Egypt (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Celebration, But Will It Soon Be for the Tourists?

0400 GMT: Here's Wael Ghonim's interview with English subtitles. [Editor's Note: This is now in a separate entry.]

0000 GMT: Reports indicate that 3 protesters have been killed and hundreds of others injured in clashes with security forces in in The New Valley (El Wadi el Gedid) today. 

2200 GMT: Sultan Al-Qassemi kindly translated parts of Wael Ghonim's Arabic interview on Dream TV, part of which we are posting here: 

I am proud of what I did. This is not the time to settle scores. Although I have people I want to settle scores with myself. This is not the time to split the pie and enforce ideologies... On Thursday night, at 1am I was with a friend, a colleague from work. I was taking a taxi, suddenly four people surrounded the car, I yelled "Help me, Help me" I was blindfolded then taken away... 

He was kept blindfolded for 12 days and interrogated to determine who was behind the uprising and whether they were being supported by foreign elements. Wael also divulged during the interview that he was the man behind the Facebook page that called for the protests initially. He repeatedly broke down and cried during the interview at the mention of protesters who were killed by security forces...

[Once in detention] I saw a film director get slapped, they told him "You will die here" Why? Now they want to have an agreement with me when they are in a position of weakness. I am not a hero, I am a normal person. What happened to me was a crime but I still thank those who tried to got me out... 

I told the Interior Minister [who went to visit him in detention] we have two problems 1- we don't talk to each other, this must be solved, 2- There is no trust...

I told him [Min. of Interior] I don't want to see the logo of the NDP ever again. The NDP is got this country to where it is. You can create a new party... There was no Muslim Brotherhood presence in organising these protests, it was all spontaneous, voluntary. Even when the Muslim Brotherhood decided to take part it was their choice to do so. This belongs to Egyptian youth. 

We have to restore dignity to all Egyptians. We have to end corruption. No more theft. Egyptians are good people. I can't claim I know what happened when I was inside. I didn't know anything until one day before I left. The interrogators wanted to know if outsiders were involved. I convinced them this was a purely Egyptian movement.

This is the era where people who have good intentions are considered traitors. What are called the "Facebook youth" went out in their tens of thousands on January 25th, talk to them. I want to tell families who lost their sons this is not our fault. This is the fault of those clinging to power.

2112 GMT: Al Jazeera documents in a video the violent clashes between protesters and pro-Mubarak thugs, including one instance where a protester was shot with a sniper rifle, showing the laser pointer of the gun (WARNING: GRAPHIC!): 

2045 GMT: After backlash by some groups that the government was trying to buy the protesters by increasing pensions and salaries, the Minister of Finance today tried to quell that fire. Al Masry Al Youm reports: 

Egypt's newly-appointed finance minister, Samir Radwan, on Monday said the salary increase recently announced for government employees was "not a bribe" intended to offset ongoing demonstrations demanding the departure of President Hosni Mubarak.

"We are not bribing citizens,” Radwan told a parliamentary subcommittee. “We are simply responding to their demands.”

2040 GMT: RFE/RL now reports that its two correspondents in Egypt that were arrested last week have been released and are now on their way to Prague. The two journalists - Robert Tait and Abdelilah Nuaimi, have sent a brief message stating that they are "safe and relatively well". 

Tait adds, however: 

"Whatever official statements you might hear about the situation of detained journalists, we were not treated well." 

Two detained RFE reporters, Robert Tait and Abdelilah Nuaimi, have been released from police custody and flew out of Egypt today. 

2030 GMT:  Human Rights Watch now says that at least 297 people have been killed since protests began in Egypt. Of those, at least 52 have been confirmed to have been killed in Alexandria. 

2020 GMT: "Beat the drum of stability, stupid!" is probably the message coming to Mubarak's government right now from his allies. And this gem emerges:

Industrial and commercial establishments began working again on Monday, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has announced, assuring the public that the transportation of goods countrywide was "back to normal."

Head of Internal Trade Mohammed Abu Shadi told Al-Masry Al-Youm that commercial chains had begun operating "as usual," which has helped restore a degree of stability, especially in regards to prices and the availability of supplies.

http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/egypt-govt-commercial-establishments-transportation-back-normal

2015 GMT: The Association of Arab Tribes in Egypt, numbering 15 million, today announced their support for the ongoing anti-government protests in Egypt. The statement after supporting the protesters and some actions the government took reads: 

"As partners in this country, and since we represent a large number of people, we reiterate our right to participate in determining the person who will rule us, even for a transitional period, as long as democracy is our aim... We call on everyone to work together for a peaceful transition of power in accordance with the constitution, and we reject all types of foreign interference." 

2010 GMT: Al Masry Al Youm reports that the salaries of administrative employees and the pensions of civilians and military personnel will be increased by 15% starting in April according to the Egyptian government. They add: 

Egyptian Finance Minister Samir Radwan told reporters that, for the first time ever, increases in pensions will be based on their total values. Radwan said the increase in pensions alone will cost the Treasury an estimated LE6.5 billion.

Radwan went on to say that the Council of Ministers Legislative Committee had approved two bills. The first bill, according to Radwan, exempts those registered under the Sales Tax Act from paying late fines or interest on sales taxes that are due in January and February 2011.

The second bill exempts those with insurance from paying late fines and interest on insurance premiums. The committee also agreed to establish a LE5 billion trust fund for disbursing compensation to those affected by the recent looting and vandalism of commercial and industrial establishments. Car owners affected by looting and vandalism will also receive compensation.

1950 GMT: In a press conference held in support of protests in Egypt, Hezbollah's leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah put his support behind the protesters and also slammed the US for supporting Mubarak. Al Jazeera reports: 

"Your movement will entirely change the face of our region for the interest of its own people... You are going through the battle of Arab dignity, restoring the dignity of Arab people... What you have done is no less significant than the historic steadfastness the Islamic Resistance achieved in 2006 and the resistance in Gaza in 2008," he said, referring to the Israeli military assault on Gaza.

Nasrallah also lashed out at the US for what he termed "backing the worst dictatorships" in the Middle East.

"The United States is trying to contain the revolution and improve its own ugly image in the Middle East and Islamic world ... after years of backing the worst dictatorships our region has ever seen... But be sure that regimes allied with the United States and Israel cannot stand long against the will of the people."

1950 GMT: A picture of Wael Ghonim after his releas - on the right with the Google shirt:  

1945 GMT: ElFoulio tweets that the 6th of April Movement is planning a protest tomorrow at 2 PM in front of the TV building in Cairo in conjunction with the Tahrir Square protests. We have no other sources confirming this. 

1935 GMT: Google executive Wael Ghonim confirms his release from detention (see 1615 GMT) via Twitter: "Freedom is a bless[ing] that deserves fighting for it."

1750 GMT: Writing in The Guardian of London, Ammar Abdulhamid explains why "Syria is Not Ready for an Uprising".

1745 GMT: The Egyptian pound hit a six-year low against the US dollar on Monday after banks reopened their doors to international deals.

The pound traded as weak as 5.951 to the dollar on Monday, down 0.4% from Sunday's close and 1.7% percent from Thursday's reopening from a week-long closure.

"Things are stable. I can't say they're good, but they're not collapsing," said a trader at a Cairo-based bank. "There has been no central bank intervention. I don't think it will do so unless the pound reached 6.1 or 6.2 to the dollar."

1704 GMT: Germany has suspended arms exports to Egypt, citing human rights concerns.

Germany sold about 22 million euros ($30 million) worth of armaments to Egypt in 2010, after selling 77.5 million euros ($100 million) worth in 2009.

1700 GMT: Reuters reports that former housing minister Ahmed el-Maghrabi has appeared before prosecutors on charges of wasting public money and seizing state land.

1635 GMT: Want a 360-degree panorama of Tahrir Square in Cairo?

1627 GMT: Ahmed Maher, head of the April 6 Youth Movement, is indicating there may soon be a shift in tactics of protest, “Life getting back to normal and people going back to work make it seem as if those going and staying in Tahrir Square are going to a gathering in Hyde Park so we are currently discussing how to escalate matters further."

1615 GMT: Back from an academic break to find the US State Department reporting that Google executive Wael Ghonim, arrested on 25 January, has been freed in Egypt. “We have indeed received confirmation of his release,” Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

Activists are still trying to confirm the news, including the report that Ghonim is heading to the protest at Tahrir Square in Cairo.

1315 GMT: Egypt's Stock Market says in a statement that it will reopen on Sunday.

1202 GMT: A report comes in from an activist that blogger Karim Amer and independent film maker Samir Eshra have been arrested in Egypt.

1200 GMT: Anthony Shadid of The New York Times spends a night at the centre of the protests:

Egypt’s revolution is a contest of ultimatums — chaos and revolution, freedom and submission — but its arena of Tahrir Square becomes quieter at night, the cacophony of rebellion giving way to a stage of poetry, performance and politics.

1155 GMT: Naseem Tarwaneh, on his blog The Black Iris, considers the situation in Jordan, especially as Jordanians watch the events in Egypt:

The country’s population cannot stand any more window-dressing of freedoms and reforms that have been promised it for over a decade now. There’s no more room for window-dressing - that card cannot be played anymore. It’s moot. The state needs to pay very careful attention to the new realities unfolding on the Arab street. The same old puppet show of the past will not play well with a generation that is older, wiser and increasingly frustrated with a lack of opportunities and a lack of alternatives. While the state does not yet have a youth problem in the short-run, it needs to think long-run - especially in this new regional context. There is a new generation emerging with a different set of expectations and like the 20-somethings on the streets of Cairo, this generation will not be settling for anything less.

1145 GMT: A symbolic funeral procession has taken place in Tahrir Square for Ahmed Mahmoud, the first journalist to die in the current conflict in Egypt.

Mahmoud, who worked for the State-run newspaper Al Tawuun, was shot on 29 January by a sniper as he filmed, on his mobile phone, police beating protesters. He died six days later.

1135 GMT: Back from an academic break to find this from Evan Hill of Al Jazeera English: "Everything is business as usual on Zamalak [in Cairo]. Revolution? What revolution?"

0940 GMT: The Egyptian-based Al-Azhar, the highest religious institution in the Sunni Muslim world, has denounced remarks by the Supreme Leader in his Friday Prayer in Tehran.

A statement from Al-Azhar condemned "Iran's policies that rely on top clerics issuing calls at odds with the principles of Islam, and which blatantly violate the Quran and the Prophet's traditions." It continued: 

Al-Azhar is very concerned about statements and religious edicts from the region and the world that deal with Egypt's domestic affairs. Al-Azhar totally rejects foreign intervention in domestic affairs, and the utilisation of the legitimate demands of the loyal young people of Egypt.

(Cross-posted from the Iran LiveBlog)

0910 GMT: Carlos Latuff offers this commentary on women, Hosni Mubarak, and the Egyptian uprising:

0825 GMT: Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the opposition National Association for Change, speaks with Roger Cohen of The New York Times. Headlines include his precondition that President Mubarak must go, as there is no turning back in Egyptian politics and society --- "The genie is out of the bottle":

0820 GMT: In Bahrain, authorities are allegedly taking steps to prevent activists from using the Internet.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights accused the Government of blocking access to a Facebook group calling for protests. The center's own website has been blocked for years, and several prominent bloggers have been arrested.

Activists in the small Persian Gulf island nation have been calling for a “Day of Rage” on 14 February.

0805 GMT: The final results of Southern Sudan's referendum on independence are due to be announced today.

Provisional results showing a large majority in favour of independence for the South are expected to be confirmed.

The vote was largely peaceful, but tension remains high in the border region. At least 50 people were killed over the weekend in fighting between soldiers.

0800 GMT: Al Jazeera English's Ayman Mohyeldin, who was detained for hours yesterday by the military, has written on his Facebook page:

Dear friends, I wanted to thank each and every one of you personally from the bottom of my heart for the overwhelming and heartfelt support you showed over the past 24 hours. My family and I are grateful for your love and support. Please keep those still detained in your hearts and prayers. Now, back to work!! Love Ayman

0635 GMT: Another day of chanting, worship, and celebration in the Protest City of Tahrir Square on Sunday, including a Christian prayer service, a wedding, and a concert.

With the immediate threat of attack from the police or the pro-Mubarak "thugs" removed, the Square and its tents are taking on the appearance of long-term presence. Some, however, are wondering if that will lead to the changes desired by the protesters: one activists commented that Tahrir Square would soon be "the place that tourists visit before going to the Pyramids and Luxor".

That concern was accentuated by the uncertainty surrounding political talks between the regime, led by Vice President Omar Suleiman, and the opposition. Government outlets were soon announcing that agreement had been reached on joint committees, including one for Constitutional reform, free media, and an end to the military emergency. Other signals cames from the opposition side: the Muslim Brotherhood, now acknowledged by the Government for the first time in more than 50 years, said it was not negotiating but only ensuring that the regime heard the opposition point of view; representatives of the Tahrir Square protesters insisted that the immediate departure of President Mubarak remained an essential precondition; and Mohamed ElBaradei, who has been named by opposition parties to present their position, said he had not even invited to the discussions, even though his representative was there. 

Opposition sources later told media, including the BBC's Jon Leyne, that the talks had been limited to two points: constitutional changes and the procedure to implement them. That would fit the regime narrative that President Mubarak has to be replaced in an "orderly" process, involving Parliamentary approval of a replacement and a procedure for elections, rather than stepping down immediately. Given that the Parliament was dissolved last week by Mubarak, the time involved in even these limited steps would let the President enjoying his office desk for more months.

This is the process that the US, for all the confusion surrounding its position, is backing. President Obama used the occasion of American football's Super Bowl for a pre-game interview in which he got back to his Administration's mantra of "orderly transition".

But the opposition, having regrouped after yesterday's "information" and mis-information, is now making clear that there are other demands to meet. Before any agreement can be put forward, the regime must end the State of Emergency and must curb State media's invective against the protesters and their supposed direction by "foreign influences".

On another front of conflict and uncertainty: despite the regime's spin that there was an advance towards free media yesterday, more journalists were taken into detention. The most prominent case was the seizure of Al Jazeera English reporters Ayman Mohyeldin and Sherine Tadros, both of whom were released hours later.