Tens of thousands of protesters flooded the Bahraini capital yesterday in their biggest-ever demonstration, while the embattled, pro-US king made another concession.
Demonstrators in Manama said King Hamad bin Issa al Khalifa’s offer to free some political prisoners was too little to save the monarchy.
The government said 25 people remain hospitalized from last week’s clashes at the central Pearl Square.
In other Muslim world developments yesterday:
* About 5,000 anti-government protesters rallied in eastern Yemen, calling for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. No violence was reported.
Also, a regional Yemeni governor reported that a senior al Qaeda leader was killed in a shootout.
* Egypt’s new military rulers swore in a new Cabinet that replaced several Hosni Mubarak-era ministers.
But protesters denounced the decision to keep three Mubarak loyalists, Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Justice Minister Mamdouh Marie.
Protest leaders called for one more monster rally at Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Friday.
* Algeria’s Cabinet tried to defuse mounting unrest by approving a plan to lift a state of emergency that has been in place for 19 year.
* Six thousand demonstrators massed in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region, demanding political reforms and that the people responsible for a deadly shooting last week that left two protesters dead be held accountable.