8.03am: Protesters demanding an end to Hosni Mubarak's authoritarian 30-year-rule are planning more protests after a second day of clashes. Here is a summary of significant developments:

• Political reform campaigner Mohamed ElBaradei, who lives in Vienna, is expected to return to the country today. He said he is going back to Cairo "and back onto the streets because, really, there is no choice".

• The US has indicated a possible toughening in its stance towards its ally Mubarak. Hillary Clinton still did not criticise his government directly but said "it's possible for there to be reforms and that is what we are urging and calling for".

• A massive demonstration is being planned for after Friday prayers tomorrow and more protests are being organised for today. The Egyptian government has warned that protesters will be prosecuted.

• The UK foreign secretary, William Hague, has today urged the Egyptian government to "to respond positively to legitimate demands for reform" and criticised censorship of social media in the country.

• Protests took place across Egypt yesterday, with gatherings broken up by police outside a number of locations in the capital, including the supreme court, Nasser metro station and on Ramses Street. Officers fired teargas cannisters and beat people with staves and bars. Two people died in uncertain circumstances, bringing the death toll from the protests to six. Officials said 860 people had been rounded up.

8.29am: ElBaradei, who was awarded the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize along with the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, which he headed at the time, told the Daily Beast:

The young people of Egypt have lost patience, and what you've seen in the streets these last few days has all been organized by them. I have been out of Egypt because that is the only way I can be heard. I have been totally cut off from the local media when I am there. But I am going back to Cairo, and back onto the streets because, really, there is no choice. You go out there with this massive number of people, and you hope things will not turn ugly, but so far, the regime does not seem to have gotten that message.

Each day it gets harder to work with Mubarak's government, even for a transition, and for many of the people you talk to in Egypt, that is no longer an option. They think he has been there 30 years, he is 83 years old, and it is time for a change. For them, the only option is a new beginning. How long this can go on, I don't know. In Egypt, as in Tunisia, there are other forces than just the president and the people. The army has been quite neutral so far, and I would expect it to remain that way. The soldiers and officers are part of the Egyptian people. They know the frustrations. They want to protect the nation.

But this week the Egyptian people broke the barrier of fear, and once that is broken, there is no stopping them.

This twitpic of ElBaradei is being adopted by some people as their profile picture on Twitter to illustrate their support for him.

8.36am: Ashraf Naguib, a member of the ruling National Democratic party, has just had some interesting things to say on Al Jazeera, speaking in a private capacity. Here's a selection

The National Democratic Party needs to listen to them [the protesters] because the people have spoken.

...

We need to come out and make significant changes to what's happening in this country

...

Political change has to come but what's going to happen? Who's going to be there?

8.43am: Israel obviously has an interest in keeping Mubarak, an ally, in power and a former Israeli ambassador to Egypt says he expects the Egyptian government to succeed in its attepts to put down the protests, the Associated Press reports:

Former envoy Gideon Ben-Ami predicts events in Egypt will not follow the same trajectory as the recent popular uprising in Tunisia, where the longtime dictator was ousted and fled the country. Ben-Ami says the Egyptian security and intelligence services "know how to resolutely take care of things when they feel under an existential threat as they already have begun to do".

9.08am: There is an interesting article in today's Financial Times on how the target of the protests is not just the president but also his son Gamal Mubarak. It says the unrest signals the end of tawrith (inherited rule). It gives several examples. Zein al-Abidine Ben Ali was suspected of putting forward his wife as president of Tunisia and in the Yemen, where there are protests today, Ali Abdullah Saleh was forded to deny any intention of succession, despite the fact he has been grooming his son Ahmed, making him head of the army's special forces and the country's Republican Guard. In Libya, Muammer Gaddafi "appears to be grooming not one but two sons, setting them up against each other in a race to succeed him" writes the FT's Middle East editor Roula Khalaf. The article is behind a paywall but here is a taste:

Even if the ageing Mr Mubarak finds a way to withstand the pressure for radical political reform, analysts say that the protests have dealt a fatal blow to the campaign to install his 47-year-old son, a former banker who is supported by the young guard in the ruling National Democratic party. As Egyptians demonstrate a willingness to make their voices heard on the streets, any attempt to force a Mubarak succession in this September's presidential election would probably trigger a much wider revolt. "The idea of tawrith is taking a huge hit after Tunisia, and after the Tuesday events in Cairo," said Amr Hamzawy, political analyst at the Carnegie Middle East Centre. "It is difficult to imagine that the ruling establishment will still pass a tawrith scenario."

9.11am: More problems for the Egyptian stock exchange today. From Reuters:

Egypt's stock exchange said it halted trading until 1130 am (0930 GMT) on Thursday after the benchmark index slid more than 6% for a second day following the biggest anti-government protests in decades.The EGX30 index (.EGX30) was down 6.2% before the suspension, adding to a 6.1% fall on Wednesday.

9.20am: In the comments section @nighthood has raised concerns about the situation in Suez where the internet, mobile phones and landlines were down amid reports of clashes. We have not managed to find out any further information but anyone who can shine a light on the situation please get in touch.

9.25am: A rallying call on Twitter from @ashrafkhalil:

#Jan25 thought #2: the central security guys must be exhausted by now. This is more than what they trained for and protestors know it!

9.30am: This video footage from Suez (see 9.20am post) last night shows what is said to be the police station on fire.

The accompanying text says:

The burning building is the police Head Quarters. This was done in response to several killings by the police of Protesters. I have footage of 1 death as soon as I can get a name for him I will put the video up on line. More unconfirmed deaths have been reported over the last few hours.

Also outside Cairo, there were protests in Alexandria which can be seen in this YouTube video.

9.35am: Jack Shenker, reporting in Cairo for the Guardian, has sent this update:

There is a sense of calm before the storm in Cairo today, as protesters prepare for an all-out surge tomorrow following the afternoon prayers in mosques and churches around the country. A heavy security presence remains in place across the capital, whilst hundreds of those arrested since this uprising began will begin being interrogated today; activists are appealing for lawyers to come forward and help with their cases. Meanwhile violence continues in other parts of the country, particularly Suez where anti-government demonstrators set fire to the local headquarters of the ruling NDP party and continue to clash with security forces. Many eyes today will be on Mohamed ElBaradei, the former UN nuclear weapons chief who has emerged as a dissident rival to President Mubarak and whose return to Egypt is imminent. Many of those who have taken to the streets in the last two days are angry that ElBaradei only offered lukewarm support for these protests before they began; now, some say, he is trying to crash the party late. But with his international name recognition there is a feeling that the security forces will be wary about attacking ElBaradei on the ground – some are now hoping he will join rallies in Cairo, offering protesters a bit of much-needed protection from the charges of the riot police.

In case you haven't listened to Shenker's account of his arrest and beating by Egyptian police on the first night of protests, recorded from the back of the police van, I would urge you to do so.

9.47am: The Egyptian stock exhange has reopened... and has gone down another 2 percentage points from 6.2% before the suspension (see 9.11am) to 8.2%.

10.01am: People appear to be under curfew in Suez.

From Twitter:

@theydontneedme_

i'm stuck at home and can't go anywhere.. i need live confirmed and trusted updates from the city. #suez #jan25

10.10am: First Tunisia, then Egypt and now Yemen:

Thousands of Yemenis today took to the streets of the capital, Sana'a, to demand a change of government, inspired by the unrest that ousted the Tunisian leader and spread to Egypt this week. "The people want a change in president," protesters chanted at Sana'a University in one of a series of demonstrations across the city – the largest in a wave of anti-government protests. President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a key ally of the US in a battle against the resurgent Yemeni arm of al-Qaida, has ruled the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state for more than 30 years. At least 10,000 protesters gathered at Sana'a University, with around 6,000 more elsewhere in Sana'a. The demonstrations were organised by Yemen's opposition coalition, Reuters witnesses said. Police watched, but no clashes were reported.

Protesters said they were demanding improvements in living conditions as well as political change. One banner read: "Enough playing around, enough corruption, look at the gap between poverty and wealth."

10.32am: Some snippets on the international response.

My colleague, politics blogger Andrew Sparrow, listened to William Hague talking about Egypt on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning. Hague said:

Clearly, in so many of these countries people do have legitimate grievances, which are economic and political. While every country is different, and we shouldn't try to dictate what they should do, in general I do think it's important in this situation to respond positively to legitimate demands for reform, to move towards openness, transparency and greater political freedom. That would be my advice to Egyptian leaders.

In case you missed US secretary of state Hillary Clinton's comments last night, they have caused a bit of a stir in that they have been interpreted by some as a more aggressive approach towards Mubarak, a key ally of the US. But she did not directly criticising him and it might just be a sign that the US is hedging its bets in the event that he is ousted. She said:

I do think it's possible for there to be reforms and that is what we are urging and calling for. It is something that I think everyone knows must be on the agenda of the government as they not just respond to the protests but as they look beyond as to what needs to be done.

Thanks to @orlandobeetle in the comments section provided a link to US state deparment spokesman PJ Crowley on Al Jazeera failing to answer what "reform" the US is actually supporting. On more than one occasion he refers to the "stability" Egypt provides and its contribution to the Middle East peace process.

10.42am: Egypt's general prosecutor has charged 40 protesters with trying to "overthrow the regime", al-Arabiya television reported today.

10.44am: The Egyptian stock exchange has fallen further, down 9.93% to 5,728.49 points. Ahmed Hanafi, a broker with Guthour Trading, told the Associated Press:

It's clear today that the inability to control the situation in the streets yesterday is panicking investors. The drop we saw yesterday is being repeated. At this rate, it's going to continue to fall hard.

10.48am: @ianinegypt has arrived in Suez and is tweeting.

Roughly 50 protesters on El Geish street in Suez in front of police station. Just saw another torched station. #jan25 El Giesh street looks like a war zone. Burnt out tires and rubble litter the street. Police checkpoint destroyed. #jan25 #egypt

10.53am: An update from Ismailia, in north-east Egypt on the west bank of the Suez canal, via Twitter:

@fouad_marei

URGENT: mass protest arranged in Ismailiya at 13:00 local time! Ismailiya police force is weakened by redeployments to #Suez! #egypt #jan25

10.56am: The Nation's Habiba Hamid is suggesting Mubarak's own government is telling him to step down or leave the country.

She tweets:

Just had confirmed that Mubarak is still in Sharm El Sheikh, not taking advice from his own government to step down or leave the country

11.01am: A couple of links sent to me from the Guardian's Peter Beaumont is in Cairo, both relating to the arrest of journalists. The first is from the Associated Press:

Egyptian police released early Thursday an Associated Press Television News cameraman and his assistant who were arrested the previous day while filming clashes between security forces and protesters in Cairo. APTN's Haridi Hussein Haridi, 54, and his assistant Haitham Badry, 23, were taken into custody around 1am Wednesday during the biggest

anti-government protests Egypt has seen in years.

The second is condemnation of the treatment of reporters from the Committee to Protect Journalists:

"We call on Cairo to bring to an immediate end all forms of violence against the media, release all detained journalists, and lift online censorship," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. Egyptian authorities have blocked access to at least two websites of local online newspapers: Al-Dustour and El-Badil, local journalists told CPJ. The government has also blocked domestic access to social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, as well as Bambuser, a video-streaming website, according to multiple news reports, although sources on the ground tell CPJ that access to Facebook is intermittent. "It is an attempt to black out information and to stop the use of social media and communication to block those who are demanding democracy," Gamal Eid, executive director of the Cairo-based Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, told CPJ.

11.09am: Reuters reports protesters have set fire to a police post in Suez today. I posted video footage of what was said to be a police station on fire at 9.30am. Reuters says:

Egyptians torched a police post in the eastern city of Suez early on Thursday morning over the killing of protesters in anti-government demonstrations earlier in the week, a Reuters witness said. Protesters in Suez had on Wednesday set a government building and another police post on fire, as well as trying to burn down a local office of Egypt's ruling party. Those fires were all put out before they engulfed the buildings. The Reuters witness said police fled the post that was burned on Thursday before the protesters hurled petrol bombs. Dozens more protesters gathered in front of the second police post later on Thursday morning demanding the release of their relatives who were detained in protests. Demonstrations demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, in power since 1981, have raged since Tuesday across several cities, including Cairo and Suez. Officials say hundreds of people have been arrested. All three protesters killed in demonstrations to date were in Suez. A policeman was killed in Cairo.

11.14am: @gamelaid, a lawyer and executive director for the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, has tweeted that some army units in Suez are refusing to support the crackdown against the people.

The orginal tweet was in Arabic, so apologies for the translation if it is not 100% correct:

URGENT Suez: reports that some army units refused to support the police to confront the demonstrators, and the acceptance of other units, and did not intervene until now

11.28am: I featured a cartoon by Carlos Latuff yesterday of Mubarak taking shelter from a hail of yesterday. Latuff has come up with some more, including this one which, as well as showing the contempt for Mubarak, pays tribute to Khaled Said, who was allegedly killed by Egyptian police last year and who is an inspiration for the current protests. If alive, he would have been 29 today.

11.40am: Details of an ElBaradiei interview with Reuters are being flashed on the wires.

• He said he won't lead street protests and sees his role as managing change politically.

• He has called on Mubarak to "retire".

• ElBaradei has also said he expects a major demonstration in Egypt tomorrow.

More details as I get them.

11.57am: More from Reuters on ElBaradei, who they interviewed shortly before he was due to leave Vienna from Cairo. He said:

He [Mubarak] has served the country for 30 years and it is about time for him to retire. Tomorrow is going to be, I think, a major demonstration all over Egypt and I will be there with them.

I'm a bit confused as the earlier Reuters post (11.40am) said ElBaradei had said he would not lead the street protests. Perhaps he is saying he will be joining them but not leading them? He might fear being seen as hijacking the protests for his own political purposes. No doubt some of the protesters support him but it is not for him that most of them have been risking life and limb to demonstrate.

In an article he wrote for the Daily Beast (8.29am), he wrote:

I am going back to Cairo, and back onto the streets

12.12pm: Clashes reported in Ismailia, via Twitter

@emosweet

Rubber bullets & extreme bruitality against us in lsmailia #egypt #jan25

And a new demonstration in Alexandria

@Farrah3m

Surprising new protest in Mansheyya square in alexandria #alex #jan25 #egypt

12.19pm: A Reuters report on the clashes in Ismailia:

Around 600 protesters clashed with police in demonstrations across the Egyptian eastern city of Ismailia on today, witnesses said. They said the police dispersed the crowds using tear gas. Demonstrations demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, in power since 1981, have raged since Tuesday in several Egyptian cities, with the biggest clashes in Cairo and Suez.

12.32pm: Bahrain's ruler has responded to the unrest engulfing Arab states by proposing an Arab summit, a suggestion he has put to Hosni Mubarak, who he has expressed support for, AP reports:

Bahrain's king is calling for an Arab summit to discuss efforts to calm the region amid widening protests inspired by the toppling of Tunisia's iron-rule regime.

The state-run Bahrain News Agency says King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa urged the emergency Arab meeting in a telephone call with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

The agency's report said Thursday that the king pledged support for Mubarak, a key Western ally who has faced ongoing street protests demanding an end to his nearly 30-year rule. Major anti-government demonstrations also have broken out in Yemen.

Bahrain is among the most volatile nations in the Gulf. Last year, majority Shiites staged widespread riots after a security crackdown by Sunni rulers.

12.39pm: I just spoke to Dr Amon Aran, lecturer in International Politics of the Middle East at City University, in London.

He claimed that the prospects for political change in Egypt are "limited" by two factors:

• the strength and loyalties of the national security apparatus

• the lack of political leadership. Aran said ElBaradei does not have the necessary level of support in the country.

Listen to the interview below:

12.58pm: Violence seems to be returning to the streets of Egypt.

From Reuters:

Egyptian police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's rule, a witness said. Demonstrators early on Thursday morning torched a police post, after setting fire to another police post and a government building a day earlier. All three protesters killed in demonstrations in Egypt so far died in Suez. A policeman was killed in Cairo.

From Twitter:

@Farrah3m

Central forces in Ismaley-ya are currently spraying a yellow chemical spray on protesters which makes them dizzy &lose thier balance #jan25

@MinaNaguib90

NOW: Brutal violence between protesters and the central security forces in #Ismailia #Egypt #Jan25 via @holom10

The lawyers syndicate in Cairo, scene of clashes yesterday, is apparently surrounded by police. See this picture.

1.02pm: Al Jazeera is reporting that the Egyptian cabinet is planning to meet to discuss the protests. Amazing that they haven't already to be honest.

Meanwhile, an Israeli cabinet minister says he expects the Egyptian government, a key ally, to weather the protests roiling the country and remain in power, reports the Associated Press.

The minister told reporters Thursday that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is strong enough to overcome the unrest because of his deep-rooted security forces. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the Israeli government has not formally commented on the matter. Egypt, the first Arab country to make peace with Israel, is a key ally.

1.08pm: The Guardian's Jerusalem correspondent, Harriet Sherwood, has sent me more on Israel's comments on the situation in Egypt. Perhaps unsurprisingly Mubarak's close ally is raising the prospect of an Islamist takeover, presumably a reference to the Muslim Brotherhood which has had a limited role in the protests so far:

A senior Israeli government source today described the events in the Middle East as an "earthquake". Israel was monitoring the situation in Egypt closely, he added, but believed the Mubarak regime was strong enough to withstand the protests. "We believe Egypt will overcome the current wave of protests," he said. "But it reflects the fragile situation in the region."

"Islamic elements" were ready to exploit the situation, he added.

"The cause of instability ... has no connection with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," he said, but was being driven by economic factors. The protests were being fuelled by social media, he said - "it's what connects the dots" - pointing out that in the past Arab regimes were able to maintain a tight grip on news and communications. Al Jazeera, he said, was "playing a more significant role than a regular TV station in the West". There were many differences between Egypt and Tunisia, where protests forced the president and his wife to flee the country. "Mubarak's regime is well-rooted in the military

1.14pm: Some tweets from Suez where there are clashes between protesters and police

@holom10 (these are translated from Arabic below)

The protesters turn to side streets and throwing stones at the security #Suez #Egypt #jan25 Security and armored vehicles roam the streets and fired tear gas and chasing Almtazahri Firing rubber bullets and water cannons on demonstrators in the area of section forty. #Egypt #Suez #Jan25#Suez #Egypt #Jan25

1.17pm: This inspirational video of Egyptian people stopping a metro train is currently doing the rounds:

1.27pm: Despite widespread reports of use of teargas and police brutality, Egypt's cabinet spokesman said today officers were showing maximum restraint in dealing with anti-government protesters but intervening "strongly" in Suez in response to vandalism. From the Associated Press:

The police is keeping self restraint to the maximum but when there is an illegitimate way of expression or destruction of property they interfere," Magdy Rady told Reuters, speaking after violent clashes with police in the eastern city of Suez.

The government was urging youths on the street to be aware of the Muslim Brotherhood and others exploiting protests for "hidden agendas", he said.

1.29pm: ElBaradei, due to arrive in Egypt today, seems to be making bold declarations of intent. Reuters reports:

Prominent Egyptian reform campaigner Mohamed ElBaradeisaid he was ready to assume power in Egypt if the people called for him to do so, the Arabic satellite channel Al Arabiya reported on Thursday. In a brief screen headline, the channel said: "ElBaradei: ready to take up power for a transitional period if the street demanded it." It did not give details.

1.55pm: @ianinegypt is providing updates on the clashes in Suez, where there are reports of live rounds being fired, via Twitter

Rocks fill the air. Protesters charging. Suez. Reports of live rounds being used. #jan25 Tear gas fired at us protesters respond with molotov cocktails in Suez #jan25

2.13pm: The outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, the biggest opposition group in Egypt, has thrown its weight behind tomorrow's planned demonstration. People are spreading the world via Twitter, trying to get a million people onto the streets after Friday prayers.

From Al-Masry Al-Youm:

A member of the group's Executive Bureau and its spokesman, Dr. Mohamed Morsi, said that the group will participate in a demonstration after Friday prayers in order to "achieve popular demands." The Brotherhood is keen on pushing the people's demand for reform as the group is part of the people, he said in a statement to reporters. A member of the group's Guidance Office, Dr. Saad al-Katatni, said the demonstration has been successful so far because it represents the whole society.

He said in a statement to Al-Masry Al-Youm that it is not necessary for the Brotherhood to take a leading role in the protests, but if the situation requires, its members will maintain a strong street presence.

There have already been concerns raised on Twitter that the group will hijack the protest and its involvement might taint what is a non-religious uprising.

I like this poster for tomorrow's demonstration from exiled surfer's blog.

2.18pm: Jack Shenker, in Cairo has just sent me a statement on events in Egypt by Catherine Ashton, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Although it calls from restraint on all sides, it contains strong criticism of the Egyptian authorities:



I deplore the reported deaths following the demonstrations taking place in Egypt. I wish to extend my sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased. I note also with concern the high number of people injured and arrested, and the use of violence. I call on all parties to exercise restraint and on the Egyptian authorities to release all peaceful demonstrators who have been detained. Freedom of expression and the right to assemble peacefully are fundamental rights of every human being. I call on the Egyptian authorities to fully respect and protect the rights of their citizens to manifest their political aspirations by means of peaceful demonstrations. The voices calling for the full respect of their political, social and economic rights should be listened to carefully.

2.32pm: Reuters is asking if Suez, where clashes are ongoing as far as I can tell, could be Egypt's Sidi Bouzid, the town where the Tunisian protests that toppled Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali began:

Mosaics lining the road to Suez glorify Egypt's achievements in a 1973 war with Israel but, further on, toppled billboards, charred signposts and shattered glass stand as monuments to a more recent conflict. The port city has jumped onto the world's radar as the scene of clashes between government forces and protesters demanding the removal of President Hosni Mubarak, a veteran of the war with Israel who has ruled Egypt for three decades.

The capital Cairo was mostly calm on Thursday morning, but in Suez police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and teargas at hundreds of demonstrators, according to witnesses.

Online activists have started calling Suez Egypt's Sidi Bouzid in a nod to the Tunisian city where protests began that toppled autocratic leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali 13 days ago.

Suez residents say they share many of the problems voiced by the Tunisian protesters - high unemployment, rising prices, official corruption and widespread use of torture, and have taken inspiration from Tunisia's uprising. As in Tunisia, a large portrait of the country's leader adorns a wall on the road into town. Mubarak's face is beaming and benevolent, his arms outstretched toward his people.

Our government is a dictatorship. A total dictatorship," said Mohamed Fahim, a 29-year-old glass factory worker, as he stood near the charred skeleton of a car that he said was burned in the protests. "It's our right to choose our government ourselves. We have been living 29 years, my whole life, without being able to choose a president."

"I've grown bald, and Mubarak has stayed Mubarak," he said, rubbing his bare scalp.

A group of about 20 people quickly gathered around him, shouting out their complaints.

"We can't find bread!" shouted one woman, who identified herself as a Christian.

Hundreds gathered outside a morgue in Suez on Wednesday demanding the body of one of three people killed in the first clashes on Tuesday. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets and chased the demonstrators into side streets. After nightfall, protesters set a government building on fire in Suez and tried to burn down a local office of Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). The fires were put out before they engulfed the buildings. The government raised security at key buildings and ordered that shops be closed after looting was reported.

An image taken in Suez today

2.49pm: Egypt's interior minister Habib al-Adli, whose resignation is being demanded by the protesters, has dismissed the demonstrations, reports Reuters. He told Kuwait's al-Rai newspaper:

Egypt's system is not marginal or frail. We are a big state, with an administration with popular support. The millions will decide the future of this nation, not demonstrations even if numbered in the thousands. Our country is stable and not shaken by such actions.

2.52pm: The fire station in Suez in on fire according to @ianinegypt, who also says other protesters confronted him angrily because he is a foreigner and they thought he was a spy.

Fire department building on fire. billows of black smoker rising. Firemen jumping out windows. #jan25 #suez

3.13pm: President Mubarak's party has said it is ready to open a dialogue with protesters, reports AP, but I think it might be too late for that, especially as it is has not held out any hope of concessions to those taking to the streets. From AP:

President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party says it is ready to open a dialogue with the youths who have staged three days of anti-government protests. Safwat El-Sherif, the secretary general of the National Democratic Party, also called Thursday for restraint by the security forces and protesters during a rally planned for after Friday prayers. However, el-Sharif, a longtime confidant of President Hosni Mubarak, did not offer any concessions to the protesters demanding Mubarak's ouster nor suggest that steps would be taken to address their complaints about unemployment and poverty. "The minority does not force its will on the majority," he said.



I'm handing over the blog to my colleague Paul Owen now.

3.30pm: Hi, Paul Owen here, taking over from Haroon Siddique. Here is an afternoon summary:

• Protests have taken place in Egypt for a third day against the government of Hosni Mubarak. Suez seems to have been a particular flashpoint, whereas Cairo has been calm.

• Big demonstrations are planned for tomorrow across the country. Mohamed ElBaradei, the Egyptian reformer and former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has said he will join the protesters in Cairo, and called on Mubarak to retire. The outlawed Muslim Brotherhood has also thrown its weight behind the planned protest.

• Mubarak's party says it is willing to open a dialogue with the demonstrators, but did not hold out hope of making concessions to their complaints about poverty and unemployment.

• The EU's foreign policy chief, Lady Ashton, has criticised the high number of people arrested and the use of violence by the police and called on the Egyptian government to respect the protesters' freedom of expression and right to assemble peacefully. William Hague, the UK foreign secretary, said the Egyptian government should move towards openness, transparency and greater political freedom. Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has been less forthright, but last night called for "reforms".

• The king of Bahrain has called for an Arab summit to discuss the turmoil in the region.

3.39pm: This is the latest tweet from Al-Shaheed, the We are all Khaled Said Facebook group – named after the young man allegedly killed by Egyptian police whose death helped spark these protests – which was partly behind the demonstrations on Tuesday.

Protests in #Egypt have reached point of no return. If we stop now we will be butchered/massacred by #Government #Jan25. Khaled Said

Alshaheeed

3.43pm: Here is a list of Egyptian protesters' slogans translated from Arabic, including "Oh Mubarak leave for good, or else tomorrow you'll be killed" and "Oh Mubarak, you rhinoceros, leave, leave, you're annoying".

3.46pm: There are reports that Egypt's domestic football league games for this weekend have been cancelled, but I can't confirm that.

3.54pm: This tweet from Al-Shaheed (see 3.39pm) is even more interesting. As my colleague Jack Shenker points out, it shows people are starting to practically consider a post-Mubarak future.

in case of power vacum in #Egypt it can be filled by our independent judges who stood against rigged presidential elections in 2005 #Jan25

4.01pm: According to Al-Masry Al-Youm, the Egyptian government has warned protesters against using mosques to launch protests tomorrow.

The Endowments Ministry told imams at tomorrow's prayers – after which protests are expected to begin across the country – to prevent mosques from being used to create "confusion among citizens or the circulation of unfounded rumors and speculations". The ministry said:

The teachings of the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah promote freedom of expression as long as it does not lead to chaos or corruption and as long as it respects others including those with opposing views or beliefs.

The newspaper says tomorrow is being called "the Friday of anger and freedom".

4.03pm: My colleague Jack Shenker in Cairo sends me the latest warning from the British embassy to UK visitors to Egypt:

There have been a number of violent demonstrations in Cairo and other locations across Egypt, including Suez, north Sinai, Rafah, the Delta region and some areas of upper Egypt over the past week. The situation is unpredictable and may change quickly. You should monitor the situation closely and stay away from demonstrations and large gatherings of people, public buildings or other sites which may become the focus of demonstrations, such as Tahrir Square in Cairo. There are press reports of calls for large scale demonstrations on Friday 28 January after midday mosque prayers. You should exercise caution, and observe instructions given by local security authorities and tour operators.

4.14pm: There are reports on Twitter that the BlackBerrys have been blocked in Egypt. I can't confirm that.

4.17pm: Reuters has more on Mohamed ElBaradei (left), the former head of the UN nuclear watchdog often named as a leading reformist candidate to succeed Hosni Mubarak. ElBaradei is expected back in Cairo today and has said he will join tomorrow's demonstrations, and told Reuters it was time for Mubarak to go. He suggested he might run for president if democratic and constitutional change was implemented.

ElBaradei said the Egyptians had ended their "culture of fear" and said he was "ready to help manage transition to democracy".

He expects big demonstrations across the country tomorrow, he said, but told Reuters he would not lead these protests; rather, his role would be "to manage the change politically". Reuters goes on to say:

The Arabic news station Al Arabiya quoted ElBaradei, who held a number of rallies to campaign for political reform in his homeland last year, as saying he was ready to take power for a transitional period if protesters asked him to do so. ElBaradei's arrival might provide a focus for a protest movement that so far has no figurehead, although many activists resent his long absences over past months.

ElBaradei called for peaceful protests, and said any use of force by the authorities would "backfire badly". He said:

People broke the culture of fear and, once you break the culture of fear, there is no going back. I think we will definitely see a change coming.

He called for Mubarak to stand down:

He has served the country for 30 years and it is about time for him to retire. I think he has to declare that he is not going to run again. I expect that we will see a new team, and a new set-up, and a new democratic structure. My first priority is to get the country from point A to B, put in place a framework that ensure that we will have a functioning democracy. [If, after that,] people want me to run I would not let them down, particularly the young people.

Of the police he said:

They have been charging people, detaining people, but that will backfire ... use of violence will backfire badly.

And, talking about tomorrow's protests:

Tomorrow is going to be, I think, a major demonstration all over Egypt and I will be there with them. I assume ... that there will be lots and lots of people.

Asked if he might be arrested on arrival in Cairo, he said any such move would make things "much, much worse for them".

Reuters notes:

The next presidential election is due in September, and Mubarak, 82, has not said if he will run. Egypt's political rules make it hard for anyone other than the ruling party's candidate to stand, let alone win. ElBaradei, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005, launched a campaign for political change last year, hoping his international stature could galvanise the opposition. But many activists have since complained that he should have spent more time on the street than abroad.

4.24pm: In the comments, the charmingly-named guardiansux makes some interesting points about the relative strength of protests in different parts of the country.

In smaller towns it's obvious there is more solidarity, even protesters from nearby Ismailia have travelled to Suez to help, Ismailla having its own unrest ... what is strange is Port Said, it's practically an island and if it rebels they can easily drive out the police but what can be very worrying to the world, if things escalate in Suez and Port Said revolts, the Suez canal will be closed. In Cairo and Alexandria, people still suffer from political apathy ... they are huge metropolis and perhaps one shouldn't judge yet but all those massive protests in Alexandria and Cairo are not even 0.5% of their populations. Those two cities if they really do erupt, the regime will be gone in a few hours ... that's why I said yesterday, we can never know what will happen or if they can really bring him down ... the number of protests tomorrow can be a barometer of what's to come.

4.27pm: Italy is to propose a high-level EU mission to the north African countries that have seen political upheaval and protests over the last few weeks, my colleague John Hooper writes from Rome.

The foreign minister, Franco Frattini, said the purpose of the proposed mission would be to make the EU's ties with north Africa "still fuller" and offer help in monitoring the forthcoming elections in Tunisia. He suggested the EU team should also visit Algeria and Egypt. Frattini said he intended tabling his proposal at Monday's meeting of EU foreign ministers. He said he would also argue for an increase in Europe's development assistance to north Africa; the creation of a programme of university exchanges similar to the intra-European Erasmus scheme, and an "updating" of Tunisia's links with the EU following the fall of the Ben Ali regime. Frattini said the EU should try to promote the spread of democracy, but without "imposing or indicating solutions".

4.38pm: Reuters has just sent the following update on the state of play in various areas of the country:

• SHEIKH ZOWEID - Security forces shoot dead a Bedouin demonstrating in a town in Egypt's Sinai region, eyewitnesses and a security source say. Security forces fire tear gas to disperse dozens of protesters. • SUEZ - Security forces fire rubber bullets, water cannon and use tear gas to disperse hundreds of protestors. Youths throw rocks and petrol bombs at the police. • SUEZ - At sunset, hundreds of demonstrators are still on the streets and black smoke hangs over the city. Youths walk around shooting fire extinguishers into the air. • ISMAILIA - Hundreds of protesters clash with police, who disperse the crowd with tear gas. • CAIRO - Large groups of riot police keep watch in Cairo and in Giza suburb. Outside the press syndicate in central Cairo, dozens of protesters shout demands for President Hosni Mubarak to resign as police look on. • CAIRO - State news agency MENA says the security services have released protesters in several parts of the country.

4.56pm: The Associated Press news agency has a full quote from Safwat El-Sherif, the secretary general of president Hosni Mubarak's National Democratic party, who has tentatively indicated the party might speak to protesters.

We are confident of our ability to listen. The NDP is ready for a dialogue with the public, youth and legal parties. But democracy has its rules and process. The minority does not force its will on the majority.

Tomorrow's prayers offer protesters a big opportunity, the news agency says:

Millions gather at mosques across the city for Friday prayers, providing organisers with a huge number of people already out on the streets to tap into.

As AP points out, Mubarak, 82, has not been seen in public or heard from since protests began on Tuesday.

Mubarak has not said yet whether he will stand for another six-year term as president in elections this year. He has never appointed a deputy and is thought to be grooming his son Gamal to succeed him despite popular opposition. According to leaked US memos, hereditary succession also does not meet with the approval of the powerful military. Mubarak has seen to it that no viable alternative to him has been allowed to emerge.

The banned Muslim Brotherhood put out a statement about the protests:

The movement of the Egyptian people that began January 25 and has been peaceful, mature and civilised must continue against corruption, oppression and injustice until its legitimate demands for reform are met. We are not pushing this movement, but we are moving with it. We don't wish to lead it but we want to be part of it.

AP also reports that the Egyptian stock market has fallen more than 10 per cent.

5.01pm: My colleague Owen Bowcott and I have been trying to follow events in Suez as reported on Twitter, but it's difficult to know how much of this information is current, and impossible to confirm what people ae posting at this point. If you want to take a look for yourself, click here.

5.03pm: Egyptian officials have denied reports that Hosni Mubarak's son Gamal – who the president has reportedly groomed to replace him – has fled the country, perhaps to London.

A senior party official said that Gamal had had a meeting at the National Democratic party's headquarters this morning "to discuss issues related to the demonstrations, along with other party leaders".

5.09pm: Mohamed ElBaradei's plane has landed in Cairo, my colleague Jack Shenker reports:

ElBaradei's plane has landed 15 mins ahead of schedule, flight MS 798 Egyptair. There's quite a big crowd at the airport. The police have erected a huge galleyway of metal barriers manned by burly plainclothes state security officers so celarly expecting a crush of people to descend. One imagines it will also be used to stop him giving an impromptu press conference.

5.15pm: Here is a gallery of pictures of today's Suez protests.

5.20pm: Ahmed El Wahsh, a student at the American University in Cairo, sends this report of last night's protests in the capital.

The Egyptian government have deployed savages to contain the protesters. Last night in Tahrir Square, we were surrounded by bloodthirsty governmental thugs that were given direct orders to batter us with different means of weapons (ranging from electric taser bats, to rubber bullets and tear gas). We Egyptian protesters must grace ourselves for tomorrow's strike after our weekly Friday prayers, as we go on ... with our protest against poverty and corruption.

5.36pm: Mohamed ElBaradei has returned to Egypt, Associated Press reports. We'll have more from Jack Shenker in Cairo on that soon.

5.38pm: Jack Shenker has just called in to say ElBaradei was thronged by people when he arrived in Cairo. Jack asked him why he had come back, to which he replied: "This is a crucial moment for Egypt."

Asked why he had come back now and not three days ago, ElBaradei replied: "This is all part of an ongoing process."

5.45pm: Here's the Associated Press on ElBaradei's return:

Egypt's top democracy advocate Mohamed ElBaradei has returned to the country amid the largest anti-government protests in years. ElBaradei arrived this evening in Cairo, where he was greeted by family and friends.

He said he returned to the country because "it's a critical time in the life of Egypt and I have to participate with the Egyptian people".

5.56pm: Here is a Comment is free piece on the protests by Amira Nowaira.

6.24pm: Hi, David Batty here, I'll be taking over the live blog for the rest of the evening.

The Obama administration has made further comment on the protests in a White House webcast, Reuters reports.

Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough said the protests provided a "great opportunity" for the Egyptian government to advance some of the political reforms they have been discussing with US officials.

He said the White House would like to see Egypt take steps to lift its emergency law, implement a new elections law and create a space for "social and democratic speech and openness so that we can see the kind of advancement that we hope for."

McDonough also urged the government and protesters in Egypt to refrain from violence.

6.34pm: Jack Shenker has just rung in from Cairo with more details of ElBaradei's comments at Cairo airport on his return to Egypt.

The opposition leader said he would be joining the protests on the streets tomorrow. He said there was no going back but warned that change would not happen overnight:

"This is a critical time in the life of Egypt and I have come to participate with the Egyptian people. "I advise the government to listen to the people and not to use violence. There's no going back. I hope the regime stops violence, stops detaining people, stops torturing people. This will be completely counterproductive. "We're still reaching out to the regime to work with them through the process of change. Every Egyptian does not want to see the country going into violence. "The right to peaceful demonstration is the right of every Egyptian. I wish we didn't have to go onto the streets and press the regime but they need to change. We tried signatures, boycotts, elections ... nothing worked. Every demand fell on deaf ears. "I'm still hoping to manage the process of change in a peaceful way, in an orderly way. I hope the regime will do the same. There's no going back."

In an interview with CNN before his return, ElBaradei poured scorn on comments made earlier by US secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

"I was stunned to hear secretary Clinton saying the Egyptian government is stable. And I ask myself at what price is stablity. Is it on the basis of 29 years of martial law? Is it on the basis of 30 years of [an] ossified regime? Is it on the basis of rigged elections? That's not stability, that's living on borrowed time. "When you see today almost over 100,000 young people getting desperate, going to the streets, asking for their basic freedom, I expected to hear from secretary Clinton stuff like democracy, human rights, basic freedom - all the stuff the US is standing for. "I've been trying for a year to engage the regime through peaceful means, by collecting signature[s] for demands for free and fair elections, for opening the door to Egyptians to run for [the] presidency, for having [a] parliament representative of the people."

Asked by the news channel whether he would run for the presidency, ElBaradei replied cautiously:

"The priority for me is to shift Egypt into a democracy, is to catch up with the 21st century, to get Egypt to be a modern and moderate society. Whether I run or not is totally irrelevant, and I made it very clear I would not run under current condition[s]."

The opposition leader said the so-called Jasmine revolution that recently brought down the Tunisian government could prove to be the catalyst for regime change across the Arab world.

"It sent a message to the Arab world, to quote Barack Obma, that 'yes we can'. We can be empowered as people to change a system that is ossified, that is completely representative of our own basic rights."

Questioned as to whether he feared for his life on his return to Egypt, ElBaradei said:

"There was an edict against me a couple of weeks ago basically saying that my life should be dispensable because I'm defying the ruler. I have no security when I go to Egypt. But you have to be with your people."

7.13pm: White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Mubarak faces an opportunity to address the decades-long concern that the Egyptian people have for their "lack of rights," Reuters reports.

Gibbs called Mubarak a close and important US partner but stressed that the United States was not taking sides on the unrest.

"This isn't a choice between the government and the people of Egypt. This is not about taking sides. What is important is President Mubarak and those that seek greater freedom of expression, greater freedom to assemble, should be able to work out a process for that happening in a peaceful way."

7.55pm: A third day of protests has sent the Egyptian stock market plummeting, which could further undermine Mubarack's government.

The 10.5% plunge left the market's year-to-date losses at over 20%, with traders warning that the economic damage could widen if there are more protests tomorrow, AP reports.

"Tomorrow will be a trigger," said Mostafa Abdel-Aziz, a broker with the Cairo-based investment bank, Beltone Financial. "If things pass quietly, there should be a technical rebound" when the market reopens on Sunday. But I don't think the overall sentiment will be reversed."

8.03pm: In a sign that Mubarak's government is cracking down on social media from being used to foment unrest, Facebook said it had seen a drop in traffic to its website from Egypt today.

"We are aware of reports of disruption to service and have seen a drop in traffic from Egypt this morning," Facebook spokesperson Jillian Carroll told Reuters in an email.

Sites such as Twitter and Facebook were cut off within Egypt yesterday.

8.10pm: Barack Obama has spoken out about the protests in Egypt, warning the violence was not the answer to the unrest. He said he had repeatedly told Mubarak to press ahead with political and economic reforms, Reuters reports.

Obama said Mubarak had been "very helpful on a range of tough issues in the Middle East."

"But I've always said to him that making sure that they are moving forward on reform - political reform, economic reform - is absolutely critical to the long-term well-being of Egypt. "You can see these pent-up frustrations that are being displayed on the streets. "Violence is not the answer in solving these problems in Egypt. I think it is very important that people have mechanisms in order to express legitimate grievances. That, I think, is no less true in the Arab world than it is here in the United States."

8.15pm: Italy has voiced its support for Mubarak's government, contending that regime change would lead to chaos in the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini said the situation in Egypt was completely different from that in Tunisia, where a wave of street protests toppled the president earlier this month.

The minister claimed there were civil liberties in Egypt and the regime should be encouraged to expand them, Reuters reported. He warned that if the government fell it could provoke chaos throughout the region.

"The situation in Egypt is different. There are civil liberties. It is not a copy of the European model but we are not colonisers of any country, we must not impose our model." "The stability of Egypt is fundamental for the entire Mediterranean. The biggest mistake would be to think of a change of leadership without having a solution, a proposal, a proper development of the situation. This certainly would lead to chaos. "We must help the Egyptian leadership to gradually expand the enjoyment of civil liberties, the authorisation of peaceful demonstrations at the same time as guaranteeing stability."

Frattini said he would propose an EU delegation to Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, to help their governments strengthen democracy, at a meeting of foreign ministers on Monday.

8.50pm: Here's a round-up of today's events from Reuters. The news agency reports that five people were killed in today's protests, including a a Bedouin protester shot dead by security in the north of Egypt's Sinai region.

In Suez, police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators calling Mubarak to step down.

Protesters hurled rocks and petrol bombs at police lines, setting fire to a police post in Suez.

Mohamed Fahim, a 29-year-old glass factory worker, told Reuters that the action came in response to the killing of three demonstrators earlier in the week:

"Our government is a dictatorship. A total dictatorship. It's our right to choose our government ourselves. We have been living 29 years, my whole life, without being able to choose a president."

In Ismailia, hundreds of protesters clashed with police who dispersed the crowds with tear gas.

Witnesses told the news agency that demonstrators have been dragged away, beaten and shoved into police vans.

Tomorrow's demonstrations could be the biggest yet following the return of ElBaradei, who has pledged to join the protesters on the streets. A Facebook page publicising tomorrow's protest gained 55,000 fans in less than 24 hours.

"Egypt's Muslims and Christians will go out to fight against corruption, unemployment and oppression and absence of freedom," one activist wrote on Facebook.

Egypt's interior minister Habib al-Adli, whose resignation is being demanded by the protesters, dismissed the demonstrations in an interview with Kuwait's al-Rai newspaper.

"Egypt's system is not marginal or frail. We are a big state, with an administration with popular support. The millions will decide the future of this nation, not demonstrations even if numbered in the thousands. Our country is stable and not shaken by such actions."

10.30pm: In an analysis piece on the Egyptian protests, US foreign policy analysts suggest ElBaradei's return will not mark a tipping point in the unrest. However, the commentators also told Reuters that the US is unlikely to drop its support for Mubarak given that Washington provides the regime with aid topping $1.3bn (£0.82bn) per year.

"This is a matter for the Egyptian people - and how they view his return," state department spokesman PJ Crowley said.

Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, dismissed ElBaradei's return and argued there was no groundswell of support for democracy.

"ElBaradei hasn't been willing to take the risks of bare knuckle fighting," he said.

"In the current environment it would be very hard for the United States to bet against a government with which it has both extraordinarily broad and extraordinarily deep cooperation.

"What most Egyptians really want is a government with better outcomes, and it is sometimes easier for successor authoritarian governments to say they are addressing those needs. The real cry here is not so much for democracy but for justice."

ElBaradei has a significant international profile but Brian Katulis, an analyst at the Center for American Progress, said this did not necessarily mean he would attract popular backing in Egypt.

"It remains unclear whether El Baradei's return will help unify the groups of protesters coming out into the streets," he told Reuters.

Katulis added that there was no evidence ElBaradei had any relationship with Egypt's security forces, which would count against him given that the country has been ruled by ex-officers since 1952.

Ellen Bork, director of democracy and human rights at the Foreign Policy Initiative, said ELBaradei's return might increase US leverage on Mubarak to promote political reforms ahead of the presidential election expected in September.

"The important thing to focus on is whether [ElBaradei], or any other independent candidates, have access to the ballot, and are able to campaign freely," she said. "The US needs to press for specific reforms to make these conditions possible."

10.53pm: Peter Beaumont and Jack Shenker, who are in Cairo covering the protests for the Guardian, have filed a piece on how tomorrow's demonstrations, expected to be the largest yet, will escalate the pressure on Mubarak.

The return of ElBaradei, one of the president's fiercest critics, and the intervention of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's most potent opposition force, could further undermine Mubarak's authority.

Shenker also assesses the impact of ElBaradei's return, guaging support for the former UN nuclear weapons chief on the streets.

That's all for today's live blog but we'll be continuing our coverage tomorrow.

In the meantime, here's a round-up of today's main developments:

• Mohamed ElBaradei has returned to Egypt today, telling reporters there was no going back for the country and pledging to join protesters on the streets tomorrow.

• Violent protests continued in many parts of the country today, including the port of Suez. After four days of unrest, six people have died and almost 1,000 have been rounded up by police.

• Thousands are expected to attend tomorrow's marches – dubbed "the Friday of anger and freedom". Egypt's main opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, has thrown its weight behind tomorrow's protests, which are scheduled to follow Friday prayers.