Heads Up: Al Jazeera English's Excellent "Egypt Protests" Live Blog For Saturday 01/30/11 Is Up

[Turborama]

Here: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/01/29/live-blog-301-egypt-protests

2:24am Cairo residents say that the military is guarding only certain areas of the city and seen as unable to provide protection for citizens. The army's role is seen as critical.

1:30am Tourists have been warned by many governments to stay away from Egypt, but travelers are not yet being evacuated. Meanwhile, protesters continue to defy the overnight curfew in several Egyptian cities.

1:22am Ayman Mohyeldin tweets: "shift of mood from celebratory 2 tense as night fell & absence of security on streets created problem 4 law & order".

12:45am Tunisia remains unstable, Egypt is on the brink, and pro-Western Arab countries such as Jordan and Yemen remain vulnerable to escalating anti-government protests over high unemployment, rising prices and political repression. View our interactive slideshow from demonstrations across the region -- http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/01/201112920129971160.html">The Domino effect: Pan-Arab unrest.

12:34am Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Doha Center tells Al Jazeera that the outlook is poor for stock markets in the Middle East and elsewhere, as Egypt uncertainty continues. He mentions an over 10 per cent drop in Egypt's index on Thursday and the largest one-day decline in the NYSE for the past six months on Friday.

12:32am Reports say that 19 Egyptian businessmen on private jets arrived in Dubai after leaving Cairo's airport.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/01/29/live-blog-291-egypt-protests">Live blog 1/28 - Egypt Protests

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/spotlight/anger-in-egypt/">Live blog 1/28 - Egypt Protests

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/spotlight/anger-in-egypt/">Visit our special Anger in Egypt coverage page.

http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/">Watch Al Jazeera English broadcasting live from Cairo, Suez and Alexandria.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/01/201112515334871490.html">Read up on a timeline of the past four days of unprecedented protests.

http://english.aljazeera.net/photo_galleries/africa/2011125192646189116.html">View a gallery of photos from the past four days of protests.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/01/201112523026521335.html">Follow staff tweets on the protests from Egypt and Doha.

[RandomThoughts]

1. Dubai is Oligarchy hub.

Expected that when heard about private escort and private jets flying a group out.

[Turborama]

4. I expected that's where they'd be heading, too

Either there or Saudi Arabia.

It's a foregone conclusion, these days.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. It's been fascinating reading

hasn't it?

[Turborama]

3. It sure has, especially when followed in conjunction with the live TV

The place to go to get the full picture as it unravels.

:hi:

[Turborama]

5. Twitter is abuzz with reaction to a comedic spoof of the Egypt crisis on SNL

The social networking site Twitter is abuzz with reaction to a comedic spoof of the Egypt crisis on the US sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL).

SNL comedian Fred Armisen http://www.mediaite.com/tv/egyptian-president-hosni-mubarak-explains-himself-on-snls-weekend-update/">impersonates Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's president, saying:

"(My people) love me. They are upset because the internet is down.

"I'm willing to take the following steps to show I'm willing to change. Number 1: I'm firing my cabinet. Number 2, I'm hiring a new cabinet, made up of members of my fired cabinet."

Twitter user http://twitter.com/FR_INC">FR_INC‎ writes: "Egypt still too much of an open wound to be satirizing with a Mubarak impersonator on SNL, no?"

But user http://twitter.com/LizzieCady">LizzieCady‎ disagrees, tweeting: "No, making fun of #Mubarak on SNL was not "too soon"--Americans need to know what an idiot he is."

[Turborama]

6. Al Jazeera issues a statement denouncing the closure of its bureau in Cairo.

"The Al Jazeera Network strongly denounces and condemns the closure of its bureau in Cairo by the Egyptian government. The Network received notification from the Egyptian authorities this morning.

Al Jazeera has received widespread global acclaim for their coverage on the ground across the length and breadth of Egypt.

An Al Jazeera spokesman said that they would continue their strong coverage regardless:

"Al Jazeera sees this as an act designed to stifle and repress the freedom of reporting by the network and its journalists. In this time of deep turmoil and unrest in Egyptian society it is imperative that voices from all sides be heard; the closing of our bureau by the Egyptian government is aimed at censoring and silencing the voices of the Egyptian people.

"Al Jazeera assures its audiences in Egypt and across the world that it will continue its in-depth and comprehensive reporting on the events unfolding in Egypt. Al Jazeera journalists have brought unparalleled reporting from the ground from across Egypt in the face of great danger and extraordinary circumstances. Al Jazeera Network is appalled at this latest attack by the Egyptian regime to strike at its freedom to report independently on the unprecedented events in Egypt."