Bahrain (and Beyond) Live: Stepping Up the Formula 1 Protests

Protest in Bahrain's capital Manama on Wednesday night with the chant and horn blast, "Down, Down [King] Hamad"

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1345 GMT: Egypt

The retrial of former President Hosni Mubarak, on charges of complicity in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising that toppled him, will be held on 11 May.

The retrial was postponed last Saturday when the presiding judge suddenly stepped down.

Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison last June, but the verdict was suspended on appeal because of procedural irregularities.

Former Minister of Interior Habib El-Adly and six of his aides will also be tried again.

On the same day, the court will also hear a case against Mubarak, his sons Alaa and Gamal, and business tycoon Hussein Salem on corruption charges.

1315 GMT: Egypt

Turkey will transfer to Cairo the remaining $1 billion of a $2 billion budget support package, agreed last year, within the next two months.

On Tuesday, Egypt failed to reach agreement with the International Monetary Fund on a $4.8 billion loan.

"The Egyptians are completing the deal's conditions at the moment. We expect them to get it done by the end of the month and the deal to come into effect afterwards," a source close to the the transaction said. "The deal will include capital goods and pre-determined projects. Egypt will soon have a short list of these projects."

0805 GMT: Israel

Two rockets struck the Red Sea resort of Eilat this morning, causing no casualties or damage.

Mayor Meir Yitzhak Halevy said two rockets, apparently fired from Egypt's Sinai peninsula, struck open areas.

Rockets were last fired at Eilat in November during Israel's eight-day war in Gaza.

Two other rockets hit the neighbouring Jordanian city of Aqaba.

0625 GMT: Bahrain.

With Formula 1 teams arriving for Sunday's Grand Prix, opposition groups are stepping up their anti-regime protests in villages across the Kingdom.

The demonstrations include the February 14 Coalition but are being keep at distance by the main "official" opposition society, Al Wefaq. The Bahrain Center for Human Rights has called for a boycott of the race.

The protests come more than two years after the start of the anti-regime mass rallies, and their suppression by security forces. Last year, the opposition pursued a high-profile campaign against the Grand Prix, but --- amid violence and the death of at least protestor --- the race was held.

Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said on Tuesday, "There's no reason why [the race] shouldn't be [a success]....What's happened? They're demonstrating now? I didn't know that. There's nobody demonstrating."

Tuesday night's march in Sitra:

Karbabad: