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Cairo:
The Egyptian military moved into the Sinai resort town of Sharm
el-Sheikh Sunday in an effort to control unrest in the tourist
areas even as the anti-government protests escalated Saturday and
the government banned Al-Jazeera channel as one of the many
measures to control the unrest.
The Cairo airport was flooded with
foreigners trying to leave the country in a hurry.
The US embassy in Cairo has advised US citizens to leave the
country as soon as possible owing to the unrest, according to
broadcaster al-Arabiya.
Saudi Arabia and Turkey said they were sending planes to evacuate
their citizens from Egypt.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is reported to be dividing his
time between a residence in Cairo and one in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Al-Jazeera banned
Meanwhile, the Egyptian authorities
have imposed a ban on the work of the Arabic TV channel Al-Jazeera
in Egypt amid escalating anti-government protests in the north
African country, Egypt's state television announced on Sunday.
According to the announcement, the accreditations of Al-Jazeera
journalists in Egypt have been annulled and the TV channel's
access to satellite communication has been closed.
Al-Jazeera was a major news source for Egyptians, as it had the
largest ramified network of correspondents across Egypt.
Al-Jazeera had telecast live reports from Cairo and other Egyptian
cities swept by anti-government protests, interviewed opposition
leaders and protesters and provided excusive information on riots,
lootings and victims in Egypt.
Violent outrage
Anti-government protests started in Egypt January 25, with crowds
of tens of thousands demanding President Hosni Mubarak step down
after three decades of unbridled power.
Earlier, Al Jazeera said about 100 people had been killed in
clashes with police in Cairo and other Egyptian cities.
More than 10 protesters were killed in clashes with police near
the Egyptian interior ministry building in Cairo in the early
hours of Sunday, Al Jazeera reported.
A crowd of protesters was trying to storm the building, located in
the centre of the Egyptian capital, forcing police to open fire,
the TV channel reported.
In the Faiyum governorate, an administrative division, located
about 81 miles (about 130 km) to the southwest of Cairo,
unidentified gunmen shot dead the chief of a local prison, freeing
several hundred prisoners, Al Jazeera said.
On Saturday, Mubarak dismissed the country's government and
appointed a former civil aviation minister, Ahmed Shafiq, as the
new prime minister, ordering him to form a new cabinet.
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