U.S.: Egypt’s Behavior May Affect Aid

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Friday that Egypt’s handling of the antigovernment protests that have swept the country “may affect” United States aid to Egypt.

The United States sends roughly $1.5 billion per year to Egypt, which the U.S. considers an ally. At least $1.3 billion of that comes in military aid, according to the State Department. (more…)

Mubarak says he won’t resign, dissolves government

Embattled President Hosni Mubarak has appeared on television for the first time since protests erupted and said that he won’t step down and has asked his Cabinet to resign and vowed to press ahead with social, economic and political reforms. (more…)

Several armed robberies reported in Lebanon

Several looting and theft incidents were reported in the past few hours

A bakery, two computer shops and a shop for hunting equipment were reportedly robbed .

1- In Khaldah Road, two unidentified gunmen riding a black BMW car without plates entered the bakery Abu-Arab and emptied the contents of the cash register fled the internal security forces of Chouifat started the investigations.

2- In Sfeir neighborhood in Beirut’s southern , armed thieves entered the “City” computer shop , which is owned by (Ghayath Mohammed Jamil Bazzi) and stole $12, 000 worth of equipment

3- At dawn thieves entered the hunting equipment establishment of Ali Ibrahim Rammal which is located in Doha Aramoun and stole over $50,000 worth of rifles and shotguns and other supplies

4- In Naqqash of Metn district , thieves entered at dawn the computer store of Sami George Nakuzi and stole mobile devices and spare parts worth more than $12,000

Internal security Forces is investigating all the incidents

Tunisia security forces chase Islamist protesters

Tunisian security forces chased groups of protesters through central Tunis on Friday and fired tear gas, after dispersing hundreds of demonstrators holding a 24-hour sit-in outside government offices, witnesses said.

The march was the first significant Islamist protest since the fall of president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, (more…)

Protesters tell Yemeni President to quit

Thousands of people took to the streets of the Yemeni capital, calling for an end to the reign of the President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, in some of the biggest anti-government rallies Yemen has seen for a decade. (more…)

Egypt shuts down the Internet as protests enter 4th day

The Internet is off in Egypt.

On Tuesday, during the first day of the country’s protests for political reform, Twitter was blocked, and later Facebook.

On Thursday, BlackBerry Web access was shut down.

Now Egypt’s entire Internet service has been disrupted by the order of President Hosni Mubarak, (more…)

Justice minister asks for investigation of Al-Akhbar report

Caretaker Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar has reportedly referred an article published in Al-Akhbar newspaper to the Judicial Investigative Committee, according to a statement issued Friday by his office. (more…)

Lebanon braces for a huge storm

The Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ziad Baroud, sent a letter to the Directorate General of departments and local councils and the General Directorate of Civil Defense and the Directorate General of Internal Security Forces and the provinces, warning them about a huge storm that will begin this afternoon and asking them to “take all measures and procedures necessary and to be fully prepared to intervene when necessary to preserve the safety of citizens.

One Frenchman killed in a Lebanon avalanche

A French man was killed in an avalanche on Lebanon’s highest mountain peak on Friday while 10 other skiers escaped unharmed, officials and an eyewitness said.

The French embassy confirmed to AFP that one of its citizens had been killed in an accident in Qornet al-Sawda, which overlooks the Cedars of north Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley. (more…)

UN chief: STL must be permitted to continue its work

There must be no interference or obstruction by any person or country in the “calm judicial progress of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL),” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday.

“The tribunal must be permitted to continue its work,” Ban said in a press conference on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (more…)