#Jan25-Thursday: Major Updates

• The Egyptian stock exchange was reopened after being suspended earlier this morning due to the losses and the withdrawal. The Egyptian businessmen before the foreign businessmen are trying to get their money as soon as possible to flee the country.
• The foreign investors are selling the governmental bonds.
• The Egyptian pound is continue to fall.
• Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei will return to Cairo at 7PM CLT and he will have a press conference at the airport. The Egyptian opposition leader is saying that it is time for Mubarak to leave.
• There is a news that there is some kind of labor protest in Helwan governorate , Helwan district has got many factories and labor population that has been suffering from long time.
• There is a protest formed in Abassiya.
• Last night “26/1” there were clashes in Cairo , protesters again had marches near the ministry of foreign affairs where they clashed with the security forces. The gate of the ministry of foreign affairs was reportedly smashed. One CSF and one protesters were reportedly killed.
• There is a lot of anticipation considering tomorrow , there is a rumor that the security forces will close the mosques down town.

• Pope Shnouda III is calling the Egyptian Christians not to participate in the protests  but I feel based on  my observation that his call may not find an appeal , there is a lot of hope and the Egyptian Christians are not less patriotic than Egyptian Muslims.The pope called the people to calm down only , he did not ask directly for anything 
• Barclays Bank Egypt has transferred its Down town branch to other branches due to the unstable situation Down town Cairo. Other banks in the area gave orders to its employees to leave earlier if they do not have anything to do.
• There is a news that people are trying to organize a silent protest in front of the ministry of telecommunication at the Smart village “6th of October governorate”. People have received SMS calling them for a silent protest.
• 200 detainees “mostly arrested from Tuesday protest” have been released today among them Egyptian journalist Mohamed Abdel Kudous from The Jabal Al Ahamr CSF camp. We already knew that 10 journalists  threatened to start food strike yesterday if the protesters would not released.
• 149 protesters are facing up to 25 years in jail
• The MOI is insisting that it only arrested 500 protesters while activists are speaking of thousands
• Gamal Mubarak is to be in the country and is having a meeting with the NDP members where as the Daily Mail is repeating the claims or the rumors that he arrived to London with his family along with 100 Piece of luggage. We will see if he is Cairo or London still it was good to see that most if not all of the comments in DM do not welcome him there.
• Israeli Debka claims that minister of defense is  in the States asking for help , of course the report is a bit hysterical .it is worth to mention that general Sami El-Anan , our chief of staff is already there in an official visit.
• The NDP will have a press conference today.
• There are currently two protests in Alexandria , a big one in Asfara and a small one in Bakkous
• 3 prosecution offices have released 166 detainees 
• Magdy Hussein was released today at last. 
• HSBC withdrew all the cash from its ATMs all over Cairo. " Unconfirmed yet" 

Update : 

• Dr. ElBaradei has returned back to Egypt and hold a small press conference despite the security harassment to the media at the airport. He believes Egypt has reached the point of no return 

• Here is a clip from a quick interview with him at Vienna "dubbed in Arabic from Al Jazeera" 

• Elbaradei will pray at Istqama Mosque in Giza square tomorrow insh Allah. 
• The ruling party held a meeting and press conference earlier today, I believe they only held it to make the world see Gamal Mubarak in Cairo !! 
• According to CNN correspondent Ben Wedeman Gamal Mubarak did not speak to any and the NDPians looked nervous. 
• Safwat Al Sherif spoke at the press , there was fear in his voice and his body language was enough to reflect that fear
• The NDP is still living  in lala land. 
• There are a lot of rumors about ministerial reshuffle and the appointment of some military man as vice president. 
• Dr. ElBaradei wrote this in Newsweek 
• New set of rumors : a meeting in Sharm since yesterday that Mubarak will resign from NDP , will not run for the elections , Gamal will not run either and disbanding the parties committee.

The story is developing by the minute as usual

Technorati Tags: #January 25th,Democracy,Citizen journalism,Economy,Egypt,ElBaradei,National,Politics,Gamal Mubarak,NDP,Helwan,Cairo,Alexandria,6th of October