Pictures: Tunisia’s uprising

Tunisian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi (L) addresses the nation on state television, flanked by the President of the Tunisian Parliament Fouad Mbazaa

The prime minister, Mohammed Ghannouchi, left, briefly became the interim president. He cited chapter 56 of the constitution as the article by which he was assuming power [AFP]

A protester hits a policeman during clashes with riot police in downtown of the capital Tunis

Protesters were reported to be ransacking government buildings in the capital, Tunis, and other cities amid unrest in several provinces [AFP]

The uprising began on December 17 in the town of Sidi Bouzid, where a 26-year-old university graduate set himself on fire in desperation over the country(***)s high unemployment rate. Anti-government protests erupted soon afterwards [AFP]

Mohamed Bouazizi suffered third-degree burns across his body. Days later, Ben Ali paid a visit to him in hospital, but Bouazizi would ultimate die of his injuries [AFP]

Demonstrations over poor living conditions turned violent, with protesters setting tyres on fire and hurling home-made bombs at buildings [EPA]

Matters came to a head in Tunis when police tear-gassed protesters gathered outside the interior ministry building. Witnesses said police used batons to disperse the crowd, but the protesters insisted they would not leave until Ben Ali stepped down [AFP]

Police defended their acts, saying they were done in (***)self-defence(***) [AFP]

Labour union drove many demonstrations, such as this one in Tunis [AFP]

Lawyers also joined; around 300 marched in solidarity with protesters near the presidential palace in Tunis [EPA]

Many lawyers were arrested. One took his shirt off to show that he had been tortured by police while detained [AFP]

Many prominent lawyers alleged widespread corruption in the government and accused it of severely suppressing freedom of speech [AFP]

Tunisia is a relatively prosperous Arab country with a large educated middle class [AFP]

During the daily protests, police quickly earned a reputation for deadly violence [Reuters]

Muammar Gaddafi, the longtime Libyan leader, bemoaned Ben Ali(***)s departure on Libyan TV, saying that neighbouring Tunisia is suffering bloodshed and lawlessness because its people were in too much of a rush to get rid of their president [Reuters]

Protesters continued to march even after Ghannouchi announced a "unity government" on January 17. The new cabinet included three opposition members but many key players from Ben Ali(***)s government [AFP]

Protesters chanted, "We can live on bread and water alone but not with the RCD" - Ben Ali(***)s ruling party [AFP]

Fouad Mbazaa and Mohamed Ghannouchi, Tunisia(***)s president and prime minister, resigned from Ben Ali(***)s RCD party on January 18 in an effort to appease the opposition. Four opposition members had resigned earlier in the day [AFP]

Thousands of Tunisian police, national guard and firemen joined anti-government demonstrations, distancing themselves from the RCD [Reuters]

Thousands of protesters push past barricades and into a compound of government buildings in Tunis. They say they wil not leave until the interim government is dissolved [Reuters]

A girl lights a candle during a nighttime vigil for those killed during the recent unrest in Tunisia [Retuers]

In defiance of a curfew and state of emergency, protesters travelled through the night in a ragtag line of cars, trucks and motorcycles from towns across the rocky regions of Tunisia to the capital city of Tunis [AFP]