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Protests in Egypt Continue; China Shows Concern; The Human Cost

Aired January 31, 2011 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ANNA COREN, ANCHOR: Welcome to NEWS STREAM, where news and technology meet.

Hello. I'm Anna Coren, in Hong Kong.

Well, not backing down. Demonstrators in Egypt refuse to give ground as anti-government anger spills into a seventh day.

Charter flights are en route to Egypt as governments try to evacuate their trapped citizens.

And a show of solidarity. It calls for democracy echoed around the world.

Well, Cairo has called for a curfew to begin this hour, but such measures have done little in recent days to deter protesters across the country. This was the scene in Tahrir Square on Sunday, and demonstrators show no sign of letting up. Just take a look.

At least 1,000 people gathered in the area earlier Monday and vow to stay there until President Hosni Mubarak leaves. The protesters say they're organizing a so-called "Million Man March" for Tuesday.

Well, the protests stretch from Cairo, east to Suez, and north to the port city of Alexandria, where there have been new developments.

Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson joins us on the line from Alexandria.

Nice, what's going on?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anna, in the last 20 minutes or so, as a crowd of about 2,000 people, 2,000 to 3,000 people, were marching through the center of the city, continuing their protests to overthrow President Mubarak, an army armored personnel carrier raced through one of the city's squares, firing its heavy .50 caliber machinegun, not apparently directly at protesters, but clearly to intimidate them. A group had gathered near one of the city's main hotels, and this was -- it appeared to be an effort to chase those protesters away.

This is something that we haven't seen happen before. We have not seen the army race through the streets, firing its heavy machineguns to move protesters away. We've seen them stand -- we've seen them at the roadside guarding government buildings. But now one army armored personnel carrier is outside that hotel in the central square.

But it does seem to be an indication that the army is prepared to take preventative measures to chase protesters away from buildings in the city. We haven't seen action by the army like this so far -- Anna.

COREN: Nic, as you say, we have not seen this. If anything, the army has been very friendly with protesters, and vice versa.

Do you think this says that there's a bit of a shift going on in how to deal with the demonstrators?

ROBERTSON: I think the army is becoming more entrenched and more comfortable with their position. They're not used to being on the streets and doing crowd control, or defending government buildings in this way. That's not what the army was created for. The police were designed to do that, and of course they're not on the streets.

So I think what we're seeing, as the army become more confident and comfortable in their position, that they realize that the protesters are not going to turn on them as they turned on the police. But it also appears that as they become more confident, they're also willing to take more actions that could be seen as provocative.

A lot of protesters here have been wondering and telling us, is the army on our side, or are they on President Mubarak's side? And that's a question they raise because they say where's the army in the evenings, in our neighborhoods, when we need protection? So it is scenes like the incident we've just witnessed that are going to inform the protesters about the mood and the attitude of the army, and if it comes to another situation like this, we may see the protesters respond in a different way. But the situation right now, after that incident, does appear to be calming down -- Anna.

COREN: Nic Robertson, in Alexandria.

Thank you.

Well, state-run media reports that police are to start returning to the streets. Well, they virtually disappeared over the weekend amid criticism over their harsh response to the protests.

Well, Ivan Watson joins us now from Cairo, where he's keeping an eye on Tahrir Square.

Ivan, what's taking place where you are?

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we have is a swelling demonstration here, more people than there were yesterday, and more people than there were on Saturday in the square. And perhaps we'll pan around and can show you the thousands of people that have gathered here.

And this demonstration has been peaceful. There are still tanks around the area, setting up a perimeter here, with people still calling for the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Now, if you move through the streets and the blocks around here, you see that the troop presence, the military presence, has dramatically increased throughout the Egyptian capital. And we drove all the way to the Great Pyramids of Giza, where we saw a number of tanks and armored personnel carriers, and scores of troops stationed there, protecting that area.

There are a number of soldiers also in front of government buildings, in front of telecommunications buildings, in front of the parliament as well. And we also see throughout the city the self-appointed self-defense groups that are defending streets and businesses. And now the curfew is supposed to begin at 3:00. We saw these young men taking their positions, beginning to assume those positions with their batons, with their makeshift weapons.

Most of the businesses in town, I would estimate, were closed right now. And before the curfew started going into effect, we saw people lining up at grocery stores, at small markets, to pick up necessary products. We also saw lines in front of bakeries. And in one case, the military distributing free bread to some of the people here right off of Tahrir Square in the center of the city.

And we've also seen signs of some of the looting that has hit the Egyptian capital in the days prior to today, a number of hotels and casinos near that neighborhood of Giza which had been attacked in the first days of now the seventh days of demonstrations here in Cairo.

Back to you.

COREN: Ivan, as you said, that curfew has now been in place for almost 10 minutes. But as we can see behind you, there are thousands of demonstrators.

Would you say that there is a feeling that change could be imminent?

WATSON: Well, certainly the mentality, I would argue. This is what many Egyptians are telling me, that they don't feel afraid anymore.

One Egyptian saying yesterday, "We have woken up after 30 years of sleep." And that's a pretty fundamental change you're seeing.

Another point and observation, numbers of traffic police at some key intersections on their motorcycles, maintaining a watch there. I would have perhaps estimated having 15 or 16 in all in a two-hour drive around the city, and that's something that I have not seen before.

And these people insisting that they will not back down. They're going to continue to maintain the demonstrations, even though many of these people - - and this is very important to point out -- are staying up at night protecting their own neighborhoods, getting very little sleep, perhaps two hours of sleep at night. The men protecting their neighborhoods and then coming to places like this to voice their opposition to the regime of Hosni Mubarak.

COREN: Ivan Watson, in Tahrir Square, Cairo.

Thank you.

Well, so far, the protesters have not been satisfied by the president's sacking of these old ministers. Well, new officials are now being named to the cabinet.

Mr. Mubarak has already urged them to work with all political parties. A television news anchor read a copy of the president's words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): "We strongly ask your government to stand against anyone committing any form of corruption. In addition to that, I stress the necessity to continue with a fair, serious, and effective new steps for more political, constitutional and legislative reforms that can be achieved through a wide range of dialogue with all the party in a way to achieve the democratic process."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Well, that order for democratic reform was directed at this man. The newly-appointed prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, is a former air force commander, an aviation minister.

Well, Egypt's new vice president also has a military background. Omar Suleiman was the country's powerful intelligence chief. He's credited with crushing an Islamic insurgency in the 1990s.

But many protesters are rallying around Mohamed ElBaradei. Well, he's a leading opposition figure. And as you can see there, ElBaradei led the nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, into late 2009.

Well, ElBaradei says he has a mandate from the people, organizing demonstrations to agree on a national unity government. He also spoke with CNN's Fareed Zakaria about President Mubarak's attempt to cling to power.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMED ELBARADEI, OPPOSITION LEADER: I think this is a hopeless, desperate attempt by Mubarak to stay in power. I think it is loud and clear from everybody in Egypt that Mubarak has to leave today. And this is non-negotiable for every Egyptian.

People have been saying or demonstrating for him to leave. Today, the demonstration is that he should be put to trial. If he wants to save his skin, if he has an iota of patriotism, I would advise him to leave today and save the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Well, some protesters see ElBaradei as a possible future leader of Egypt, but others are critical, saying he's more interested in talking to the media than to the Egyptian people.

Well, CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom has been watching social media in Egypt and joins us now live.

Mohammed, what have you been seeing online?

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anna, it's interesting.

As of yesterday, after ElBaradei went to Tahrir Square, there was a lot of mixed reaction. Some people supporting him, some people saying he hadn't been in Egypt long enough and he was kind of late to this movement. But let's show you what topics are trending right now. It's interesting to see.

This is a trends map from all the topics that are popular on Twitter right now out of Cairo. And if you look at some of the topics down here, you see Tahrir is still there, Mubarak, at CNN. But we're not seeing ElBaradei the way we were yesterday. He's dropped off quite a bit.

Let's look at some of the other tweets that we're seeing from people purporting to be in Egypt right now.

Here's one: "If Mubarak cares about Egypt and its stability, he should leave. Leave."

Here's another one: "The people in Tahrir only want one thing, and they are focused about it. They want the president out! Saw signs in all languages."

Here's another one: "I believe this is a revolutionary moment but not quite a revolution. Tomorrow's 'Million Man March' could be tipping point."

Lots of tweets about this proposed "Million Man March" tomorrow.

And let's look at something else that's being done on Twitter to try to help on Egypt. Now, this is from somebody outside of Egypt, but there's a Google document -- this is being re-tweeted a lot -- for missing persons in Egypt.

Now, a lot of people are saying, "Update it if you know." And if we actually look at the document here -- this is from Google -- this is a spreadsheet that's been done. You see people that are missing in Cairo.

One of the people that's missing, Wael Ghonim. Now, he is an employee for Google in the Middle East, has a Twitter account, last tweeted on January 27th. A lot of concern for him basically on Twitter and on the blogosphere out of Egypt right now. People are wondering where he is, concerned about his safety.

We've reached out to Google to try to find out more. Have not been able to reach them at this point -- Anna.

COREN: All right. Mohammed Jamjoom, we appreciate that. Thank you.

Well, China's netizens may be having a bit of trouble following the unrest in Egypt. Beijing says it's paying close attention to developments there, but it is blocking some online discussions.

Eunice Yoon reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EUNICE YOON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Eunice Yoon, in Beijing.

Here in China, the unrest in Egypt is front-page news. The papers are covering the public anger and the street protests. However, there are signs that the government here is sensitive about the cause for political change in Egypt and the impact that those calls could have on the way the Chinese view their own authoritarian government.

On the Internet, the word "Egypt" in Chinese is being blocked on Twitter- like micro-blogging services. The Internet censors haven't deleted the debate altogether, however these moves do show that the Chinese leadership is concerned about the potential for similar calls for change in China.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Eunice Yoon reporting there.

Well, you can find more about the uprising in Egypt on our Web site. Just head to CNN.com/international. You'll find pictures of the latest protests, interviews, including CNN's one-on-one with leading opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei, and a look at what could happen next.

Again, that's all at CNN.com/international.

Well, still to come on NEWS STREAM, all the latest on the unrest in Egypt. And we'll tell you how neighboring Israel has been reacting to events across the border.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: We're now about 15 minutes into an Egypt-wide curfew, but anti- government protesters are holding fast in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Well, these were the scenes earlier on Monday, as Egyptians camped out in public. Over the weekend, the protesters' voices were loud and clear.

(CHANTING)

COREN: Well, despite the curfew, some protesters are refusing to leave central Cairo until President Mubarak leaves government.

Well, the human cost of the protest is mounting. Scores have already been killed in gun violence on the streets, and one human rights worker says hospitals are struggling to cope with the sheer volume of injuries.

Heba Morayef of Human Rights Watch joins me on the phone from Cairo.

Heba, tell us, what have you witnessed?

HEBA MORAYEF, RESEARCHER, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Well, I'm at Tahrir Square right now, and there's still huge turnouts of people today, for the seventh day running. Slightly less than yesterday, I have to say, but the chants are still going strong.

Reports of insecurity overnight in different neighborhoods, shootings, the hospital still overflowing with wounded. But when you come into the square, this is really the safest places in Cairo, and also one of the happiest because spirits are still high.

COREN: Heba, tell us, where does the death toll stand as far as Human Rights Watch is concerned?

MORAYEF: We're still trying to confirm overall numbers. So far, we've confirmed at least 120 dead.

By going into different hospitals -- and access is quite difficult in some places -- we've managed to also visit a couple of the morgues attached to hospitals. We believe the death toll may also rise, because -- and there are dozens of other people who were injured critically by live gunfire on Friday and Saturday, who are also being treated in the hospitals. And the hospitals are quite overwhelmed, because they're not used to being with this level of gunshot wounds.

COREN: Heba, you mentioned injuries by gunshot wounds, but what about other injuries? What are doctors saying?

MORAYEF: Some people have been hospitalized because of tear gas inhalation. There are also several cases of people who had been beaten. But that was mostly on Friday.

Post-Friday, it was mostly from -- and some who had been injured by rubber bullets as well because they were too close. But since then, it's been mostly live gunfire for the injuries.

COREN: Heba, you mentioned that doctors are overwhelmed. Are they getting the necessary supplies they need to treat these people?

MORAYEF: There have been a lot of private (ph) initiatives, people going around the hospitals, making lists of the supplies that they need, and try to find them. It's another expression of the kind of solidarity that we've seen in different areas of the city, with neighborhood patrols protecting people's property, but also at the demos themselves. You know, people handing out food and water and really taking care of each other.

So that's also expressed itself in terms of trying to help the wounded and supply the hospitals with whatever they need.

COREN: Heba Morayef, from Human Rights Watch in Cairo.

We appreciate that update. Thank you.

Well, the events unfolding in Egypt could have strong ramifications for neighboring Israel. We asked Eli Shaked, Israeli ambassador to Egypt, how things would play out if a group such as the Muslim Brotherhood eventually came to power.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELI SHAKED, FMR. ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO EGYPT: I don't think that if the Muslim Brothers come to power, Israel immediately mobilizes its tank to Sinai. No. It will be up to the Muslim Brothers. If they probably wish to cut relations with Israel, it will be at the top of their priority, they will cut relations with Israel, we will have to absorb it, and to what extent they act.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Well, Israel's press has been reacting to events in Egypt. This was the headline in Sunday's "Jerusalem Post," "How the Egyptian revolution debunks the Israel-is-the-cause of-Mideast-instability myth." Well, the columnist writes, "From an Israeli perspective, one of the most striking elements of the evolving revolution in Egypt, Tunisia and other parts of the Arab world is the degree to which all of this is not about us."

Well, let's get more on the potential impact on Israel. Kevin Flower joins me live from CNN's Jerusalem bureau.

And Kevin, Israelis would have to be very concerned about what's taking place right now in Egypt.

KEVIN FLOWER, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: I think that would be an understatement, Anna. They are watching the events in Egypt with great anxiety.

Now, we spoke to an Israeli government official earlier today, and we asked him whether the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had any conversations with any Egyptian official, specifically Hosni Mubarak. They would not confirm whether that conversation had taken place, but they did say that there were contacts at various levels talking about the situation.

So there are various concerns here. One is security. The other is, what sort of impact does this have on the peace process, that stalled peace process with the Palestinians? And that's something we spoke to with earlier -- we spoke on that issue with Tony Blair, who is the Quartet's special Middle East envoy.

This is what he had to say about the impact --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, FMR. BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Well, of course I'm worried about the impact on the peace process. And you'd have to be strange not to be.

I mean, look, we're in a situation where, yes, President Mubarak has been a very strong partner in this. So, you know, people like myself have worked very closely with him over a period of time. He's also been emphatically against extremists trying to abuse this process.

Now, actually, you say it's on life support. Well, we're trying to restart direct negotiations. Actually, there's been a lot of change produced by the Palestinian Authority on the West Bank. A lot more needs to happen.

We've got the first opening up of Gaza. That, again, needs to be taken a lot further.

So we need to make sure that whatever comes out of Egypt does not end up destabilizing the progress that's been made.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLOWER: So, Tony Blair mentioned Gaza there, and that is one area of specific and immediate concern for the Israeli government, is what happens in Gaza. The Israeli military says it is preparing for the possibility of an increase in the smuggling of weapons into the Gaza Strip, so that is something being watched extremely closely as a short-term consequences to the chaos taking place right now in Egypt -- Anna.

COREN: Kevin Flower, in Jerusalem.

Thank you for that Israeli perspective.

Well, coming up, we'll have more on the unrest in Egypt as protests against President Mubarak continue into a seventh day.

And we'll be in Japan, where the danger zone around a giant volcano is being extended.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Welcome back.

Well, let me update you on events in Egypt.

The anti-government protests in the North African country enter their second week. Demonstrators in Cairo and Alexandria are planning what they're calling a "Million Man March" on Tuesday. A curfew is currently under way, but some Egyptians are choosing to ignore it in a show of defiance.

And our Nic Robertson just reported from Alexandria that an armored personnel carrier fired not directly at protesters, but to scare them in that northern city.

CNN will keep you updated with all the developments in this ongoing story with correspondents not just in Egypt, but around the world.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COREN: Well, still to come on NEWS STREAM, we'll be looking at an Egyptian exodus, as thousands of tourists aim to leave the country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Welcome back. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. And you're watching NEWS STREAM. These are your world headlines.

A short time ago an Egyptian armored personnel carrier tried to chase away protesters in Alexandria. It's the first time we've seen the army move against the demonstrators who have been on the streets for seven days now. They are calling for President Hosni Mubarak to step down.

Protesters are also out in Cairo's Tahrir Square. And activists say they are also planning a so-called million man march for Tuesday. Foreign governments, including the U.S. and Canada, are setting up chartered flights to get their citizens out of the chaos.

Africa's largest country Sudan is one step closer to being split in two. Preliminary results from the recent referendum to nearly 99 percent of southern Sudanese have voted to separate from the north. If the vote is validated, the south will become a new country in July.

And in Southeast Asia Myanmar has convened its first parliament in more than two decades, setting the stage for the selection of a new president. Top general Than Shwe has been in charge for nearly 20 years. Elections were held in November, but critics say they were aimed at creating a facade of democracy.

Well now in times of chaos we sometimes see images whose contrast is stark and that is the case today. Well, look at these pictures from Nile TV, the state's television of Egypt. We'll see the orderly transition of government as President Mubarak swears in the new cabinet. Watching these pictures, you might think that all was calm in Egypt. Well contrast that with the images on the right, pictures of massive protests on the street. Thousands have turned out to protest the very government that's being sworn in.

The situation in Egypt is giving a lot of governments concern for the safety of their citizens. The U.S. plans to begin flying thousands of Americans out of Egypt today and it's not alone: Turkey has reportedly sent two planes to bring home its nationals and Australia has chartered a plane to fly tourists from Cairo to Europe on Wednesday. And in the last couple of hours, we've heard that Canada, Thailand and Israel have announced plans to fly their citizens out of Egypt.

Other countries have issued travel warnings, including Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia. And the American embassy in Egypt has been closed indefinitely. A spokesman says it will still offer round the clock emergency assistance.

So have those evacuations started yet? Well, Fredrik Pleitgen is in Cairo and joins us now. Fred, are people getting out?

FREDRIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, some people are trying to get out. It's very difficult at this point in time. What we're hearing, especially from Cairo Airport, is that the terminal there is absolutely packed with people trying to get out. We have one story from one person that we talked to who sent actually just his wife and children there to try and get out. They waited in the terminal for 36 hours and didn't manage to get a flight out. So it's very, very difficult. The terminals are packed.

Part of that, Anna, is also due to a backlog of flights simply because there aren't any flights going in the evening because we have a curfew here in place in the afternoon so there's no buses even going to the terminal area. And of course also the employees at the airport can't get back and forth from the airport after those hours. So right now it's very, very difficult to get flights out.

The alternative, of course, is those charter flights that some embassies, most notably the U.S. embassy, are offering. Those also it can take a very, very long time to actually get on one of those. And one of the things that the U.S. embassy is actually advising people who want to go to the airport and try and make their way do is take enough food and water there, because you might be in for a very, very long wait, Anna.

COREN: Yeah, Fred, how are those stranded passengers holding up -- those ones that won't be going on those charter flights home?

PLEITGEN: Well, it's very difficult. I mean, a lot of people have spent several days on those terminals. We spoke to one man who was actually from Canada who said that he'd gone there. He'd waited the whole day. He camped out all night. He had to then go back here into Cairo and get a hotel room for a night, had to go back then to the airport to try and get a flight.

For a lot of these people, I mean, it's back and forth, a lot of time spent on the floors of the airport terminal. So it certainly isn't a very nice situation for a lot of people. And other people haven't even managed to get to the airport simply because it's so difficult. We were there yesterday trying to get into the airport area and there was a massive traffic jam in front of the airport of people trying to get, trying to get past checkpoints. So it takes several hours just to get even into the perimeter of the airport area. So yeah, at this point in time, it is very difficult.

And I've also spoken to some tourists here in Cairo who say at this point in time they'd rather stay here in the city in hotel rooms than go through that ordeal of trying to get out as fast as they can, Anna.

COREN: Fred Pleitgen in Cairo. Thank you.

Well, developments in Egypt have been closely followed in the White House. Well here you see President Obama on the phone to his Egyptian counterpart on Friday.

Well, U.S. military has invested a lot of money in equipping President Mubarak's regime and many feel it should extend its influence to watching how Egypt uses its arms.

Well, let's get more on this thorny issue. CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins me live from Washington. Barbara, if there is a change of leadership in Egypt how will this affect the relationship with the U.S. military?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well you know, Anna, the hope is that it will be a stable one that it will continue to be a stable relationship. Clearly, one of the emerging concerns is if Mubarak government were to fall that some sort of Islamic elements would take over in Egypt and that would be a huge concern. The U.S. has equipped Egypt with billions of dollars in weapons over the years and they want to see the Egyptian military continue to be what it has been which is largely a force of security and stability in Egypt. As much as the people in Egypt revile the police services, they do respect the military and they are seen as a stable force if they don't overreact on the streets -- Anna.

COREN: Barbara, Egypt has been a key ally of the United States especially in the Middle East. I guess that this could all change, couldn't it, depending on who comes into power?

STARR: Well, it could. And that continues to be one of the concerns still behind the scenes. Defense Secretary Robert Gates here at the Pentagon, Admiral Mike Mullen chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, have been calling their Egyptian counterparts over the weekend talking to them, saying you know -- continue to look for stability, to look for security.

But let me also point out this whole issue that Fred was talking about of evacuating citizens out of Egypt, the U.S. military will move in if asked - - only if asked by the State Department and the White House to assist Americans in getting out of Egypt. U.S. Defense official has given us a statement saying the following: he says, quote, "the U.S. is prepared to conduct non-combatant evacuations if necessary, although at this time it appears there's no violence directed against U.S. personnel. National authorities, the U.S. European Command, the U.S. Central Command are all reviewing options to be prepared to respond if there are threats against U.S. citizens." So Anna, that is one of the crucial trip wires for the U.S. right now: if this violence on the street becomes directed against Americans, against U.S. citizens, that could be the trip wire for the U.S. military to get a request from the State Department, move in and try and get Americans out even faster -- Anna.

COREN: Barbara, as you say, the U.S. is pushing for a peaceful transition to democracy, but there are reports that the United States is actually distancing itself from Egypt and from President Hosni Mubarak. What are you hearing?

STARR: Well, that would be a very delicate diplomatic dance, if you will. And that's one of the reason the U.S.'s military certainly keeping this sort of very low profile, really reluctant to talk about all of this, but yet having those calls behind the scenes with key Egyptian military and security officials trying to keep these lines of communication open, because, of course, the U.S. has sold and given Egypt billions of dollars in military assistance over the last couple of decades. U.S. planes, tanks, armored vehicles, weapons, missiles, all kinds of gear, all of that is for the Egyptian military for the self-defense of the country, not for the Egyptian military to be on the streets of course conducting operations against its own people.

So this very delicate dance emerging and the U.S. behind the scenes really focusing on the Egyptian military at this point as one of the key levers for some kind of stability and secure transition if it comes to that -- Anna.

COREN: Barbara Starr in Washington, as always we appreciate your analysis. Thank you.

Well, throughout the unrest in Egypt, you've been sending us photos and videos of protests around the world. Well coming up, we'll take a look at eye reports from as far away as Helsinki and Stockholm, and one from Egypt. One man's late night taxi journey across Cairo and his encounters with vigilante groups on every corner.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Well, take a look at this, a protester holds the Egyptian flag aloft with the slogan "it's better to die for something than to live for nothing."

Well this was a saying in Cairo's Tahrir Square earlier this morning, the seventh day of protests where Egyptian urged President Mubarak to stand down. You're watching what's going on across Egypt and the Middle East. And we'll keep you up to date with any developments as they happen.

Well meanwhile, leading opposition figure Mohammed ElBaradei joined protesters Sunday and told them that he believes he has a mandate for change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMED ELBARADEI (through translator): I came today to participate in the lives of Egyptians. Today I look into the eyes of each one of you and everyone is different today. Today you are an Egyptian demanding your rights and freedom and what we started can never be pushed back. As we said, we have one main demand, the end of the regime and to start a new phase.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Well, the anti-Mubarak demonstrations are gathering momentum not only in Egypt, but in other nations as well. As Rosemary Church reports, people across the globe are hitting the streets to show solidarity with Egyptian protesters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTENTIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We have seen rallies worldwide in support of Egyptian protesters, many of them organized on this Facebook page. And our CNN eye reporters have been sending images of the events over the last few days.

This was the scene in Finland's capital where demonstrators gathered in the cold to demand President Mubarak step down. A similar scene at the Egyptian embassy in Sweden where our eye reports estimates 300 protesters turned out. And at the U.N. high commission for human rights in Geneva, chants of Arabic slogans including Mubarak, this is your last day.

Other eye reports coming in from London where protesters chanted Mubarak out of our country. And here is a scene at the Egyptian embassy in Washington, D.C. as well as rallies in other U.S. cities including Boston, Orlando, Florida and in New York.

So around the world, we are seeing people showing their support for protesters on the streets of Egypt.

I'm Rosemary Church, back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Well, now we want to show you another eye report that really stood out, a tourist managed to take several videos from his hotel in Cairo and a taxi ride through the city. We spoke to him a little earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had to wait, actually, almost two hour I had to wait to get a taxi, because there are no taxis either at the hotel itself or regular taxis on the street because of the curfew.

The time we were stopped first by a group of about 10 or so youths who had weapons and so forth. And they had made a barricade. It was a side street. We had to wait to take that. We didn't go on the main road, because it was blocked off by the tanks. And so we were going through a neighborhood. And they basically were asking -- I mean, it was in Arabic. They were asking our taxi driver some questions. I found out later they were just checking, you know, where he was going, where he was coming from and what he was doing. And they checked the car and so-forth. They were vigilantes just protecting their neighborhood and so-on.

But as we passed through there, we stopped pretty much every 20, 30 meters and there another group of vigilantes. So it's like every corner so to speak.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Well, the protesters in Egypt drew inspiration from Tunisia. People have also been on the streets in Yemen, Jordan and other nations in the Arab world. Now CNN correspondent Nima Elbagir who knows the region well joins us now.

Nima, it seems that these protesters have lit a fuse. Do you think that Sudan could go the same way as Egypt and Tunisia?

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well yesterday in Sudan we received reports of mass demonstrations across four or five of the major cities in the country. And we're now receiving unconfirmed reports that the -- what their calling the student uprising in Khartoum has its first, as they refer to him, martyr. Mohammed el-Rahmann (ph) who was apparently about to be buried in Khartoum today and the students are saying that this is only adding to their momentum, that if Egypt and Tunisia can do it, then so can we.

What all of these regimes have in common is several decades of rule by strong man whose families are seen to have benefited in ways that the rest of the populace in these dire economic times is not benefiting.

COREN: Nima, as we have seen both Egypt and Tunisia have been instigated by the youth. From spending time in the region, how angry are the young people of Sudan?

ELBAGIR: Well, there's huge unemployment. And there is a sense that the Sudanese government at the moment is incredibly vulnerable. They -- people in Sudan are aware that the government is not happy about the fact that the south has voted to secede, that they have tried their best to make sure that the south doesn't split away and take with it 75 percent of Sudan's oil revenue. And so I think they feel that this is a time at which the regime is most vulnerable, this is the time to strike.

We also saw at the beginning of this month in Sudan a 50 percent rise in commodities overnight. And that's usually what gets people out into the street. The wave of popular uprisings in the Arab world in the 60's, that was propelled by mass unemployment and dire economic straits as well, Anna.

COREN: OK. Nima Elbagir in London. Thank you for that.

Well, don't forget, we want to hear from you. If you're away from your television, you can follow events as they unfold in Egypt and keep track of all the stories we're covering 24 hours a day on our web site. Just go to cnn.com/international for detailed reports, galleries and to see video.

Well the family feud over the estate of ailing Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho has taken yet another twist. We'll Ho accuses his relatives of trying to steal his empire. And today his lawyer made this video public at a press conference appearing to show Ho telling his lawyer, quote, "it was robbery. They forced me to sign."

Well, that came after several of his children issued a statement today saying their father had dropped a lawsuit against them. But on the same day that the 89-year-old was taken to a Hong Kong hospital, Ho's lawyer rejected that claim.

Well, it's that time of the year when European clubs must decide spend big and aim high or save the pennies and hope for the best. We'll bring you the latest from the final day of the football transfer window. That's coming up.

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COREN: Welcome back. Time to take a look at the sports headlines. And Tiger Woods went hunting for his first title in over a year this past weekend, but Pedro Pinto who is standing by in London now tells us he came up short -- Pedro.

PEDRO PINTO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: He did indeed, Anna. All the talk surrounding this past weekend's Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines was about Tiger Woods, and it's understandable considering he was playing in his first tournament of the season, but when the title was on the line the, the former world number one was nowhere to be seen. He actually finished in the tie for 44th place after carding a disappointing 75 on Sunday. Tiger really struggled in the final round, and any hopes he had of winning the trophy quickly disappeared.

It all came down to a battle between Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson. Lefty had his touch on the greens as he shows us here. He was in and out of the lead all day. That eagle was a fantastic put. This shot would have tied him for the lead, but it just lipped out. So Mickelson would have to be content for second place, because Bubba Watson had his A game going on the day, carded a 67 on Sunday to finish one stroke ahead of Mickelson and claim his second career title.

We stay in the United States and the NBA. The Lakers hosted the Celtics in a rematch of last year's final. And it would be Boston coming out on top. Paul Pierce was their star man. He had 32 points. And although Kobe Bryant still 41 for the Lakers, he just didn't get enough support and the Celtics sealed a big win in Los Angeles. Ray Allen put the last nail in the coffin. He had 21 points. Celtics winning 109-96.

So two big stories out of the States on this Monday, Anna.

COREN: Pedro, just before you go, I understand that the European football transfer window closes Monday. How much money has been changing hands this time around?

PINTO: Well, there's a little over 10 hours left for the transfer window to close in January. And right now, you know, it's so difficult to get an impression of what's fact and what's fiction when it comes to offers for players. I will tell you about the possible transfer that is making the headlines here in Europe all across the continent, not only in England, but it concerns Fernando Torres. And he handed in a transfer request at Liverpool last week. Chelsea are apparently trying to negotiate the deal to bring him to the English capital, but Liverpool are holding out for $79 million.

We've heard all kinds of talk about this happening, not happening. We're really doing a little bit of stand-by on this, because we don't be responsible and report anything that hasn't happened.

We're having a look here at three traditional big spenders that really haven't spent much at all in January. Chelsea, no money spent. That will of course change if they get Fernando Torres. Real Madrid, a lot of football fans will remember they spent over $200 million on just two players about a year-and-a-half ago when they brought in Kaka and Christiano Ronaldo. Yeah, that's not going to happen right now. They only got in Emmanuel Adebayor on a loan from Manchester City even though Jose Mourinho said repeatedly he needed a new striker. So they've tightened the purse strings.

What about AC Milan? With Silvio Berlusconi, they really accustomed their supporters to buying some of the top talent around, this transfer window also not happening. I think the theme here, Anna, is that some of these big clubs just don't have the money they used to have. And what we are seeing is clubs with owners that have an independent fortune such at Manchester City, such as Aston Villa, they have really been spending the money. A lot of the big institutions, they just don't have it right now.

COREN: Yeah, well Pedro, as you say 10 hours to go. We'll be watching -- more specifically, you'll be watching. All right. Thank you for that.

Well, Hollywood has been raising a glass to its best and brightest talent. The Screen Actors Guild Awards are the latest industry event ahead of the Oscars next month. Well, Colin Firth took home the best actor award for his role in The King's Speech. The film also won best movie ensemble. Natalie Portman won for her role in Black Swan. Both Portman and Firth took home Golden Globes two weeks ago.

The one movie that went away empty handed was Oscar front-runner The Social Network. The Facebook film had been nominated in the ensemble and best leading male categories.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSE EISENBERG, ACTOR: No, I need the algorithm used to rank chess players.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you OK?

EISENBERG: We're ranking girls.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You mean, other students.

EISENBERG: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think this is such a good idea?

EISENBERG: I need the algorithm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

EISENBERG: I need the algorithm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give each girl a base reading of 1400, then give time girl a has a rating of R-A, b has a rating R-B.

EISENBERG: When any two girls are matched up, there's an expectation of which will win based on her current rating, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Well, you just saw Jesse Eisenberg there playing Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. And the Hollywood version met his match this weekend when the real Mark Zuckerberg teamed up with him on NBC's Saturday Night Live. Was the web wizard's status a little surly or did he manage to poke fun at himself? Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM SANDBERG: Have you two not met?

EISENBERG: No.

MARK ZUCKERBERG, FACEBOOK FOUNDER: No.

SANDBERG: Awkward. Well, I'll be going. Sandberg out.

EISENBERG: So.

ZUCKERBERG: So.

EISENBERG: Yeah.

ZUCKERBERG: Yeah.

EISENBERG: Good. I really, really liked you on 60 Minutes.

ZUCKERBERG: Thanks, man.

EISENBERG: You ever end up seeing the film, The Social Network?

ZUCKERBERG: Yeah, I did.

EISENBERG: Cool. Thanks. And what did you think?

ZUCKERBERG: It was interesting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: I'll let you be the judge.

Well, that's it for NEWS STREAM, but the news certainly continues at CNN. "WORLD BUSINESS" is next.

END