gulf state, and Human Rights Watch called for the release of dozens detained on Friday.
YEMEN: Hundreds of students demonstrated on the eighth straight day of anti-regime protests in Sanaa, while police shot dead a protester in south Yemen and the opposition vowed to join protests.
EGYPT: Three police officers in Alexandria face questioning over the shooting of protesters in the early days of the Egyptian uprising, as banks reopened and workers at Egypt's largest factory ended a strike.
TUNISIA: Tunisia's interim government asked Saudi Arabia to extradite deposed strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali as it faced a second day of protests on the streets of Tunis, demanding its resignation.
DJIBOUTI: Djibouti authorities have "provisionally released" three top opposition leaders briefly detained after unprecedented protests demanding regime change, the state prosecutor said.
IRAQ: At least eight people, four police and four civilians, were reported wounded when clashes erupted during a rally in the Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah.
JORDAN: King Abdullah II urged speedy reforms, comprehensive dialogue and more efforts to battle corruption amid popular discontent and pro-reform protests.
SYRIA: A jailed Syrian Kurdish blogger and rights activist, Kamal Hussein Sheikho, is on a hunger strike, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
ALGERIA: Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci told Spain's El Pais newspaper that the anti-government revolts in Tunisia and Egypt will not spread to Algeria, a day after riot police clashed with protesters in the centre of Algiers.
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