Violent unrest persists across Middle East
Continued protests in the Middle East and North Africa over the weekend resulted in dozens of casualties.
Security forces in Libya killed at least 84 people during clashes with demonstrators since Friday, the Xinhua News Agency cited Tunisia's TAP News Agency as reporting.
Some reports said the death toll had surpassed 200, with at least 20 people killed in the second-largest city of Benghazi.
However, Libyan analysts said it was unlikely that Colonel Muammar Gaddafi would be overthrown, as the unrest is largely confined to the eastern Cyrenaica region, where his support has traditionally been weaker than in the capital Tripoli, Reuters reported.
In Bahrain, protesters retook Manama's Pearl Square Sunday, although the Crown Prince issued a promise of dialogue Saturday to resolve the domestic problems. At least seven people were killed and hundreds more were injured in the Gulf nation in the past week.
Demonstrators have been demanding the abolishment of the monarchy's privileges and the address of long-standing claims of discrimination and abuses against Shi'ites, who represent about 70 percent of Bahrain's 525,000 citizens, the AP reported.
"Protesters with signs and slogans are still camping out in the square, and riot police have shown clear restraint since Crown Prince Salman ordered the removal of the military from the Pearl Roundabout on Saturday evening," an official surnamed Chen, who is the deputy head of mission for the Chinese embassy in Bahrain, told the Global Times Sunday.
"So far there has been no violence targeting foreigners. Other than jammed roads around the protesting sites, daily life in Bahrain has been almost uninterrupted, with shops and banks open as usual," Chen said, adding that the embassy has published a notice warning Chinese nationals that they might not be safe.
The latest development came after US President Barack Obama issued a statement Friday condemning the use of violence by governments against peaceful protesters in those countries.
Bahrain, the smallest country in the Gulf region, is one of Washington's most important allies, with the US Navy's Fifth Fleet based there.
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