Tunisia LiveBlog: A New Government?

1940 GMT: Tunisian Minister of Interior Ahmed Friaa says 78 people died and 94 were injured in the violence surrounding the downfall of President Ben Ali.

At the time of the clashes, the Government would only admit to between 20 and 30 dead.

1850 GMT: This captioned photograph is making the rounds by e-mail. Former President Ben Ali of Tunisia on left: "Don't be late, it gets lonely." President Hosni Mubarak on right: "You're first, we're next." (h/t Sultan Al Qassemi)

1755 GMT: A Libyan official, the Secretary of the General Authority for Endowment and Zakat Affairs, has commented to a newspaper about this weekend's protests over housing: "The riots caused by these people do not represent Islam and our Islamic values. Our sermon will invite all citizens to adhere to the teachings of Islam, which calls for tolerance and not to abuse the system and harm their Muslim Brothers."

1720 GMT: In Algeria, the opposition party Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) has demanded that the Government "immediately and unconditionally" release trade unionist Ahmad Badawi, who was arrested by police in Algiers on Saturday after leaving a meeting with several officials of independent trade unions and civil society leaders.

1655 GMT: Egyptian stocks posted their biggest drop in seven months and the Egyptian pound dipped to its lowest level against the dollar in almost six years on Monday.

A trader at a bank said, "It's Tunisia, and then the man setting himself on fire in Cairo this morning.There's some hot money flying out of the market, mainly foreigners selling."

1645 GMT: More on Mohsen Bouterfif, the Algerian man who died of burns on Sunday after setting himself on fire three days earlier. About 100 young men protested in the town of Boukhadra, 700 kilometres (430 miles) east of Algiers.

The Governor of the province sacked the Mayor of the town. Bouterfif reportedly attempted suicide after he met the mayor but was unable to obtain a job and a house.

1620 GMT: Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi has announced the new Government. Some of the "old guard", such as Foreign Minister Kamel Morjane and Minister of Interior Ahmed Friaa, have retained their posts. The Ministers of Defense and of Finance also stay in place.

Najib Chebbi, founder of the opposition Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), is Minister of Regional Development. Ahmed Ibrahim, leader of the Ettajdid party, is Minister of Higher Education, and Mustafa Ben Jaafar, head of the Union of Freedom and Labour, is Minister of Health,

Prominent blogger Slim Amamou, who was detained a week before the fall of President Ben Ali and released after the collapse of the regime, will be Minister of Youth.

Ghannouchi also announced a lifting of the ban on political parties, the release of all political detainees, and the free functioning of unions and syndicates. The Ministry of Communication has been abolished, while new committees will be established for political reform, accountability for recent incidents, and fact-finding into corruption and bribery.

1535 GMT: In Egypt, Mohammad ElBaradei, head of the National Association for Change (NAC), called on the Egyptian regime to allow a peaceful transition of power to avoid a repetition of events in Tunisiam where violence was a response to suppression.

Al Jazeera reports that Egypt's National Defense Council, after a meeting led by President Hosni Mubarak on Saturday, decided on a number of “precautionary measures to avoid provoking citizens in the coming period", including the postponement of any planned “price hikes or new taxes."

Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit declared that fears of the Tunisian uprising spreading are just "nonsense": "Those who have such illusions and attempt to add fuel to the flames will not achieve their objectives and will themselves be harmed."

1522 GMT: The Western media have picked up on the wave of immolations by unemployed men across North Africa: four over five days in Algeria (a local newspaper said yesterday there were five --- see Sunday updates) and one in Mauritania and one in Egypt today.

Al Masry Al Youm gives more information on Abdu Gaafar, who set himself alight in front of Egypt's Parliament building. He was upset because authorities in Ismailia, east of Cairo, refused to provide him with his share of subsidized bread for the restaurant he runs in Qantara.

Gaafar has burns to 60 percent of his body, mainly on his hands and legs.

A security source said Gaafar is being interrogated to find out if "foreign hands" were behind his act.

1512 GMT: A union leader to Ayman Mohyeldin of Al Jazeera: "Tunisia has gotten rid of the dictator but hasnt gotten rid of the dictatorship yet".

1510 GMT: Back from academic break to find news of a peaceful protest of 200 people in Oman, monitored by a heavy police presence, over corruption and low salaries.

1305 GMT: Ben Wedeman of CNN reports, "Long lines in front of liquor store in Tunis."

1250 GMT: A 43-year-old businessman, Yacoub Ould Dahoud, in Mauritania in west Africa has set himself on fire in front of the Presidential palace, reportedly over mistreatment of his tribe.

1245 GMT: Protest in Tunis has ebbed. Angelique Chrisafis of The Guardian of London writes, "Calm on Ave Bourguiba, police and military presence. People walking about, some braving a coffee on the pavement terrace of Baghdad café."

1129 GMT: Another twist, as it appears protest and tension are both growing. CNN's Ben Wedeman: "About 2000 protesters....Tear gas fired. Shooting in air. Lots of tear gas....Police chasing protesters. Policeman beating man [as] he runs away." Angelique Chrisafis of The Guardian of London has also seen protesters beaten.

Wedeman adds that demonstrators moved from Habib Bourguiba Avenue are now on side streets."

1115 GMT: More substantial than "sniper on roof" rumours is this morning's protest of about 1000 people in Tunis. Jonathan Rugman of Britain's Channel 4 observed, "Want revolution to continue. Watercannon was brief. Police, army in control."

Ayman Mohyeldin of Al Jazeera reported that the protest was "generally...tolerated", but the security forces would not let demonstrators get near government buildings. The water cannon was used when demonstrators tried to move from trade union headquarters towards the Ministry of Interior.

Protesters demanded that the new government should not contain any "stooges" from the old regime. They chanted, "Continue your rebellion against remnants of dictatorship."

1105 GMT: A flutter in Tunis, according to the BBC's Lyse Doucet, "Crowds scatter, riot police take up position. But reported snipers on roof turn out to be tourists on balcony."

Another observer posts, "Nice day in Tunis. Things seem under control."

Doucet adds, "Long queues outside bread shops Tunis but people ask us not to film them. They don't want negative images of Tunisia now."

1010 GMT: Just noting a response to Josh Shahryar's analysis, "Tunisia and the Real Net Effect: Getting It Right on Protest and Social Media", which includes a dissection of Evgeny Morozov's claims.

The complete response, from a Mr Evgeny Morozov: "That piece was so lame."

0920 GMT: Ayman Mohyeldin of Al Jazeera posts, "Lots of roadblocks around Tunis removed. Some shops and stores opening up to meet people's basic needs."

Lyse Doucet of the BBC writes, "Supermarket opens, immediately full. People speak of happiness but also uncertainty. Still some shortages".

Tunisia and the Real Net Effect: A First-Hand Account of Why Social Media Matters Tunisia Analysis: Battles on the Street, Bigger Battles for A Government Tunisia Latest Video: Protest and Clashes Libya and Egypt Videos: Politics and Protest

0915 GMT: Moncef Marzouki, the leader of the Congress for the Republic (CPR), has announced his candidacy for President in Tunisia's forthcoming elections.

Marzouki has been President of the Arab Commission for Human Rights and spokesman for the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia. His political party was banned under President Ben Ali.

0905 GMT: Ben Wedeman of CNN writes from Tunis, "Lots of people on streets, cars. Getting back to normal?"

0850 GMT: In Egypt, Abdu Gaffar has set himself on fire in front of the Parliament building. (Al Masry Al Youm reports the incident, but Al Ahram never mentions the Parliament, only mentioning the location as "Qasr al-Aini Street".)

And in Libya, the Al Manara website, which carried videos of weekend protests against the Government's housing policy, has been knocked off-line. Another Libyan website, Libya Almostakbal, reports that it has been attacked twice since Friday.

Videos are also disappearing from YouTube. (One of four we posted yesterday is now gone, but we are now putting up two new clips --- one, ironically, from Al Manara, that have emerged.)

0845 GMT: Writing for The Guardian of London, Angelique Chrisafis reviews yesterday's events. Most striking, however, is her description of "horrors" before the fall of the Ben Ali regime:

Human rights groups estimate at least 150-200 deaths since 17 December. In random roundups in poor, rural areas youths were shot in the head and dumped far from home so bodies could not be identified. Police also raped women in their houses in poor neighbourhoods in and around Kasserine in the rural interior.

0800 GMT: We start today by reviewing yesterday's events and watching for the announcement of a new Coalition Cabinet. We have posted a separate analysis, and as I type, I am watching Al Jazeera's interview with a human rights activist who declares, "I was happy when this revolution happened, but [now] I'm not expecting much from that....I think the best thing is to get rid of the [former] President's [Constitutional Democratic Rally] party."

Asked if a protest rally will occur today, he replies, "If it is not going to happen today, it will happen later on."

We are also continuing our coverage of Tunisia and social media. Following Josh Shahryar's critique yesterday of the "real Net effect", we post Karin Kosina's e-mail conversation with "S", a Tunisian who effects why the Internet has been vital to protest and political development.