On 27 May, Egyptians gathering in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the symbolic centre of the challenge that brought down President Hosni Mubarak, for "The Second Revolution" expressing their demands for reform and justice.
Thomas v der Osten Sacken, who has also contributed photo specials to EA on Tunisia and Libya, presents some of the people from that day.
Nikahang Kowsar captures our LiveBlog's theme of the day --- his journalist encounters Ahmadinejad and declares, "A sorcerer should exorcise him":
In less than a week, Turkey will have a new government.
Anticipating the Parliamentary elections on Sunday, EA takes a look at the differences between the parties on key issues. Today: Protest and the Future of the Kurds.
Prime Minister Erdogan Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, “There is no Kurdish problem but there are problems of Kurdish people”. After the killing of 12 members of the outlawed PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) on 14 May, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc offered a more confusing formula, “There is a Kurdish problem but it is not productive to say that there is a problem as it is in the solution process."
AKP, Israel, Kurdish problem, PKK, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russia, Turkey 
1740 GMT: Parliament v. President. Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani has sent his 4th letter in two days to President Ahmadinejad, claiming 14 additional infringements of the law by the Government.
1710 GMT: Ahmadinejad Watch. So Mr. President, what about the staff from your office arrested as sorcerers and exorcists?
Ahmadinejad replied to the question at his press conference today, "Let's just think about Government service."
He continued, again without reference to any sorcerers, "The Government is on track under the guidance of the Supreme Leader."
However, Ahmadinejad acknowledged, with reference to advisors like Abbas Amirafar, the head of Friday Prayers in his office, and Abbas Ghaffari, the alleged sorcerer, "They arrested those people. Good for them."
Now it was time to move on: "They should let us continue our job. The Government is seeking for nothing rather than serving the people and fulfilling the revolutionary aims." He refused to answer further questions, "Our position at the moment is to stay silent. An inspiring unity silence."
Navi Pillay (2nd from left) with Bahrain officialsThe UN High Commissioner would like to stress that she made no such statement, and is disturbed by this blatant distortion of her words. She will formally request the Government officials who attended the meeting to issue a correction.
By blocking internet access for the entire country last Friday, the Syrian regime demonstrated yet again just how out of touch it is with its own people and with the times in general. But the regime is not alone in failing to move with the times. The so-called Syrian opposition in exile – most prominent of which is the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood --- also seems blissfully unaware that things have changed.
At the recent Antalya conference in Turkey, an attempt was made by the various exiled opposition groups to hammer out a unified front and a vision for a post-Assad democratic Syria. Most worryingly, the Brotherhood remained quite staunch in its opposition to a secular future government, and only gave its consent much later in the conference.
2030 GMT: Video of the march to the Acting President's house in the Yemeni capital Sana'a today:
2025 GMT: The Syrian Ambassador to France, Lamia Chakkour, has denied in a phone call to Al Jazeera Arabic that she has resigned.
Earlier today (see 1814 GMT), a person claiming to be Chakkour told France 24 that she had quit Syria's diplomatic service. However, the Ambassador is now saying that she will sue France 24 for the erroneous report.
Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled MeshaalSecret meetings between Palestinian intermediaries, Egyptian intelligence officials, the Turkish foreign minister, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal --- the latter requiring a covert journey to Damascus with a detour round the rebellious city of Deraa --- brought about the Palestinian unity which has so disturbed both Israelis and the American government. Fatah and Hamas ended four years of conflict in May with an agreement that is crucial to the Paslestinian demand for a state.
A series of detailed letters, accepted by all sides, of which The Independent has copies, show just how complex the negotiations were; Hamas also sought --- and received --- the support of Syrian President Bachar al-Assad, the country’s vice president Farouk al-Sharaa and its foreign minister, Walid Moallem. Among the results was an agreement by Meshaal to end Hamas rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza --- since resistance would be the right only of the state --- and agreement that a future Palestinian state be based on Israel’s 1967 borders.
Syed Saleem Shahzad had strong hands.
When he took hold of one of yours and clasped it enthusiastically you wondered what damage might be done. It was just that way three weeks ago in Islamabad, in the aftermath of the US operation to kill Osama bin Laden. There was the broad smile, the laughter, the luxuriant beard and the strong grip. "How have you been?" he said, as we got into his Toyota Corolla.
I will be in London today for a special event about Iran (see separate entry).
While I am on the road, LiveBlogs will be limited. But we have a lot of features for you today --- from Iran to the Middle East to US politics --- and as always, we thank readers for bringing in news and ideas.
