SHIRAZ MAHER

Tina Rosenberg, an American journalist with a new book to plug, makes a passing reference to my Policy Exchange report, Choosing our Friends Wisely, in a new essay for Foreign Policy magazine. The crux of her piece repeats the hackneyed wisdom of Robert Lambert and Jonathan Githens-Mazer.

SHIRAZ MAHER

What has transpired in Egypt is truly historic. After covering events there for this magazine and spending long periods of time with protesters in Tahrir Square I'm disappointed to have missed their celebrations this evening. I've been speaking by phone to some of the people I met while out there and they tell me a massive party is underway.

BY ALEXANDER MELEAGROU-HITCHENS

In last week's issue of the Spectator, Peter Oborne threw his weight behind a faction within the coalition government, headed by Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, who are urging David Cameron and some of his closest allies to reassess their current stance on the role Islamist groups should play both in the direction of British Islam and in the government's counter-radicalisation efforts.  He believes that Cameron's neoconservative cabal in Whitehall has fundamentally misunderstood what constitutes extremist Islam, and is mistaken in its rejection of a wide array of British Islamist organisations.  Instead, he thinks Cameron and his allies must understand that non-violent Islamist groups can act as a useful bulwark against violent extremism.  As well as being flawed, his argument also reveals a surprisingly low opinion of Britain's Muslims.

SHIRAZ MAHER

The Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has promised ‘decisive measures' against protestors today. Large scale demonstrations are likely to follow Friday prayers today, which will end within the next hour.

Internet traffic is already being disrupted and the country's text message service is down.

We'll keep you posted on any significant developments.

SHIRAZ MAHER

Press TV, the propaganda arm of the Iranian regime, has had its bank account frozen by NatWest Bank. AFP reports: