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Egypt

Egyptian protests continue into the night

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in cities around Egypt for a sixth day of protests against President Hosni Mubarak. The death toll on Sunday evening was at least 125. As dusk fell on Sunday, Cairo's Tahrir Square was packed with protesters defying a curfew.ā–ŗ Protesters out again as Mubarak looks to appoint new government ā–ŗ Protesters across Egypt defy curfew ā–ŗ Violence escalates in Egypt as protesters torch ruling party HQ

Reuters/Asmaa Waguih
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  • Dissident Mohamed ElBaradei arrived near the centre of the protests in Cairo Sunday.
  • The National Coalition for Change, which includes several opposition movements including the banned Muslim Brotherhood, on Sunday charged ElBaradei with negotiating with Mubarak's regime.
  • Thousands of prisoners broke out of the Wadi Natrun jail north of Cairo overnight Saturday.
  • Prisoners also escaped several other prisons across Egypt.
  • At least two Egyptian fighter jets flew repeat low-altitude sorties over Cairo on Sunday. The warplanes flew in circles over the city, repeatedly passing over the heads of a crowd of tens of thousands of protesters.
  • Two mummies have been severely damaged in Cairoā€™s Museum of Antiquities.
  • The United States has started organising for its nationals to leave Egypt.
  • Al Jazeeraā€™s Arabic television channel has been shut down in the country.
  • Many petrol stations are now running out of fuel.
  • Many bank cash machines have either been looted or are no longer working.
  • Egyptian banks and the stock exchange have been ordered closed on Sunday.
  • Mubarak on Saturday named military intelligence chief Omar Suleiman as his first-ever vice president.
  • Ahmed Shafiq was named as new prime minister.
  • On Saturday, 22 people died in the town of Beni Sueif, south of Cairo, where protesters tried to burn down a police station.
  • Another three protesters died in Cairo and three police were killed in the Sinai town of Rafah on Saturday.
  • The traditionally pro-Mubarak Al-Gomhouria newspaper carried the headline "Change" on Sunday.
  • The Rafah crossing between southern Gaza and Egypt was closed on Sunday.
  • An Azerbaijani embassy worker was killed in Cairo on Saturday evening.

At least eight inmates died in the Wadi Natrun escape, although there are reports that there are dozens of bodies lying outside the prison. Thirty four opposition Muslim Brotherhood members escaped.

Prisoners also escaped several other prisons across Egypt.

Cairoā€™s Tahrir Square was packed with protesters on Sunday afternoon. Army tanks are guarding key buildings.

New vice President Omar Suleiman, has been a leading figure in Egyptian efforts to secure an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

Ahmed Shafiq, the new prime minister, is respected among the opposition, and has often been mooted as a potential successor to Mubarak.

On Sunday, Egypt's outgoing information minister Anas al-Fikki ordered the closure of Al Jazeera's operations in Egypt after the channel gave blanket coverage to the riots.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in Jerusalem on Sunday that Israel is carefully watching developments in Egypt and its efforts are focused on maintaining the "stability and security" of the region.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon meanwhile called for "restraint, non-violence and respect for fundamental rights" in Egypt, addressing the African Union summit that opened in Addis Ababa.

President Barack Obama gathered his national security team at the White House for a session lasting just over an hour on latest developments in Egypt on Saturday.

Many countries have warned against all but essential travel to Egypt.

Gazans are stockpiling fuel over fears that supplies from Egypt, which are brought in through smuggling tunnels, could be halted by the political unrest gripping the country.

Passage of goods through the cross-border tunnels has been halted since Friday.

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