Egypt LiveBlog: The Fighting Resumes

Men form a protective circle around a woman, amidst reports of abuse by security forces of female protesters

See also Egypt Analysis: So What Happens Now?
Egypt LiveBlog: The Fighting Resumes
Wednesday's Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The Report of the Commission of Inquiry

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1700 GMT: News has just arrived that Kamal Ghanzouri has been appointed as the new prime minister of Egypt by SCAF. Ghanzouri is a former prime minister, who served under ex-President Hosni Mubarak from 1996 to 1999 and has a PhD from the University of Michigan. 

1610 GMT: Photo of banner that reads, "We won't leave until he [Tantawi] does!" in Tahrir Square [h/t Katherine Maher]: 

1547 GMT: Reporters Without Borders has just released a report on the attacks on journalists in Egypt during the past few days. The report also confirms the arrest of Jehane Nojaim and her cameraman Magdy Ashour by the military and details the arrest of other journalists from as early as 19 November.

1534 GMT: Mona Eltahawy describes her ordeal on CNN. The account is graphic and disturbing: 

1520 GMT: In more disturbing news, documentary filmmaker Jehane Nojaim is still detained (see 0625 GMT) by the military in Cairo. Nojaim has received several awards and is considered one of Egypt's best documentary filmmakers. Efforts are currently underway to secure her release. 

1515 GMT:  Jonathan Rashad tweets from Tahrir Square: 

Doctors and priests are still negotiating with army officers, behind concrete wall. The army is more than ready if protesters advance ahead.

Some are reporting that protesters have advanced over the concrete wall, which we cannot confirm. Meanwhile, thousands still camped out at Tahrir are chanting, "We won't leave until he [Tantawi] leaves!" 

1510 GMT: Patrick Baz of AFP tweets about a disturbing incident: 

French female #journalist attacked and stripped of her clothes on #Tahrir square, comme un air de deja vu :-( #Egypt

French journo attacked in #Cairo. She was assaulted by dozens #Tahrir #Egypt #horror

The journalist in question has not been identified and is currently resting at the French Embassy in Cairo according to Baz. This cannot be independently verified. There is now also a video out of what looks to be a female foreigner being pushed and shoved in Tahrir Square as dozens of men are trying to protect her from the onslaught. We are not linking to it as it has not been confirmed yet. 

1500 GMT: Ahram Online just released a poll about what the Egyptian public's perception is of SCAF: 

Forty-three per cent of Egyptians believe their country's military rulers are working to slow or reverse the gains of the Tahrir Square uprising, a public opinion survey released on Wednesday suggests.

Another 21 per cent felt the military authorities were striving to advance those gains, while 14 per cent considered them to be indifferent, according to a five-nation snapshot of Arab public opinion by the University of Maryland.

Some 750 Egyptians in Cairo, Alexandria, Giza, Qaliubiya, Al-Minya (Upper Egypt) and Al-Ismailiyah (Suez Canal) took part in the October 22-30 poll, with a margin of error of 3.7 per cent.

Jonathan Rashad tweets from Tahrir Square:

Protesters have passed the barricades. Lots of them flowing into the battlefront. The army is far away from the concrete wall.

1430 GMT: Egypt's benchmark EGX30 rose by 1.7% today, after several days of declines due to the protests and violence. However, the Egyptian pound lost value against the dollar. For the first time since January 2005, a US dollar now traded at more than 6 Egyptian pounds - 6.0010 to be precise. 

1545 GMT: The US is going to provide assistance to victims of violence in Egypt. The US Embassy in Cairo just announced on Twitter that $100,000 will be provided to hospitals in Egypt as well as to other care-givers to help those injured since protests began. 

An image from earlier today near Tahrir of soldiers bringing in barbed wire to set up barricades: 

 

1345 GMT: The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces is now askong the public to help the police in identifying and arresting protesters who are causing 'violence' and threatening the country.

Away from that bit of madness, there is the news of lawyers joining the push to remove SCAF from power, marching to Tahrir today: 

1325 GMT: The three American students have finally been released. Greg Porter, Luke Gates and Derrik Sweeney were arrested from Tahrir Square and one of them was accused of throwing a molotov cocktail at the police. The Associated Press confirms this. 

Former Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa has been asked by SCAF to take up the post of prime minister. So far, it has not been confirmed whether he has accepted the offer or not. 

After being released from police custody where she was sexually assaulted and beaten, Mona Eltahawy's arms are now in casts because of injuries. Here's a picture of her [h/t @Egyptocracy]

1310 GMT: Protesters and riot police that have been separated might remain separated in some parts of Cairo --- the army is making sure of that. Here's a picture of soldiers on top of the wall that security forces have built to distance themselves from demonstrators [h/t Sharif Kouddous]: 

1305 GMT: US rating agency Standard and Poor's has downgraded Egypt's "long-term foreign and local currency sovereign ratings to B+ from BB-, with a negative outlook", according to The New York Times. This rating renders the value to junk.

However, in a sign that the economy might have some life in it still, the benchmark EGX30 went up by almost 1.6% today.

1300 GMT: Actitist Maged Butter has been released from detainment as well. Here is a picture of him after his release [h/t Salma Said]: 

1240 GMT: Egyptian security forces build a wall to separate themselves from protesters:

1230 GMT: Journalist Lauren Bohn from this morning's press conference of Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces: "Egyptian journalist crying in bathroom...'This is a nightmare.'"

1110 GMT: Journalist Mona Eltahawy, seized last night by security forces, is now free. She summarises her detention on Twitter:

Blindfolded me for 2 hrs, after keeping me waiting for 3....Another hour later I was free with apology from military intelligence for what CSF [Central Security Forces] did. Took pics of my bruises and recorded statement on sexual assault and said would investigate it and said they had no idea why I was there....The past 12 hrs were painful and surreal but I know I got off much much easier than so many other Egyptians.

1030 GMT: At a press conference, the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has said that it has not fired on protestors and is not biased towards any political party while assuring that it "does not want to stay in authority".

The SCAF declared that it was willing to hand over power immediately if this was done through a referendum. It said it would offer recommendations, from talks with factions, that would stop violence, allow peaceful protest --- the right of all people as long as it does not disrupt traffic --- and the release of detainees.

0757 GMT: A 2006 talk by journalist Jehane Noujaim, detained last night by Egyptian security forces, on her wish for a Global Day of Film:

0755 GMT: Egyptian authorities have extended the detention of three Americans, accused of throwing Molotov cocktails, while searching for two others.

Journalists Mona Eltahawy and Jehane Noujaim have reportedly been detained. In a last, brief message via Twitter at 3:44 a.m. (0144 GMT), Eltahawy wrote, "Beaten arrested in interior ministry."

0610 GMT: A brief ceasefire between riot police and protesters on Wednesday soon gave way to fighting near Tahrir Square in Cairo.

Despite the army bringing in vehicles to support the efforts of religious scholars for a break in fighting, police fired tear gas on a large crowd gathered on Mohamed Mahmoud Street, acting as a "shield" for Tahrir. The development raised the question of whether the ruling military council had lost control of some of the Ministry of Interior's Central Security Forces.

Ambulances raced back and forth to the square from Mohamed Mahmoud Street and other battles south and east of Tahrir. Earlier in the day, Minister of Health Amr Helmy, touring the square, acknowledged that security forces had used live ammunition, but he denied that they had also fired the powerful "CR" version of tear gas, which activists claim have led to deaths and serious injuries

The Ministry of Health said at least 35 people have died and 3,250 have been wounded since Saturday.