Tunisia’s former autocratic leader, whose downfall triggered uprisings in the Arab world, condemned his upcoming trial as a “shameful masquerade”, according to a statement.

A Tunisian court dropped charges against a policewoman whose dispute with a fruit vendor who killed himself sparked a chain of events that unleashed uprisings around the Arab world.

Tunisia’s interim government has refused to legalise five political parties, including three Islamic ones – the first such rejections since the country’s longtime autocrat was driven from power.

Tunisian Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi has announced his resignation after a renewed outbreak of street violence in the North African country in the past few days.

Four people have died in fresh clashes in the Tunisian capital between stone-throwing protesters and police on the sidelines of demonstrations against the interim government, officials said today.

UNREST spread across the Middle East and North Africa yesterday as Bahrain launched a swift military crackdown on anti-government protesters and clashes were reported in Libya and Yemen.

TIMELINE

French president Nicolas Sarkozy has urged government ministers to holiday in France after his own prime minister was criticised for taking a family holiday paid for by Egypt’s government.

Tunisia’s interior minister suspended all activities of the country’s former ruling party amid the most serious protests since the country’s autocratic president fled into exile.

SOME 219 people were killed and 510 injured during the violent protests that led to the ouster of Tunisian strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the head of a UN human rights mission said yesterday.

The leader of a Tunisian Islamist party that was long outlawed by authorities has returned to his homeland after two decades in exile.

A money laundering investigation has been launched into accounts belonging to ousted Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family, Swiss prosecutors said today.

Thousands of UK students took to the streets today in a largely peaceful protest against government cuts and university fee hikes.

Thousands of students gathered in central London today in the latest protest against the government cuts and university fee hikes.

EGYPT’S military deployed on the streets of Cairo to enforce a night-time curfew as the sun set yesterday on a day of rioting and chaos that amounted to the biggest challenge ever to authoritarian President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year regime.

Tunisia's prime minister appointed independents to three key posts in the country's new interim Cabinet, removing ministers from the former ruling party in a major concession to demonstrators.

TUNISIA yesterday unveiled major changes to its interim government in a bid to put an end to daily protests against figures linked to ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali who stayed on in key posts.

Tunisia’s foreign minister announced his resignation today, state media reported, as authorities sought to quell unrest by street protesters who want to oust other allies of deposed former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Tunisia has issued an international arrest warrant for its exiled president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia earlier this month amid violent protests.

Tunisian teachers went on strike today as part of growing protests demanding supporters of the overthrown president be kept out of the new government.

THOUSANDS of anti-government protesters rallied outside Tunisian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi’s office yesterday, calling for him to quit after the downfall of the north African state’s 23-year regime.

Tunisia’s once-feared police have staged a rally of their own, demanding better salaries and insisting they were not to blame for deaths among protesters who forced the North African country’s autocratic leader to flee.

Tunisia’s prime minister has pledged to quit politics after elections he says will be held as soon as possible, amid protests by citizens still angry at officials linked to their deposed president’s regime.

Tunisia’s prime minister has pledged to quit politics after elections that he says will be held as soon as possible.

Tunisia's fragile new government emerged from its first meeting today hopeful that it can reunite a country scarred by deadly riots, and calm people still seething at the party which reigned supreme for 23 years.

The Tunisian army fired warning shots in the capital today as demonstrators marched toward the ruling party’s headquarters and government ministers quit the party in a desperate attempt to keep their jobs.

Two top ministers in Tunisia’s government have quit the political party founded by the country’s ousted ruler.

TUNISIA’S interim leadership promised a “complete break with the past” and freed political prisoners yesterday in efforts to appease street protesters who want a total purge of the old guard from a unity government.

Tunisia’s new government began releasing prisoners today and moved to track down assets stashed overseas by its deposed president and his widely disliked family.

Hundreds of protesters marched through Tunisia’s capital today demanding that allies of the exiled president stop clinging to power.

FOUR ministers quit Tunisia’s day-old government yesterday, undermining its hopes of quelling unrest by sharing power with members of the opposition to the old regime.

Tunisia's president and prime minister have resigned from the ruling party, according to state TV.

Exiled opposition leader Moncef Marzouki has returned to Tunisia with a demand that the country's dictatorship is removed.

Riot police fired tear gas at angry protesters today as Tunisia’s prime minister defended including some of the deeply unpopular old regime in a new unity government.

Riot-torn Tunisia’s interim leaders today announced a new national unity government following the overthrow of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali amid massive street protests.

There is further unrest in Tunisia where protestors are demanding the ruling party of the ousted president give up power.

Riot-torn Tunisia was poised today for the announcement of a new government and hopes of a peaceful fresh start for the nation.

Tunisian police have arrested the head of the presidential guard for ousted leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the state news agency reported today.

Looting, deadly prison riots and street chaos engulfed Tunisia the day after mass protests forced its strongman to flee.

Tunisia’s president has left power for good, the president of the country’s Constitutional Court said today, declaring that the leader of the lower house of parliament would assume power until elections are held in two months.