| 04.Feb.2011 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698 0046: Steve Holland, US political reporter for Reuters tweets: "By a voice vote, the Senate approved the McCain-Kerry resolution calling on Mubarak to give way to an interim caretaker government in Egypt." 0045: The BBC's Barbara Plett reports on the UN's decision to pull its staff out of Egypt: "The UN has a range of humanitarian and cultural agencies based in Egypt. There've been no attacks on them, but hundreds of non essential staff members and their families have been flown to Cyprus. UN spokesmen said the security situation in Cairo was deemed volatile and unstable; they also said technical problems - such as the government blocking the internet - had made it difficult to work. 0039: Ramez Mohamed tweets: "I just want an Egypt like Tahrir square: organized, clean, everyone helping, loving each other and expressing opinion freely." 0035: The BBC's Katty Kay says the Egyptian authorities know the protesters were watching the Tunisian uprising on TV, which is part of the reason they are wary of the media. If Egyptians had not seen Tunisia on TV, the events in Cairo wouldn't be happening. 0034: New Zealand announces it won't be following the lead of other countries by sending charter flights to pick up stranded citizens, Foreign Minister Murray McCully quoted in the NZ Herald as saying: "New Zealand taxpayers might object to sending a charter flight over there for 12 people." 0027: More from Senator McCain: President Mubarak has been a good friend. He has helped us with Israel and to stymie al-Qaeda. We should be appreciative of that. He later added that the message from the events in Cairo is that "oppressive and repressive regimes cannot last for ever". 0026: Senator John McCain told the BBC's World News America: If Mubarak arranged for his vice-president to take charge and at the same time to include the pro-democracy forces - but not the Muslim Brotherhood - in a coalition government that would arrange free and fair elections, I think it is very likely there would be calm in Egypt. 0021: The BBC's Jeremy Bowen says there is clear evidence that people connected with the ruling party were behind the pro-Mubarak demonstrations yesterday. The Egyptian government has said that peaceful marches should not be interfered with, but how do you define peaceful? 0019: SamI DaouaD tweets: "Tahrir sq is ours, sleep safe 2nite, prepare urself 4 1 last fite and our beloved Egypt will be truly free." 0018: The BBC's Kevin Connolly reports on the reaction to President Mubarak's earlier interview: "He is now portraying himself as a lonely man - an unfortunate dictator forced to stay in power to guarantee stability. Very few Egyptians buy this portrayal at face value. But it is a fascinating insight into what is going on in the president's mind as he surveys the chaos in Tahrir Square in the heart of the capital." 0002: The chairwoman of the Committee on Foreign Relations in the US House of Representatives, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, says she will call two Obama administration officials to answer questions about the White House's response to events in Egypt. She has previously advocated severing aid to nations that do not support US policies and ideals. 2357: The BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington reports: "The tone from the administration in general seemed to be hardening on Thursday. State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said attacks on protesters were traced to elements in the government, but it was unclear how far up the chain it went. Secretary Clinton came out with a strong statement condemning the violence against journalists, foreigners and human rights activists. In Washington just like in Cairo, they're bracing for tomorrow's demonstrations with some concern. 2351: Occupied Cairo tweets: "It is good that ppl are alert and taking care of the square, but everybody please calm down. Tahrir is currently calm." 2349: Swedish broadcaster SVT confirms that reporter Bert Sundstroem has been stabbed in Cairo, saying: "He is now at a hospital in Cairo and is being operated on for knife injuries." 2344: Two of America's prime-time news anchors, NBC's Brian Williams and CBS's Katie Couric, have left Egypt amid a crackdown on the media covering the protests. They have been anchoring their nightly broadcasts from Cairo for several days. 2343: More on the arrests at Hisham Mubarak law centre: Professor Mamdou Hamza tells BBC World Service how he went to the centre to help his colleagues and witnessed them being arrested: "We could not see their faces because they were covered. The police said they were from Iran or Hamas. But the people there say they are arrested for being anti-Mubarak." 2327: The Los Angeles Times has a timely piece looking at the pros and cons of sending your news anchors into hostile territory. 2312: US Vice-President Joe Biden has been talking to his Egyptian counterpart, repeating the mantra of many foreign politicians in recent days by urging that "credible inclusive negotiations begin immediately in order for Egypt to transition to a democratic government that addresses the aspirations of the Egyptian people". 2309: Mosa'ab Elshamy tweets: "I've just walked around Tahrir. No trucks shipping thugs, no people getting slaughtered, and the few thugs on the bridge are bored." 2301: Monasosh, who is in Tahrir Square tweets: "I know u ppl will think I am exaggerating but Tahrir square is the safest place in cairo right now! And it is cozy. 2259: Conflicting accounts emerging of current situation in Tahrir Square, with some witnesses saying everything is calm, and others saying an attack from Mubarak supporters or police is imminent. 2253: Former Nile TV anchorwoman Shahira Amin explains to the BBC why she quit her job on state TV: "We were not allowed to report on what was happening in Tahrir Square. I spent the whole day yesterday at Nile TV and we were just covering the pro-Mubarak rallies, which I thought was ridiculous. I don't want to be part of their propaganda machine. You know, when the system doesn't suit you just walk out." 2246: 's Ivan Watson tweets: "A column of at least 6 troop carrier trucks loaded with personnel are lined up facing the protester barricades in Tahrir Square. Can't tell whether the passengers in these military vehicles are soldiers or police but all seem to be wearing helmets." 2233: Actor and Filmmaker, Khaled Abol Naga tweets: "Tahrir news: eyewitness: some Army tanks are slowly leaving some entrances of Tahrir square." 2230: Graeme Wood writes on the Atlantic website of his experiences at the hands of the pro-Mubarak mob after being mistaken for an Iranian: "I was being dragged through the street like a deformed farm animal, and the people around me were yelling 'Iranian! Iranian!' while I cried out in my best English in protest. We passed two cafes, and no one even bothered to take a shisha pipe out of his mouth to inquire about me." 2206: Amnesty International confirms two of its workers are under arrest after a raid by the military police on the Hisham Mubarak Law Centre, and calls for their immediate release. 2156: Egypt Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq says the interior minister should not obstruct peaceful marches on Friday, in comments translated by Reuters. 2152: Carl Bildt, Swedish Foreign Minister tweets: "Intense contacts on situation for Swedish journalists Cairo. One seriously injured and under treatment at hospital. Embassy working hard." 2146: The blogger Sandmonkey (see entries at 1503 and 1334) tells the BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan how he was attacked and beaten for 30 minutes, driven around Cairo for hours and eventually dumped at a police station. He says it was because he was trying to give aid to the protesters. 2133: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says attacks on journalists in Egypt are "scandalous and totally unacceptable," the AFP news agency reports. 2122: The BBC's Paul Adams in Washington on Hosni Mubarak's ABC interview: "The interview puts at least one of the rumours sweeping Cairo over the past week to rest: President Mubarak's son, Gamal, has not left the country but remains in the presidential palace with his father. But since it's now clear that Gamal, like his father, does not intend to run for office in September, this is now less relevant than it once was. Of more importance is the insight gained into the defiant mood of Egypt's embattled leader. He insists that President Obama has not asked him to leave office immediately and he expresses a degree of remorse about the violence raging on the streets of Cairo. 2114: Al Jazeera's Dan Nolan tweets: "Two Al Jazeera journos went missing for 6 hrs today- now been found although beaten up. Jazeera won't stop reporting story but re-assessing safety for us." 2106: Mamdou Hamza, a professor of civil engineering in Cairo, tells the BBC he has seen local human rights activists being beaten up and driven off in a police van. 2100: Mrs Clinton also urges Egypt's "government and a broad and credible representation of Egypt's opposition, civil society and political factions to begin immediately serious negotiations on a peaceful and orderly transition". 2049: More from Washington on Egypt's crisis. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemns attacks on journalists and says a "free election" in Egypt "is essential". 2033: Reuters reports that US intelligence officials warned the president over instability in Egypt last year, quoting CIA official Stephanie O'Sullivan as saying: "We have warned of instability. We didn't know what the triggering mechanism would be for that." 2030: Protester Waleed Seif in Alexandria believes that Mr Mubarak should stay for now to allow an orderly transition, telling the BBC: "We protested against the ruling system and President Mubarak. However Egypt has now changed, and we need to give Mubarak a chance to make things right." 2019: Egyptian police arrest seven youth leaders of the protests in Tahrir Square shortly after they visit Mohamed ElBaradei, their families tell AFP. 2005: The BBC's Caroline Hawley says: "Hosni Mubarak may have hoped that unleashing his loyalists would help end the uprising and make Egyptians long for calm. But the violence risks alienating him further from Western leaders who've backed him for so long." 2002: BBC Arabic Correspondent Khaled Ezzelarab says military police have arrested representatives of both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch 1951: BBC's Kim Ghattas tweets: "State Dept says gravely concerned about efforts to disrupt, interfere with media activity in Egypt. Hillary Clinton to issue statement." 1948: Activist Gigi Ibrahim tweets: "Hmmm activists disappearing and journalists are being beaten up, keep an eye on me, I might be next." 1947: More from ABC's interview with President Mubarak: he told the channel he would stay on until September because he feared chaos if he stood down now, and added: "I was very unhappy about yesterday. I do not want to see Egyptians fighting each other." 1938: Omar Robert Hamilton in Cairo tweets: "Entrance to the square manned by legions of guys in crash helmets. Feels dangerous as soon as you're out." 1935: ABC reporter Christiane Amanpour has just interviewed President Mubarak, and she tweets: "I asked Mubarak if he was ready to leave office. He said: I am fed up. After 62 yrs in public service I have had enough. I want to go." 1925: Time magazine reports that CBS chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan has been arrested. 1913: Nadia El-Awady, a journalist in Cairo tweets: "Mass harassment of journalists in Egypt today and yesterday must not go unnoticed. This is what the current Egypt regime represents." 1912: Secretary-general of the Arab League Amr Moussa, who is Egyptian, says the situation cannot return to how it was before the protests: "The people are frustrated, the people are angry, so if nothing happens the anger will continue and there will be a lot of damage later on." 1902: More on the attacks on journalists: Reporters Without Borders warns of an "all-out witch-hunt" against the media. 1852: 's Ben Wedeman in Cairo tweets: "Every time I think things couldn't get worse here... I'm praying this is the dark before the dawn." 1848: The Committee to Protect Journalists has collated a list of attacks on the media since the protests began. 1845: Maha Azzam from the Chatham House think-tank tells the BBC that increasing polarisation in Egypt is creating a very dangerous situation, adding: "The whole prospect of democratisation in this country is under threat." 1842: Update from Tahrir Square: The BBC's Jim Muir says: "There are many thousands of people still in the square, chanting slogans. It looks relatively peaceful, but further away to the north there is still a tense situation going one. Crowds of protesters are pressing forward. They have pushed Mubarak supporters off two overpasses. They are only about 50m apart and there are only a small number of soldiers keeping them apart. But the situation has stabilised in the rest of the square because the protesters have managed to assemble some pretty menacing barricades." 1829: Charity workers are among the people apparently harassed by the authorities. Oxfam has released a podcast describing the attack and arrest of a group of Egyptians who work with them. 1824: BBC's Lyse Doucet tweets: "Egypt State TV Anchor Shahira Amin said she took ''spur of moment' decision to resign. Went to Tahrir Square instead." 1823: Bel, a British freelance journalist in Cairo, says foreigners have had to go into hiding: "Anyone who is a journalist has been attacked, and if you're a foreigner the same problem is happening. I have now had to move into hiding, keeping away from windows, keeping away from any of the action and reducing my visibility online." 1817: Al-Jazeera's Sherine Tadros tweets: "People demanding mubarak step down and yet suleiman says the president has met the people's demands. Gov still not listening." 1814: British Foreign Secretary William Hague joins the US in condemning attacks on journalists, and warns: "The world will be watching closely how the Egyptian authorities respond. Their reputation will be severely damaged if we see violence at the levels we have seen recently." 1810: The BBC website now has a gallery of dramatic images sent in by readers caught up in the turmoil in Egypt. 1806: Alaa, one of the protesters in Tahrir Square, tells the BBC World Service: "In the middle of the square I can see tens of thousands of people in a celebratory mood. Families congregating and lots of young people. There isn't much shouting now; everyone is sitting around having a chat and drinking tea. But further down towards the Egyptian museum, there is still some evidence of a battle." 1804: BBC's Tim Willcox in Cairo tweets: "Walked back to hotel from bureau. No cabs. 40 mins. Dark balmy evening - chatting to Egyptians at roadblocks - tense but friendly." 1756: Many miles from Cairo, life in the beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh is almost normal. Blogger Jenni "Missye" White is on holiday there, and tells the BBC: "The main thing that is affecting people here is the fact the banks are closed and they worry they are going to run out of money. They are also concerned about shortage of fuel and food. The supermarkets have increased their prices a great deal." 1752: Reuters reports Vice-President Suleiman did not rule himself out of the presidential race, as reported in 1722 entry. 1740: BBC's Gavin Lee in Cairo tweets: "Pro Mubarak supporters seem very few in number. Watching small group being chased by anti Mubarak protestors." 1727: Another headline from Vice-President Suleiman's state TV interview: he says the country has lost "at least $1bn" in tourism revenue and one million tourists have left during the turmoil. 1720: More from Vice-President Suleiman's interview with state TV: "Intervention in our internal affairs is strange, unacceptable and we will not allow it." 1718: Omar Ashour from Exeter University tells the BBC's World Service that the momentum is with the protesters, adding: "Dealing with this crisis by repression and intimidation is not working. What happened yesterday made a lot of people sympathise with the protesters." 1707: Reuters reports 10 people have died in clashes in Tahrir Square on Thursday, and a doctor at the square told the agency: "An hour an a half ago, two people were rushed to me with gunshot wounds to the head. They were gasping and died." 1704: The BBC website has a feature from Yolande Knell in Cairo describing how the carnival atmosphere in Tahrir Square is long gone. 1700: The BBC's Magdi Abdelhadi says: "The power struggle at the top of the Egyptian establishment is no longer a secret. The legal measures against some of the most powerful people in the political hierarchy are the confirmation of a deep split within the ruling elite. It began over how to respond to the wave of protests demanding that President Mubarak should go. And it worsened as the protesters became more assertive, insisting that the president step down immediately. After his announcement that he wont seek re-election this autumn, the split became a struggle for survival." 1654: Iran's al-Alam TV reports that "a group of thugs" has beaten up one of their crews in Alexandria, and intelligence agents have confiscated their equipment. 1641: Sineh, a 60-year-old doctor who was treating people in Tahrir Square last night, tells the BBC: "I'm staying near Tahrir Square now, but I have not entered today as I have been warned that I could be attacked and my medical equipment confiscated by pro-Mubarak supporters." 1638: State TV quotes Vice-President Omar Suleiman as saying the Muslim Brotherhood have been invited for talks with the new government. The brotherhood is the biggest opposition group, but was outlawed by Mr Mubarak's government. 1632: BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says: "Human Rights Watch tell me 'Egypt's state repression and abuse are coming out of the torture chambers and on to the street.'" 1631: Democracy Now! reporter Sharif Kouddous tweets: "Not as much chanting, festivity as there used to be in Tahrir. A helicopter keeps passing flying low overhead." 1628: Update on protests in Gaza (see 1417 entry): news agencies say hundreds of Hamas supporters are on the streets of Gaza waving Egyptian flags, chanting anti-Mubarak slogans. Hamas is seen as an ally of Egypt's opposition Muslim Brotherhood. 1620: BBC World tweets: "Egyptian security seize BBC equipment at Cairo Hilton in attempt to stop us broadcasting." 1617: New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof tweets: "Govt is trying to round up journalists. I worry about what it is they're planning that they don't want us to see." 1615: The BBC's Khaled Ezzelarab says the shift in focus from Tahrir Square to Abdel Monem Square appears to indicate a strategic advance for the anti-Mubarak protestors. 1611: More from Jim Muir: He says it's hard to believe you're in the middle of one of the major capitals of the Arab world. Tanks are being used as barricades but security forces seem to have pulled to one side, he says. 1609: The BBC's Jim Muir in central Cairo says he's in middle of pitched battle on the northern side of Tahrir Square. He says the anti-government protesters are pushing forward - lobbing stones and rock. They've moved out well beyond the perimeter of the square. Says it's a scene of complete anarchy. 1558: Recap: There have been renewed clashes in the centre of Cairo between pro- and anti-Mubarak groups. The army had been holding a line between the two earlier in the day, but anti-government protesters then went on the offensive, pushing them out of some of the streets near Cairo's Tahrir Square. 1553: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev adds his voice to those calling for a peaceful resolution to Egypt's crisis. 1548: Firas Al-Atraqchi tweets: "Like millions - I am glued to Twitter, #AJE. I can't pull away to finish writing two articles - #egypt has captivated the world #jan25 #cairo. " 1543: The BBC's Khaled Ezzelarab reports: One protestor killed in Abdel Monem Riyad Square in central Cairo, many more injured, among them three in critical condition. 1538: Adham Helal in Cairo says: "Since the protests started I haven't slept, I haven't eaten and I haven't worked. I've been standing guard at my street. My only request is to give one month of peace and check the feedback from the government. If you still feel that you need to protest, go back to Tahrir, they will not remove the square." 1529: Iranian foreign ministry statement reported by Iran's al-Alam TV: "Iran watches closely the developments that are stemming from a wave of Islamic renaissance in the Middle East region." 1522: BBC Arabic correspondent Khaled Ezzelarab: Heavy gunfire heard in Abdel Monem Riyad Square in downtown Cairo. 1520: German Chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken to Hosni Mubarak and told him that dialogue must begin, Reuters reports. 1518: Ashraf Khalil tweets: "Huge plumes of smoke coming from up the river past national archives. Hard to tell but could be Arcadia mall." 1417: This update from BBC reporters in the Gaza Strip: "Dozens of university students have demonstrated outside the Egyptian consulate in Gaza in support of the Egyptian protestors.They chanted anti-Mubarak slogans, and called on the Egyptian protestors not to give up until he leaves." 1516: AFP citing witnesses saying a supermarket on the outskirts of Cairo is on fire. 1514: Algeria is one of the Arab states that have been affected by a wave of regional unrest, and in which leaders have been rushing to shore up their positions by making concessions - lowering prices or promising greater freedoms. 1512: A very significant announcement reported by AFP from Algeria, too. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika says the state of emergency that's been in place will be lifted "in the very near future". 1509: Egyptians had widely assumed that Gamal was being groomed to take over from his father, though the probability of that happening seemed to shrink rapidly with the recent unrest. 1507: There's been a flurry of announcements from the prime minister and the vice-president, but we should take a moment to pick out a key one: the first official statement that Hosni Mubarak's son Gamal won't run for the presidency. 1503: Forsoothsayer tweets: "Sandmonkey's been released, he's on his way home. His car has been destroyed and he and friends were beaten. #egypt#jan25" 1502: Al-Arabiya reporting that Mubarak supporters have stormed hotels in Cairo, chasing foreign journalists. 1501: The Egyptian health minister says eight people have died so far and 890 been injured, including nine in critical condition, in the Tahrir Square clashes. 1458: As for "other" articles, he may be referring to Article 88 which tasks an appointed electoral committee with overseeing elections. Critics say that should be amended to include full judicial oversight. 1457: More from Vice-President Suleiman, as reported by state TV: He says articles 76 and 77 of the Egyptian constitution will be amended, and other articles are open to amendment as well. Article 76 specifies who can or can't run for president, and article 77 says the president c an be re-elected, without specifying a term limit. 1354: Evan Hill tweets: "Anti-goverment protesters have advanced so far that we are now the front lines between the two sides, army firing shots in the air." 1452: Amnesty International announces the arrest of a French employee, AFP reports. 1450: Shahira Amin, was until yesterday a journalist with the state-run Egyptian channel, Nile TV. She told the BBC World Service that she had to leave her job because she no longer felt able to report the state view when what she saw on the street was so different: "We were basically showing the pro-Mubarak rallies all day long, as if that was the only thing that was happening. I couldn't show what was happening here in Tahrir. I couldn't even report the figures as they were. So no thank you. I feel liberated." 1448: State TV also quoting Vice-President Suleiman as saying those responsible for Wednesday's violence will be held accountable; that he's been holding talks with opposition parties; and that neither Hosni Mubarak nor his son will run for the presidency. 1445: State TV reports that another of those banned from leaving the country is Ahmed Ezz, former member of the National Democratic Party and billionaire businessman. Bank accounts have also been frozen. 1438: Egyptian TV says it will soon broadcast an "important" interview with Vice-President Suleiman. 1437: More live gunfire being heard near Tahrir square. 1436: Just to recap, here are the main points from the prime minister's press conference: he apologised for yesterday's clashes and promised an investigation; called on protesters to respect President Mubarak, reminded them that Mr Mubarak is just months away from the end of his term, while appearing to hint that the president might transfer some of his powers even then; said no one would be excluded from dialogue (in response to a question about the banned Muslim Brotherhood). The prime minister also said he was in contact by phone with some of the protestors in Tahrir Square. 1431: Ahmed Naguib tweets: "Kudos to the man at the pharmacy. Gave us extra free stuff to deliver #jan25." 1430: Wael Hassan, told us how he delivered medical supplies to Tahrir square. "I went early in the morning. They checked my ID and let me get inside. I passed on the medication and went home again to collect more money and buy more things. I bought more gloves, as they needed gloves, food and water. I parked the car near the bridge, which is opposite the main entrance. At this moment, government thugs were organising themselves in front of the main entrance. They were holding sticks and started looking at my bag. Luckily there was an army officer close to me, so they didn't touch me. I went inside and I managed to take footage and pictures. When I got out, they started to walk towards me. I thought they'd want my camera, so I ran towards my car and fled." 1427: At the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, US President Barack Obama offered a brief prayer for Egypt. "We're also mindful of violence that we're now seeing in the Middle East and we pray that the violence in Egypt will end and that the rights and aspirations of the Egyptian people will be realised, and that a better day will dawn over Egypt and throughout the world," he said. 1425: The Egyptian state news agency reports that those former ministers prevented from leaving the country include ex-interior minister Habib al-Adly, former housing minister Ahmed el-Maghrabi and former tourism minister Zuhair Garana. 1423: Amnesty International calls on Egyptian Vice-President Omar Suleiman to protect protesters, journalists and rights activists in Egypt. "The lack of police on the ground responding to the violence is a blatant sign of the complicity of the Egyptian government in the violence, or at best the total abdication of responsibility for law and order at a moment of national crisis," Secretary-General Salil Shetty says in a statement. 1422: From the BBC's Richard Colebourn, on the evacuation of British citizens from Egypt: "About six Foreign Office organised buses have delivered around 200 British citizens for a special evacuation flight back to London. There were a mix of a few holiday makers, some British-Egyptians who were resident in Cairo or visiting families and some expats who were working or studying in Egypt. 1419: Al-Alam correspondent: "Premises of satellite channels, including al-Alam TV channel office, evacuated in Cairo following a threat to set in on fire." 1418: State TV reports that former ministers won't be allowed to leave the country. 1415: The BBC's Jim Muir says the impression overall is that the situation has stabilised somewhat, largely because it would be so hard for pro-Mubarak groups to launch any attack around Tahrir Sqaure. 1414: More reports from the prime minister's press conference, courtesy of AFP: He says the ex-minister of the interior will be subject to an investigation; the government doesn't have enough police to guarantee security across the country; and the protesters won't achieve anything by staying in Tahrir Square. 1407: Dr Ibrahim Kamel, a member of the General Secretariat of President Mubarak's National Democratic Party and a prominent Egyptian businessman, denies that Mr Shafiq's apology was an admission of any government role in encouraging the violence. He told the BBC's World at One programme that it would be a mistake if Mr Mubarak stood down sooner than he has already promised to: "For Egypt, this is going to be a very big mistake. We do not accept that our president would jump the ship because the overwhelming majority of Egyptians are against it. You cannot permit the minority to run the scene for the majority." 1350: Matthew Cassel tweets: "They've developed a pulley system to get stones to those on bridge, while some just hit metal against metal like a war drum." 1335: Marwa Elnaggar tweets: Ahmad Shafiq = good cop, Mubarak = bad cop. Old routine. Don't fall for it, ppl! #jan25 #Tahrir. 1334: Ahmed Rasheed in Cairo tells the BBC: "Two of my friends have been arrested - one is the blogger Sandmonkey. They were trying to get food and medical supplies. These thugs [supporters of Mubarak] are arresting people and delivering them to the secret police. I was at the protest last night and I got injured after a stone was thrown at my head. I'm going to go back today and get food and medical supplies, if I don't get arrested." Sandmonkey's blog appears to have been suspended. 1330: US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip J Crowley tweets: "There is a concerted campaign to intimidate international journalists in #Cairo and interfere with their reporting. We condemn such actions." - confirming the earlier Reuters report 1328: Reuters journalist Simon Hanna tweets: Gang of thugs stormed the VideoCairo/Reuters building,started smashing windows+doors,army came up to help.we managed to escape #egypt #jan25 1327: An Egyptian army tank has moved against supporters of President Mubarak as they hurled rocks at anti-Muburak protesters in Tahrir Square, prompting cheers from anti-Mubarak demonstrators, reports Reuters. 1323: The US State Department condemns the "concerted campaign to intimidate international journalists" in Cairo, reports Reuters. 1322: The PM pledges that the violence "will not be forgotten... [he will] carry out a full inquiry into the lack of security on the ground". 1321: In a live televised statement, PM Ahmed Shafiq apologises for the clashes in Cairo, saying the "situation got out of control". The situation "hurt Egyptians' hearts", he says. 1315: AFP reports that Egyptian pro-democracy youth groups on Thursday rejected an offer by Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq to hold talks, saying they would not begin a dialogue with the regime until President Mubarak resigned. 1310: Retired Gen Sameh Seif al Yazal, an Egyptian military and intelligence expert, told the BBC World Service he believes the army will play a more active role in the coming days: "The army will put more infantry on the streets to make sure that there will be no mixing between the pro and anti Mubarak groups. I believe they will also enforce the curfew positively in the streets." 1310: Ahmed Nasser, a young Egyptian professional told the BBC World Service that he has concerns for his country's future but that he is hopeful about the protest: "I do have concerns but the people who are protesting in Tahrir Square, they have the potential to rebuild this country. They are very powerful, they are very enthusiastic and they are the future of this country. I am very sorry for those old minds because they are not having this space any more; we are the future of the country. We will rebuild this country." 1308: Raafatology tweets: "The Army is still watching and doing nothing. we have the feeling the army is choosing the regime over the people #Egypt #jan25" 1306: The BBC's Gavin Lee tweets: "Two tanks that are situated between protestors north of the Square are pointing their turrets towards the Pro Mubarak protestors" 1305: The BBC Have Your Say team have put together a page of voices from Cairo 1258: Vodafone - which was criticised among some quarters for allegedly co-operating with the Egyptian government in shutting down mobile communications and sending out pro-Mubarak messages - releases a statement defending its actions: "Under the emergency powers provisions of the Telecoms Act, the Egyptian authorities can instruct the mobile networks of Mobinil, Etisalat and Vodafone to send messages to the people of Egypt. They have used this since the start of the protests. These messages are not scripted by any of the mobile network operators and we do not have the ability to respond to the authorities on their content. Vodafone Group has protested to the authorities that the current situation regarding these messages is unacceptable. We have made clear that all messages should be transparent and clearly attributable to the originator." 1255: Shots are being fired in the air around Tahrir Square as anti-government protesters push back regime supporters, reports AP. 1250: Monasosh tweets: "Last we heard from ppl in Hisham mubarak law center is army police was there now all their mobiles are switched off #Jan25" 1252: AFP quotes the official Egyptian Mena news agency as saying that Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq has declared he is ready to go to Tahrir Square to talk to protesters. 1249: The BBC's Paul Danahar says: " I am standing beneath the underpass just outside Tahrir Square where the anti-Mubarak protesters have pushed back the pro-Mubarak people. The two sides are now just separated by a small patch of grass. Both are breaking rocks and throwing them at each other. There have been bursts of automatic gun fire. The anti forces seem for now to have the momentum. 1242: There are lots of tweets about journalists being under attack close to Tahrir Square - such as Tristan Redman who tweets: "Reports that an #alarabiya crew is under attack next to state TV building. Al Arabiya is appealing on air for help from military #egypt" 1239: The BBC's Paul Danahar in Tahrir Square says: "There is a massive exchange of stone-throwing going on in front of me. Rocks are landing just a few yards away from me. A man has just been led past with blood running from his head. The crowd are chanting and banging drums." 1236: The BBC's John Simpson in Tahrir Square points out: "Yesterday tanks were pointing their guns inwards towards anti-Mubarak protesters - now they have turned the guns away towards the pro-Mubarak camp. I suspect that may be significant." 1231: The BBC's Wyre Davis in Alexandria tells us: "It's getting increasingly difficult to work as a foreign journalist here in Alexandria - there's anger and tension from all sides, not just with the political crisis but also because of the worsening economic situation here. Twice in the last couple of days we have been attacked and driven off by angry locals while trying to film in the streets of Alexandria." 1229: The UN is sending two chartered aircraft to evacuate most of its staff in Egypt, saying they are being "temporarily relocated due to the security situation", reports AP. 1226: Alaa Abd El Fattah tweets: "I hear military police just invaded Hisham Mubarak Law Center, we can't reach anyone inside (my dad is there) #Jan25." 1226: The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has repeated his call for restraint in Egypt, saying he is concerned about the growing violence, reports Reuters. 1218: Three Polish journalists covering the unrest in Cairo have been detained by police, AFP quotes Polish Television TVP as saying. Two other TVP journalists who were detained and then released said police "took all our documents, all our equipment and then destroyed our camera", before handing them over to the army who released them. 1216: The Associated Press reports that the Egyptian military has started rounding up journalists, "possibly for their own protection", after they came under attack from Mubarak supporters. An AP reporter saw a group of foreign journalists being detained by the military on a street near Tahrir Square. 1212: US journalist Lauren E Bohn tweets: "Call from source telling us orders have been issued to arrest journos. We're staying in secure location, filing stories. #Egypt #Jan25." 1211: One of Hosni Mubarak's main supporters, businessman Dr Ibrahim Kamel, had urged the president's backers onto the streets, but he told the BBC World Service he felt no responsibility for the violence that took place. "I do not condone what happened in the square in any way. It is absolutely something that we cannot accept as Egyptians. But I cannot also accept that Egypt is represented only by the people in the square. The reporting of the BBC and the reporting of all the foreign media in Egypt unfortunately was transmitting a picture to the entire world that the people in Tahrir Square are Egypt. No. I'm sorry to say they are not Egypt." 1208: Prime Minister Shafiq says the Suez Canal is still operating normally, Reuters reports. The unrest in Egypt has driven up the price of oil amid concern about disruption to the vital Suez shipping route. 1203: Marco Rossi, an Italian doctor living in Cairo, sent this account of his attempt to reach Tahrir square: "This morning I tried reaching Tahrir square - all entrances were blocked. They don't let doctors (or foreigners) in, and they take away food, drinks and medical supplies - in my case they tried to take my stethoscope and sphygomanometer. The situation in the nearest hospital, Kasr el Ainy, is very calm. I went there to donate blood and was told by doctors that they didn't need any because most of the injured people didn't reach the hospital. Blocking medical personnel is unacceptable under any circumstances." 1157: A second plane has been chartered to bring people back to Britain as a contingency. It's due to arrive in Cairo on Saturday. 1155: The UK government has said that if the Egyptian regime has been sponsoring violence that would be unacceptable. A spokesman has told the BBC that sanctions against Egypt are not on the table but an "orderly transition to a broad based government" is needed. But he stressed that: "We won't get into the position of dictating to other countries who their leader should be." 1151: This from Reuters: "A witness saw an army tank turn its turret towards Mubarak loyalists who were hurling rocks at the protesters from an elevated position on a flyover. The tank then advanced towards the loyalists, accompanied by soldiers on the ground who cleared them from the flyover." 1144: Several reports now that the army is moving to push back Mubarak loyalists to prevent them from reaching the opposition protesters holed up in Tahrir Sqaure. 1140: The BBC's Jim Muir in Cairo says the opposition protesters mobilised very quickly against Mubarak supporters when they began throwing rocks. He says he suspects that because of the position the army has taken up now it would be very hard for pro-Mubarak supporters to launch more large-scale attacks. 1135: More from Lyse Doucet "Despite violence, 75 yr old surgeon, heart patient, carrying flowers, heads to Square. Calls it ''peaceful revolution'' #jan25 #egypt" 1133: An update on the situation in Yemen, where protesters gathered for what was billed as a "day of rage". The BBC's Lina Sinjab in the capital, Sanaa, says the protests appear to have gone peacefully, despite initial fears of clashes between pro- and anti-government supporters. Although today's demonstrations have now ended, the protesters have vowed to return to the street every day until they get their desired political and economic reforms, she adds. 1130: Hamish Macdonald from Ten Network Australia tweets: "Just witnessed a foreign tv journalist being carried along the road in front of our hotel by an angry mob. Not sure where to.." 1124: More from Lyse Doucet "On edge of Square heated arguments pro&anti Mubarak. Some holding sticks, tree branches, iron rods. So far only shouting #jan25 #egypt" 1120: And another tweet from the BBC's Lyse Doucet "Just met 4 doctors running to Square w bags medicine&food. Say police tried to stop them. #egypt #jan25" 1119: BBC's Lyse Doucet tweets: "Large crowds still streaming into Tahrir Square but police now blocking some approaches to stop people #jan25 #egypt" 1109: Samar M Samy in Mansoura, says: "The atmosphere is very tense. There was a lot of violence in the local square. There are food shortages and most of the supermarkets are out of supplies. The local farmers can't tend to their farms. Seventy thousand of the country's most dangerous criminals have been let loose so all young men are watching guard over their property. My dad has been threatened by thugs and my whole family is staying in because things have got very violent. Everyone is really irked at the governments poorly disguised officials whipping and beating its own people. We all feel like we are in some sort of twisted civil war - the ruling elite against the people. Everyone is scared about what might happen tomorrow. Many say they are willing to die, if that's what it takes for Mubarak to leave." 1107: Pro and anti-Mubarak supporters are pelting each other with rocks in Cairo, Reuters reports. 1057: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says all parties in Egypt crisis should "sit down together" to decide their future and the UN ready to help. 1050: Ahmed Kamal in Cairo, says: "I am against those people who are sitting in Tahrir Square. Mubarak must stay till the expiry of his term. The majority of people really want him to stay till the authority is transferred to someone else. Those who are sitting in Tahrir do not love Egypt." 1049: There have been several recent tweets reporting that journalists are being intimidated and harassed by pro-Mubarak groups. 1046: SamI DaouD in Cairo tweets: "Counted 17 ID cards from secret policemen on display on a table taken by protestors from beaten men #jan25." 1044: A reminder on the current situation in central Cairo: There's a thin line of control being held by the army between anti-Mubarak protesters camped out in Tahrir Square and the pro-Mubarak groups that have been fighting them. There were violent clashes yesterday and overnight, with horse and camel-back charges, petrol bombs and gunfire. Many say the pro-Mubarak groups have been paid by the government - but the government has denied that it is behind the violence. 1037: More from the BBC's Paul Danahar in Cairo: "I'm watching now a group of anti-Mubarak protestors try to rescue a badly beaten pro-Mubarak man from a mob of men. They are leading him away to safety as other members of the crowd punch and kick him. 1028: Karim Hamdy in Cairo, says: "I am not taking part in the Egyptian Revolution against oppression, deception and humiliation by the Egyptian ruling regime, because I am forced to protect my wife and daughter along with the brave men of Egypt from thieves, bullies and looters released from prisons. I feel cheated and betrayed by my own government, which I would never ever be able to trust again!" 1026: From the BBC's Paul Danahar in Cairo: "The pro-Mubarak protestors have been pushed back along Opera Bridge from the main entrance to Tahrir Square. The anti-Mubarak protestors have now moved forward ahead of the tanks." 1019: A convicted member of the Lebanese group Hezbollah, known as Sami Chehab, escaped from prison on Sunday, Reuters reports. They say Hezbollah had previously confirmed that Chebab was part of a group that smuggled weapons from Egypt to the Gaza Strip. 1012: From the BBC's Richard Colebourn on the outskirts of Cairo: "We're on a bus full of British citizens, tourists and residents leaving downtown Cairo for a processing centre before they are due to board a flight back to the UK. The whole operation has been organised by the British Foreign Office. Most say they have decided to leave in the past couple of days as the situation on the streets grew more violent and as families back home became more alarmed. Haroon, who is a 17-year-old student from London, said he had a great time in Egypt but his parents were worried and struggling to stay in contact with him due to the difficulties with phone lines to Egypt." 1007: A reminder that the opposition has called for more mass protests on Friday to force Mr Mubarak out. They've set Friday as a deadline for him to go. Earlier this week, Mr Mubarak said he would stay in office until elections in September, but would not stand for another term. 1003: But Prime Minister Shafiq has said that the government is in dialogue with the protesters based in Tahrir Sqaure, AFP reports. 1001: Reuters reporting that opposition figurehead Mohamed ElBaradei, as well as the Muslim Brotherhood, have rejected a call from the prime minister for talks. They want President Mubarak to leave office first. 0956: Earlier, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton had said: "The government is accountable for the welfare and safety of its people. Those responsible for the loss of life and injuries caused should be held accountable for their actions and brought to justice." 0956: In a joint statement, the leaders of France, Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain have called for the political transition in Egypt to "start now", adding that they are watching the unrest in Egypt with the "utmost concern" and condemn "all those who use or encourage violence, which will only aggravate the political crisis in Egypt". 0953: Ian Lee in Cairo tweets: "Scores of men in Tahrir have head wounds. But they remain defiant. #jan25 #egypt" 0952: Mathew Cassel in Tahrir Square tweets: "At front lines, thugs throwing stones across small no mans land at anti Mubarak protesters." 0851: Protesters say they have "detained" 120 police and Mubarak loyalists, Reuters reports. A protest organiser showed the news agency two ID cards of people who tried to infiltrate the protest camp. 0946: The lack of internet over five days has cost Egypt $90m (£55m), according to the OECD. 0944: Stephen Farrell, New York Times correspondent tweets: "Sense of waiting for later. Copters circle, people rest.At most 300 pro-govt in Riyad Sq, the Tahrir front line. Maybe 1000 antis. #egypt." 0842: But a cabinet spokesman Magdy Rady has insisted to Reuters that the government had no role in mobilising pro-Mubarak groups. "To accuse the government of mobilising this is a real fiction. That would defeat our object of restoring the calm." 0838: Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq has apologised for attacks on protesters on Wednesday: "This is a fatal error, and when investigations reveal who is behind this crime and who allowed it to happen, I promise they will be held accountable and will be punished for what they did," he says on Al-Hayat TV. "There is no excuse whatsoever to attack peaceful protesters, and that is why I am apologising." He urged the protesters "to go home to help end this crisis". 0932: The violence in Tahrir Square will be investigated, Egyptian TV reports. 0929: Egypt Photographer tweets: "At the Tahrir entrance near the museum. Under anti-Mubarak control but rocks keep flying in from the bridges." 0925: Fatima in Leicester, UK, says: "My daughter is married to an Egyptian from Alexandria. She reports that her husband's uncle was ordered to demonstrate for Mubarak today or he wouldn't receive his pay check! The regime has a lot of tricks up its sleeve. I hope that Western governments are paying close attention to this oppression and deceit." 0924: The European Union is urging Egypt to bring the perpetrators of violence there to justice, expressing "great concern" over the situation, AFP reports. 0919: The BBC's Wyre Davies is in Alexandria, Egypt's second city. He's been to a shopping centre on outskirts of the city that had been completely looted and was being protected by army. There are reports of people being beaten up by vigilante groups. The army has been keeping guard at several sites, and the only police out in the streets are traffic police. 0917: Raafat tweets: "Thugs are heading to Tahrir. Our heroes are ready, but we would love to have any support. Watch us world #Egypt #Jan25." 0913: Egyptian state TV reporting that Vice-President Omar Suleiman has started a dialogue with "political parties and national forces". 0910: The BBC's Jim Muir in Cairo says protesters in the centre of the city are very determined to stay and hardening their position, despite the violence that began yesterday. 0901: The New York Times has an impressive graphic of the Tahrir Square area of Cairo. 0858: Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, who is following British nationals being evacuated from Egypt, advises a flight will probably leave at about 1300-1400 GMT - though the situation is fluid. 0848: LithuanianObserver in Vilnius says: "I strongly support the protests. They remind me of what happened in Vilnius in 1991: when our people's chose to live better they were met with tanks and guns, just as Egyptians who are facing Mubarak's police forces dressed up as civilians. I hope Egyptian people will reach their goal to live as they want, not as Mubarak tells them." 0844: Nadia El-Awady in Cairo tweets: "I cried when my camera was broken by Mubarak thugs. My camera was my weapon in this revolt. It was the tool that created a role for me." Yet later she adds: "But I will not be intimidated to stop reporting. I am equipped with two phone batteries and will tweet as long as I have internet." 0839: A witness tells Reuters that pro-Mubarak groups armed with knives and sticks are heading for Tahrir Square. 0836: Returning to that suggestion that the army is coming down on the side of the anti-government protesters. The army plays a central role in Egypt, and there have been big questions about how it will react to the continuing unrest. For more on Egypt's security apparatus, read this recent analysis by BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner. 0830: The Muslim Brotherhood, seen as Egypt's most important opposition party, says President Mubarak and his government have to go: "We demand that this regime is overthrown and we demand the formation of a national unity government for all the factions," it says in a statement broadcast by al-Jazeera. 0822: Khalid Abdalla is a prominent British Egyptian actor who has been protesting all week. He described to the BBC World Service the situation in Tahrir Square on Thursday morning in graphic detail: "We've had a very successful attempt at physical and psychological warfare on us all night. I myself have seen people with bullet wounds. I saw someone with a wound, a bullet to the head, and he had his brain coming out of his forehead. It's been a very, very dark night and the atmosphere here is tense. People are exhausted. The wounded are absolutely everywhere. We've been under siege all night. Through the night they were also blocking the streets outside the square in order to stop people coming to us, in order to stop supplies coming in to us and we've also had reports of people who tried to leave also being arrested." 0818: TravellerW tweets: "Walking through the tahrir battlefield. Number of injuries staggering. Morale impressively high. It really is "La Resistance!" " 0812: The retired general talking to the BBC's Jon Leyne had been speaking in turn to tank crews in Tahrir Square. The general said he believed the military would move very soon against Mr Mubarak - possibly as soon as tomorrow. Our correspondent says it seems the army is willing now to put its lot very firmly on the side of the protesters. 0807: The BBC's Jon Leyne has been told by a retired Egyptian general that the army is losing patience. He was told that if there's more firing from pro-government groups the army is now willing to open fire on them. 0801: Blogger Sandmonkey, who writes the Rantings of a sandmonkey blog, describes the scenes that began on Wednesday at Tahrir square: "They attacked them with sticks, threw stones at them, brought in men riding horses and camels - in what must be the most surreal scene ever shown on TV - and carrying whips to beat up the protesters. And then the bullets started getting fired and Molotov cocktails started getting thrown at the anti-Mubarak protesters as the Army standing idly by, allowing it all to happen and not doing anything about it... " 0754: Al-Jazeera journalist Gregg Carlstrom tweets: "Just tried to enter Tahrir Square near the museum and got held at knifepoint by pro-Mubarak thugs. Crowd is more aggressive than yesterday." 0758: Correspondents say that the US is now bypassing President Mubarak as it hardens its backing for a transfer of power. For more on the latest analysis of the Obama administration's position, read the latest blog entry from our North America editor, Mark Mardell. 0753: A BBC Arabic correspondent reports that more pro-democracy activists have been arriving in Tahrir Square. "The majority of those who support the president have now left the square. Opponents of the regime have stood their ground overnight despite coming under attack repeatedly. They are hoping they will be joined by others in order to maintain control of the square." 0749: The US earlier issued its own stark travel warning, urging those who want to leave to "immediately" head for the airport, adding that any delay was "not advisable". The state department said: "Do not wait for a call from the US embassy. Additional US government flights after Thursday are unlikely." 0743: The French government calls on its nationals to leave Egypt unless they have an obligation to stay there, the government spokesman tells French radio. 0742: Mona Sahif, who is among the protesters, has given the BBC her description of the violence that erupted on Wednesday and continued overnight: "We started hearing gunshots and from that moment on it was really ugly. There were people among them with rifles they were aiming at our protesters. We had... people dying, we had one witnessed by two of my friends with a shot through the head. Our paramedics confirmed that at least eight were shot with live ammunition in their legs and five were shot either in the chest or head." 0735: Ali Seif tweets: "We are not leaving, Mubarak is" is the slogan I hear from Tahrir #Jan25 " 0733: Egypt's army has been largely standing back from the clashes. But there have been reports this morning that soldiers have been arresting people, and al-Jazeera says tanks have been deployed among protesters in Cairo. 0726: BBC Arab affairs analyst Magdi Abdelhadi has been looking at the papers in Egypt this morning. He says the pro-government press was reporting that millions took to the streets on Wednesday to show solidarity with the government, and that Egypt can rise above "sedition". But independent and opposition papers have pictures of anti-government protesters being charged by people on horseback. They say it's clear that the government is behind the violence. 0722: AFP reports that in Yemen there are tens of thousands of anti-government protesters out on the streets. Yemen is one of the other Arab countries that's seen protests inspired by last month's "Jasmine Revolution" in Tunisia. There have also been demonstrations in Jordan and Algeria. 0718: 's Frederik Pleitgen tweets: "Street battles continue in #egypt. Many wounded in Tahrir sq. Some seem to be shot. " 0714: The BBC's Ian Pannell in Cairo says there's a little more military movement around Tahrir Square. He notes that there are fewer people in the square than on Wednesday, but it's not clear whether more protesters will arrive later today. 0712: Safi in Cairo writes: "What happened on 2 February according to all indications was indeed state-sponsored terrorism. What kind of people would want to break into masses of thousands to 'express their pro-Mubarak opinions' by throwing rocks, petrol bombs, knifes, and medieval horse and camel charging? Everyone understands the damage caused to the country's economy and the international implications of this situation. But the people in Tahrir will keep fighting for their rights to become free, civil, not terrorised citizens. We refuse to accept any further humiliation for ourselves and our Egyptian brethren." 0705: More from Jon Leyne: He says the military leadership seems deeply uncomfortable with what's happening - they don't want to turn on protesters but they're not willing to defy the president either. 0702: ABCNews">Lara Setrakian from ABC News tweets: "The loudspeaker in Tahrir Square just asked the men to gather, protect one entrance. Women to stay in the middle #Jan25." 0701: Monasoush tweets: "Our army men, feets away from clashes not budging or helping #Jan25." 0659: The BBC's Jon Leyne says there's a group of protesters hemmed in by barricades. They either cannot leave of have decided not to. Those attacking them appear to be either police who've taken off their uniforms or plain-clothes "thugs", our correspondent says. There were petrol bombs being lobbed during the night and now this morning there's been gunfire. 0654: Egypt's health minister says five people have been killed and 836 been taken to hospital as a result of the fighting in and around Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the protests, Reuters reports. Of those, 86 are still being treated. "Most of the casualties were the result of stone throwing and attacks with metal rods and sticks," says Health Minister Ahmed Samih Farid. 0649: Protesters in central Cairo have been setting up barricades and reinforcing their positions after a night of violence. Several people are thought to have been killed. This follows a day of running battles on Wednesday that left another three people dead. 0645: Welcome to the BBC's live coverage of unrest on Egypt, where there are continuing clashes between supporters and opponents of President Hosni Mubarak. Stay with us for the latest updates, incorporating reports from our correspondents on the ground, expert analysis, and your reaction from around the world, which you can send via email, text or twitter. We'll publish what we can. Das Regime vom Husni Mubarak spielt auf Zeit. Ewig, so das Kalkül des Autokraten, werden die Protestler den Tahrir-Platz nicht besetzen können. Tote, Verletzte und Anarchie in der Hauptstadt nimmt Mubarak in Kauf. Brandstifter Mubarak geriert sich als Feuerwehrmann I wish we had a satirist, a Balzac, chronicling this age. It is beyond believability. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas failed 00.000.1977 plante und ausführte, sagte Boock als Zeuge vor dem Oberlandesgericht in Stuttgart-Stammheim. Wer die Tücken der Technik überwunden hat, hat also immer noch die Tücken der Verwaltung vor sich. Er beweist noch einmal eindrücklich, dass Filmaufnahmen aus der Stratosphäre mittlerweile für einen Spottpreis zu haben sind. Noch nicht einmal 400 Euro haben Baker und Ross nach eigenem Bekunden aufgewendet. Insgesamt war ihr Ballon zwei Stunden und 50 Minuten lang unterwegs. Auf seiner Reise erreichte er eine Höhe von 37 Kilometern. Zu dieser Jahreszeit gibt es nicht viel Arbeit auf dem Land. Bettelarme Analphabeten, "Hunde des Paschas", wie sie auch genannt werden, rücken für ein Handgeld von umgerechnet zehn bis fünfzehn Euro für ihre Auftragsgeber aus. Sie sind billig, sie sind verzweifelt, sie stellen keine Fragen. Tausende machen mit, genaue Zahlen sind schwer zu schätzen - am Mittwoch sollen es Augenzeugen zufolge 4000 Gegendemonstranten gewesen sein, die sich in Kairo und Alexandria in die Menge stürzten. Mubaraks Getreue greifen zu perfiden Maßnahmen, um die Proteste der Regimegegner zu sabotieren und ein Schauspiel für die internationalen Beobachter zu inszenieren. Dutzende Haftanstalten, darunter Wüstengefängnisse, wurden in den vergangenen Tagen geöffnet. Insgesamt 14.000 Insassen, darunter Mörder und Schwerbrecher, kamen auf einen Schlag frei - ihnen wurde Haftverschonung in Aussicht gestellt, wenn sie für Chaos sorgen: eine Lizenz zum Plündern, Töten und Brandschatzen. Vier bis Fünftausend der Gefängnisinsassen sollen Kairo erreicht haben, wenige hundert stellten sich freiwillig. Ein Großteil will über den Sinai in den Gaza-Streifen fliehen, in der Hoffnung, von der radikal-islamistischen Hamas aufgenommen zu werden. Merkel übt Druck auf Mubarak aus [16.20] Zu Recht empört zeigt sich Jochen Hieber über die Unfähigkeit von ARD und ZDF , den Geschehnissen in Ägypten gerecht zu werden. Die Rede von Mubarak am Dienstagabend? Konnten sie nicht übertragen. Und als gestern Anhänger und Gegner des Noch-Präsidenten aufeinanderprallten, hatte man im ARD-Mittagsmagazin, "zu den ägyptischen Weltaktualitäten zwar einen Beitrag mit Archivbildern zu Beginn, das Pflichtstück sozusagen, danach jedoch nahm uns die Moderatorin Hannelore Fischer alsbald wieder mit zu so brennenden Themen wie dem Modeln von Sportlerinnen , dem Sechstagerennen oder den Höhenflügen des Skispringers Severin Freund. So viel Normalität wirkt angesichts der Gleichzeitigkeit des ganz und gar Extraordinären durchaus obszön ..." Angesichts des arabischen Frühlings vernimmt Timothy Garton Ash im Guardian aus Europa vor allem betretenes Schweigen . Wie wär es mal mit schnellen Reaktionen, Flexibilität oder Vorstellungskraft? Er selbst schätzt die Chancen der Revolten eher fifty-fifty ein, seiner Meinung nach fehlt es an gesellschaftlicher Selbstorganisation: "Bei aller mobilisierenden Kraft des Internets und der sozialen Medien, entscheidend ist der Punkt der politischen Organisation. Daher warnen Israelis, dass die richtige Analogie nicht Europa 1989 sei, sondern Iran 1979 . Ein breiter, vom Volk getragener Aufstand mit vielen säkularen und linken Elementen wird von Islamisten gekapert - weil sie besser organisiert sind. Die Tatsache, dass arabische Diktatoren wie Hosni Mubarak dreißig Jahre lang den Westen mit dem islamistischen Gespenst erpressen konnten, heißt nicht, dass es nicht existiert. Aber man kann die Frustration der arabischen Demokraten verstehen, die dies als erste westliche Reaktion auf die Chance ihres Lebens auf Freiheit erfahren. 'Diese Revolution ist Allahu-akbar-frei ', protestiert die ägyptische Journalistin Yosri Fouda." [12.50] Augenzeugen berichteten mehreren Agenturen, dass zivil gekleidete Personen auf dem Tahrir-Platz Ausweise kontrollieren würden. Mehrere Ausländer seien abgeführt worden. Reuters-Mitarbeiter verprügelt [12.42] In der Nähe des Tahrir-Platzes wird ein Mitglied eines Reuters-Kamerateams zusammengeschlagen, berichtet die Nachrichtenagentur. Das Team habe Geschäfte und Banken gefilmt, die wegen der Krawalle schließen mussten. Barrikaden, ausgebrannte Autos, Müll [12.32] Die heftigen Straßenschlachten haben Spuren hinterlassen auf dem Tahrir-Platz in Kairo: Ausgebrannte Autos stehen dort, Plastersteine liegen überall, außerdem Müll, Kleidung, Schlagstöcke. Die Demonstranten haben Barrikaden aus Wellblech aufgebaut. Armee drängt Mubarak-Anhänger zurück [12.30] Die Armee hält sich Berichten zufolge bei den Protesten auf dem Tahrir-Platz nicht mehr völlig zurück. Die Agentur Reuters berichtet, Soldaten hätten Mubarak-Anhänger von einer Gruppe von Regierungsgegnern zurückgedrängt. Ein Panzer hat demnach Regimetreue zurückgedrängt, die Steine auf Oppositionelle geworfen haben. Die BBC-Reporterin Lyse Doucet berichtet zudem per Twitter: "Eine große Menge an Leuten strömt auf den Tahrir-Platz, aber Sicherheitskräfte sperren inzwischen einige Zugänge, um die Menschen aufzuhalten." Der Sender al-Dschasira berichtete, ein von der Armee errichteter Sicherheitskorridor habe bisher gehalten. Ausländische Journalisten fürchten Übergriffe [12.20] Ein Journalist, der anonym bleiben möchte, berichtet der BBC vom Tahrir-Platz: Viele Reporter seien sehr besorgt. Ein französisches Fernsehteam habe ihm berichtet, es sei von Mubarak-Anhängern auseinandergetrieben worden. Ein Kameramann sei mit einem Messer am Hals bedroht worden. Aufgrund der jüngsten Attacken auf Journalisten räumten weitere Medien ihre Büros in der Innenstadt von Kairo. Uno-Generalsekretär mahnt zu Dialog [12.17] Uno-Generalsekretär Ban Ki Moon hat Regierung und Demonstranten in Ägypten erneut zum Dialog aufgefordert. Alle Beteiligten sollten sich "an einen Tisch setzen" und über die Zukunft sprechen, sagte Ban laut BBC. Die Uno stehe für Hilfe bereit. Berichte über Steinewerfer auf Tahrir-Platz [12.07] Auf dem Tahrir-Platz in Kairo gibt es laut Augenzeugenberichten Kämpfe. Die Agentur Reuters berichtete unter Berufung auf Beobachter, dass sich Anhänger und Gegner von Präsident Mubarak sich mit Steinen bewerfen. [12.00] Die chaotischen Verhältnisse in Ägypten bekommen auch Unbeteiligte zu spüren: Eine Gruppe von Randalierern hat in der Nacht zu Donnerstag zwei SOS-Kinderdörfer überfallen. Mehrere junge Männer sollen in die Dörfer in Kairo und Alexandria eingedrungen sein und versucht haben, Essen oder Medikamente zu stehlen. Nach kurzem Gerangel wurden die Männer vertrieben, sagte ein Sprecher der Organisation in München. Bei dem Überfall verletzte sich der Direktor des Kinderdorfs in Alexandria leicht, Kinder und Mütter blieben unverletzt. Laut der Hilfsorganisation ist die Lage um die Kinderdörfer herum in Ägypten angespannt. In dem Land gibt es mehrere SOS-Einrichtungen für Kinder und Jugendliche, darunter drei Kinderdörfer. Dort leben bis zu hundert Kinder. Ägyptens Premier bedauert Gewalteskalation BBC-Reporter berichtet über brutale Szenen [11.50] Der BBC-Reporter Paul Danahar berichtet über Auseinandersetzungen auf dem Tahrir-Platz. Er habe beobachtet, wie Mubarak-Gegner einen Anhänger des Präsidenten vor einem schlagenden Mob retteten, sagte Danahar. Demnach brachten die Helfer den Verletzten weg, während andere weiter auf ihn einschlugen. Verwirrung über Verhandlungen zwischen Regierung und Opposition [11.39] Spricht Premierminister Ahmed Schafik auch mit Vertretern der Protestgruppen, die auf dem Tahrir-Platz versammelt sind? Laut Regierung hat er ihnen Verhandlungen angeboten - doch das könnte nur ein Manöver sein. Oppositionsführer Mohamed ElBaradei sagte, er lehne das Verhandlungsangebot der ägyptischen Regierung ab. Die meisten Oppositionellen fordern den sofortigen Rückzug Mubaraks. Vizepräsident verhandelt mit sechs Gruppen der Opposition [11.33] Der ägyptische Vizepräsident Omar Suleiman verhandelt offenbar mit kleineren Oppositionsgruppen: Nach Angaben von Regierungsgegnern handelt es sich dabei um Vertreter von sechs kleineren Parteien: al-Takaful, al-Dusturi, Jugend Ägyptens, Die Generation, Der Frieden und ein Flügel der Ghad-Partei, der sich schon vor längerer Zeit von Parteiführer Eiman Nur losgesagt hatte. Die meisten Oppositionellen, die sich mit den Demonstranten auf dem Tahrir-Platz solidarisiert haben, hatten jedoch erklärt, sie wollten erst nach einem Rücktritt von Präsident Husni Mubarak mit Suleiman über demokratische Reformen sprechen. ElBaradei lehnt Verhandlungen mit Regierung ab [10.48] Oppositionsführer Mohamed ElBaradei hat das Verhandlungsangebot der ägyptischen Regierung abgelehnt. Vorbedingung sei, dass Präsident Husni Mubarak sein Amt niederlege, sagte ElBaradei der Agentur Reuters. Vor Verhandlungen müsse die Sicherheit auf dem Tahrir-Platz im Zentrum Kairos wiederhergestellt werden, sagte er weiter. Premierminister Ahmed Schafik hatte Verhandlungen angeboten. BBC berichtete unter Berufung auf die Agentur AFP, dass Schafik nach eigenen Angaben in Kontakt mit Oppositionellen auf dem Tahrir-Platz steht. EU-Länder fordern raschen Übergang in Ägypten [10.44] Frankreich, Großbritannien, Deutschland, Italien und Spanien haben ihre Besorgnis über die Lage in Ägypten zum Ausdruck gebracht und einen sofortigen politischen Übergang gefordert. Man würde die sich verschärfende Situation in Ägypten mit "großer Sorge" beobachten. Der politische Übergang müsse jetzt beginnen, heißt es in einer gemeinsamen Erklärung der fünf Länder, die vom Büro des französischen Präsidenten Nicolas Sarkozy veröffentlicht wurde. Ägyptens Premier bedauert Gewalteskalation [10.38] Ägyptens Premierminister Ahmed Schafik bedauert laut BBC die tödliche Gewalt bei den Demonstrationen in Kairo. "Es handelt sich um einen schlimmen Fehler. Ich verspreche, wenn Untersuchungen offenlegen, wer hinter diesen Verbrechen steckt und wer sie ermöglichte, dann werden die betreffenden Leute zur Verantwortung gezogen und bestraft", sagte Schafik der BBC zufolge dem arabischen Sender al-Hajat. "Es gibt keine Rechtfertigung für die Angriffe auf friedliche Demonstranten und das ist es, wofür ich mich entschuldige", wird Schafik zitiert. Zugleich mahnte er die Demonstranten, "nach Hause zu gehen, um die Krise zu überwinden". Bei den Unruhen in Ägypten sind offiziellen Angaben zufolge fünf Menschen ums Leben gekommen. In der Nacht auf Donnerstag hatten Anhänger von Präsident Husni Mubarak das Feuer auf Regimegegner eröffnet. EU ruft Mubarak zum Schutz der Demonstranten auf [10.38] Die EU hat die ägyptische Regierung am Donnerstag eindringlich zum Schutz der Demonstranten und des Rechts auf Versammlungsfreiheit aufgerufen. "Es ist die Verantwortung der Streitkräfte und der Behörden, die Bürger zu schützen", erklärte EU-Außenpolitikchefin Catherine Ashton nach den schweren Unruhen in Kairo. Diejenigen, die für Tote und Verletzte verantwortlich seien, müssten für ihre Taten zur Rechenschaft gezogen werden. Auch die Einschüchterungen und Angriffe auf Journalisten seien "absolut inakzeptabel", erklärte Ashton. [10.32] Das ägyptische Staatsfernsehen meldet, Vizepräsident Omar Suleiman habe einen Dialog mit der Opposition begonnen. Zunächst war jedoch nicht klar, um welche Oppositionsgruppen es sich dabei handelt. Frankreich fordert Landsleute in Ägypten zur Ausreise auf [10.27] Die französische Regierung hat ihre Landsleute in Ägypten angesichts der Unruhen aufgefordert, so schnell wie möglich auszureisen. "Wer keine dringenden Verpflichtungen hat, in Ägypten zu bleiben, sollte baldmöglichst zurückkommen", sagte Regierungssprecher François Baroin dem Sender France Info. Die französischen Touristen seien informiert worden, das Außenministerium stehe allen Franzosen, die sich noch in Ägypten aufhielten, zur Seite. "Wir sind sehr geschockt", sagte Baroin. Er sprach von einem "Nährboden für einen Bürgerkrieg". [10.19] Die ägyptische Regierung bestreitet jegliche Verwicklung in die Attacken auf Regierungsgegner in Kairo. Vorwürfe, die Regierung habe Mubarak-Anhänger gegen dessen Gegner mobilisiert, seien "frei erfunden", sagte ein Kabinettssprecher der Agentur Reuters. "Das würde unserer Absicht zuwiderlaufen, wieder Ruhe herzustellen", sagte der Sprecher. Die Regierung sei von der Gewalt überrascht worden. Sie werde alles daran setzen, herauszufinden, wer für den Gewaltausbruch verantwortlich sei. Premierminister Ahmed Schafik sagte im Staatsfernsehen, die Vorgänge würden untersucht. Demonstrationen auch auf dem Sinai [10.18] Die Proteste gegen das Mubarak-Regime gehen auch auf der Sinai-Halbinsel weiter. Hunderte Regierungsgegner demonstrieren in der Stadt al-Arisch im nördlichen Sinai. Sie verlangen den Rücktritt des ägyptischen Präsidenten Husni Mubarak, berichten Augenzeugen. In der Nacht zuvor war es in mehreren Städten auf dem Sinai zu Zusammenstößen zwischen Gegnern und Anhängern des Mubarak-Regimes gekommen. Über mögliche Opfer wurde zunächst nichts bekannt. Uno-Mitarbeiter werden aus Ägypten ausgeflogen [10.03] Die Vereinten Nationen bringen angesichts der angespannten Lage in Ägypten ihre dortigen Mitarbeiter in Sicherheit. Ein Sprecher sagte, etwa 350 Uno-Beschäftigte, die in Ägypten stationiert sind, sollen evakuiert werden. Sie hätten die Möglichkeit, nach Zypern oder Dubai zu reisen. Noch am Donnerstag sollen sie ausgeflogen worden. Nur einige Uno-Mitarbeiter sollen demnach in Ägypten bleiben, um dort grundlegende Aufgaben zu erfüllen. [9.56] Die offiziell verbotene Muslimbruderschaft hat Präsident Husni Mubarak zum Rücktritt aufgefordert, wie die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters berichtet. Die Muslimbrüder sind die größte oppositionelle Gruppierung in Ägypten. Mubarak-Anhänger mit Messern bewaffnet [9.34] Anhänger von Ägyptens Präsident Husni Mubarak strömen zum zentralen Kairoer Tahrir-Platz. Sie seien mit Messern bewaffnet, berichtet die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters unter Berufung auf Augenzeugen. [9.10] Auf Live-Bildern des arabischen TV-Senders al-Dschasira sind Menschen nahe des Tahrir-Platzes zu sehen, die große Steinblöcke zu kleineren Trümmern zerschlagen und diese dann vereinzelt auf die gegnerische Gruppe schleudern. Militär will Korridor zwischen verfeindeten Lagern schaffen [9.08] Das ägyptische Militär bemüht sich erstmals um eine Beruhigung der Lage und schafft einen Korridor zwischen den beiden verfeindeten Lagern aus Mubarak-Anhängern und Gegnern des ägyptischen Präsidenten. Sowohl auf der Autobahnbrücke als auch hinter den Blockaden der Mubarak-Gegner versuchen Soldaten, den Abstand zwischen den gegnerischen Seiten zu vergrößern. Vor allem die Regimegegner kommen dieser Aufforderung nicht nach. Wachsende Nervosität beim ägyptischen Militär [9.07] Der britische Rundfunksender BBC berichtet von wachsender Unruhe beim Militär. Die Soldaten seien zunehmend bereit, das Feuer zu eröffnen, sollten Mubarak-Anhänger erneut auf Regimegegner schießen, zitiert der Sender einen pensionierten General. [8.58] Der arabische TV-Sender al-Dschasira berichtet, dass die Armee mit Panzern auf einer Brücke nahe dem Tahrir-Platz Stellung bezogen habe. Das Militär beobachte die Szenen auf dem Platz, greife aber nicht ein. [8.19] Die Gegner von Husni Mubarak wollen auch nach der blutigen Gewalt in der Nacht auf Donnerstag weiter Widerstand gegen den ägyptischen Präsidenten leisten und den verhassten Machthaber zum Rücktritt zwingen: "Wir werden nicht weichen", rufen Demonstranten auf dem Tahrir-Platz laut einem Bericht des arabischen TV-Senders al-Dschasira. Mubarak-Gegner kontrollieren Tahrir-Platz [8.04] Die Mubarak-Gegner stellen die Mehrheit auf Kairos zentralem Tahrir-Platz, nachdem es in der Nacht zu heftigen Auseinandersetzungen mit Anhängern des Regimes gekommen war. Die Mubarak-Gegner haben inzwischen Barrikaden auf dem Platz errichtet. Der Journalist Ian Lee berichtet im US-Sender , Regimegegner hätten Mubarak-Anhänger festgenommen, die sich unter die Demonstranten auf dem Platz gemischt hätten. [6.30] Auf Bildern des arabischen Senders al-Dschasira ist zu sehen, dass nach Ablauf der Ausgangssperre wieder Menschen auf den Kairoer Tahrir-Platz strömen. In der Nacht zum Donnerstag haben sich auf und rund um Kairos zentralen Tahrir-Platz wieder dramatische Szenen abgespielt: Gegen 3 Uhr in der Nacht (MEZ) eröffnen Anhänger von Ägyptens Präsident Husni Mubarak das Feuer auf regierungskritische Demonstranten. Augenzeugen sprechen von Maschinengewehrsalven. In der Region um Mission Beach, zwischen Cairns und Townsville, richtete "Yasi" vor allem ernorme wirtschaftliche Schäden an. Dort werden fast alle Bananen Australiens sowie ein Drittel des Rohrzuckers angebaut. Der erwartete Schaden beläuft sich auf etwa 500 Millionen australische Dollar (rund 365 Millionen Euro). Hohe Geburtenraten bis in die neunziger Jahre hinein haben quer durch die Region die Gruppe der Jugendlichen unter 25 Jahren überdurchschnittlich wachsen lassen. Königin Rania von Jordanien warnte jüngst, bis 2020 werde die Zahl der arbeitslosen unter 30-Jährigen in Nahost von heute 15 auf 100 Millionen hochschnellen. Die Königin nannte dies eine tickende Bombe. "Sie muss entschärft werden, wenn wir Unruhen verhindern wollen." Die Jugend in den sogenannten Mittelklasseländern ist gut, aber nicht gut genug ausgebildet. "Ihre Qualifikationen sind im internationalen Vergleich nicht ausreichend", sagt Salehi-Isfahani. In fast allen betroffenen Ländern haben sozialistisch orientierte Regime über Jahrzehnte Millionen von Menschen im Staatsdienst beschäftigt. Den jetzt von den Schulen und Universitäten abgehenden Jugendlichen wurde suggeriert, auch sie würden - wie ihre Eltern - vom Staat versorgt werden. Doch können sich Länder wie Syrien, Ägypten oder auch der Irak dies heute nicht mehr leisten: Ihre Planwirtschaft hat sich als nicht profitabel erwiesen. John Collinge vom University College London und seine Kollegen haben einen Test entwickelt, der mit einer hohen Empfindlichkeit Prionen in Blutproben aufspüren kann. Damit könnten Blutspenden in Zukunft routinemäßig auf Prionen untersucht werden. Wie die Wissenschaftler im Medizinjournal "Lancet" schreiben, wollen sie so das Risiko einer Infektion mit CJK bei Operationen oder Bluttransfusionen eindämmen. Im mittleren Westen sind bis zu 60 Zentimeter Schnee gefallen, in Chicago 50 Zentimeter, die drittgrößte Menge, die dort jemals gemessen wurde. Die Temperaturen rauschten in der Nacht auf bis zu Minus 20 Grad, in einigen Gegenden sogar auf bis zu Minus 30 Grad. George Bush der Jüngere hat das gesagt. The old order still has plenty of fight in it. The battle for the Arab future is under way. Since the stakes are high, the struggle will be fierce. Roger Hardy is a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington DC. Wegen des Unwetters wuchsen die Sorgen vor massiven Ernteausfällen. Die Kälte bedrohte zudem mehr als fünf Millionen Rinder im US-Bundesstaat Oklahoma. Gewarnt wurde auch vor einer Kältewelle im Gefolge des Sturms: So drohten Missouri, Nebraska und Kansas gefühlte Temperaturen von bis zu minus 34 Grad Celsius. Die Schwerkriminellen aber wurden nicht mehr gesehen." 2200 Häftlinge verschwanden in jener Nacht. Nur 150 von ihnen stellten sich. "Jeder weiß, dass der Sicherheitsapparat selber Befehl erlassen hat, die Gefängnisse zu öffnen und Chaos zu stiften", sagt ein Mubarak-Kritiker, der inzwischen untergetaucht ist. "Der Angstfaktor ist das vorläufig letzte Mittel der Regierung die Proteste zu ersticken." Gegner belauern sich auf dem Tahrir-Platz [22.55] Die gegnerischen Parteien stehen sich weiter auf dem Tahrir-Platz gegenüber. Getrennt von Barrikaden werfen sowohl Regimegegner als auch Mubaraks Unterstützer mit Steinen und Molotow-Cocktails. Auch von den umliegenden Hausdächern werden Brandsätze geworfen. Andere Tiere müssen die Treiber-Ameisen kaum fürchten - den Menschen dagegen schon. Die Abholzung des Regenwalds in Mittel- und Südamerika führt zunehmend dazu, dass der Lebensraum der Ameisen in einzelne Fragmente zerfällt. Für ihre Raubzüge benötigen sie aber weitläufige Territorien. Wenn die Flächen weiter schrumpfen, sind die Ameisen in ihrem Bestand bedroht - und mit ihnen mindestens 29 Vogelarten. Facebook-Aktivist verhaftet [21.25] Ein ägyptische Facebook-Aktivist und Anführer der Gruppe "Jugendbewegung des 6. April" wurde in Kairo verhaftet. Dies teilten Freunde des Verhafteten der Website Wired.com mit. Die Bewegung ist eine Facebookgruppe, um die Arbeiter aus Mahalla al-Kubra in Ägypten bei ihrem Streik am 6. April 2008 zu unterstützen. Sie setzt sich vor allem für freie Meinungsäußerung und Kritik an Vetternwirtschaft ein. "Einstein 3" ist bei Bürgerrechtsorganisationen umstritten, da weite Teile des Programms geheim gehalten werden, vor allem in welchem Umfang der private Internet-Datenverkehr von den behördlichen Notfalldiensten analysiert wird. Auf Kritik stößt auch, dass es von Programmierern des technischen Geheimdienstes NSA entwickelt wird, dessen Mitarbeiter während der Bush-Regierung ohne Gerichtsbeschluss Telefone und Computer-Nachrichten von US-Bürgern abgehört haben. Cyber-Abwehr ist Trend . Keinen Zugriff sollen Sicherheitsbehörden auf sehr persönliche Angaben haben, die auf die politische Einstellung, die Religionszugehörigkeit, Sexualität, Gesundheit oder die Ethnie des Reisenden schließen lassen. Die Weitergabe und Speicherung von Passagierdaten wird besonders von Verbraucherschützern und Datenschutzbeauftragten immer wieder scharf kritisiert. Der Grünen-Innenexperte im EU-Parlament, Jan Philipp Albrecht, kritisierte den Vorstoß als unverhältnismäßig und als "Schlag ins Gesicht für die europäischen Grundrechte und Verfassungswerte". So sei weder hinreichend bestimmt, welche Bedingungen für die Auswertung der Daten vorliegen müssten, noch gebe es wirksame Schutzbestimmungen vor willkürlichem oder zweckfremdem Zugriff. Auch die diskutierte Speicherdauer von fünf Jahren hält Albrecht für untragbar. FDP ist skeptisch Vize-Präsident: Ende der Demonstrationen Bedingung für Dialog [21.15] Der ägyptische Vize-Präsident Omar Suleiman hat ein Ende der regierungskritischen Demonstrationen als Vorbedingung für einen Dialog mit der Opposition bezeichnet. Die Demonstranten müssten dem Aufruf der Armee Folge leisten, die Ausgangssperre zu achten und nach Hause zu gehen, wurde Suleiman von der amtlichen Nachrichtenagentur Mena zitiert. Regierung spricht von über 600 Verletzten [21.12] Die ägyptische Regierung hat die Zahl der bei den Unruhen Verletzten nach oben korrigiert. Nach Angaben des Gesundheitsministeriums wurden 611 Menschen verletzt. Al-Dschasira berichtete unter Berufung auf Augenzeugenberichte zudem von drei Toten. Nach offiziellen Angaben stürzte gab es nur einen Toten. Ein Soldat sei von einer Brücke in den Tod gestürzt. Ausschreitungen verlagern sich in die Nebenstraßen [20.55] Der bisherige Mittelpunkt der Demonstrationen, der Tahrir-Platz, leert sich zusehends. Stattdessen verlagern sich die Zusammenstöße in die Nebenstraßen, berichten Augenzeugen via Twitter. Der Platz ist weiter in den Händen der Mubarakgegner. [20.28] Die Lage im Zentrum Kairos scheint sich zu beruhigen, berichtet SPIEGEL-ONLINE-Reporter Matthias Gebauer. Allerdings fallen weiter regelmäßig Schüsse. Auf al-Dschasira berichtet ein Augenzeuge, die Demonstranten auf dem Tahrir-Platz wehren sich mit Laserpointern gegen Angriffe. Sie versuchen, Mubarak-Unterstützer, die sie von Häuserdächern mit Molotow-Cocktails bewerfen, zu blenden. Neue Zusammenstöße im Stadtviertel Muhandissin [20.15] Al-Dschasira meldet in einem Spruchband am Bildschirmrand neue Zusammenstöße im Kairoer Stadtviertel Muhandissin. Demnach sind Mubarak-Gegner und -Unterstützer erneut aufeinandergetroffen. Es sollen auch Schüsse gefallen sein. Demonstranten sollen Tahrir-Platz räumen [20.06] Im ägyptischen Staatsfernsehen wurden alle Demonstranten aufgefordert, den Tharir-Platz zu verlassen. Das berichten übereinstimmend al-Dschasira, und die Nachrichtenagentur AP. Organisation für Menschenrechte fordert Militäreinsatz [19.46] Menschenrechtler fordern das Eingreifen der Armee, um die Regimegegner zu schützen. Die Ägyptische Organisation für Menschenrechte (EOHR) verlangt in einer Stellungnahme am Mittwochabend, dass "die Armee unverzüglich eingreift, um die Angriffe auf die Protestierenden zu stoppen und deren Leben zu retten". Es seien Menschen angegriffen worden, die von ihrem legitimen Recht auf friedichen Protest Gebrauch gemacht haben. Diktator oder kein Diktator? [19.38] Bei der Pressekonferenz danach gefragt, ob US-Präsident Obama Mubarak als einen Diktator bezeichnen würde, antwortet der Sprecher des Weißen Hauses, Robert Gibbs: "Die Regierung ist der Meinung, dass Präsident Mubarak nun eine Chance hat, der Welt zu zeigen, wer er ist, in dem er mit dem Wandel beginnt, den sein Land so dringend braucht." Obama: Die Zeit für einen Wandel ist gekommen [19.30] Das Weiße Haus hat sich zu den Unruhen in Ägypten geäußert. Es sei klar, dass die Ägypter jetzt unverzüglich Fortschritt und Wandel erleben müssten. "Präsident Obama hat Präsident Mubarak verdeutlicht, dass die Zeit für einen Wandel gekommen ist", sagte der Sprecher der US-Regierung, Robert Gibbs. Man plane zudem für jede denkbare Entwicklung in Ägypten. Hilfe für Verletzte angefordert [19.06] Auf al-Dschasira ruft der bekannte TV-Prediger Jusuf al-Qaradawi die Kairoer Bevölkerung dazu auf, zum Tahrir-Platz zu gehen, um die Verwundeten zu versorgen. Es gebe zahlreiche Menschen mit Knochenbrüchen. Der Sender berichtet weiter, es gebe sehr viele Verletzte auf dem Tahrir-Platz, unter ihnen Schwerverletzte. Auch über Twitter suchen Aktivisten Freiwillige, die in Krankenhäusern aushelfen. "Traurig und beschämend" + [19.00] Der mehrfache Pulitzer-Preis-Gewinner Nicholas Kristof von der "New York Times" beschreibt die Aggressivität der Mubarak-Anhänger in seinem Blog . Sie seien in Bussen herangekarrt worden und alle bewaffnet gewesen: mit Macheten, scharfen Rasierklingen, Baseballschlägern und Steinen. Er habe keine spontanen Proteste der Regimeanhänger erlebt, sondern gut organisierte Gruppen. Kristof glaubt, sie seien losgelassen worden, "um Journalisten zu jagen, pro-demokratische Kräfte einzuschüchtern und vielleicht auch, um einen Vorwand für ein hartes Vorgehen gegen die Opposition zu liefern". Aber wenn Präsident Mubarak nun mit Gewalt und Chaos auf die Proteste der Jugendlichen reagiere, sei das "ein trauriges und beschämendes Ende seiner Laufbahn". Krankenwagen kommen nur langsam voran [18.54] Am Rand des Tahrir-Platzes fahren Krankenwagen in die Menge, um die Schwerverletzten abzutransportieren - sie kommen nur langsam voran. Polizei ist bisher nirgends zu sehen. Zwar stehen auf der Nil-Brücke und auf einer Autobahnbrücke hinter dem Nationalmuseum Hunderte Sondereinsatzkräfte mit Helmen und Schutzkleidung den ganzen Tag bereit, doch sie greifen nicht in das Chaos ein. [18.43] Die Szenerie auf dem Platz gleicht einem Bürgerkrieg. Kleine Gruppen von Menschen brüllen Slogans, andere hämmern mit Metallstangen auf umgekippte Autos und Metallcontainer. Die Stangen haben sie von einer naheliegenden Baustelle auf den Platz geschleppt. Zwischendurch sind immer wieder über Megafone Frauenstimmen zu hören, die versuchen, die Massen zu beruhigen. Brennende Panzer, helle Blitze [18.41] Vor dem Intercontinental-Hotel haben die Demonstranten Molotow-Cocktails auf die dort stationierten Panzer geworfen. Kurzzeitig standen zwei Panzer in Flammen. Vor dem Nationalmuseum am Tahrir-Platz gab es eine Explosion. Zuerst war ein heller Blitz zu sehen, dann war eine Detonation zu hören. Anschließend schleuderte ein Demonstrant einen Molotow-Cocktail in Richtung des Museums. [18.27] Die Fronten auf dem Platz sind mittlerweile völlig unübersichtlich geworden. An mehreren Zugängen zum Tahrir-Platz sind die Mubarak-Befürworter durchgebrochen und auf den Platz gestürmt, berichtet SPIEGEL-ONLINE-Reporter Matthias Gebauer. Dort lieferten sie sich heftige Schlägereien mit den Oppositionskräften: "In der Dunkelheit ist kaum noch auszumachen, wer zu welcher Gruppe gehört. Aus der Richtung des Innenministeriums sind Schusssalven zu hören. Wer sie abgegeben hat, kann man nicht erkennen." Bundesregierung in Kontakt mit Muslimbruderschaft [18.17] Die Bundesregierung redet angesichts der Unruhen in Ägypten auch mit Teilen der islamistischen Muslimbruderschaft. In Berliner Regierungskreisen hieß es, es gebe Gespräche mit gemäßigten Kräften innerhalb dieser Organisation. Der Sprecher des Auswärtigen Amtes, Andreas Peschke, sagte zudem, die Bundesregierung ermutige die Verantwortlichen in Ägypten, den Demokratisierungsprozess im Land zuzulassen. Zugleich unterstütze sie jene, die eine demokratische Öffnung des Landes forderten. Eine Destabilisierung des Landes oder ein erstarken islamistischer Kräfte solle verhindert werden. Attacken auf ausländische Journalisten nehmen zu [18.15] Die Angriffe auf ausländische Journalisten scheinen zuzunehmen. Tom Willcox von der BBC teilte via Twitter mit, eine Kamerafrau sei brutal zusammengeschlagen worden. Die schwedische Zeitung "Aftonbladet" teilte mit, zwei ihrer Reporter seien von einer aggressiven Menschenmenge angegriffen worden. Einer der beiden, Karin Oestman, wurde ins Gesicht gespuckt, zudem wurde sie beschuldigt, für den israelischen Geheimdienst Mossad zu arbeiten. Plünderer in den Straßen von Kairo [18.10] Plünderer nutzen das Chaos im Zentrum von Kairo. Sie ziehen durch die Straßen, brechen parkende Autos auf und durchsuchen die Wagen, berichtet SPIEGEL-ONLINE-Reporter Matthias Gebauer. Immer wieder fliegen Molotow-Cocktails - von wem sie kommen, ist nicht zu erkennen. [17.59] An der Nil-Seite des Tahrir-Platzes bricht ein Straßenkampf aus. Den ganzen Tag hatten sich Mubarak-Gegner und Oppositionelle hier gegenüber gestanden - nun verfolgen Regimeanhänger ihre Gegner durch die engen Straßen. Einige von ihnen werden in Hauseingängen zusammengeschlagen, berichtet SPIEGEL-ONLINE-Reporter Matthias Gebauer. Erst als einer der Panzer seinen Motor anwirft und eine weiße Rauchwolke hinter ihm aufsteigt, beruhigt sich die Situation ein wenig. Verzweifelt versucht eine Frau mit einem Megafon, die aufgebrachten Männer zur Ruhe zu bringen. "Wir sind alle Ägypter", schreit sie immer wieder. Steine fliegen, die Scheiben der anliegenden Geschäfte gehen zu Bruch. Spekulationen über Absetzung Mubaraks [17.50] Am Tag nach der Fernsehansprache von Präsident Mubarak gibt es Spekulationen über seine Absetzung. Ein ehemaliger Geheimdienstoffizier sagte dem Sender al-Dschasira, es sei nicht ausgeschlossen, dass das Militär sich zur Absetzung Mubaraks entschließe. Der Präsident hatte zwar erklärt, er verzichte auf eine Wiederwahl. Einen schnellen Rücktritt hatte Mubarak in seiner Ansprache aber abgelehnt. Armee löscht Brand in Nationalmuseum [17.49] Die Armee versucht, die Brände zu löschen, die im Nationalmuseum in Kairo wüten. AFP meldet, zwei Molotow-Cocktails seien in den Hof des Museums geflogen. Vor dem Museum sei zudem nach der Zündung weiterer mit Benzin gefüllter Bomben ein Baum in Flammen aufgegangen. Das Museum beherbergt Kunstgegenstände von unschätzbarem Wert aus der Geschichte Ägyptens. [17.20] Die Proteste sollen erneut das Nationalmuseum in Kairo in Mitleidenschaft gezogen haben. Unter Berufung auf einen Journalisten vor Ort meldet der Sender al-Dschasira, dass im Ägyptischen Museum ein Feuer ausgebrochen sei. Demnach unternimmt das Militär Löschversuche. Bereits vor Tagen waren Plünderer in das Museum eingedrungen. Kampf mit Molotow-Cocktails [17.13] Kurz nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit fliegen erste Molotow-Cocktails nahe dem ägyptischen Museum, offenbar von beiden Seiten. Zudem werfen Menschen von den Häusern am Rand des Platzes Molotow-Cocktails in die Menge. Die Ausgangssperre ist bereits länger in Kraft, die Lage beruhigt sich nicht. An allen Zufahrtsstraßen am Platz stehen sich die beiden verfeindeten Gruppen gegenüber, jeweils ausgerüstet mit Steinen als Wurfgeschosse und bewaffnet mit Eisenstangen. [16.57] Die USA zeigen sich schockiert über die blutigen Auseinandersetzungen in Kairo. Das Weiße Haus verurteile die Gewalt zwischen Anhängern und Gegnern von Präsident Mubarak, sagte ein Sprecher. Die USA seien "zutiefst besorgt". Aus dem US-Außenministerium hieß es: "Wir fordern alle Seiten auf, sich zurückzuhalten und Gewalt zu vermeiden." Der Weg Ägyptens zu einem demokratischen Wandel müsse friedlich sein. Westerwelle telefoniert mit ElBaradei [16.55] Außenminister Guido Westerwelle hat mit dem ägyptischen Oppositionspolitiker Mohamed ElBaradei telefoniert, hat das Auswärtige Amt mitgeteilt. Westerwelle verurteile die zunehmende Gewalt in Ägypten. Nach dem Telefonat erklärte er: "Ich fordere die Sicherheitsbehörden in Ägypten auf, keine Gewalt gegen Demonstranten anzuwenden. Jede weitere Eskalation der Situation muss unbedingt vermieden, Schlägertrupps muss unverzüglich Einhalt geboten werden." [16.47] Angesichts der Unruhen in Ägypten hat die Rating-Agentur Moody's fünf ägyptische Banken herabgestuft, von der Agentur Standard & Poor's wurde ebenfalls die Kreditwürdigkeit zweier Finanzinstitute des Landes abgewertet. Als Grund wurde in beiden Fällen die Befürchtung angegeben, dass die seit Tagen anhaltenden Proteste sich negativ auf den Zufluss direkter Investitionen aus dem Ausland auswirken und zu Unterbrechungen der wirtschaftlichen Aktivitäten führen könnten. Die betroffenen Geldhäuser stünden weiter unter Beobachtung, weitere Herabstufungen seien möglich. [16.25] In einer kleinen Moschee in einer Seitenstraße haben die Oppositionellen eine provisorische Klinik eingerichtet, berichtet SPIEGEL-ONLINE-Reporter Matthias Gebauer. Auf dem Boden liegen Dutzende Verletzte, die meisten mit Platzwunden am Kopf, die notdürftig versorgt werden. Ein Arzt vor Ort schätzt die Zahl der Verletzten allein in dieser Moschee bisher auf mehrere hundert. "Ich bin mir sicher, dass es auch Tote gab", sagt der Mediziner, dessen Kleidung mit Blutflecken übersäht ist. In der Straße, die zu der Moschee führt, liegen Dutzende Verletzte mit Verbänden am Kopf, unter ihnen auch westliche Reporter, die Steine abbekommen haben. USA besorgt über Attacken auf Reporter [16.21] Die US-Regierung hat sich angesichts von Angriffen auf Journalisten in Ägypten besorgt gezeigt. "Wir sind besorgt über Festnahmen von Reportern und über Attacken auf Berichterstatter", erklärte das US-Außenministerium. "Die Zivilgesellschaft, die in Ägypten aufgebaut werden soll, braucht Pressefreiheit." ElBaradei ruft Armee zu Hilfe [16.17] Der Oppositionspolitiker Mohamed ElBaradi hat offenbar die Armee aufgerufen, auf dem Tahrir-Platz zu intervenieren und die blutigen Auseinandersetzungen zu beenden. "Ich appelliere an die Armee einzugreifen, um die Leben von Ägyptern zu schützen", wird er zitiert. Zugleich zeigte sich ElBaradei zuversichtlich, dass Präsident Mubarak noch vor Freitag das Land verlassen könnte. Für diesen Tag haben Regierungsgegner Proteste unter dem Motto "Freitag der Ausreise" angekündigt. [16.16] Uno-Generalsekretär Ban Ki Moon reagiert auf die Straßenschlachten in Ägypten: Er sei tief besorgt angesichts der andauernden Gewalt, sagt er nach einem Treffen mit dem britischen Premier David Cameron in London. Ban drängt alle Beteiligten zur Besonnenheit. "Jegliche Angriffe auf friedliche Demonstranten sind inakzeptabel, und ich verurteile sie aufs Schärfste", erklärt Ban. Aggressive Stimmung auch im Norden von Kairo [16.15] Auch im Norden von Kairo sind aufgehetzte Truppen der Regierungspartei unterwegs, berichtet SPIEGEL-Reporter Daniel Steinvorth. Busladungen voller Mubarak-Anhänger werden in Richtung Zentrum gekarrt, sie schwingen Baseball-Schläger und Porträts des Präsidenten. Sie rufen aggressive Parolen und skandieren: "Mubarak, du Held des Volkes, du Retter des Volkes." Blut läuft über die Gesichter [16.11] Der Vormarsch der Mubarak-Anhänger auf dem Tahrir-Platz ist gestoppt worden - die heftigen Kämpfe dauern an. Auf beiden Seiten stehen junge Männer an erster Linie, die bereits Steine abbekommen haben. Das Blut läuft ihnen über die Gesichter, berichtet SPIEGEL-ONLINE-Reporter Matthias Gebauer. Ägypten beschuldigt westliche Parteien der Aufwiegelung [16.02] Harsche Töne aus Kairo an Regierungen in Europa und an die USA: Das ägyptische Außenministerium erklärte laut der staatlichen Nachrichtenagentur Mena, es weise Forderungen zurück, den Prozess des politischen Übergangs in Ägypten jetzt zu beginnen. Die Aufrufe von "ausländischen Parteien" für einen baldigen Wandel hätten "das Ziel, die innenpolitische Lage in Ägypten aufzustacheln", erklärte das Ministerium demnach. Ein Sprecher des Ministeriums erklärte, dieses lehne die Forderungen aus den USA und mehreren europäischen Hauptstädten ab. Mubarak-Anhänger jagen Journalisten [16.01] -Reporter Anderson Cooper berichtet, dass er mit seinem Videoteam während der Proteste von Mubarak-Anhängern angegriffen wurde. Angreifer hätten die Aufnahmeleiterin und den Kameramann mit Fäusten auf den Kopf geschlagen, berichtete Cooper. Das Team sei kaum vorangekommen. Die Mubarak-Sympathisanten hätten versucht, die Kamera kaputtzumachen. "Sie wollten nicht, dass wir irgendwelche Bilder machen." Das Team habe aber auch eine kleine Handkamera dabeigehabt - was die Angreifer nicht bemerkt hätten. "Wir erkannten, dass die Situation sich sehr schnell zuspitzte", berichtete Anderson. Das Team drehte deshalb um. Die Angreifer hätten aber nicht abgelassen, sondern die Reporter weiter attackiert. "Es war wirklich nicht mehr zu kontrollieren." Das Team habe sich schließlich in einem Gebäude in Sicherheit bringen können. Mubarak-Anhänger durchbrechen Barrikaden [15.58] Die Anhänger von Präsident Mubarak haben die Barrikaden der Oppositionellen erobert und die Regierungskritiker zurückgedrängt, sie strömen nun auf den Tahrir-Platz. Beide Gruppen gehen noch heftiger aufeinander los, sie knüppeln mit Stöcken aufeinander ein. Mit Stühlen, Steinbrocken und Kühlschränken gegen die Opposition [15.55] Von einem Gebäude gegenüber des Nationalmuseums werfen Mubarak-Anhänger Stühle, Steinbrocken, Kühlschränke - einfach alles, was sie greifen können - in die Menschenmasse der Opposition. Mehrere Schwerverletzte werden aus der Menge geschleppt, sie bluten am Kopf. Armee rückt auf Tahrir-Platz vor [15.53] Bei den Unruhen in Kairo rücken nach Angaben von Angehörige der ägyptischen Streitkräfte auf den zentralen Tahrir-Platz vor. [15.31] Unter den Oppositionellen kommt es zu heftigen Streits über die gewaltsamen Auseinandersetzungen, berichtet SPIEGEL-ONLINE-Reporter Matthias Gebauer. Besonders junge Frauen rennen immer wieder in die Menge und fordern, es dürften keine Steine mehr geworfen werden. "Wir sind alle Ägypter, wir dürfen uns nicht töten", rufen sie. Unter die Demonstranten aber mischen sich immer mehr Jugendliche aus den verarmten Vororten Kairos. Sie fordern Rache für die 30 Jahre Unterdrückung durch das Mubarak-Regime. An vielen Stellen reißen sie den Tahrir-Platz auf und zerschlagen die Steinplatten für Wurfgeschosse. [15.17] Fernsehbilder zeigen gewalttätige Szenen vom Tahrir-Platz: Oppositionelle verschanzen sich hinter Militär-Lastwagen, aus Baumaterial errichten sie Barrikaden. Mubarak-Anhänger attackieren sie mit Steinen. Mitarbeiter von US-Botschaft verlassen Ägypten [15.08] Die US-Regierung hat mit dem Abzug von fast allen Mitarbeitern in Ägypten begonnen. Die amerikanische Botschaft hat mitgeteilt, es würden voraussichtlich mehr als tausend US-Amerikaner innerhalb der nächsten zwei Tage Ägypten verlassen, darunter Regierungsmitarbeiter und andere Bürger. Innenministerium dementiert Angriffe von Zivilpolizisten [14.52] Reuters meldet, das ägyptische Innenministerium würde Berichte zurückweisen, wonach Polizisten in Zivil an den Kämpfen auf dem Tahrir-Platz beteiligt sind. [14.35] Unter den Mubarak-Anhängern, die auf den Tahrir-Platz drängen, scheinen auch Sicherheitskräfte in Zivil zu sein. Sie sollen Chaos erzeugen und das Volk von weiteren Demonstrationen abhalten, glauben Demonstranten. Am Dienstag waren zu der friedlichen Massenkundgebung auch Eltern mit Kindern gekommen. Journalist niedergestochen [14.33] Der Sender al-Dschasira berichtete, ein Journalist von al-Arabija sei niedergestochen worden. Militär filzt Mubarak-Anhänger [14.28] Die Armee unterstützt Aktionen der Regierungskritiker und filzt die äußerst aggressiven Mubarak-Anhänger auf dem Tahrir-Platz. Bis aufs Hemd müssten sich die Mubarak-Anhänger ausziehen, berichtet SPIEGEL-Redakteur Daniel Steinvorth unter Berufung auf Augenzeugen. Bei den Ausweiskontrollen habe sich dann herausgestellt, dass sie für die Staatssicherheit arbeiten. Die Armee greift nicht ein, um die kämpfenden Gruppen zu trennen. [14.23] Um die Mubarak-Anhänger vom Tahrir-Platz abzuhalten, bauen Oppositionelle jetzt Straßensperren auf. Dafür benutzen sie Gitter, Zäune und Baumaterial, berichtet SPIEGEL-ONLINE-Reporter Matthias Gebauer. Noch immer gibt es Handgemenge, die Gruppen werfen Steine aufeinander. [14.08] Die Auseinandersetzungen auf dem Tahrir-Platz werden brutaler. Verletzte Mubarak-Anhänger, die aus der Menge getragen werden, werden weiter attackiert, berichtet SPIEGEL-ONLINE-Reporter Matthias Gebauer. Regierungsgegner attackierten die Verletzten mit Schlagstöcken. Die Organisatoren, meist junge Verletzte, versuchten das zu verhindern - vergeblich. Pro-Mubarak-Demonstranten [14.01] Unter den Mubarak-Anhängern am Tahrir-Platz sind offenbar auch bewaffnete Polizisten, berichtet al-Dschasira. Reuters zufolge nähern sich weitere Unterstützer des Präsidenten auf Pferden und Kamelen dem Tahrir-Platz, sie schwingen Stöcke und Peitschen. [13.55] Etwa hundert Mubarak-Anhänger versuchen, auf den Tahrir-Platz zu kommen. Die Regierungskritiker wehren sie ab, es gibt heftige Auseinandersetzungen, es fliegen Steine, berichtet SPIEGEL-ONLINE-Reporter Matthias Gebauer. Das Militär greift bislang nicht ein. [13.17 Uhr] Im Kairoer Arbeiterviertel haben Anhänger von Präsident Mubarak eine große Demonstration mit Autokorso und Motorrädern organisiert, wie die SPIEGEL-Korrespondenten Daniel Steinvorth und Volkhard Windfuhr berichten. "Mubarak, wir knien vor dir, Mubarak", steht auf einem der Plakate. Unter den Demonstranten sind vor allem Mitglieder von Gewerkschaften und Genossenschaften sowie Angestellte der staatlichen Betriebe, die offenbar von ihren Vorgesetzten zur Teilnahme aufgefordert worden sind. [12.51] Die Protestbewegungen in Ägypten und anderen nordafrikanischen Ländern beeinflussen auch die Tagesordnung der am Freitag beginnenden Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz. Das Thema wird zusätzlich in das Programm aufgenommen, wie Konferenzleiter Wolfgang Ischinger am Mittwoch ankündigte. So sollen hochrangige Experten aus der Region zu Wort kommen. [12.39] Seit Jahren floriert der Schmuggel zwischen Ägypten und dem Gaza-Streifen, Hunderte Tunnel haben die Schmuggler dafür gegraben. Doch jetzt vermasseln ihnen die Proteste in Ägypten das Geschäft. "Es treffen keine neuen Waren aus Kairo oder anderen ägyptischen Städten ein", sagt ein Schmuggler. [11.37] Das ägyptische Parlament ist laut Staatsmedien suspendiert worden, bis das Ergebnis der umstrittenen Wahl vom Dezember überprüft wurde. Beide Kammern des Hauses hätten ihre Sitzungen "bis auf Weiteres" ausgesetzt, berichtete die staatliche Nachrichtenagentur Mena am Mittwoch. Die Opposition, deren Anhänger seit über eine Woche gegen Präsident Mubarak protestieren, hatte nach der Parlamentswahl Betrugsvorwürfe erhoben. Gleichwohl beeilten sich das Innen- und das Justizministerium zu erklären, dass es in Berlin keine Pläne für so einen "Kill Switch" gebe. 1921: Activist Ramy Raoof tweets: "Heading back to Tahrir Square, Cairo, to deliver medical supplies to the injured people and join the demonstration." 1918: Hussam Elzeiny in Cairo writes: "With all of the chaos that is happening in Tahrir Square, what Egyptians really need is programmes, ideologies, new laws and action plans from all politicians who are planning to run in the next election. We should have a fair competition between all the political parties. The word 'demonstration' no longer applies to our situation, now we are facing a full-on revolution in Egypt." Have Your Say 1914: An eyewitness of the clashes in Tahrir Square, who identified himself only as Motaz, tells the BBC he has seen a variety of injuries sustained by those in the square: "Mostly injuries on people's heads, rock-throwing injuries. A few people seem to have received either heavy blows or rocks to their upper body or their arms, that is what we have seen so far. I have seen a few people being carried on stretchers." 1904: The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes says: "Heliopolis is not like the rest of Cairo. It has grand houses and leafy boulevards. Here the police are still welcomed on the streets. This is the home of Egypt's ruling elite - people like Dr Magid Boutros - a close adviser to Mr Mubarak. He says the president is now determined to stand and fight: 'He's an army man. Military commanders, if they abandon their posts, they are shot.' Outside on the street I was confronted by members of Egypt's ruling class - educated, articulate and angry. As we returned from Heliopolis our car was forced of the road by another group of angry men. They handed us over to the dreaded Mukhabarat - the secret police in their brown leather jackets. We were handcuffed and blindfolded and taken to an interrogation cell. Three hours later we were released onto a remote backstreet. The regime is hardening its attitude to the protestors and to the foreign media. Egypt's ruling class is fighting back." 1900: A close adviser to President Hosni Mubarak has told the BBC that the president is determined to "tough it out", and will not give in to demands that he step down immediately. He was speaking to our correspondent, Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, who went to the wealthy Cairo suburb of Heliopolis to meet him - and was then detained by Egypt's secret police. 1855: US President Barack Obama discussed Egypt's crisis with Jordan's King Abdullah, Reuters is quoting White House spokesman Robert Gibbs as saying. 1854: The Egyptian Commission on Human Rights has been meeting to discuss the situation in Cairo. Its president, former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali, has told the BBC that it wants an investigation into the deaths of anti-government protesters. "We are asking that an inquiry must be done and must be clearly done to know what was behind this crisis, what happened." 1850: The White House Correspondents' Association has criticised US President Barack Obama for providing too little information and access to the media during the crisis in Egypt. "Prior to the president's statement Tuesday night, the press corps had not received a substantive update from the White House all day on the situation in Egypt," a letter says. "In addition, the press corps did not have an on-camera briefing, or an off-camera gaggle, with you yesterday to ask the White House about its decision-making process during this major foreign policy crisis." haben die Vereinten Nationen in New York offiziell das Internationale Jahr der Wälder ausgerufen. Ein Jahr lang soll auf das wichtige Ökosystem - und seine Bedrohung - aufmerksam gemacht werden. "Wir müssen die Beziehung zwischen Menschen und Wäldern stärken" Nach Angaben der Zeitung wurden die Verdächtigen wenige Tage nach den Anschlägen 2001 genauer unter die Lupe genommen, hätten aber nicht angeklagt werden können. Es gebe derzeit keine aktive Suche nach den Männern. Das Blatt beruft sich dabei auf eine namentlich nicht genannte Quelle. Der "Telegraph" schreibt In der Bundesregierung äußert man sich durchaus respektvoll über Suleiman. Allerdings eher, weil man ihm zutraut, wieder für Sicherheit und Ordnung im Land zu sorgen, weniger jedoch, weil er eine treibende Kraft für demokratische Reformen wäre. Und die will, dass Mubarak sofort geht. Damit stimmt die Bundesregierung einen neuen Ton bei der Bewertung der Lage in Ägypten an. The chairman of a key US Congress committee on Tuesday rebuffed an appeal to expand planned hearings into radicalization of US Muslims to include all groups seen as potential domestic terrorism threats. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King, who has drawn fire over his plans, said the panel’s investigation would remain “focused [...] "Mubarak's long goodbye" is how the Times headlines news that the Egyptian president will not be standing for re-election in September. The Guardian says he has bowed to the inevitable after the US withdrew support for its closest Arab ally. The front of the Independent is filled with a photo of demonstrators in Cairo. In the paper's words "secular and devout, rich and poor, they marched together with one goal, to rid Egypt of its least loved dictator". 1642: 's Ivan Watson in Cairo tweets: "Nightfall. Bloody battle continues to rage here in Tahrir Square. We are trapped inside with the opposition, who say they'll fight to death." 1517: 's Ivan Watson in Cairo tweets: "Nightfall. Bloody battle continues to rage here in Tahrir Square. We are trapped inside with the opposition, who say they'll fight to death." 1601: Guardian journalist Brian Whitaker, in Cairo, tweets: "[Opposition Ghad party leader] Ayman Nour says he's surrounded by govt thugs in Bab el-Louq, Cairo #Jan25 #Egypt" 1559: Thousands of people have been joining a Facebook group called Walk Away from Ta7rir Square. The page was set up to encourage people to go home. But some of those who've joined have done so to debate, and posted messages against President Mubarak. 1555: The White House says it "deplores and condemns the violence that is taking place in Egypt, and we are deeply concerned about attacks on the media and peaceful demonstrators". It adds: "We repeat our strong call for restraint." 1548: Nadine Khedr in Cairo writes: "What is going on is a conspiracy to divide the Egyptians. We need educated political thinkers from the youth to emerge and negotiate with the government in order to have rational talks. Our demands are very legitimate." Have Your Say 1542: In his interview with al-Jazeera, Mohamed ElBaradei calls on the army to intervene "today". He says: "I ask the army to intervene to protect Egyptian lives." 1538: US state department spokesman PJ Crowley tweets: "We reiterate our call for all sides in #Egypt to show restraint and avoid violence. Egypt's path to democratic change must be peaceful." 1537: Human rights activist Ammar Shaltout from "Put them on trial now" tells BBC World that pro-Mubarak protesters are carrying knives and guns. He accuses government of "state crimes" for releasing criminals from prison, and flying two F-16 jets low over civilian protesters in Tahrir Square. He says protesters want all faces from Mubarak regime to go and a technocratic government to be appointed. 1521: Mr ElBaradei had made the same appeal on Tuesday - but that was before President Mubarak promised not to run for another term. 1519: Opposition figurehead Mohamed ElBaradei calls once more for President Mubarak to step aside by Friday - when what the opposition is planning what it calls the "Friday of Departure". He was speaking to al-Jazeera. 1516: The BBC's Arab Affairs analyst Magdi Abdelhadi: "Unless the Egyptian state starts to act and shoulder its responsibility to bring order to the streets of Egyptian cities, then one fears there will be more polarisation, more violence, and sadly, more bloodshed." 1515: Menna Saeed in Cairo tweets: "Thanks protesters for what you've done for Egypt. Now it's time to think of change implementation. So let's all go home and think forward". 1512: Ashraf Khalil, a freelance journalist in Cairo tweets: "Soldiers literally just watching this, but protest organisers trying to control crowd's animosity toward the army. One guy grabbed the microphone with a message to the army, "Make a decision now" and defend the Tahrir protesters. But others grabbed the microphone away saying, "We don't want to turn the people against the army." 1508: And this from British leader David Cameron: "We have been watching the events in Cairo with grave concern and completely condemn the violence is taking place. If it turns out that the regime is in any way has been sponsoring or tolerating this violence, that would be completely and utterly unacceptable. These are despicable scenes that we are seeing and they should not be repeated. They underline the need for political reform." 1507: More from Ban Ki-moon: "The United Nations stands ready to provide any assistance to such reform efforts by Egypt and any other Arab countries that reflect the will of the people. They should listen more attentively to the genuine and sincere wishes of the people." 1505: US State Department spokesman PJ Crowley tweets: "We are concerned about detentions and attacks on news media in Egypt. The civil society that Egypt wants to build includes a free press." 1500: Ban Ki-moon: "For the last decade, the United Nations has been warning of the need for change. It is important at this juncture to ensure an orderly and peaceful transition takes place. I urge all parties to engage in such dialogue and such process without any further delay. We should not underestimate the danger of instability across the Middle East." 1458: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon: "I am deeply concerned at the continuing violence in Egypt and once again urge restraint to all sides. This is very much an unacceptable situation. Any attacks on peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable and I strongly condemn it." 1456: The BBC's Wyre Davies in Alexandria says pro-Mubarak supporters have come out on to the streets, emboldened by events elsewhere. The atmosphere is tense and many people are angry at the anti-government protesters - they can't get money out of banks and they can't get to to work. Ammar was in the process of stealing an entire country's worth of passwords. - ist nicht der unzensierte, unkompromittierte Zugang zum Internet und seinen Plattformen ein Menschenrecht geworden, das in der Uno-Menschenrechtscharta verankert werden sollte? Diese Fragen müssen beantwortet werden - und zumindest die letzte mit Ja. Das Auge des Zyklons mit einem Durchmesser von rund 400 Kilometern soll in der Nacht (15 Uhr MEZ) bei Innisfail über die Küste ziehen. Behörden warnen vor dem schlimmsten Unwetter seit Generationen und stuften den Sturm am Mittwoch in der höchsten Kategorie fünf ein. Der Sturm habe "lebensbedrohliche Folgen", es würden "tsunamiähnliche", riesige Wellen und Hochwasser erwartet. Ministerpräsidentin Bligh sagte, ein derart starker Zyklon habe Queensland zuletzt 1918 heimgesucht. "Es ist ein so ein gewaltiger Sturm, es ist ein Monster, ein Killer-Sturm", sagte sie. "Seine Auswirkungen sind wahrscheinlich lebensbedrohlicher als alles andere in den letzten Generationen Dagewesene." In einer Pressekonferenz im Weißen Haus ließ Obama durchblicken, dass ein Abgang im September wohl nicht früh genug sei. Mubarak habe in dem Telefonat selbst eingesehen, "dass der Status quo nicht aufrechtzuerhalten ist und dass ein Wandel stattfinden muss". Sperre des Internet teilweise wieder aufgehoben 1405: Gulf News reporter Abbas Al Lawati tweets: "Just saw a foreign journalist being chased by a mob with weapons. He was alone. They got him. God help him." 1402: The BBC website has a new gallery of the latest images from Egypt. 1359: The Muslim Brotherhoood say there is "no alternative" to ending Hosni Mubarak's regime, AFP reports. "The people reject all partial measures proposed by the head of the regime," the movement says. 1355: Egypt's interior ministry has denied that plainclothes security personnel are among the pro-government demonstrators in Tahrir Square, state television says. There have been reports of police ID cards being taken from some of those involved in the clashes. Der Politologe Amr Hamzawy steht mit Tränen in den Augen auf dem Tahrir-Platz und schildert die neue Bewegung, die gerade Ägypten revolutioniert: "Die ganze Gesellschaft, Arme, Reiche und Mittelschicht, Junge und Alte, Männer und Frauen sind auf der Straße. Aber nicht aus ideologischen Gründen . Und es ist auch keine antiwestliche, antiamerikanische oder antiisraelische Propaganda zu hören. Die Menschen sind hier, weil sie die Zukunft demokratisch gestalten wollen - und sozial . Auch das ist neu: dass soziale und politische Themen zusammen verhandelt werden." 1350: Three Israeli journalists covering the events in Egypt have been arrested, Israeli officials tell the BBC. They were accused of working in the country while only having tourist visas. An Israeli foreign ministry spokesman said Israel was aware of the arrests and had contacted the Egyptian authorities to request their release. 1347: Arwa Mahmoud in Tahrir Square tweets: "The army has unblocked one of the entrances to #tahrir and pro-regime protesters entered. Some with knives. Scores of injured #tahrir protesters carried back into the square." 1346: Main opposition movement Muslim Brotherhood reject Mr Mubarak's attempt to stay on until the end of his term, according to a statement quoted by AFP. 1339: BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones tweets: "Egypt internet traffic nearly back to normal, says Arbor Networks." 1336: EU foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton is the latest politician to follow Mr Obama's lead, as she calls for Mr Mubarak to act "as quickly as possible" on a transition. 1208: Nadia El-Awady in Tahrir Square tweets: "Tahrir square getting tense as pro-mubarak supporters infiltrate the square. My video camera was just destroyed by a man while I was filming pro-mubarak infiltration." 1205: More from Ian Pannel at Tahrir Square: "Pro-and anti-Mubarak supporters standing face-to-face, chanting slogans against each other." 1203: From the BBC's Ian Pannel in Cairo: "We've just heard that thousands of supporters of President Mubarak have started surging into Tahrir Square in Cairo, dismantling barricades set up by anti-Mubarak protesters. Arguments and fist fights have broken out, and the situation is very tense." 1156: The Associated Press reports pro-and anti-Mubarak groups clashing in Tahrir Square, hitting each other with sticks. Some were injured with their heads bleeding, the report says. 1152: Amir Bakhoum, from Cairo, writes: "The army should step forward to rule temporarily until the elections, restoration of democracy and civilian government." Have Your Say 1149: One of the BBC's Arabic TV reporters says pro-Mubarak protestors have tried to march into Tahrir Square but the army forces stopped them. The anti-Mubarak protestors put barricades in the four major access points to the square and started searching the people for weapons and IDs. 1142: The BBC's Paul Danahar in Cairo: "Full internet access has returned to Cairo including access to social media sites like Facebook." 1141: Al Jazeera's Dan Nolan in Cairo tweets: "So the internet is back on in #egypt but my nokia from 1995 doesn't have 3g funnily enough and soldiers have my iphone so it's still sms for me". 1139: The BBC's Magdi Abdelhadi reports from Cairo that the next battle will dismantling the regime, and this will prove easier said than done. Those with vested interests will defend themselves. Where the army stands in all this is crucial. 1134: From the BBC's Mark Georgiou in Cairo: "Massive pro-Mubarak demo in Cairo. People very, very worked up, time and again we were told foreign media is not being fair and the people say that, now the president is not standing for election, it's time to restore order. Lots of anti-ElBaradei feeling. It's not as simple as just the people in Tahrir Square. 1130: The protesters, who represent a broad section of Egyptian society, would of course disagree with Mr Abdellah - as would the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's largest opposition movement. Many observers have pointed out that the protests in Tunisia, Egypt and beyond could be a hugely positive development for the Arab world, leading to greater freedom and democracy. 1127: Mr Abdellah also had this stark warning for the West: "You in the West will be the first to pay the price if Egypt falls into the hands of Islamic extremists - you will pay the price! You will be the first to pay the price! Peace and stability in the Middle East will blow up!" 1126: Mohamed Abdellah, former head of the Egyptian parliament's foreign affairs committee and now president of Alexandria University, has given the BBC World Service this stinging attack on anti-Mubarak protesters. "Those people wanted to go to Luxor and to go to the Cairo museum and destroy it. Do you believe that they are peaceful protesters? When you go into hospitals, to destroy hospitals; those are looters!" 1119: Egyptian political analyst Mamoun Fandy tells BBC News Channel that the army is protecting both the protesters and President Mubarak's regime. It has called on people to go home, but is not ordering them to do so. At the same time, the army doesn't want to break the backbone of the Egyptian state by having even bigger protests, like the one called for Friday. 1114: Wyre Davies also reports that there are long queues at banks in Alexandria as people try to withdraw money, as well as huge lines for petrol and basic goods. 1109: In Alexandria, Egypt's second city, the BBC's Wyre Davies reports that tension is rising. Some pro-Mubarak demonstrators are on the streets, with many thinking the president has now done enough to satisfy the protesters. They have been out in small groups shouting that enough damage has been done to Egypt's reputation, and that anti-government protesters should go home. 1057: A fuller quote from that army statement earlier: "We have to look forward to the future. We have to think about our country, Egypt. The army and the people overcame defeat in October 1973, the army and the people can change the current situation through chivalry, determination and courage. You message was delivered. Your demands are now known, and we are vigilant to keep the country secure for your sake, honourable Egyptians. We have to heed our country's call through hard and fruitful work. We have to deny the haters the sight of us in the midst of crises." 1049: Tarek Shalaby, in Cairo tweets: "Internet's back in #Egypt. I've been camping out in Tahrir for four days and will remain until #Mubarak leaves." 1047: Lots more messages saying internet access is coming back - though some say social media sites are still blocked. As part of their response to recent demonstrations, Egyptian authorities closed down internet access last week. 1040: Egypt's parliament speaker says the constitutional reforms promised by President Hosni Mubarak will be completed in less than two-and-a-half months, Reuters reports. 1030: Egypt's parliament will be suspended until revised results of the last elections are published, AFP reports. 1026: More on evacuations: Qantas will provide free flights home for Australians in Egypt. The federal government has chartered two planes to fly about 600 people to Frankfurt or London. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce says the airline will then provide Australians with free flights from Europe. 1023: The BBC's Jennifer Pak in Kuala Lumpur says Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has ordered the evacuation of Malaysian students from Egypt. Three military aircraft will take off today to fly students to Saudi Arabia. There are about 11,000 Malaysian students registered with the Malaysian Embassy in Egypt. 1020: The night time curfew in Egypt has been eased. It will now run from 5pm to 7am instead of 3pm to 8am. 1016: There are reports today that internet access in Egypt has been at least partially restored. 1010: Y Sanad, from Cairo, writes: "What has happened is for the best. At least now we are offered a constitutional reform as well as enough time to breathe and think calmly of the steps yet to come. We have time to make a fair choice about who comes next. If President Mubarak left immediately, we might lose focus because we will be urged to make an immediate decision." Have Your Say 1007: Sarah El Sirgany tweets: "Just saw a truck full of pro-Mubarak demonstrators heading downtown, something we only see during the rigging of elections. #jan25" 1005: The BBC's Paul Danahar reports from Cairo: "The carnival-like scenes throughout the city yesterday have been replaced with a much more tense atmosphere today, as pro-Mubarak protestors hold small rallies." 0958: Food analyst Vincent Truglia has told BBC World Service he believes food shortages have been playing a significant role in Egypt's unrest. "I believe that food and anxiety about food has been the key problem that has been facing Egypt. Food prices, specifically wheat in particular, which is the staple of the Egyptian diet, have gone up, depending on the measure, between 50 and 70% in 2010. This has just devastated Egyptian budgets." 0956: Mohammed Jama, from Alexandria, writes: "We are caught between a rock and a hard place. Although many of my people want Mubarak to go now, a part of me worries about the power vacuum and the transition into a functioning government. How will it happen? Deep down we want normality to return, suffering to end and with a new beginning, a life without Mubarak and the ruling elite." Have Your Say 0955: The BBC's Jon Leyne reports from Cairo that there's are thousands of pro-Mubarak supporters in the Mohandiseen district. They say they represent the real Egypt and have not been paid to be there. 0953: El-Moharmedy, from Cairo, writes: "Mubarak should step down. Egypt is not meant for him alone. We don't need him anymore. We need to conduct a free and fair election for a better tomorrow." Have Your Say 0950: Amany Hassan, from Alexandria, writes: "Those who want Mubarak to leave right now only want chaos and disorder. Things need to take time or control will be lost from everyone's hands. Finishing his time as president is the only way for change to be legal and safe." Have Your Say 0949: The BBC's Mark Georgiou reports from Cairo: "A small pro-Mubarak demonstration taking place at edge of Tahrir Square. Much bigger one across town. Some people say the president's promise not to stand in the elections is enough - others want him to leave right now. 0947: Egyptian army spokesman to demonstrators: "The army forces are calling on you... You began by going out to express your demands and you are the ones capable of restoring normal life." 0943: Egypt's army calls for resumption of normal life in Cairo. More details to follow. 0939: The army has played a key role in the crisis, promising not to use violence against protesters. Many have greeted soldiers patrolling the streets, in stark contrast to the anger directed against the police. 0936: Reuters reports that the Egyptian army is to make a statement shortly. 0934: For those wishing to dig a bit more on the US administration's shifting position, the BBC website has a blog from our North America editor, Mark Mardell "Mr Obama sounded as if he wanted to join the Egyptians on the streets," he writes. 0929: Sounds like French President Nicolas Sarkozy is taking a similar line to his American counterpart Barack Obama. Mr Sarkozy has called for a transition in Egypt "without delay", AFP reports. 0927: Egypt's stock exchange is to stay shut for a fifth working day, Reuters reports. 0921: BBC World Affairs editor John Simpson says that if President Mubarak had made his offer just a few days ago, the reaction might have been rather different, but after shootings last friday the mood is much fiercer. People are saying that if a week of demonstrations has pushed the president this far then there's every incentive to keep up the pressure on him. 0918: More from Wyre Davies in Alexandria: He notes that the longer the crisis continues the tougher it gets for Egyptians economically - this morning he saw a queue of nervous people waiting to pick up their pensions, which are worth about $20. 0912: The BBC's Wyre Davies reports that the situation in Alexandria is incredibly tense, with some pro-Mubarak protesters coming out. They are smaller in number than anti-Mubarak protesters, he says, but they are increasingly vocal. 0909: The BBC website has some analysis from Roger Hardy of the Woodrow Wilson Center on the precarious predicament of Arab leaderswhich points out that anger in the region is directed not only at leaders but at the West. 0853: Some quick reaction from Yemen reported by Reuters: The opposition Islah party says President Saleh's promise to not stand again in 2013 is positive - but a rally due on Thursday will go ahead as planned. 0845: An interesting point from Patrick Seale, author of The Struggle for Arab Independence, on the underlying causes of unrest in Egypt. Speaking on the BBC World Service, he points to demographic trends that have seen the country's population growing rapidly to 84 million - all crammed into about 3% of Egypt's land area. 0840: The BBC's Jim Muir notes that there was some ambiguity in Barack Obama's statement last night. He said a transition had to start now, not specifically that Mr Mubarak had to stand down immediately. 0832: Musa, from Cairo, writes: "I don't want Mubarak to leave the country but he must leave office now. We won't tolerate this until September, no way." Have Your Say 0830: There have also been big protests over recent days in Egypt's second city - the port of Alexandria. The BBC's Wyre Davies reports from Alexandria that many of the young protesters there were adamant that they would not accept Mr Mubarak staying on until September. 0822: Dutch journalist Alexander Weissink, or FDEgypt tweets from Cairo: "People on the streets and in teahouses of Cairo disagree on what to think of Mubarak's promise. Some accept it, others don't. #Egypt #Jan25" 0821: More from the BBC's Jim Muir in Cairo's Tahrir Square. He says there are tents springing up there, suggesting that those demonstrators who've stayed out are settling in for the duration. 0818: The BBC's Matthew Price in Jordan says there are more demonstrations expected there this afternoon, but the protests so far have not been on anything like the scale of those in Egypt. Even Islamists in opposition in Jordan are not calling on their king to go. The relationship between Jordanians and their king is very different to that between Egyptians and their president, our correspondent says. 0811: Alon Liel, former director general of Israel's ministry of foreign affairs, tells BBC World that it's a shock for his country to see President Mubarak under continuing pressure to leave office - but Israel will have to get used to the prospect of Mr Mubarak's departure and adapt to it. 0804: Ramadan tweets: "The People of Egypt not likely to accept Mubarak's final cling to power. Hope he wouldn't resort to terror to hold on. #Egypt #Jan25" 0802: Badri_Nair tweets: "#Mubarak to step down in Sept! Talk about hanging on by their finger nails!" 0758: President Saleh's term ends in 2013, so he has a bit more time to ease himself out of office than President Mubarak. Mr Saleh came to power in 1978, first as president of North Yemen and then, after unification with South Yemen in 1990, as leader of the newly united republic. He'd already signalled in recent months that he might not stand again. 0752: Yemen is one of the countries that have seen demonstrations inspired by the "Jasmine Revolution" in Tunisia, which put an abrupt end to the rule of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali last month. Jordan and Algeria have also seen protests. 0748: Reuters are reporting that President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen says he won't seek to extend his presidential term or pass power to his son. 0746: Narine in Kuwait tweets: "The perseverance of the #Egyptians to get their freedom fully without any compromise is truly inspiring for any nation #Jan25 #Egypt." 0741: Not all the demonstrators may have been appeased, but the secretary-general of the Egyptian-British chamber of commerce, Taher El Sherif, says President Mubarak is right to stay on. "Really, I agree with President Mubarak that he should hand over the authority to his successors safely and in a more civilised way," he tells the BBC. 0736: But Jim Muir also reports that there were some quieter voices among those in Tahrir Square last night who were saying that this is the time to step back, accept Mr Mubarak's concessions, and allow for a smooth transition. 0733: The BBC's Jim Muir in Cairo says up to 2,000 protesters spent the night in Tahrir Square - the epicentre of the protests. Among this hardcore of demonstrators prepared to brave the night time cold, there was a very strong view that President Mubarak had not gone far enough. They want to see him deposed and punished. 0728: And US President Obama responded to Mr Mubarak's speech by saying that any orderly transition must be meaningful, peaceful - and begin now. 0727: Let's remember that before the President Mubarak made his speech last night, the man who has emerged as Egypt's main opposition figure, Mohamed ElBaradei, demanded that Mr Mubarak step down by Friday at the latest. 0725: The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says President Mubarak is gambling that enough ordinary Egyptians will accept his decision to stay on until the autumn elections. Mr Mubarak is said to have told a friend that he has a PhD in obstinacy, he says. But our correspondent adds that we should never underestimate the anger and impatience that has built up during the recent demonstrations. 0720: Welcome to the BBC's live coverage of unrest on Egypt, where President Hosni Mubarak has announced he won't stand in elections in September. The pledge followed unprecedented mass demonstrations against his 30-year rule. Stay with us for the latest updates, incorporating reports from our correspondents on the ground, expert analysis, and your reaction from around the world, which you can send via email, text or twitter. We'll publish what we can. Hamas authorities prevented demonstrations in the Gaza Strip aimed at showing solidarity with anti-government protesters in Egypt, Human Rights Watch said late Monday. 100 Millionen Menschen sind betroffen The FBI are also trying to trace a man named as Mohamed Ali Mohamed Al Mansoori from the United Arab Emirates for his alleged support of the trio during their visit. The diplomatic cable sent between the American embassy in Doha, Qatar, and the Department for Homeland Security in Washington, reveals the trio entered the US on a British Airways flight from London on August 15 2001. The men, named as Qataris Meshal Alhajri, Fahad Abdulla and Ali Alfehaid allegedly visited the World Trade Centre and Statue of Liberty in New York and travelled to Washington DC and other locations in Virginia. Discussions about WikiLeaks and the turmoil in the Middle East will not be unrelated. Leaked cables about the abuse of privilege in the ruling class are thought to have contributed to the uprising in Tunisia. Newly released cables addressing the behaviour of some of the sons of Mr Gaddafi are fuelling fears that Libya may not be immune to the wave of anti-government protests in the region. As @WillyRobinson mentions below, we had a story on Peruvian mining published last night and in the paper today: A mining company in Peru part-owned by a British FTSE 100 company agitated for the removal of teachers and Catholic bishops to new posts away from "conflictive mining communities", according to a leaked US cable obtained via WikiLeaks. An executive of the company, in which BHP Billiton has a one-third stake, urged diplomats to persuade the Peruvian government and church to "rotate" such professionals out of sensitive areas, the secret document said. The US and Canadian ambassadors, who hosted a summit of foreign mining executives in Peru in August 2005, requested specific examples of "anti-mining" teachers and bishops "who engage in inappropriate activities" to take to government and church leaders, the cable claimed. The cables are here. In a statement on the library's site, Ismail Serageldin tells "friends around the world" that the library is being protected by the city's youth from the threat of looting by the "lawless bands of thugs, and maybe agents provocateurs" who have materialised since the popular protests sweeping through Egypt's major cities began several days ago. "The young people organised themselves into groups that directed traffic, protected neighbourhoods and guarded public buildings of value such as the Egyptian Museum and the Library of Alexandria," he states. "They are collaborating with the army. This makeshift arrangement is in place until full public order returns." The popular movement in Egypt, unprecedented in recent decades, has for the most part been carried out in a courageous and peaceful manner. The whole world is watching how the president and the reconfigured government will react to the continuing protests demanding a radical change to a wide range of civil, political, social, cultural and economic rights... Von Terroristen durchsetzt 2006 fanden in Mahalla al-Kubra massive Arbeiterstreiks statt, die von der Polizei gewalttätig niedergeschlagen wurden. Die Proteste damals verbreiteten sich durch das Internet rasend schnell und machten meiner Meinung nach die Aufstände in Tunesien vor einigen Wochen erst möglich. SPIEGEL ONLINE: Wie drücken die Menschen ihre Wut jetzt auf der Straße aus? Rizk: Ein ungefähr 40-jähriger Demonstrant sagte mir auf dem Tahrir-Platz: "Ich laufe zum ersten Mal als freier Mann über diesen Platz." Die Vereinigten Staaten hatten nach der chaotischen Lage in Ägypten einen Top-Diplomaten nach Kairo entsandt, der von dem engen Verbündeten endlich Taten zur Beendigung der Krise einforderte. Im Gespräch mit Mubarak, das jedenfalls verbreiteten US-Regierungskreise, soll der US-Gesandte auf eine geregelte Übergabe hin zu einer neuen Regierung, weitgehende Reformen der Verfassung, aber vor allem auch zu Zugeständnissen bei Grundrechten wie Meinungsfreiheit gedrängt haben. Die Rolle der USA erscheint nach der Rede Mubaraks immer zweifelhafter. Aber Mubarak hatte erkennbar eine andere Gruppe im Blick: die schweigende Mehrheit, von der ein großer Teil zwar mit dem Aufstand sympathisiert, aber viele auch Angst vor noch mehr Chaos und Unsicherheit haben. 02.Feb.2011 https://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,druck-743043,00.html Mit Blick auf die Demonstrationen ging Mubarak zweigleisig vor. Er stellte den friedlichen Protesten angebliche Provokateure entgegen, die "Öl ins Feuer gießen" und für Gewalt und Zerstörung verantwortlich seien. Tatsächlich hatten die Hunderttausenden Protestierende, die seit einer Woche kontinuierlich auf die Straße gingen, fast ausnahmslos gewaltfrei demonstriert. Tote und Verletzte gingen zum allergrößten Teil auf das Konto der Polizei, die tagelang versucht hatte, die Proteste niederzuknüppeln. href="https://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rawstory/gKpz/~3/z0sEseluEIc/">Egypt President Mubarak announces plan to retire in Sept. - Stephen C. Webster Egypt’s youth ready for the future, protester says in moving interview - Eric W. Dolan class=black href="https://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rawstory/gKpz/~3/wQNHH7i1vSo/">Rights groups: Manning is a UK citizen and deserves protection - David Edwards Rachel Maddow: Egypt Protesters Are Calling Out the US Commitment to Democracy Is Google Protected by ‘Secret’ Relationship with NSA? Consumer Watchdog group issues report that implies Google is protected by “inappropriate secret relationship” with NSA. Egypt’s Last-Standing ISP Goes Dark - David Kravets FBI Set To Turn Up Advanced Security Search Engine - CmdrTaco An Assad sandten sie die Botschaft, die "Ungerechtigkeit" in Syrien nicht länger akzeptieren zu wollen. "Wir sind nicht gegen dich persönlich, sondern gegen Alleinherrschaft, Korruption und Tyrannei sowie dagegen, dass deine Familie die Reichtümer an sich reißt", hieß es. Eine weitere Facebook-Gruppe rief für Donnerstag zu einem Sitzprotest vor dem syrischen Parlament in der Hauptstadt Damaskus auf. Dort solle "Solidarität mit armen Studenten, Arbeitern, Arbeitslosen und Rentern" demonstriert werden. Gegen das herrschende System und die sozialen Missstände formierte sich am Dienstag in Algerien breiter Widerstand. Knapp 90.000 Krankenpfleger sowie Beschäftigte aus dem Bildungssektor streikten. Mehrere Gewerkschaften kündigten zudem für die kommenden Tage große Streiks an. In Tizi Ouzou östlich der Hauptstadt Algier gingen nach Augenzeugenberichten mehrere tausend Studenten und Schüler auf die Straße, um für bessere Studienbedingungen und gegen die autoritäre Herrschaft von Präsident Abdelaziz Bouteflika zu protestieren. Die Demonstranten wurden von zahlreichen Bürgern unterstützt. Organisatoren der Proteste sprachen von 15.000 Teilnehmern. They say that the curvature of the Universe is tightly constrained around 0. In other words, the most likely model is that the Universe is flat. A flat Universe would also be infinite and their calculations are consistent with this too. These show that the Universe is at least 250 times bigger than the Hubble volume. (The Hubble volume is similar to the size of the observable universe.) "Mit einer friedlichen Lösung ist dann Schluss, wenn 1000 bewaffnete Polizisten auftauchen", sagt einer der Besetzer in dem ehemaligen Gotteshaus. An den Kirchenwänden informieren Ausstellungstafeln über den Widerstand von Jugendkulturen in der DDR und über die Repressionen, mit denen das SED-Regime gegen die Bürgerrechtsbewegung reagierte. Dieses Ambiente finden die Bewohner von "Liebig 14", wie sie sich selbst nennen, passend. Auch sie sehen sich als Opfer staatlicher Ideologie und Macht, auch sie wollen dagegen Widerstand leisten. Gewalt scheint programmiert "Wir wollen frei sein. Wir wollen ein normales Leben leben können. Wir wollen Frieden. Verlangen wir zu viel?", schreiben die Autoren. Über 19.000 Mitglieder des Internet-Netzwerks Facebook haben sich in den vergangenen Wochen schon als Fans des dort veröffentlichten Pamphlets eingetragen. Jetzt bekräftigt die Nachrichtenagentur AP diese Warnung. Ein der Agentur vorliegender Geheimdienstbericht - "zusammengestellt von einer Nation, die Irans Atomprogramm intensiv überwacht" - behaupte, dass Dementis und Beschwichtigungen von iranischer und russischer Seite, es bestünde keine derartige Gefahr mehr, verfrüht seien und auf einer "beiläufigen Einschätzung" beruhten, heißt es. Die Gefahr geht demnach einmal mehr vom Schadprogramm Stuxnet aus. In September, a federal appeals court ruled [10] that detainees cannot sue the CIA over allegations of torture at the hands of foreign governments. According to the Senate report, al-Libi said he began to feed his captors false intelligence once American interrogators threatened to send him to a foreign government. blog.fefe.de/Kleines Randdetail zum Swift-Abkommen: Das Swift-Abkommen räumt den Amerikanern Zugriff auf innereuropäische Überweisungs-Bankdaten ein. Hatte ich glaube ich schon mal erwähnt irgendwo, dass das ein Problem sein könnte. Nun, jetzt haben wir es schriftlich. Update : Übrigens, der Hinweis sei erlaubt, das ist jetzt so, weil die Spezialexperten sich vor der Abstimmung nicht informiert haben, worüber sie da eigentlich abstimmen. Und wir haben das angesagt vorher, dass sie das nicht machen sollen. Sie haben es trotzdem gemacht. Daher ist das für mich ein Fall von Vorsatz und Bösartigkeit, nicht von Inkompetenz und Verkacken. blog.fefe.de/Ah! Die plötzlichen progressiven Positionen der CSU klären sich: Telepolis berichtet vom CSU-Netz-Dingens: Der bayerische Ministerpräsident, der gerade aus Davos kam, meinte unter anderem, dort habe sich sein russischer Amtskollege Medwedew mit der Begründung gegen Netzsperren ausgesprochen, das Internet habe den politischen Wandel in Tunesien erst möglich gemacht. Und hinter Russland, so Seehofer, wolle er in Freiheitsfragen ungern zurückstehen. In diesem Sinne: ein herzliches Dankeschön an Russland, dass sie unsere Machthaber in die richtige Richtung beschämt haben. WikiLeaks-Mitarbeiter, die damals mit dem Material gearbeitet haben, sagen, dass unter den Dokumenten fast die gesamte Kommunikation des pakistanischen Außenministeriums sei. Die Sammlung, die intern das "chinesische Paket" genannt wird, sei "überwältigend", schwärmt einer der WikiLeaks-Leute. Es ist ein unfassbares Datenpaket, das scheinbar herrenlos durch den Cyberspace geistert. "Wir kennen nicht einmal ein Zehntel dessen, was wir haben, oder auch nur, wem das Material gehört. Wir haben bei einem Terabyte mit dem Speichern aufgehört." Diebe haben die Daten gestohlen und sind nun selbst zum Opfer eines Diebstahls geworden. Hacker aus dem Umfeld von WikiLeaks haben staatliche Hacker überwacht, deren Spur sich zumindest bis in die Nähe von Peking und in die Region um Guangzhou zurückverfolgen lässt, wo die chinesische Regierung semioffiziell hacken lässt. Es ist eine ebenso dreiste wie erfolgreiche Operation, die zeigt, was im Zeitalter des Internets alles möglich ist. "Wir müssen die Wissenschaft besser anwenden" Tragödie für das Weltkulturerbe Zu den Plünderungen sagte Schulz: "Das ist eine Katastrophe". Auch andere Museen, Magazine und Grabstätten in Ägypten seien betroffen - viele seien nicht mehr bewacht. Magazine, Grabstätten und Gräber selbst standen offen - das weiß ich von Kollegen." Das Deutsche Archäologische Institut hat inzwischen seine Mitarbeiter aus Ägypten abgezogen. "Spanische Kollegen haben angeboten, Wache zu schieben - aber das ist natürlich für sie auch mit großen Gefahren verbunden", sagte Schulz. Kriminelle Banden versuchten inzwischen systematisch, die Situation auszunutzen und sich an den Kunstschätzen zu bereichern. "Neben den menschlichen Tragödien ist die Situation in Ägypten auch eine ganz große Tragödie für das Weltkulturerbe . Es geht nicht nur um das Erbe der Ägypter, sondern um das Erbe der ganzen Welt", sagte sie. "Wenn da Schäden da sind, wird das - allein schon aus Gründen der Tourismuswirtschaft - jeden einzelnen Ägypter betreffen. Egal, welche Regierung nachher an der Macht ist." Auch die Weltkulturorganisation Unesco zeigt sich sehr besorgt Die EU habe Ägypten zu sehr aus Sicht der internationalen Politik betrachtet und sich zu wenig mit den Nöten der ägyptischen Bürger beschäftigt, gab Asselborn zu. Man habe die moderaten Regime unterstützt, um die radikalen zu verhindern. Bachit solle "wahrhaftige politische Reformen" verwirklichen, teilte das Königshaus in Amman mit. Seine Aufgabe bestehe darin, "praktische, schnelle und konkrete Schritte" zu unternehmen, um politische Reformen zu beginnen und für alle Jordanier ein "sicheres und anständiges Leben" sicherzustellen. König Abdullah II., ein enger Verbündeter der USA Es gibt nur Revolutionen von Menschen, die sich befreien wollen. ohne Facebook-Seite zu Tunesien --> ohne Twitter-Foto aus Kairo --> OHNE Handy-Videoaufnahme von der sterbenden iranischen Demonstrantin Neda 2009 --> WANG QI JX / IMAGINECHINA Polizist in chinesischem Internetcafé: Bürger mit intelligenten Methoden kontrollieren --> (*) Evgeny Morozov: "The Net Delusion". Allen Lane, London; 432 Seiten; 14,99 Pfund. --> Facebook dagegen zeichnet sich durch Unverbindlichkeit aus. Die Lage in Ägypten bleibt also unübersichtlich: Wer hat das Heft des Handelns wirklich in der Hand? Was sind die echten Interessen der Armee? Läuft, wie einige vermuten, bereits seit Tagen im Hintergrund ein langsamer, heimlicher Militärputsch? Oder wäre die Armee damit zufrieden, der Opposition den Weg zu einer möglichen Machtübernahme zu ebnen? Die Demonstration am Dienstag könnte einige Klarheit bringen. Wenn der "Marsch der Millionen" wirklich so eindrucksvoll wird, wie die Protestierenden hoffen, rückt die Stunde der Entscheidung im Machtkampf in Ägypten jedenfalls ein gutes Stück näher. Entdeckt hat die Datenlücke der unabhängige EU-Parlamentarier Martin Ehrenhauser. Auf seine Anfrage hin hatte EU-Innenkommissarin Cecilia Malmström die Differenzierung zwischen Sepa- und Swiftnet-Fin-Daten angedeutet. "Die Bedingung Europas, dass innereuropäische Überweisungen ausgenommen sind, ist nicht erfüllt", sagte Ehrenhauser. "Die Verhandlungen müssen neu gestartet werden." Dieser Tage muss man wirklich Glück haben, um bei Spiegel-Online wichtige Artikel (wie diesen) nicht zu verpassen, so schnell wie sie wieder verschwinden... mehr... Die höchste Priorität mit der die inländischen Ereignisse in den Hauptnachrichten unseres Staatsfernsehens die Ägypten-Berichterstattung DOMINIERTEN ist mir auch besonders drastisch aufgefallen... Diese Form der Ignoranz [...] mehr... |