EGYPT

The Egyptian government should be responsive to its people's aspirations, the White House has said in measured but unusually strong comments about the raging anti-government protests in Egypt which forced the reported fleeing of the president’s son to Britain.

Calm returned to the streets of Cairo on Wednesday after demonstrations demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule, as protest leaders asked followers to regroup for a second day of action.

Egypt said on Wednesday it would ban demonstrations and detain protesters, seeking to draw a line under unprecedented protests against President Hosni Mubarak's rule.

The future of the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak hinges on the ability of the country leaders to understand the reasons behind unprecedented protests, a Saudi royal family member said.

Egyptian stocks plunged nearly five percent on Wednesday, the most since May, a day after thousands took to the streets of Cairo and other cities in a protest against President Hosni Mubarak’s government.

Thousands of Egyptians across the nation staged protests on the streets against Hosni Mubarak’s regime demanding political concessions including ending emergency laws, freedom for political activity and a limit on the president’s tenure in office.

Embattled Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's son, who has been widely seen as his successor, has fled the country, according to US-based Arabic website Akhbar al-Arab.

Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's son who is considered as his successor has fled to Britain along with his family, US-based Arabic website Akhbar al-Arab reported.

Twitter said it was blocked in Egypt on Tuesday in view of the protests on Cairo streets which sent the social networking site into an instant information platform with messages coming from all corners.

The rising voice of protest and suicides across North Africa is the start of a popular uprising, Egyptian opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei said.

The protests in Egypt on Tuesday turned violent with at least three people reported to have been killed and tear gas and water cannons used to disperse the crowds who had gathered in central Cairo following the opposition call for a Day of Revolt.

Suzan Mubarak, first lady Egypt, may have just arrived at London's Heathrow airport, according to unconfirmed reports.

Egyptians say the Twitter Web site is blocked on all Internet Service Providers in their country, a representative of Harvard University's Herdict Web monitoring service told Reuters on Tuesday.

Thousands of Egyptians protested against the state on Tuesday in a rare show of strength to mark what online activists said was a Day of Wrath inspired by the revolt that toppled Tunisia's president.

Sundance Film Festival 2011 kick started on January 20. One movie that stands apart for generating high level of curiosity is YouTube's 'Life in a Day'. World awaits the premier on January 27, which will also be available on live stream.

Tunisian police fired shots into the air on Thursday to try to disperse hundreds of protesters demanding that ministers associated with the rule of ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali leave the government.

Facebook's global reach has been the envy of many companies, as about 70 percent of its 500 million users are from outside US and now Facebook has launched an app for feature phones to further bolster its march.

In an effort to prevent the kind of unrest currently engulfing Tunisia, the government of Jordan has unveiled a $230-million economic package to help the nation’s poor by cutting the prices of essential consumer goods and by creating jobs.

Hundreds of protesters demonstrated in the Tunisian capital on Wednesday to demand the dismissal from the new coalition government of ministers associated with ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

Cash-rich EFG-Hermes, Egypt's biggest investment bank, said it was seeking more acquisitions after buying a 65 percent stake in Lebanon's Credit Libanais late last year.

Egyptian Trade Minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid said on Tuesday that Egypt had adequate wheat stocks and had not changed the pace at which it was buying the grain.