Yemen, Syria, Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: While We Waited for the President...

2120 GMT: Videos of a pro-reform demonstration today in Casablanca in Morocco --- estimates are circulating of 20,000 to 30,000 in the crowd:

And an image of thousands more in Tangier:

2105 GMT: Journalist Jeb Boone from Sana'a in Yemen, "I love reading about ceasefires on the wires while I hear the fighting continuing."

2000 GMT: The Yemen Post, quoting sources, is claiming that President Saleh's son Ahmed is ruling the country and has not agreed to the Vice President taking charge.

1930 GMT: Footage of the pro-Palestinian marchers crossing Syria's Golan Heights today, apparently taking away those wounded by Israeli fire:

1925 GMT: Claimed footage of security forces suppressing a march in Diraz in northwestern Bahrain:

1920 GMT: Journalist Iona Craig reports that, despite reports of a truce (see 1630 GMT), gunfire and shelling continues in the Yemeni capital Sana'a tonight.

1845 GMT: Claimed video of wounded being carried away during the regime's assault on Jisr al-Shaghour in northwest Syria.

1800 GMT: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the death toll in Jisr al-Shaghour has reached 38 this weekend, with 28 people killed on Sunday, in sustained clashes with security forces.

Rami Abdul-Rahman of the Observatory said six policemen were among those slain today in the town, located in northwestern Syria on the Turkish border.

1725 GMT: Video claiming to be of Israeli troops firing --- presumably rubber bullets --- on pro-Palestinian marchers moving across Syria's Golan Heights:

1720 GMT: Claimed footage of Bahraini security forces using tear gas today in Sanabis:

1715 GMT: Activists are claiming that three protesters have been killed in continuing clashes in Taiz in Yemen today. They are named as Ammar Bagash Al-Mekhlafi, Abdul Rahman, and Saaed Qaied.

1700 GMT: Fireworks over Change Square in the Yemeni capital Sana'a, celebrating the departure of President Saleh for surgery in Saudi Arabia

1640 GMT: A feature in The Washington Post reports that 1174 people have been registered as missing from Misurata, Libya's third-largest city.

Misurata, 210 kilometres (130 miles) east of Tripoli, was besieged by regime forces for more than two months before insurgents held the city.

1635 GMT: In Morocco, thousands of people have marched on the streets of the capital Rabat, condemning the death of a protester and demand an end to the crackdown on peaceful demonstrations.

Last Thursday, Khaled al-Amari, a member of Morocco's main opposition group, died after he was reportedly beaten by police during a protest in the city of Safi.

1630 GMT: The Hashed tribe of Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar, who has been challenging the Yemeni regime, has agreed to a truce offered by the Acting President.

1620 GMT: Tens of thousands of pro-reform protesters are celebrating in Change Square in Sana'a over the departure of President Saleh for Saudi Arabia for medical treatment.

Saleh, injured on Friday in a rocket attack on Friday Prayers at the Presidential Mosque, is undergoing surgery to remove shrapnel and to treat burns to his upper body.

Youths sang, "Today, Yemen is newborn". In Yemen's second-largest city Taiz, hundreds chanted, "Freedom, freedom, Ali has fled".

A ruling party official, Tareq al-Shami, said Saleh would be back in Sanaa within days. However, the opposition has vowed not to let the President come back.

"We will work with all our strength to prevent his return," Mohammed Qahtan, Yemeni parliamentary opposition spokesman, declared. "We see this as the beginning of the end of this tyrannical and corrupt regime."

1605 GMT: Yemen's Acting President has offered to withdraw troops from the capital Sana'a, according to Reuters.

1600 GMT: Back from a weekend break to find reports of the marches by pro-Palestinian demonstrators on "Naksa Day", the 44th anniversary of the 1967 Six-Day War which led to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Syrian television is reporting at least 14 killed and 225 wounded in the most serious clash when Israeli forces fired on marchers in the Golan Heights.

The Syrian territory was taken by Israel in 1967. Marchers are trying to reach the village Majdal Shams in the Israel-controlled area.

The Israeli military is refusing to confirm if there were any deaths. It claims that two armed men were identified near the border fence in Kunetra, in the Syrian-controlled area, after 150 marchers entered a mined zone as they approached the fence of the Israeli-controlled zone.

An Associated Press photo of the marchers:

0845 GMT: EA staff will be on weekend break for a few hours. We'll be back around 1600 GMT to bring you up-to-date on today's developments.

In the meantime, we thank our readers for bringing in latest news and ideas through the Comments section.

0830 GMT: An activist writes, "The scene [in] Sanaa's Change square today is extraordinary!! Non-stop singing, chanting and dancing since [President Saleh left Yemen."

0740 GMT: Brief clip of protest during a funeral procession in Hama in Syria on Saturday:

0630 GMT: Human Rights Watch has expressed concern that Libyan opposition authorities are arbitrarily detaining dozens of civilians suspected of activities supporting the Qaddafi regime. HRW said the authorities "should provide the detainees with full due process rights or release them".

The organisation also called on authorities to bring volunteer security groups "under a recognized civilian authority and investigate their alleged abuses". It said one detainee of a volunteer group had apparently been tortured to death in custody.

0520 GMT: For long portions of yesterday, the media were transfixed by the question of the whereabouts of Yemen's injured President Saleh. Had he been taken to Saudi Arabia for treatment? Was he in Germany? Or was he still in Yemen, being assessed by Saudi doctors?

After hours of uncertainty, the apparent resolution is that Saleh was finally moved to Saudi Arabia after physicians reviewed the case. He has burns and shrapnel wounds, the most serious report asserting that a piece is lodged near his heart. Yemen's Vice President is now Acting President and Commander of the armed forces.

Celebration by protesters in Change Square in the Yemeni capital Sana'a on Saturday after hearing the news of President Saleh's departure for Saudi Arabia

The speculation over Saleh crowded out other developments. In Syria, protesters buried their dead from Friday in demonstrations which reportedly brought out more mass crowds, although the security blanket is limiting news from many parts of the country. In Libya, the insurgency consolidated gains, as another foreign VIP --- British Foreign Secretary William Hague --- visited the opposition centre of Benghazi to discuss co-operation. In Bahrain, the regime continued to put out the line that all is well, despite the continued detentions of political prisoners.

The View from The Syrian Regime

While the Syrian opposition attended dozens of funerals on Saturday, State news agency SANA focused on the processions for four policemen it claimed had been slain during clashes with "armed terrorist groups".

Activists confirmed that a plainclothes member of the military secret police was killed at an opposition funeral in Hama on Saturday. He was recognised as a police officer, and when he pulled his handgun out, mourners stopped him and found his military ID card. 

Prisoners in Bahrain

The Los Angeles Times profiles Mohamed Albuflasa, who remains in jail after almost four months. In contrast to the most of the detainees, Albuflasa is a Sunni follower of Salafism. Protesting for reform and democracy, he was detained in the first days of the uprsising.

Albuflasa was brought before a military court with no access to a lawyer or witnesses in late February. His family believed Albuflasa was sentenced to two months in prison, but Albuflasa called his wife earlier this week and told her he would no longer be allowed to make phone calls. He said he was starting a hunger strike in response.