No matter how cynical we are about the indications regarding the final outcome of these trials [of President Hosni Mubarak, his sons, and members of his regime], we must admit that had it not been for the colossal events of the 18-day uprising, such a scenario would have continued being a figment of our wildest dreams.
But beyond the trials, has anything in Egypt really changed?
No.
The article, put out through PRNewsWire and posted below, re-presents the talking points put out by Bahrain's information agency (see today's LiveBlog), but the style is markedly different from the Bahraini official statements and their display in pro-regime media, for example, in this story from Manama Press. That indicates that the "news" in this case may have been written by the PR agency.
Protesters and police in Sanabis, Bahrain on Saturday
The Bahraini regime had hoped to present stability and democracy on Saturday, with by-elections for 14 seats vacated by the opposition party Al Wefaq in March in protest at the crackdown on demonstrations for reform.
The regime may still be able to do so with the numbers for a high turnout, whether in reality or in generated numbers. But by last night, the press releases and photographs of Bahrainis lining up to vote had been overtaken by another, less stable, less democratic narrative.
That narrative was of security forces trying --- and failing --- to suppress protest on Election Day. While there was little sign of dissent in the capital Manama, the heavy presence of police could not lock down near-by villages, despite closing off entrances and setting up roadblocks in areas such as Sanabis, close to the capital:
Something completely different to mark President Saleh's return to Yemen on Friday, after more than three months in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment:
Ali Abdullah Saleh, Katy Perry, Yemen Saturday, September 24, 2011 at 10:25 | Scott Lucas in Africa, EA Global, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 
Sanabis in Bahrain, blanketed in tear gas today
2145 GMT: We have taken a Saturday night break to recharge. Apologies for limited service --- we will be at 0600 GMT on Sunday with a full round-up of developments across North Africa and the Middle East and a special feature on Bahrain.
Meanwhile, the latest from Bahrain --- EA sources say Sanabis is a "closed" village with entrances blocked, adding, "It is too dangerous to go out."
In what appears to be a troubling development, there have been a number of house fires in villages where protests have been occurring (see 1110 GMT). What is even more troubling, again from EA sources, are claims that security forces have been setting fires to force out protesters who can be identified and arrested. One source writes, "Police thugs attacking protests in Sanabis who where trying to Extinguish a building on a fire, they attacked us with flashbangs and teargas."
Shaky video of a fire in Sanabis and disorder nearby:
A photograph of Sanabis this evening:
Saturday, September 24, 2011 at 8:17 | Scott Lucas in EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran Nir Rosen reports for Al Jazeera English, in a video interview and an article, after seven weeks travelling throughout Syria, including Daraa, Damascus, Homs, Hama, Latakia, and Aleppo:
HOMS: On August 31, I met up with a trusted acquaintance called Abu Omar (not his real name). I had been waiting for this meeting with anticipation, as the people involved were extremely hard to reach. They were constantly evading the regime.
Abu Omar called the night before to let me know it was going to happen. The next morning I awoke excited. Adding to my nervous energy, the mobile network in town was shut off. Unable to call Abu Omar, I decided to go to the café near where we had last met, hoping he would find me.
Mehdi and Fatemeh KarroubiDo you truly believe that you will find one rational human being on this planet who will confirm that [my husband Mehdi] Karroubi is at home rather than under imposed house arrest? Will the silence by the judiciary not lead to a new trend in which security institutions will impose the costs associated with such house arrests on the shoulders of the families of those arrested? Is this type of behaviour worthy of the Islamic Republic? Although you are fully aware that this newly devised and ridiculous tactic will be recorded in history as such, the family has nevertheless chosen to comply with your demands in order to protect the physical well-being of Mr. Karroubi.
Mojtaba Mirtahmasb1635 GMT: Press Release of the Day. And, as it's slow, let's give some airtime to General Yahya Rahim Safavi, senior military advisor to the Supreme Leader: “The US and Zionists are desperately seeking to rein in, restrict, replace...or take control of some of these revolutions” in the Middle East and North Africa.
Rahim Safavi, whose brother has told Western diplomats of the "political coup" of the 2009 Presidential election from the Supreme Leader's office, said the "West" started a “division of labour” system with France tasked to help bring Western-supported individuals to power through the National Transitional Council. He declared the US was seeking to infiltrate Egypt's Parliamentary Presidential balllots and interfere in the proposed changes to Egypt's Constitution.
Safavi urged Libyans and Egyptians to prevent this foreign interference, adding that the US was about to lose its political position in the region and said Israel was also facing a difficult situation.
Moving to Central Asia, Safavi said that terrorist groups in Afghanistan were linked to "Western hegemony", but the US would suffer the same fate as the former Soviet Union and finally leave the country after a humiliating defeat.
Friday, September 23, 2011 at 20:43 | Scott Lucas in Africa, EA Global, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 2055 GMT: Manama Press, which is connected to the regime, has published a very interesting article about today's events. It starts out by describing a sermon by a leading cleric:
On Friday Sheikh Isa Qassim during his Friday sermon told worshippers “There is a class of society under repression and there are obstacles at every turn, blocking their voice. The cleric told worshippers in a mosque in Duraz, an opposition stronghold northwest of the capital, Manama, that the vote on Saturday is meaningless. This is fake democracy,”
The article then describes plans for protests. Up until halfway through, it almost reads as if the paper is supporting the protesters.
Then we get the bait and switch. The official line is that very few protesters showed up, but the Central Mall and some streets were filled with rioters who had to be dispersed and arrested.
City Centre was the Centre of the attacks where rioters created chaos and fear amongst the mall’s visitors. Security forces, including the women’s police force dealt with rioters as some of them were arrested for illegal actions. Shops in City Center were closed while the police force calmed the situation.
Two innocent female bystanders were injured by the rioters and rushed for treatment.
When the rioters entered City Centre they were chanting Down Down Hamad which led to visitors Chanting “People want Khalifa bin Salman”.
This assessment of the days developments differs starkly with reports that EA and other media groups have covered.
2044 GMT: A source in Bahrain reports that even at this hour there are many checkpoints in and around the villages that surround Sitra and Sanabis, including checkpoints at:
See also Iran Analysis: Ahmadinejad 1, Interviewers 0 (and Why It Matters)
2038 GMT: Economy Watch. Kalemeh reports that imports of rice rose 27%, compared to last year, between March and August.
2035 GMT: Mohammad Ebrahim Nekounam, the head of Parliament's Article 90 Commission, has said that the file of 1st Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, accused of involvement in a major insurance fraud, is still under scrutiny by the judiciary.
