The Latest from Iran (24 February): The Mousavi-Karroubi Question

2130 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. The debate over Hashemi Rafsanjani's future as head of the Assembly of Experts continues. MP Hojatoleslam Seyed Reza Akrami has jumped in on Khabar Online, declaring that criticism of Rafsanjani is "against law and morality".

2120 GMT: Assessing Crackdowns. Majid Mohammadi, writing for Gooya, offers a sharp analysis of regimes "managing street protests" and setting limits on the killing of dissenters, comparing Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and Iran.

2110 GMT: Tonight's Regime Show. The Internet chatter this evening is not about the opposition but about the performance of Minister of Intelligence Heydar Moslehi on national television.

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US Politics: A Beginner's Guide to the Wisconsin Uprising

Photo: Andy Manis (AP)When you put out every moral defence of the labour movement --- in Wisconsin's case, presenting the dispute as concerning the rights of all union workers – and you lose it after a long and protracted battle, then the original credibility of the unions is destroyed. Fail in Wisconsin and it becomes that much harder, despite the differences in regional politics in the US, for unions to retain any rights elsewhere. And that is why, with demonstrations planned in at least 29 states next week, Wisconsin has become Ground Zero for the immediate future of American labour unions.

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Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The Regime Attacks

2110 GMT: And now claimed footage of a protest in Damascus in Syria, complaining over the beating of a man by four police officers. A participant claims nearly 1500 people rallied for three hours and chanted, “The Syrian people will not be humiliated,” demanding the immediate release of beaten man with “Let him go! Let him go!” and “There is no God but God.”

2105 GMT: Reports indicate one person was killed and more than two dozen injured in today's clashes in Yemen.

Journalists have been barred from the Al-Naqeeb hospital in Aden in the south of the country, with an estimated 400 guards surrounding the facility.

Video of tonight's anti-regime rally in Aden , just before it was broken up by a pro-Government group:

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Turkey's Foreign Minister on Egypt: "We Took the Most Active and Clearest Position"

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu attended an international conference on security on Saturday. In his meeting with U.S. Foreign Secretary Hillary Clinton, Davutoglu said: "Chances for democracy in the Middle East have been missed twice in the past 20 years. We cannot let this happen once again."

For Davutoglu, Turkey took "the most active and clearest position in Egypt".

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Egypt (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Hunkering Down

2300 GMT: In Tunisia, the Ministry of Interior has announced that the former ruling party, the Constitituional Democratic Rally, is to be suspended and its offices closed.

2155 GMT: And now, to offer wisdom on the Egyptian crisis, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin:

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Egypt (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The Battle of Tahrir Square

0200 GMT: With relative quiet in Egypt, we're going to take a break until Scott Lucas resumes in a few hours with the Friday LiveBlog.

0118 GMT: Al Jazeera TV just announced that Reuters quoting the New York Times reports that the US is discussing a proposal with Egyptian proposal for President Hosni Mubarak to resign immediately and for a transitional government headed by Vice President Omar Suleiman to take power. We cannot confirm this as of yet. 

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Egypt (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Restoring Order?

0615 GMT: Here's the sign that we have moved from Sunday into Monday --- a Cairo observer reports, "Good morning. I could still hear chanting at 4AM. I could still hear chanting at 8AM. People are roaming Tahrir square now."

A BBC correspondent reports "small numbers" of police on the streets of Cairo.

0600 GMT: Laura Rozen of Politico gives some insight into how the US Administration is now doing crisis management on Egypt:

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Egypt (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A Day to Breathe?

0547 GMT: Scott Lucas will now be starting our LiveBlog updates for Friday. I will be back in 10 hours or so. 

0513 GMT: A small ray of hope emerges in the form of a twitter user from inside Egypt after the massive internet blackout. Amr El Beleidy, co-founder of touringa.com, tweets from Cairo: 

Until now mobinil & vodafone mobile networks working, and data connection on mobinil and noor dsl working #jan25

I have access to twitter and facebook with no problems / no proxies#Jan25

Sorry my mobinil data connection is not working, phone had shifted to wifi! Sorry about that! #Jan25 #BeginnersMistake

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Tunisia (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A Day to Watch in Cairo?

2210 GMT: It is now after midnight in Egypt, and we are taking a few hours' break. We leave you for the moment with this image from tonight in Tahrir Square in Cairo,as protesters move away from a tear gas canister:

2200 GMT: Tonight's statement from protesters calling for the fall of the Egyptian Government and for a continued sit-in:

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Israel-Palestine Analysis: Another Dennis Ross Mission to West Jerusalem

On Thursday, Dennis Ross, a senior member of the US National Security Council, and David Hale, deputy to President Obama's envoy George Mitchell, arrived in West Jerusalem. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel's security needs and the maintenance of the Israel Defense Forces' qualitative advantage during negotiations with the Palestinians would be discussed with the American diplomats. 

Back in the US, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared that Washington's position on Israeli settlements in the West Bank has not changed; however, the US is not going to support the Palestinian proposal for international condemnation of Israel's "illegal" activities in the "occupied" lands.

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