Egypt

In Cairo’s Tahrir Square, tens of thousands of people, including the biggest turnout so far of representatives of Islamist political groups, have taken part in a mass rally to express their frustration at the slow pace of democratic reform following the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak. Meanwhile, across the country, skilled laborers have been engaging in strikes and demonstrations for better wages and treatment, hoping that in the post-Mubarak era, their demands would no longer fall upon deaf ears. David Enders reports from Suez and Isma'alia Egypt.

In Bahrain, for the second day in a row, the security forces have opened fire on peaceful demonstrators. This video posted on YouTube by Russia Today shows people running for cover. Bahraini journalist Reem Khalifa told KPFA’s Dennis Bernstein from Flashpoints what she saw:

To Uganda now, where polls have closed in today’s Presidential and parliamentary elections.  The incumbent President, Yoweri Museveni, who’s been in power since 1986, said this week that there would be no Egypt like revolt in his country. He faces 8 challengers, including the President’s former Doctor and Army Colonel, Kizza Besigye and a female candidate, Beti Olive Kamya.

In Bahrain’s capital Manama, security forces violently attacked demonstrators in a pre-dawn raid. A video posted online shows a crowd in Pearl Square listening to a speaker, when, with no advanced warning, security forces start firing their weapons. Other footage shows dozens of tanks entering the city, and trashed and dismantled remains of the protests tent encampments. At least three people were killed, more than 200 injured and sixty are still missing.

In Tunisia recent protests led to the fall of President Zine al Abidine Ben Ali. For decades, western governments used the threat of Islamists and militant Islamic extremists to justify supporting Ben Ali’s regime. Now, after more than two decades of harsh repression, Islamists are back in Tunisia’s political life, including Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of Islamist party Ennahdha, who came back to the country after 20 years of exile. Raphaël Krafft reports from Tunis on the future of Ennahdha party.

During Tunisia’s uprising, thousands of people fled the country. An estimated 5,200 Tunisians are now living in overcrowded conditions on an island in Southern Italy. UN Radio’s Derrick Mbatha reports.

Anti-government protests continue to grow in the Middle East and North Africa, and have now spread to Libya. Last night and today, demonstrations took place in Benghazi, the country’s second largest city. Dozens were injured after police started attacking demonstrators. A video posted by the BBC shows crowds running from repeated gun fire and one person bloodied in the attack. Anti-Gadhafi sentiment is growing, after successful demonstrations in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt brought those country’s leaders down. Gadhafi has been in power for 41 years.