The Contagion Today 1

Kuwait opposition ups pressure on premier Kuwaiti opposition groups on Tuesday intensified their demands for the sacking of the prime minister, blamed for stalling development in the oil-rich Gulf state. A day after the Popular Action Bloc, a key opposition group, demanded the ouster of Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah, two more groups warned Tuesday that the political crisis will worsen if the premier stays.

Jordanians demand release of Islamist prisoners Around 400 relatives of 84 Islamist prisoners in Jordan demonstrated in Amman on Tuesday to demand their release as 27 of the inmates launched a hunger strike. "If the country respected itself and had justice, a probe into the violation of the prisoners' human rights would have been opened," Saad Hneiti, a sharia (Islamic law) professor, told the protesters outside Al-Husseini mosque in the city centre.

Bahrain freed Shia activist warns of violence A leading Shia activist jailed for six months and released last week warned of more bloodshed in the Gulf state ruled by a Sunni dynasty if popular demands for greater democracy were not met. "My anticipation is that the situation will lead to more bloodshed if they [the regime] continue to turn a blind eye on the protesters in the street," said Abduljalil Singace, a leader of the hardcore opposition Haq movement and one of 25 Shias who were granted royal pardon last week.

Oman army tries to disperse protests, wounds 1 Omani army troops patrol the streets of the key industrial area of Sohar, northwest of the capital Muscat, on March 1, 2011 following clashes between Omani police and protesters.

Oman deploys military fearing more unrest An Omani government official says the military has deployed troops north of the capital, Muscat, near the border with the United Arab Emirates after unrest spread to this Gulf nation. The official says the army also deployed light equipment on Tuesday, anticipating more anti-government protests that have included deadly clashes in the port town of Sohar.

Massive anti-regime protest in Yemeni capital Vast numbers of protesters poured into the centre of Yemen's capital Sanaa on Tuesday for a massive anti-regime rally called by the opposition, an AFP correspondent said.

Yemen: A revolution in waiting? In a country torn by internal divisions, the risks posed by a power vacuum must not be underestimated. Inspired by the Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions, thousands of Yemeni youth are continuing to call for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.