Egypt on the Verge of Implosion

Washington Times - CAIRO (AP) — Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters poured into the streets of Egypt Friday, stoning and confronting police who fired back with rubber bullets and tear gas in the most violent and chaotic scenes yet in the challenge to President Hosni Mubarak‘s 30-year rule. One protester was killed and even a Nobel Peace laureate was placed under house arrest after joining demonstrations.

Hosni Mubarak

Egyptian state TV reported that Mr. Mubarak has ordered a night curfew from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. in Cairo, the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria and the flashpoint city of Suez east of the capital. It said the military will work in tandem with the police to enforce the ban. It was the most drastic measure so far to quell riots and protests that spiraled into chaos on Friday. Groups of thousands of protesters, some chanting “out, out, out,” defied a ban on any gatherings and turned out at different venues across Cairo, a city of about 18 million people, some marching toward major squares and across scenic Nile bridges. Burning tires sent up plumes of black smoke across the cityscape as the sun set. Security officials said there were protests in at least 11 of the country’s 28 provinces. Read full story here:

Egypt on the Verge of Implosion