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Ahead of the curve: The next 7 days

Protests against Egypt's government in Cairo's Tahrir Square are entering their 14th day Monday. Although many demonstrators still are calling for President Hosni Mubarak's immediate ouster, Mubarak has indicated he intends to stay in office through September's elections, with his vice president reportedly negotiating with opposition groups on a long-term path toward a representative government. After bloody clashes between anti-government and pro-government crowds last week, it's unclear when or how the uprising will be resolved. With the reopening of some banks and other institutions this week, will life in parts of Cairo shift to something resembling normalcy? Here's a look at this and some of the other stories we plan to follow this week:

Banks reopen as uprising continues

Some signs of a slow return to normalcy could be seen Sunday in parts of Cairo, with shops reopening, traffic increasing and some banks opening for the first time since January 27. The nation's central bank, however, has restricted the amount of money that individuals can withdraw. The Egyptian stock market also could reopen this week, following days of closure because of the uprising.  Work has also begun on restoring Egyptian artifacts damaged during the protests.

We'll also keep an eye this week on negotiations between Mubarak's regime and opposition groups. On Sunday, Vice President Omar Suleiman offered concessions, including the future end to the military emergency law that has been in place since Mubarak came to power in 1981, according to state-run TV. The two sides discussed, according to state-run TV, plans to form committees that would oversee changes aimed at creating a representative government.

For more on the unrest in Egypt, check out this breakdown of Mubarak's moves during the crisis and this timeline of the Egyptian protests.

Extradition hearing for WikiLeaks founder set to begin

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is due to appear in a London court on Monday for the start of what is expected to be a two-day extradition hearing. Assange, a 39-year-old Australian, is wanted in Sweden for questioning about allegations that he sexually assaulted two women in Stockholm last summer. Assange has denied the allegations and is fighting extradition.

FARC to release first of five hostages

Colombian rebels say they will release on Wednesday the first of five Colombian hostages they plan to free. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, has said it will release Marcos Vaquero, a mayor in Colombia, to the Red Cross. In December, the rebels announced plans to release the five hostages - a police major, two military service members and two municipal politicians - as a humanitarian gesture.

North Korea, South Korea to hold first talks since November attack

North Korea and South Korea are scheduled to hold working-level military discussions on Tuesday - the first inter-Korean talks since North Korean forces shelled South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island, killing two South Korean marines and two civilians. North Korea said the strike was in response to the South's navy firing into Northern waters. South Korea said last month that  the South will demand in Tuesday's talks that Pyongyang take responsibility for last year's military actions, and that higher-level military talks will be held only if the North promises to refrain from further provocations.

Obama to address group that opposed his Wall Street, health care efforts

U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday is scheduled to speak in front of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which opposed his push for Wall Street and health care reforms and, in November's midterm elections, worked to defeat many Democrats who had backed his programs. The visit to the chamber is seen as part of Obama's efforts to build bridges with the business community.

Also in Washington, the annual Conservative Political Action Conference – a place to be for Republican presidential hopefuls – runs from Thursday to Saturday. Controversy is in the air, with some social conservative groups sitting out to protest the inclusion of a pro-gay Republican group. Many likely candidates for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination will be there, including Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Sen. Rick Santorum, Sen. John Thune and Rep. Michele Bachmann. The conference ends with a straw poll asking attendees who they support for president.

Retrial for Dutch politician accused of inciting hatred against Muslims

A retrial of a right-wing Dutch politician accused of inciting hatred against Muslims is set to begin in Amsterdam on Monday. Geert Wilders is on trial in large part because of a controversial film he made about Islam. The film, "Fitna," which he released online in March 2008, features images of terrorist acts superimposed over verses from the Quran in an apparent attempt to paint Islam as a threat to Western society. Comments he  made in a variety of media between 2006 and 2008 also form part of the case against him. Wilders has said he has done nothing wrong. His first trial was halted when three judges were dismissed for possible bias.

Which Super Bowl commercials did well?

Super Bowl ads are an event to themselves. Check with CNN.com for a recap of the ads and a look at what viewers and critics thought of them. Also, check out Entertainment Weekly's choices for best all-time Super Bowl ads and CNNMoney.com's sneak peak of this year's ads.

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Filed under: Ahead of the curve
soundoff (8 Responses)
  1. leeintulsa

    While i don't think muslim=hate, i think everyone has a right to say what they want. Freedom of speech, we got it here folks. Come getcha some

    February 7, 2011 at 8:11 am | Report abuse | Reply
  2. Tom in NH

    Why is it that the next 7 days doesnt include Justice Clarence Thomas's falsified financial disclosure statetments over many year? It's noteworthy that the omitted income was from conservative advocacy groups. He has als been attending political strrategy seminars sponsored by the Koch brothers!! This calls his impartiality into serious question, give where large amounts of money are coming from. WHY is CNN silent about this???
    RSVP

    February 7, 2011 at 8:30 am | Report abuse | Reply
  3. sean hannity

    You see Amsterdam doesn't have freedom of speech like America because the Muslims already took over that dope smoking liberal country with hidden Islamic laws. This man was just trying to warn the western world with truth. Wake up people they already spread Islam to Wal-Mart and Mc Donald's by hiding in the shadows of those corporations. Obama isn't just a Nazi but also a plant from haamas.

    February 7, 2011 at 9:08 am | Report abuse | Reply
    • leeintulsa

      Lol. No matter how many times i hear that it still makes me laugh

      February 7, 2011 at 10:21 am | Report abuse |
  4. Slim Fairview

    Re Egypt.

    Egypt and the Failure of Diplomacy http://slimviews.blogspot.com/2011/02/egypt-and-failure-of-global-diplomacy.html

    Egypt and Others: A New World Order–A World without Borders http://slimviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/egypt-and-others-new-world-order-world.html

    The Business of Wisdom in Global Affairs–A Fable http://slimviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/business-of-wisdom-in-global-affairs.html

    Regards,

    Slim

    February 7, 2011 at 1:39 pm | Report abuse | Reply
  5. Geraldine Chapman

    TO CNN
    COMMENT ON GEERT WILDERS' TRIAL IN HOLLAND
    Personally I have never heard Wilders attack Muslims. The other way around, the Koran teaches Muslims to prejudice and hate people based on their belief.
    ( Surah 3:85 'If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; ') Quran (2:191-193) – "And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out..and fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah." ‘Allah and his messenger want us to fight the Christians and the Jews "until they pay the Jizya [a penalty tax for the non-Muslims living under Islamic rules] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued (9:29).’ (from Call to the Muslims of the World from a Group of Freethinkers and Humanists of Muslim Origins http://www.awitnesshttp://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/3.0/1px.gif.org/news/november_2001/humanist_muslim.html).
    All the best, van Chapman, PROJECT Philosophic Community- http://www.naturestudio.net

    February 7, 2011 at 3:34 pm | Report abuse | Reply
  6. Cesar

    Quran is not realistic. Too self-centered and full of hate. I burn one of those books twice a year: once in Halloween and once during Easter. I don't recognize Ramadon Ramasson or whatever.

    February 7, 2011 at 5:22 pm | Report abuse | Reply
  7. Cesar

    YOUR COMMENT IS AWAITING MODERATION

    February 7, 2011 at 10:01 pm | Report abuse | Reply

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“This Just In” is CNN's news blog. This is where you will find the latest news and information from CNN’s correspondents and sources around the world. We’ll cover fresh stories big and small – stories that are breaking, developing or otherwise driving the collective daily conversation, along with some items we find interesting and worth sharing. Our main blogger is Mallory Simon of CNN.com, with major assists from the staff of the CNN Wire and colleagues around the network.