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16 January 2011
Last updated at 10:20 ET
Deposed Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali 's head of security has been arrested.
State media said Ali Seriati, who led Mr Ben Ali's presidential security force, is accused of threatening state security by fomenting violence.
The previous 24 hours had seen widespread violence, including looting, arson and deadly jail riots.
Political leaders have started efforts to fill the power vacuum created by the fall of President Ben Ali.
Interim leader Foued Mebazaa - who was sworn in on Saturday - has pledged to form a unity government.
Mr Ben Ali, who had been in power for 23 years, fled to Saudi Arabia on Friday after a month of mounting protests across the country over unemployment, food price rises and corruption during which dozens of people died as police opened fired on demonstrators.
The announcement of Mr Seriati's arrest came as the interim government said it was shortening the overnight curfew by four hours.
Two days after Mr Ben Ali's flight, the country appears to be mostly quiet, although there are reports of an exchange of fire between police and gunmen outside the headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party in the centre of the capital Tunis on Sunday.
A state of emergency remains in force and there is very little economic activity. Schools, government offices and most shops are closed.
Election demand The BBC's Adam Mynott in Tunis says the immediate future of the country, thrown into unprecedented turmoil, is in the hands of the military.
Mr Mebazaa, who until Saturday was the speaker of parliament, has asked Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi to form a national unity government.
"All Tunisians without exception and exclusion must be associated in the political process," Mr Mebazaa said in a televised address.
Opposition leader Najib Chebbi told France's RTL radio that he had held talks with Mr Ghannouchi on Saturday.
Mr Chebbi, who leads the Democratic Progressive Party, said his main demand was that elections should be held "within six or seven months" under international supervision.
Under the present Tunisian constitution a presidential election must be held within 60 days.
Another opposition figure, Ahmed Ben Brahim, head of centre-left Ettajdid (Renewal) party, has also held talk with Mr Ghannouchi - as has Mustafa Ben Jaafar of the Union of Freedom and Labour party, who afterwards called for "real reforms".
Further talks are being held on Sunday.
The exiled head of Tunisia's banned Islamist party, Rached Ghannouchi, said he would return to the country within weeks.
Speaking to the BBC in London, he said Tunisians had got rid of a dictator, but were a long way from bringing down the dictatorship.
Self-defence On Sunday the interim authorities announced that the curfew was being eased because of the "improving security situation".
Curfew hours - which ran from 1700 (1600GMT) to 0700 (0600GMT) for two nights - will now be between 1800 and 0500.
The centre of Tunis has been sealed off by troops guarding key public buildings.
Residents in some areas have armed themselves with sticks and clubs, forming impromptu militias to protect their homes.
A resident of Nabeul, south of Tunis, Haythem Houissa, told the BBC that he had joined a volunteer group "to help clean up and guard our city".
"The security situation is much better since yesterday," he added.
Some of the recent violence has been blamed on supporters of Mr Ben Ali.
However many attacks appeared to target businesses and buildings connected with the former president and his family.
A hospital source in Tunis told AFP news agency that Imed Trabelsi, the nephew of Mr Ben Ali's powerful wife, had been stabbed to death on Saturday.
Are you in Tunisia? Have you been affected by the violence? Send us your comments using the form below.
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State media said Ali Seriati, who led Mr Ben Ali's presidential security force, is accused of threatening state security by fomenting violence.
The previous 24 hours had seen widespread violence, including looting, arson and deadly jail riots.
Political leaders have started efforts to fill the power vacuum created by the fall of President Ben Ali.
Interim leader Foued Mebazaa - who was sworn in on Saturday - has pledged to form a unity government.
Mr Ben Ali, who had been in power for 23 years, fled to Saudi Arabia on Friday after a month of mounting protests across the country over unemployment, food price rises and corruption during which dozens of people died as police opened fired on demonstrators.
The announcement of Mr Seriati's arrest came as the interim government said it was shortening the overnight curfew by four hours.
Two days after Mr Ben Ali's flight, the country appears to be mostly quiet, although there are reports of an exchange of fire between police and gunmen outside the headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party in the centre of the capital Tunis on Sunday.
A state of emergency remains in force and there is very little economic activity. Schools, government offices and most shops are closed.
Election demand The BBC's Adam Mynott in Tunis says the immediate future of the country, thrown into unprecedented turmoil, is in the hands of the military.
Mr Mebazaa, who until Saturday was the speaker of parliament, has asked Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi to form a national unity government.
"All Tunisians without exception and exclusion must be associated in the political process," Mr Mebazaa said in a televised address.
Opposition leader Najib Chebbi told France's RTL radio that he had held talks with Mr Ghannouchi on Saturday.
Mr Chebbi, who leads the Democratic Progressive Party, said his main demand was that elections should be held "within six or seven months" under international supervision.
Under the present Tunisian constitution a presidential election must be held within 60 days.
Another opposition figure, Ahmed Ben Brahim, head of centre-left Ettajdid (Renewal) party, has also held talk with Mr Ghannouchi - as has Mustafa Ben Jaafar of the Union of Freedom and Labour party, who afterwards called for "real reforms".
Further talks are being held on Sunday.
The exiled head of Tunisia's banned Islamist party, Rached Ghannouchi, said he would return to the country within weeks.
Speaking to the BBC in London, he said Tunisians had got rid of a dictator, but were a long way from bringing down the dictatorship.
Self-defence On Sunday the interim authorities announced that the curfew was being eased because of the "improving security situation".
Curfew hours - which ran from 1700 (1600GMT) to 0700 (0600GMT) for two nights - will now be between 1800 and 0500.
The centre of Tunis has been sealed off by troops guarding key public buildings.
Residents in some areas have armed themselves with sticks and clubs, forming impromptu militias to protect their homes.
A resident of Nabeul, south of Tunis, Haythem Houissa, told the BBC that he had joined a volunteer group "to help clean up and guard our city".
"The security situation is much better since yesterday," he added.
Some of the recent violence has been blamed on supporters of Mr Ben Ali.
However many attacks appeared to target businesses and buildings connected with the former president and his family.
A hospital source in Tunis told AFP news agency that Imed Trabelsi, the nephew of Mr Ben Ali's powerful wife, had been stabbed to death on Saturday.
Are you in Tunisia? Have you been affected by the violence? Send us your comments using the form below.
Webmaster Forum | SEO Forum | Coding Forum | Graphics Forum</b>