Scores are dead as Egypt descends into chaos following a brutal crackdown on massive sit-ins in support of deposed President Mohamed Morsi. Morsi supporters have been rallying since July 3 demanding his reinstatement.

Friday, August 30

20:12 GMT: At least six are dead and around 50 injured in Egypt as thousands of supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi marched in cities across the country, calling for Morsi’s return to office. Security sources said around 20 were arrested, and that police fired teargas at protesters in Cairo's Mohandiseen district. The marches spurred the military-backed government to warn Egyptians of legal consequences should anyone violate a mandatory 1700 GMT curfew.



Thursday, August 22



13:05 GMT: Ahmed Aref, spokesperson for the Muslim Brotherhood, has been arrested by the security forces, according to Egyptian state television.



Tuesday, August 20

19:48 GMT: The ten-member technical committee, entrusted with amending Egypt's 2012 constitution, handed the revised copy over to interim president Adly Mansour, Ahram Online reported.



It was reported that the committee decided to retain the article, which states that Islam is the religion of the state, Arabic is its official language, and Islamic Sharia is the main source of legislation. However, it actually decided to revoke the article concerning various interpretations of Islamic Sharia - reportedly upon the request of most political and public institutions.



The new draft constitution is expected to be announced on Wednesday.



18:15 GMT: A White House spokesman said that Obama will meet on Tuesday with his national security team to discuss Egypt and the aid issues surrounding the country.



13:00 GMT: Hundreds of pro-Morsi protesters are being interrogated and arrest warrants were issued for Muslim Brotherhood leaders and the preacher at the Fath mosque, Hafez Ghazal, on charges of incitement to storm the Azbakiya police station during the riot in Ramses Square on Saturday.



12:20 GMT: Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood officially announced that the deputy to the movement's leader, Mahmoud Ezzat, will temporarily serve as the organization's spiritual leader.



12:10 GMT: An Egyptian court will on Wednesday review a petition for the release of deposed President Hosni Mubarak filed by his lawyer, judicial sources said.

The court will convene at the Cairo prison where Mubarak is being held, according to the sources. If the court upholds the petition, Mubarak is expected to be released as there remains no further legal grounds for his detention, said the ex-president’s lawyer Fareed el-Deeb. Though he is being retried on charges of ordering the killing of protesters in the 2011 uprising, he has served the maximum amount of pre-trial detention permitted in the case, judicial sources said.



00:20 GMT: Security forces in Egypt have arrested the head of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie, according to state media. Badie, who is usually described as the Brotherhood’s spiritual leader of “General Guide,” was held at an apartment in Nasr City in the northeast of Cairo, Reuters reported, citing Egyptian media. Nasr City was the location of a six-week sit-in protest held by supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi, which was violently cleared out by the country’s security forces last Wednesday. Both Badie and his deputy, Khairat el-Shater - who is already in custody - are appearing before a court later this month for their alleged role in the deaths of eight protesters who were demonstrating outside the Brotherhood’s Cairo headquarters in June.

Monday, August 19

21:30 GMT: An Al-Ahram journalist was shot dead at a military checkpoint a few hours after the state imposed curfew, which starts at 7 pm. Abdel-Raouf was driving with his colleague after a meeting with the governor of Beheira, a Nile Delta Province, the paid were returning home. A military checkpoint on the route refused to allow them to pass and started shooting, even though journalists and media personal are officially exempt from the curfew.

19:54 GMT:

Explosion in the vicinity of military intelligence in El-Arish. Ongoing clashes. #Sinai — Mohamed Fadel Fahmy (@Repent11) August 19, 2013





18:01 GMT: Washington says that its review of military, security, and economic assistance to Egypt is “ongoing” and that adjustments will be made “as needed.”

“We have not made a policy decision to put a blanket hold on the economic support fund,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, adding that the review also applied to military and security assistance.

NGO funding will not be affected regardless of whether the US imposes restrictions on aid, she said.

17:40 GMT: American Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has urged Egyptian military leaders to return to an “inclusive” approach to governing after hundreds of Morsi supporters were killed in clashes with security forces, AFP reported.

Hagel reiterated Washington’s appeal for dialogue amid the ongoing bloodshed in Egypt but acknowledged that US influence over the events is “limited.”

15:39 GMT: Egypt's public prosecutor has ordered the continued detention of ousted President Mohamed Morsi for 15 days in a new investigation into allegations that he participated in "violent acts," the MENA state news agency reported. The new case centers on protests that took place in front of the presidential palace in December 2012.



15:21 GMT: Human rights group Amnesty International has denounced the "utter carnage" in Egypt, after clashes between security forces and Morsi supporters killed more than 800 people and injured thousands.

"A clear violation of international law and standards has been carried out in Egypt in what can be described as no less than utter carnage," Salil Shetty, the group’s Secretary General, said in a statement. "The interim government has already stained its human rights record – first by breaking its promises to use non-lethal weapons to disperse pro-Morsi sit-ins and allow for the safe exit of wounded, and then by justifying their actions despite the tragic loss of lives."



Shetty also blamed the international community's for its "weak and ineffective" response to the violence.



"The response of the international community has been weak and ineffective, even as everyone leaps to condemn the horrific loss of life," he said.



Amnesty International also urged the interim authorities to "take immediate action to prevent further loss of life, while bringing security and public order back to the streets."



The head of Amnesty International in Germany, Selman Caliskan, said that only a "comprehensive investigation can ensure justice for the victims and accountability for the perpetrators."



14:00 GMT: Saudi Arabia said Monday that Arab and Islamic countries will step in to help Egypt if Western nations cut aid packages to Cairo over a crackdown on Islamist protesters, AFP reported. Addressing the states that “have announced they are cutting their aid to Egypt, or threatening to do that,” Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said “Arab and Muslim nations are rich… and will not hesitate to help Egypt.”

10:44 GMT: Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has warned its citizens against traveling to Egypt, where violent clashes between law enforcement agencies and Islamists have claimed hundreds of lives. Those Turks living in Egypt should take “all necessary personal security measures and stay away from demonstrations and crowds,” the ministry said. Turkish citizens are advised to phone the Consulate General in Alexandria or country's 24-hour Consulate Call Center in case of emergency.

09:23 GMT: Egyptian authorities have closed the Rafah crossing following the Sinai attack, AFP reported.



06:38 GMT: Twenty-four Egyptian policemen have been killed in a suspected militant ambush in northern Sinai, AP reported Egyptian authorities as saying. The officers were traveling in two buses when unknown armed men attacked them, officials cited security forces as saying. The assault took place near the town of Rafah, near the border with Gaza.



03:17 GMT: Egypt’s interior ministry has banned informal security committees set up by Egyptians amid the country's ongoing clashes, Ahram Online reported. The committees were created to protect neighbourhoods from unrest. The decision is reportedly aimed at curbing illegal acts which were committed by committee members last week.



01:05 GMT: The Anti-Coup Alliance issued a statement claiming that it had "obtained evidence of the assassination of at least 38 anti-coup detainees in a truck transferring them to Abu Zaabal prison."



The group said it “puts full criminal responsibility” on the leaders of the July 3 military coup, including Egyptian army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Kamel, and demanded an international investigation into the “horrific crime.”



Sunday, August 18



23:07 GMT: Sarah Marusek, an activist who rallied against US policy in Egypt in front of the Egyptian Mission to the United Nations in New York, explained to RT why she doubts that US military aid to Egypt will be canceled.



“If the United States government cancels the aid, then US companies are going to be the ones who are not going to get paid. In our economy, that is struggling, that is not going to be dignified by the American people,” Marusek said.



22:19 GMT: Amr Darrag from Egypt’s Freedom and Justice Party told RT that “the Muslim Brotherhood has always been protecting churches.” Citing a priest in Minya - where many Christian churches were attacked this week - Darrag said that the “attacks were orchestrated by thugs who cooperate with security forces.” He added that allegations of Islamist groups attacking the places of worship are unfounded. “These allegations are being propounded by the current [regime], in order to justify the aggression.”

Furthermore, Darrag told RT that mass media often misinterprets the entire picture of the conflict, placing pro-Morsi protesters in one camp and government forces in the other. They are composed of “several fractions of Egyptians,” the politician said, adding that some are not organized or united under any banner. “They are all protesting and marching to regain democracy back.”



21:04 GMT: Egypt’s Tamarod "Rebel" Campaign, which was largely responsible for organizing anti-Morsi protests, launched a petition on its official website on Saturday, demanding the cancellation of a peace treaty with Israel and the cancellation of US aid.



"After the unacceptable American intervention in Egyptian affairs, and how the US supports terrorist groups in Egypt, I demand as an Egyptian citizen who signed this petition to hold a referendum on two matters. The first, to refuse US aid...in all its forms. The second, to cancel the peace agreement between Egypt and the Israeli entity and rewording security agreements in order to ensure the rights of the Egyptian state in securing its borders," the petition reads, as cited by Albawaba News.



20:32 GMT: Nigeria’s top Muslim body has urged a prompt international investigation on the crackdown by the Egyptian authorities against pro-Morsi protesters in which hundreds of civilians were killed this week.



The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs released a statement asking the International Criminal Court to act, and called for an unconditional release of Mohamed Morsi.



“The NSCIA calls for cessation of hostilities; unconditional release of the elected President Morsi and all other political detainees; constitution of an independent electoral agency under the supervision of the United Nations” the statement said.



20:11 GMT: France and Saudi Arabia want to offer their help in mediating the crisis in Egypt, French President Francois Hollande said after a meeting with the Saudi foreign minister in Paris.



Hollande condemned the "unacceptable" level of violence in Egypt as he called for political dialogue.



"It is unacceptable that there is violence of this level in a great country like Egypt," he said. "If the freedom to protest must be respected, so must security."

Hollande also stated that countries have a duty to stop the violence in order to pave the way for elections in Egypt, stressing that Arab nations, Europe, and France have a "shared responsibility" to get Egyptian political authorities on the right path towards elections.



Meanwhile, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters that "We will not achieve anything through threats.”



17:17 GMT: Several marches of supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi kicked off on Sunday evening in Cairo districts, media reports stated. The number of people taking part was not immediately clear, but they were all said to be heading to the Constitutional Court.



16:36 GMT: Hundreds of Brotherhood supporters could be seen marching in Giza, located some 20 kilometers from Cairo. According to reports, the demonstrators are headed to the capital to join others who are already gathering in front of the Constitutional Court.

16:24 GMT: 79 people died and 549 were wounded in violence across Egypt on Saturday, the state news agency cited the Egyptian government as saying.

16:06 GMT: Several dozen Muslim Brotherhood leaders were arrested across Egypt on Sunday, according to Brotherhood sources cited by Ahram Online. The movement’s office in Alexandria said that state security forces and special forces stormed the homes of 34 members of the Brotherhood and its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP). It added that Medhat El-Haddad, the head of the group’s Alexandria office, was among the 34 people arrested. Eight Brotherhood leaders were also reportedly arrested in the governorate of Gharbiya.



The Brotherhood’s spokesperson in Alexandria, Anes El-Kady, condemned the raids, comparing them to the Mubarak era “dawn visits” by security forces to arrest opposition members.



“These arrests will not terrorize us. We will continue protesting peacefully,” El-Kady said.



15:17 GMT: Egyptian Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned that the military would not tolerate further violence, and called on the Muslim Brotherhood to join the political process, according to a statement posted on the Army’s Facebook page. Speaking at a gathering of Egypt’s top military commanders and police chiefs, Al-Sisi insisted that the Army had no intention to seize power, and that it was up to Egyptians “to give legitimacy for whoever they want.” Addressing the Brotherhood, he added that there was “room for everyone in Egypt.”

Sisi says won't accept "the destruction .. of the country, the terrorising of the people and sending a wrong image to the Western media" — crispian balmer (@crispiandjb) August 18, 2013

14:27 GMT: Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood has canceled its Sunday rallies in Cairo due to security concerns, RT Arabic cited a source as saying. Brotherhood officials, quoted by Al Jazeera, said they were calling off their planned protest marches due to “the presence of army snipers on buildings along the routes.”



14:04 GMT: Egypt’s security forces have arrested 3,500 supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi since Wednesday, Ahram Online cited Muslim Brotherhood lawyer Mustafa El-Demeery as saying. El-Demeery said about 2,000 Morsi loyalists were arrested during the dispersal of the Rabaa Al-Adaweya and Al-Nahda sit-ins on Wednesday. Some 1,500 more were arrested during clashes between Morsi supporters, security forces and downtown Cairo residents in and around Ramses Square on Friday, the lawyer said. Prosecutors have ordered the continued detention of more than 400 Morsi loyalists arrested during the Ramses Square clashes, according to Ahram Online. The rest of the detained are reportedly being questioned.



13:40 GMT: Russia’s Federal Tourism Agency said Muslim Brotherhood rallies in the popular Egyptian resort city of Hurghada had not affected tourists’ safety. The police are guarding the tourist zones in the Red Sea coast city, while the local rallies have been peaceful and some distance away from the city’s hotels, a spokeswoman for the tourist agency told Interfax.

12:54 GMT: Egypt has increased security in Cairo ahead of planned rallies in support of deposed President Mohamed Morsi. Reports said that armored vehicles and troops were deployed early Sunday to the Supreme Constitutional Court building in southern Cairo, where a major pro-Morsi rally of the anti-coup alliance has been planned. The Muslim Brotherhood-led National Coalition to Support Legitimacy has announced that Sunday’s rallies across the country will mark the start of the so-called “Putschists’ Departure week.”



10:52 GMT: Sweden’s Electrolux, the world's second-biggest home appliances manufacturer, has announced a halt to its operations in Egypt until the security situation there improves. In 2011 Electrolux bought Egypt's biggest appliances maker Olympic Group, and company turnover in Egypt in 2012 reached $307 million. Electrolux employs a total of 7,000 people in Egypt.

08:50 GMT: The EU will review its relations with Egypt, according to a joint statement by President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso.



The leaders of the 28-member bloc have called for an immediate halt to violence in Egypt, for the resumption of political dialogue and a return to democratic rule.

“While all should exert maximum restraint, we underline the particular responsibility of the interim authorities and of the army in bringing clashes to a halt. The violence and the killings of these last days cannot be justified nor condoned. Human rights must be respected and upheld. Political prisoners should be released,” the statement reads.



08:30 GMT: Egyptian prosecutors are investigating 250 Muslim Brotherhood supporters – one quarter of those arrested in the wake of Friday’s violent clashes – on charges of murder, attempted murder and terrorism, Reuters reported the state MENA news agency as saying.



08:00 GMT: The Muslim Brotherhood has urged its supporters to take part in several marches on Sunday, including one to the Cairo Supreme Constitutional Court, to protest the military’s violent crackdown this week, which has resulted in more than 700 deaths.

"Depature of the coup" week begins, #Morsi supporters will march on Constitutional Court& Roxy sq (near Prez palace) after afternoon prayers — Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) August 18, 2013

02:02 GMT: Egypt’s Tahrir-ICN anarchist group has issued a statement condemning the “massacre” by security forces cracking down on the opposition.

“It was a pre-orchestrated act of state terrorism. It’s aim is to divide the people and push the Muslim Brotherhood to create more militia’s to revenge and protect themselves,” the statement read.

The group has also accused the government of seeking “to keep the military regime in an ongoing state of emergency.”

Saturday, August 17



23:34 GMT: The US Embassy in Cairo has announced that it will remain closed on Sunday for security reasons amid ongoing clashes in the Egyptian capital.

“The possibility of protests in [the] vicinity of the Embassy continues,” reads a statement on the embassy’s website.“Please do not travel to the Embassy unless you receive specific instructions from the Embassy to do so.”

22:50 GMT: At least 58 Christian properties have been attacked since Wednesday. Representatives of Christian churches compiled a list of affected properties, which was published by AsiaNews.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is “alarmed” by the violence in Egypt, and has condemned the "attacks on churches, hospitals, and other public facilities, which he finds unacceptable," according to a statement from his office.



The UN chief has called on all sides to prevent the loss of human lives and for “authority to use maximum restraint and shift immediately to de-escalation.”



22:28 GMT: Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS) released a memo saying that it “noticed that some media coverage has steered away from objectivity and neutrality that are internationally common, according to a certain political agenda; a state of affairs that led to conveying a distorted image that is very much far from the facts and media coverage.”



The statement accused the Muslim Brotherhood of “violent and terror acts” aimed at the “killing of innocent people and setting churches and public and private property on fire along with storming police stations and blocking roads.”



22:20 GMT: Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy has accused Turkey of adopting a hostile stance toward Egypt, Al Jazeera reports. The minister also said that authorities are working to provide an accurate picture of the events on the ground, as foreign media tends to exaggerate them. He warned against bowing to foreign pressure, stating that such vital decision-making is ultimately in Egypt’s hands.





22:14 GMT: The official spokesperson for the Muslim Brotherhood, Ahmed Aref, has denied that he justified assaults on Egypt's churches, Egypt Independent reported.



On his Facebook page, Aref emphasized his rejection of violence towards Egypt's Christian community.



“I have long standing ties with different church priests in Egypt and outside it. We condemn this sort of violence and do not accept it or employ it. We do not ignore it, let alone justify it. We know this is a security ploy - that is plain as day.”



21:57 GMT: During a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart, UK Foreign Minister William Hague urged an end to the bloodshed and condemned “all acts of violence,” the British Foreign Office said.



20:46 GMT: Anti-coup rallies are taking place in Cairo and in the suburbs of Helwan and Giza, as well as in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, Al Jazeera reports.

#Alexandria army tanks cutting off central district Sidi Gaber which witnessed some of the deadly clashes pic.twitter.com/wVNwrQKnTk — AhmedMaher (@BBCAhmedMaher) August 17, 2013

20:38 GMT: Two Irish sisters were arrested by Egyptian security forces in Cairo's Al-Fath mosque, AFP reported. They are the children of the imam of Ireland’s largest mosque and were on a visit to Egypt with other siblings when they took refuge inside the building on Friday. Omaima Halawa and her sister Fatima were detained once they left the mosque on Saturday. Meanwhile, dozens gathered outside the Egyptian embassy in Dublin, protesting against violent military crackdowns on protesters in Egypt.



20:23 GMT: Saudi Arabia is sending three fully equipped and staffed field hospitals to Egypt. King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz ordered the shipment in order to “support the brotherly Egyptian people, and to reduce the pressure on hospitals there,” according to SPA state news agency.



20:12 GMT: According to the state news agency, 250 Muslim Brotherhood protesters are under investigation for murder, attempted murder, and terrorism.



17:15 GMT: Germany's foreign minister and his Qatari counterpart also joined the chorus of voices denouncing violence in Egypt. "We are deeply distressed by the ongoing and brutal violence in Egypt," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told journalists on Saturday





16:40 GMT: Thousands in Turkey took to the streets on Saturday to protest the ‘massacre’ in Egypt. Some 4,000 protesters gathered at an Istanbul mosque chanting, “Down with [army chief Abdel Fattah] al-Sisi” and “Morsi in power!” according to an AFP photographer. Demonstrators asked the Muslim world to help the Egyptian people “who are being massacred.” In the central Turkish city of Konya, almost 10,000 turned up in solidarity with the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies, Dogan news agency reported.





Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed the international response to increasing violence in Egypt on Friday as shameful because of how little action has been taken to date. “Let me say very clearly, the UN Security Council no longer has the right to look at itself in the mirror, it’s so ashamed, because it couldn't condemn what's happening in Egypt,” said Erdogan, adding that silence was tantamount to condoning massacres.



15:40 GMT: Egyptian banks, which have been closed since Wednesday due to violence on the streets, will reopen Sunday morning, the country’s Central Bank said in a statement.



15:27 GMT: The Egyptian government has pledged to fight against “terrorism and radicalism,” and to protect the people against “religious fascism,” presidential spokesman Mostafa Hegazy said at a press conference. Speaking to the reporters, the spokesman said a “war” has been declared against Egypt by “extremist forces,” and urged the supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi to “come back to [their] senses.” Dismissing all the forms of the protesters’ violence and damage to property as “terrorist” activities, Hegazy claimed that the Egyptians are now “more united than before.”



The spokesman stressed that the Egyptian government was committed to fully implement its roadmap, which includes drafting a new constitution.

“The constitution will be for all Egyptians, by all Egyptians,” Hegazy said.



He also expressed the government’s disappointment about the international media coverage of the situation in Egypt, saying that the stories of churches being burnt down and police officers being attacked and killed were “missing” from it.



Are we going to see a crackdown on foreign journalists? This presser suggests that might be their next plan — Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) August 17, 2013

15:05 GMT: A blast went off at the Egyptian consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Reuters cited eyewitnesses as saying. The “small explosion” reportedly caused some damage to the building, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.



14:40 GMT: Security forces have cleared Cairo’s Al-Fath mosque following the stand-off, Egyptian state TV reported. Many of the Muslim Brotherhood supporters who refused to leave the mosque earlier and barricaded themselves inside have been arrested, the report added.



14:07 GMT: The Egyptian Army posted a statement on its Facebook page, dismissing what it described as “lies and false claims” by Muslim Brotherhood supporters, broadcast by Al Jazeera. The army said it had been providing a safe exit corridor to people inside Cairo’s Al-Fath mosque, and said some media agencies had “deliberately falsified the facts.”



Earlier on Saturday, Al Jazeera cited witnesses speaking from Al-Fath mosque as saying they were “afraid” of leaving the mosque, because some “thugs” have been taking the outgoing people hostage, and that these attackers have been “coordinating with the army and the police forces.”



13:23 GMT:



Just heard @alastair_beach and Matt have been released. Thank god — Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) August 17, 2013

13:15 GMT: Two Western journalists – Matt Bradley, of The Wall Street Journal, and Alastair Beach, of The Independent – have been taken into an army vehicle for their protection, after having been reportedly detained by the crowd. Another journalist at the scene, Alastair Beach, tweeted they were both safe, thanking the military and other journalists for their “timely intervention.”



Seeing @MattMcBradley put into Army APC in Ramses Square on Aljazeera English. #egyptpic.twitter.com/UANZil4HZM — Cliff Cheney (@cliffcheney) August 17, 2013

12:10 GMT: A brother of Al-Qaeda’s worldwide leader, Ayman Al-Zawahri, has been arrested in Egypt, AP reported, citing a local security source. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that Mohammed Zawahri was detained at a checkpoint in Giza, a town across the Nile from Cairo.

Mohammed Al-Zawahri is the leader of an ultraconservative Salafist group that operated openly in Egypt before July’s military coup, which ousted President Mohammed Morsi. The group was allied with Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood.

Egyptian authorities said earlier that Mohammed Al-Zawahri had commanded Islamist militants in Sinai Peninsula.



11:50 GMT: A gun battle erupted at Cairo’s Al-Fath mosque, where several hundred Morsi supporters remain barricaded since Friday. A gunman opened fire from the mosque’s minaret, with police shooting back at him. The exchanges of gunfire outside the mosque scared many of the people remaining inside, journalists in touch with the protesters reported. The identity of the lone gunman remains unknown.



11:44 GMT: The violent clashes between security forces and Morsi supporters on Friday left 173 people killed across Egypt, including 93 in central Cairo, the Health Ministry said. Countrywide, 1,330 people were injured, including 596 in the capital, the ministry said.



11:30 GMT: The Muslim Brotherhood may be banned in Egypt, a spokesman for the country’s interim Prime Minister Hazem Al Beblawi said. The proposition for a legal dissolution of the Islamist movement was tabled by the PM and is currently being studied by the provisional cabinet.

The Brotherhood was illegal in Egypt for decades, before the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011 brought it to the frontline of the country’s politics. Earlier the military-backed interim government said it would return to Mubarak-era security levels.

10:50 GMT: Ammar Badie, 38, a son of senior Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie, was shot and killed Friday in Cairo’s Ramses Square, the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party said on its Facebook page. On Wednesday, Asmaa Beltagy, the 17-year-old daughter of another top Brotherhood official, Mohammed Beltagy, was killed in the clashes.



09:49 GMT:

People are coming out of the El-Fath mosque now, apparently doctors and nurses. Crowds clap. It's chaotic — Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) August 17, 2013

09:40 GMT: The retrial of Hosni Mubarak, the former Egyptian president who was ousted in a massive popular uprising in 2011, resumed Saturday. Mubarak, 85, was absent from court due to security concerns over the continuing violence in the country – the first court session he has missed so far. His two sons, Alaa and Gamal, and Mubarak's former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly, who are also standing trial, were also absent.

The judge adjourned proceedings until August 25.

Mubarak and Adly were convicted and sentenced to life in June last year for failing to stop the killings of protesters during the 2011 revolution. A retrial called in January after both prosecution and defense successfully appealed the verdict.

03:01 GMT: Security forces continue to clash with Muslim Brotherhood protesters in the city of el Arish in northern Sinai. Tires and barricades have been set on fire on one street as pro-Morsi supporters battle authorities, AP reported. It was earlier reported that six people have been killed and 17 others injured in the clashes.



02:42 GMT: Egyptian security forces have arrested over 1,000 Morsi supporters nationwide, the interior ministry said in a statement early Saturday.



"The number of Muslim Brotherhood elements arrested reached 1,004," the statement said. The majority of the arrests, 558, took place in Cairo, AFP reported.

01:01 GMT: An estimated 1,500 people trapped inside Al-Fath mosque in Cairo’s Ramses Square have asked for “a safe exit” at the end of the curfew which finishes at 7am local time.



Security forces besieged Al-Fath mosque at the end the "Friday of Anger" protests. Security officials claimed that "armed elements" were "shooting security forces and police from inside the mosque," MENA reported. However, activists say the army was attacking them.



The head of the Doctors’ Syndicate told Ahram Online that 1,500 protesters and 31 doctors have asked for a safety corridor, after earlier reports indicated that people inside the mosque were fearing for their lives. Around 70 people are believed to be injured inside the building.



“They demand a safe exit because they fear if they leave the mosque they will be arrested and humiliated. They want to go out in the presence of human rights representatives, media personnel, and members of the Doctors Syndicate to make sure this will not happen,” medic Ahmed Hussein said.



Earlier, AFP reported that soldiers offered to evacuate women but insisted on questioning men, which the protesters refused. "Thugs tried to storm the mosque but the men barricaded the doors," the agency quoted one of the people inside the mosque as saying.

00:12 GMT: Around 821 members of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested by Egyptian security forces on Friday as riots took place across 18 governorates, KUNA reported, citing an interior ministry security source.



Some 22 automatic firearms as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition were also seized.



Friday, August 16

23:13 GMT: Egypt’s Coptic Church issued a statement in support of the security forces and condemned the “groups of armed violence.”



“The Egyptian Coptic Church is following the unfortunate developments on the ground of our country Egypt and emphasizes its strong stance with the Egyptian police, armed forces, and other organizations of the Egyptian people in the face of groups of armed violence and black terrorism,” the church said in a statement.





23:05 GMT: According to reports, between 600 and 700 people are being barricaded inside Al-Fath mosque in the Ramses area, where security forces are trying to enter the building.



"They are threatening to burn the mosque. They are trying to enter the mosque,” a witness from inside the building told Al Jazeera. "Men inside the mosque are trying to keep the doors locked using bookshelves and other stuff," the witness added.



23:01 GMT: Amnesty International is calling on the international community to conduct “a full and impartial investigation” into the Egyptian government’s actions this week. The organization says that based on witness testimonies, security forces allegedly used excessive force and broke promises to allow for safe passage of the wounded.



“Based on the initial testimonies and other evidence we’ve gathered, there seems to be little doubt the security forces have been acting with blatant disregard for human life, and full investigations that are both impartial and independent are urgently needed,” said Middle East and North Africa Programme Director Philip Luther.



22:51 GMT: The Taliban has issued a statement strongly condemning Wednesday’s violence in Egypt where authorities “dispersed crowds from two large bases with indiscriminate fire.” It also called for reinstatement of ousted president Mohamed Morsi.





“This inhumane and unwarranted attack resulted in the martyrdom of around two thousand and six hundred peaceful protestors including women, children and the elderly,” the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan posted in a statement.



The Taliban called on the United Nations, the Islamic Conference, and religious scholars to intervene on the matter and asked for “the Egyptian military and government to stop spilling the blood of innocent women, children and elderly and it must pave the way for the return of constitutionally elected president to stop the situation from spiraling further out of control.”



22:00 GMT: The presidential office announced that it will hold an international press conference at the presidential palace on Saturday at 13:00 GMT, to explain the country’s situation to the world, Egypt Daily News reported.



21:36 GMT: According to the latest figures, at least 91 people have been killed in Egypt alone, Reuters reported. Cairo’s death toll stands at more than 50. Five people were killed in Fayoum, eight in Damietta, 16 in Alexandria, and four in Tanta, Ismailia, and Port Said.



Meanwhile, Muslim Brotherhood supporters have accused the Health Ministry of not disclosing up-to-date numbers regarding the death toll.

#Egypt MoHealth prevented by gov from announcing casualties figures today after fixing figures of yesterday & the day before. — Gehad El-Haddad (@gelhaddad) August 16, 2013





21:20 GMT: The British Foreign Office has reissued a travel warning to British citizens. The statement advises against “all but essential travel to the rest of Egypt except for resorts on the Red Sea.”



The Foreign Office especially warns against travel to the “Governorate of North Sinai due to the significant increase in criminal activity and recent terrorist attacks on police and security forces that have resulted in deaths.”



21:04 GMT: Al Arabiya is reporting that 263 armed Muslim Brotherhood members have so far been arrested in Ramses Square, citing Egypt’s interior ministry.



21:02 GMT: Clashes between security forces and protesters in the Sinai Peninsula have left at least six people dead, including one policemen. Seventeen others were injured, according to medical sources cited by Reuters.



Clashes in the city of Arish erupted when Morsi supporters stormed Rommana Police Station, Ahram Online reported. The army moved in to restore order.



Activists opened fire and hurled petrol bombs at the Civil Defense headquarters in Arish, prompting policemen to retaliate by returning fire.



In a separate incident, three rocket-propelled grenades were fired at the house of North Sinai's governor.



20:46 GMT: Al-Fath Mosque in Cairo's Ramses Square is reportedly still under gunfire attack. The Egyptian military says it will aim to disperse the protesters in the square, Al Jazeera reports.



Armored vehicles and security forces arrived earlier at the scene, which was the center of Friday's crackdown.



20:38 GMT: The office of the Red Crescent in Cairo has been set on fire by Muslim Brotherhood supporters, according to unconfirmed reports.

PHOTO: Blood Bank , Red Crescent Societies and the store to Tools relief is burning building in #Ramses, #Egyptpic.twitter.com/Qik676MVtP — Ahmad Talaat (@Ahmadtal3t) August 16, 2013





20:34 GMT: Egypt’s Third Army was deployed to disperse pro-Morsi activists in the Suez governorate, Ahram Online reported.



Warning shots were fired into the air, advising protesters in the main square and surrounding streets to leave before security forces and armored vehicles moved in.



The square has reportedly been reopened after protesters blocked traffic by burning tires and confronting authorities.



20:28 GMT: A video showing security forces allegedly opening fire on the protesters in Suez has been posted on YouTube. The origin of the video could not be independently verified.

20:07 GMT: It has been reported that five people were killed by security forces in Suez after the curfew was broken and people remained in the main square.

Five shot dead by security forces in Suez after breaking curfew to protest in square: medics — Samer Al-Atrush (@SameralAtrush) August 16, 2013





18:24 GMT: Friday's death toll has been estimated as being at least 60, according to the latest statement from security officials.



RT's Bel Trew summarizes the day's events from Cairo, recalling how approximately 28 planned marches attempted to converge on Ramses Square in the capital, and the gunfire which ensued.





18:15 GMT: Some 24 members of the Egyptian police force have been killed since late yesterday evening, a security official stated on Friday. The total number of police killed in the violence now stands at 67.

20 police officers were wounded today when assailants fired on two security cars in north of Cairo — PaulaSlier_RT (@PaulaSlier_RT) August 16, 2013





17:48 GMT: Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has called on its supporters to engage in a nationwide week of marches and rallies, according to a statement released on Friday.



17:35 GMT: A massive fire has broken out at a building in Cairo's Ramses Square, near a hospital in the area, and has reportedly been blazing for over an hour. It is now less than 30 minutes to curfew.





According to the most recent AFP tally, at least 70 people were killed across Egypt on Friday.

16:50 GMT: Shots are being fired and smoke pours from Cairo's Four Seasons hotel. The pro-Morsi protesters involved in the attack are reportedly storming the building.





Five people died in Alexandria, Egypt's second largest city, on Friday. At least 15 were wounded in the clashes, according to an emergency services official who spoke to Reuters.Some 50 people have been killed in Cairo protests across Friday, security officials told Reuters.

15:22 GMT: EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has requested that all EU member governments debate and co-ordinate appropriate EU measures on Egypt.



"I have been in constant touch with European Union foreign ministers, and I have asked member state representatives to debate and coordinate appropriate measures to be taken by the European Union in response to the situation in Egypt," she said, adding that responsibility for the tragedy "weighs heavily on the interim government."



15:20 GMT: Approximately 2,000 demonstrators have taken to the streets in two of Turkey’s biggest cities to protest the brutal security crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood supporters in Egypt. The protesters have been waving Islamic flags and chanting anti-US slogans. The thousand-strong crowd in Ankara condemned US failure to label Morsi's ouster a coup, and chanted “Murderer America, get out of Turkey.”



15:17 GMT: The death toll from the protests sweeping central Cairo has climbed to 27 according to a Reuters witness.



14:52 GMT: Crowds have been setting piles of tyres ablaze in the vicinity of Cairo's May 15 bridge.



14:37 GMT: Five people have been killed and a further 70 injured in clashes in the Egyptian town of Fayoum, some 130 km southwest of Cairo, Gamal Shuaib, manager of the Fayoum public hospital told Reuters.



14:22 GMT: Gunfire has reportedly resumed near Azbakeya police station, about 2km east of Cairo's 6 October Bridge.





Children throwing bottles at pro morsis at azbakeya station. Gunfire resumed after brief pause. — أبو كار (@Sarahcarr) August 16, 2013





14:01 GMT: Friday's clashes across Egypt have killed at least 17 people, according to official counts.



14:00 GMT: Egypt has cancelled naval drills with Turkey in protest of Turkey's alleged 'interference' in Egypt's internal affairs.



13:50 GMT: People have been hurling themselves off the bridge near Cairo's Ramses police station in an attempt to escape to the street below.





People throwing themselves from bridge near Ramses police station to reach street level. #Egyptpic.twitter.com/62jpFoe2AH — Carl Fridh Kleberg (@CFKlebergTT) August 16, 2013



13:39 GMT: Four people have been killed in protests in a central Cairo square which have left many further victims wounded, according to eyewitnesses.



13:29 GMT: French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have called for EU ministers to meet next week to discuss the situation in Egypt.



13:29 GMT:



When the rifle rounds came from the sides, #Morsi supporters stood their ground &held up shoes towards the gunfire pic.twitter.com/icKKl8RvTJ — Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) August 16, 2013



13:15 GMT: Police are using tear gas against Morsi supporters near the May 15 bridge.



13:00 GMT: British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande are to hold talks on Egypt today - RT's Paula Slier reports.



12:55 GMT: Eight people have died in the town of Damietta - local emergency services tell Reuters.



12:54 GMT: AFP reports at least five dead in the Cairo clashes.



12:53 GMT:

MT @FraCicardi Tear gas reaching Ramses Sq in dwntwn Cairo. possibly frm 6 October bridge. Trying ro get out of here by metro... #Egypt — Abigail Hauslohner (@ahauslohner) August 16, 2013





12:43 GMT: Germany has frozen a portion of its 25 million Euro development package to Egypt – German government sources told ITAR-TASS.



Approximately 15 million from that sum will be re-allocated to helping Syrian refugees in Jordan, as the country’s Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, Dirk Niebel says.



Although no further money injections into Egypt are planned at the time due to the security situation there, Niebel added that “we will not abandon Egypt”.



12:35 GMT:

Gunfire just started over Ramsis square, seems to be coming from the bridge. Automatic weapon. People holding their ground. — Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) August 16, 2013





12:09 GMT: Four pro-Morsi protesters are killed by police in a canal city - security sources.



12:01 GMT: A policeman dies in an armed attack on a Cairo checkpoint - state media told AFP.



12:00 GMT:

Protesters chanting "Down with military rule as they march across May bridge in Cairo. Photo: pic.twitter.com/HfIQDJuJhZ — Jared Malsin (@jmalsin) August 16, 2013





11:55 GMT: Muslim Brotherhood supporters have now blocked the '15 May' bridge.

11:52 GMT: Egyptian security forces warn that any violaton of the law will be dealt with firmly - local TV reports.



11:48 GMT:







11:47 GMT: Security forces have clashed with Mohamed Morsi supporters in northern Egypt – security officials told AFP.



10:10 GMT: Germany joins the list of countries issuing travel alerts to its citizens, after its foreign ministry’s announcement. The alert now includes Red Sea resorts like Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada.



"We advise against travel to Egypt, and advise urgently against travel to Cairo, upper Egypt and the Nile delta… Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle urges German citizens to take this travel advice very seriously," a spokesman told Reuters.



10:00 GMT: The Egyptian military will be guarding “vital installations” ahead of the Friday protests.



09:50 GMT: France’s foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, said Friday that violence in Egypt could benefit the country’s radical groups, and urged all sides to refrain from violence.



Fabius’s call came ahead of Friday’s planned “March of Anger” by the Muslim Brotherhood, and as security forces have been authorized to use lethal force against anyone who attacks them. Fabius said that "Given that Egypt was the guarantor of peace in the region, it's even more worrying… maximum restraint must be shown, otherwise the risk is extremist groups take advantage of the situation and that would be extremely dangerous.”



09:14 GMT: All approaches to Tahrir Square have been sealed off by security forces with armored vehicles and barbed wire as they brace for Friday’s protests.



A small group of pro-military protesters has remained in Tahrir Square since Morsi’s ouster as president in early July.



The Anwar al-Sadat underground station was also closed.

Tanks tightened their circle around Tahrir, several tanks facing outwards. People are now guarding entrances w/sticks wrapped in barbed wire — Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) August 16, 2013





08:30 GMT: Russian tour operators have canceled charter trips to Egypt in the wake of Wednesday’s violent clashes in the country, after Moscow advised Russian tourists to stay away. Customers who have already paid for their vacations will be allowed to go, Russia’s association of tour operators said in a statement.



01:40 GMT: Political activist Mahamed Hawary believes that the current situation in Egypt is a "typical war on terror" and the Muslim Brotherhood is "an insurgent group that was trying to hijack the country for their own good."

Hawary defended the government’s actions claiming that the army had to disperse the sit-ins. “There was no way to disperse them, rather than to use force,” Hawary told RT, elaborating that “tons of weaponry were recovered in sit-ins.”



“On the day of the operation, they were given several warnings, to disperse. Whoever was left were the armed individuals of the Muslim Brotherhood, not peaceful protesters.”



In regards to the death toll following Wednesday violence, says the blame lies with the Muslim Brotherhood. “They always use women and children as shields and I believe the police used the most restraint they were able to use” in such circumstance, Hawary said.



00:53 GMT:“This is a full-fledged coup turning bloody” Ahmed Naguib, political activist told RT in reference to the recent dispersal of pro Morsi protesters.

“This is the re-emergence of the Mubarak regime with all its pillars back in place, such as national security with all its violations, and all the human rights violations,” Naguib told RT viewers.

“The security apparatus was always loyal to the old regime and created security issues for the Morsi regime.” The democratic process is also threatened, the activist argues by “old retired generals being placed back in their positions.” Naguib also accuses Saudi Arabia and Kuwait of supporting the old regime’s forces.



00:14 GMT: Egyptian activists have released a video showing a man being targeted by a sniper, while trying to bring a wounded person to safety. Those people who then tried to help the men were also shot at. The origin of the footage could not be independently verified.

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Thursday, August 15

23:47 GMT: Responding to a US Presidential assessment of the situation in Egypt, the country’s interim government said that Obama’s comments will encourage more violence in Egypt, the presidency said in a statement on Friday.

Furthermore, the Egyptian establishment says that Obama’s remarks were not based on "facts," when the US leader claimed that Egypt was facing "terrorist acts" by a number of attacks on churches and government.

"The presidency fears statements not based on facts may encourage violent armed groups," the office said in a statement. "Egypt is facing terrorist acts aimed at government institutions and vital installations."



23:40 GMT: After an emergency closed session of the UN Security Council, the body urges all parties in Egypt to end the violence and exercise maximum restraint, Council President María Cristina Perceval told reporters after the meeting. The UN Security Council has condemned the situation in Egypt and called on authorities and Egyptians to find a road to reconciliation.



22:28 GMT: The Muslim Brotherhood has called for "a Friday of Anger" in towns and villages across Egypt, after the deadly crackdown on pro-Morsi sit-ins on Wednesday.



"After the blows and arrests and killings that we are facing, emotions are too high to be guided by anyone," said Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad.





#BREAKING: Egypt Islamists call for Friday rallies in Cairo: spokesman — Agence France-Presse (@AFP) August 15, 2013





#AntiCoup rallies tomorrow will depart from all mosques of #Cairo & head towards #Ramisis square after Jumaa prayer in "Friday of Anger" — Gehad El-Haddad (@gelhaddad) August 15, 2013

Activists opposing the pro-Morsi camp, the National Salvation Front (NSF) also called on Egyptians to protest on Friday against what it said was "obvious terrorism actions."



22:12 GMT: Kentucky Senator Rand Paul says cancelling the joint military exercise with Egypt is not enough, as federal law requires suspending military aid when there has been a military coup.



“While President Obama ‘condemns the violence in Egypt’, his administration continues to send billions of taxpayer dollars to help pay for it,” Paul said in a statement.

“The law is very clear when a coup d’état takes place, foreign aid must stop, regardless of the circumstances,” the senator said.

On Thursday, President Obama cancelled plans for joint American-Egyptian military exercises but stopped short of cutting Washington’s $1.3 billion in annual military aid.

21:57 GMT:

#BREAKING: Egypt Islamists say police have taken over mosque containing protester bodies — Agence France-Presse (@AFP) August 15, 2013





21:28 GMT: Security forces are firing tear gas at protestors at al Iman mosque in Nasr city, Al Jazeera reports. Shots have also been heard.



The bodies of more than 600 people who have been killed are being held at Mosques in and around Cairo. Rows of corpses are laid out on the floor in white shrouds and piled with blocks of ice at the al Iman mosque, where relatives have flocked to grieve over the dead.

FJP say police force besiege El-Eman mosque. I visited it today - it contains 100s of dead morsi supporters. Anyone got any further info? — Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) August 15, 2013





21:00 GMT: Egypt decided to recall its ambassador from Turkey for consultations, the state news agency reported on Thursday, after Ankara announced the same move.

"Nabil Fahmy, the foreign minister, decided to recall Egypt's ambassador in Ankara, Abdel Rahman Salah, for consultations," the state news agency reported, giving no further details.

20:48 GMT: As unrest in Egypt continues a number of foreign companies have temporarily closed their operations in the country.

Toyota Motor and Suzuki Motor halted production on Thursday out of safety concerns, Nikkei reports. Sumitomo Electric Industries of Japan evacuated expatriates from the country.

Sweden’s Electrolux home appliances manufacturer that employees 7,000 people in Egypt, has reportedly also stopped production processes at several factories, International Business Times reports.

General Motors closed its assembly plant outside Cairo while Royal Dutch Shell shut its offices for the next few days and restricted business travel. In the meantime the country’s stock exchange and banks remain closed.



20:29 GMT: The UN Security Council will meet behind closed doors at 23:30 Egypt Time (21:30 GMT) to discuss the situation in Egypt. The meeting was jointly requested by France, the UK and Australia.



20:18 GMT: Following strong criticism of the Egyptian authorities over Wednesday’s clashes by Anakara, Turkey’s ambassador, Hüseyin Avni Botsali, to Egypt has been recalled for consultations, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan said Thursday.



20:14 GMT: Egypt's ambassador in the UK has told reporters at a news conference that many pro-Morsi protesters were armed during Wednesday’s clashes, therefore authorities had the right to respond with deadly force. He also suggested that in some cases protesters had shot one another to make their point.



"They (protesters) got what they wanted, they showed they were the victims," Ambassador Ashraf ElKholy said.

19:40 GMT: Egypt's Christian minority faces reprisal attacks after the army's crackdown on supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi, Senior UN human rights officials say.



“A number of Christian churches and institutions have been targeted, including in the provinces of Assiut, Fayoum, Minya and Sohag, reportedly in retaliation to the incidents in Cairo," UN special advisors Adama Dieng and Jennifer Welsh said in statement, condemning the violence by the military and urging the sides to “take all possible steps to facilitate peaceful resolution of disputes in the country."



19:35 GMT: Egypt’s foreign ministry held a meeting with foreign reporters, explaining Wednesday’s dispersal of two large camps of pro-Morsi supporters, local Ahram paper reports.



Egyptian officials stressed that the decision to end the sit-ins came after a failure of negotiations and efforts by all sides, including the international community, to peacefully end the sit-ins.



Aerial footage of the dispersals was also shown, including a video of protesters using live ammunition against the security forces.



19:33 GMT: The death toll in Wednesday’s violence in Egypt has risen to 638 people, with 3,994 injured, AP reports citing the country’s Health Ministry.



19:00 GMT: The US State Department has warned the American citizens not to travel to Egypt and called on those already there to leave the country where at least 578 people were killed in clashes between the army and pro-Morsi protesters, AFP reports.



18:37 GMT: Senior European Union diplomats will meet in Brussels on Monday to assess the situation in Egypt and possible EU action, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said. The diplomats will discuss convening EU foreign ministers, but no decision on when the FMs would meet has been taken.



18:31 GMT: Australia, the UK and France have requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in order to discuss the deteriorating situation in Egypt. According to sources, the meeting may be held in the coming hours.



18:22 GMT: 578 people were killed in an Egyptian military crackdown on supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi on Wednesday, Reuters reports citing the country’s Health Ministry.



17:50 GMT: Egypt's Interior Ministry has authorised the use of live ammunition by police against protesters attacking government buildings, according to a statement on Thursday.



"The interior ministry has instructed all forces to use live ammunition to counter any attacks on government buildings or forces," it said.



17:48 GMT: The cabinet cancels shortening curfew hours. The curfew imposed in Cairo and 13 other major cities will still begin at 7pm local time (1700 GMT) and last till 6am, Egypt's interim authorities said in a statement.



17:47 GMT: The US is outraged by attacks on Coptic Churches in Egypt, said US state Department spokesperson Jen Psaki, who added that the US also condemns the attack on a government building in Giza. The country will continue reviewing its aid policy to Egypt.



17:25 GMT: US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told Egypt on Thursday that the US remains ready to work with all parties to ensure a peaceful way forward is achieved in the country. In a call to Egyptian army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, he said that the Pentagon would maintain military ties with the country.



"But I made it clear that the violence and inadequate steps towards reconciliation are putting important elements of our longstanding defense cooperation at risk," Hagel said in a statement to Reuters.



16:21 GMT: Curfew in Cairo and 13 other cities is to be shortened, the government said in a statement. It will start at 9pm local time, instead of 7pm, and will be lifted at 6am.



16:20 GMT: EU ministers are to meet next week to discuss the situation in Egypt, said Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino.



“We tried to mediate together with the United States, but it failed because the military accepted no compromises,” Bonino commented to the website Affaritaliani.it. “A meeting of EU foreign ministers is foreseen for Monday or Tuesday.”

The gathering has not yet been finalized, but ministers are expected to say yes.



16:19 GMT: Seven Egyptian soldiers have been killed near the city of El-Arish, North Sinai, having been shot to death by gunmen according to medical sources quoted by Reuters. A further five were injured in a different occurrence of gunfire when an army tent was struck with bullets.

15:41 GMT: Live ammunition will be used to repulse any attack on public buildings or security forces, Egyptian state TV reports the Interior Ministry as saying.



15:20 GMT: The interim government said it is ready to combat "terrorist acts" by the Muslim Brotherhood. A government statement said it saw a "criminal plan to demolish the pillars of the Egyptian state." However, the government also said it was seeking an "inclusive political process" open to anyone who was not involved in violence.



14:40 GMT: US President Barack Obama has called off joint US-Egypt military drills which had been scheduled to take place next month. The biannual Bright Star exercise is central to US-Egyptian relations since it began some three decades ago. Obama condemned the “steps that have been taken by Egypt’s interim government and security forces” and said "the cycle of violence and escalation" needs to be stopped.

14:22 GMT:



I can't tweet pictures as they are too graphic, brains spilling out of skulls, charred corpses, teenagers who lost a section of their head — Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) August 15, 2013





14:20 GMT: At least three people were killed and 55 others injured when Muslim Brotherhood supporters clashed with local residents at a rally in Alexandria, reports Al Arabiya.



13:45 GMT: the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, called on Egypt to “step back from the brink of disaster.” The plea was aimed at all sides involved in the conflict. However, Pillay said that they death toll indicated that “an excessive, even extreme use of force” had been employed against demonstrators and said that those responsible for deaths should be held to account.



13:26 GMT: Hundreds of pro-Morsi protesters have stormed a government building in Egypt’s third largest city of Giza. They threw Molotov cocktails and fired shots at the building, setting it on fire. The interior ministry says all government employees were evacuated before the siege began.

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Picture: Giza government building completely destroyed by fire after pro-Morsi stormed it a while ago. pic.twitter.com/VBUkffkZoq — The Big Pharaoh (@TheBigPharaoh) August 15, 2013

12:50 GMT: The Muslim Brotherhood-led Anti-Coup Alliance suffered “a very serious blow” in the confrontation with security forces when a number of its leaders were arrested, a spokesman for the movement said.



11:54 GMT: Hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood members are marching in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, protesting against the Wednesday crackdown on sit-ins in the capital Cairo.

"We will come back again for the sake of our martyrs," the marchers chanted, referring to the hundreds of protesters killed Wednesday in the security operation across Egypt. Some protesters carried portraits of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.

مسيرة الإخوان دلوقتي في سيدي بشر ماشية في اتجاه فيكتوريا عددهم لا يقل عن ٥ آلاف #الاخوان #الاسكندريةpic.twitter.com/7nKPeZaTLN — Muhammad Hegazy (@MuhammadHegazy) August 15, 2013





11:51 GMT:

Inside the rabaa field hospital - absolutely gutted pic.twitter.com/T9yIll8HUX — Alice Fordham (@AliceFordham) August 15, 2013

11:35 GMT: The detention of ousted President Mohamed Morsi was extended for another 30 days, MENA news agency reported. The president is being held in an undisclosed location. European officials visited him during the recent international attempt at mediation and confirmed he is alive and well.



11:30 GMT: Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood outside Egypt took to the streets of cities around the world to voice their support for the movement amid athe security crackdown. Demonstrations were held Thursday in Malaysia, Indonesia, Kuwait and Turkey, with protesters calling for an end of military rule and reinstatement of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.

11:14 GMT:

I'm in charred remains of rabaa el-adawiya mosque which was at heart of sit-in. Everything has been burnt to the ground. Alls left are shoes — Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) August 15, 2013

GMT 10:44: A group of 19 tourists from Poland have been stranded in their Egyptian holiday resort due to the ongoing turmoil in the country, Polish television channel TVN24 reported. They were supposed to leave the country via the Al Nakb Airport in the Sinai Peninsula, but the roads from their resort were blocked. On Wednesday, the Polish Foreign Ministry warned its citizens to be cautious while visiting Egypt.



10:32 GMT: Egypt’s Ambassador to Britain, Ashraf El Kholy, has been called in to the Foreign Office to hear London’s concerns over the violence in Egypt.



10:16 GMT: Military prosecutors are to investigate 84 people from the city of Suez, including some Muslim Brotherhood members, over allegations of murder and burning down Christian churches, Egyptian state news agency MENA reported.



10:11 GMT: Germany has summoned Egyptian Ambassador Mohamed Abdelhamid Ibrahim Higazy to explain the Egyptian government’s violent crackdown on the opposition. Germany sees the most important task now as preventing an escalation of violence, Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said.



09:50 GMT: Al-Jazeera reported seeing more than 250 bodies killed at Wednesday’s protest camps stored at a mosque in northeast Cairo. Egypt’s Health Ministry’s latest death toll currently stands at 421, based on a body count of corpses transported to hospitals and morgues.

09:15 GMT: The Muslim Brotherhood announced plans to hold a protest march on Thursday in defiance of the government’s crackdown and state of emergency.

"Marches are planned this afternoon from Al-Iman mosque to protest the deaths," the Islamist group said in a statement.

09:00 GMT: France has called on Egyptian Ambassador Nasser Ahmed Kamel to explain Wednesday’s security crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. French President Hollande urged action "to avoid civil war" in Egypt. Earlier, France joined an international chorus of condemnation of the violence.

08:43 GMT: Egypt has closed its border crossing with the Gaza Strip indefinitely, citing the deteriorating security situation, Turkey’s Anadolu news agency reported, citing a source in the Gaza Strip. The move comes after increasing violence in the Sinai Peninsula, where militants have been attacking Egyptian military outposts.

08:40 GMT:

Any country continues 2 back & provide aid/support 2 tyrannical #Military_Coup gov in #Egypt will b considered complicit in it. #AntiCoup — Gehad El-Haddad (@gelhaddad) August 15, 2013

08:20 GMT: Russia’s Foreign Ministry called on Egypt’s various political factions to act in their country’s national interests and prevent further escalation of violence in the country.

“We are convinced that the democratic renovation and thorough reform in the interest of all Egyptians is only possible through an encompassing dialogue, a renewal of a political process based on national reconciliation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich said.

The ministry also warned Russian tourists visiting Egypt to refrain from visiting Cairo and other large cities.

07:35 GMT: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the UN Security Council to convene quickly and take action over the Egyptian crisis.

"Those who remain silent in the face of this massacre are as guilty as those who carried it out," Erdogan told a news conference in Ankara.

07:30 GMT: Wednesday’s violence across Egypt left at least 343 people dead and almost 3,000 injured, the country’s Health Ministry said. The majority of victims were killed by gunshots or suffocated in concentrated tear gas clouds, the ministry said.

05:40 GMT: Traffic restarted through Cairo districts where the Muslim Brotherhood sit-ins were previously located. The movement apparently remains defiant in the face of a continued crackdown by security forces, with spokesman Gehad El-Haddad pledging on his Twitter account “to bring down the military coup" through peaceful action.



00:46 GMT: Amnesty International is working on the ground in Egypt to authenticate any abuses that have been carried out as authorities cleared pro-Morsi sit-ins on Wednesday. The organization also urged all sides to avoid further bloodshed.



“Promises by the authorities to use lethal methods only as a last resort to disperse protesters appear to have been broken. All too often in the past the Egyptian security forces have used excessive force against demonstrators with catastrophic consequences,” said Philip Luther, Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.



The “immediate priority” for the security forces, Amnesty says, is to avoid further loss of life.



In response to reports of restricted access to the main hospital near the Rabaa al-Adawiya sit-in, the organization called on authorities to provide a safety corridor.



“As an immediate step, any injured protesters must be granted unimpeded access to medical treatment. The authorities must also ensure safe exit for anyone wishing to leave the sit-in,” said Philip Luther.



00:32 GMT: Egypt's health ministry has raised the civilian death toll to 238 with more than 2,000 injured in clashes across the country. Muslim Brotherhood meanwhile claims that at least 2,600 people have been killed and over 10,000 injured during the crackdown.



GMT 00:17: Western diplomats were warning the Egyptian military not to use force against the Muslim Brotherhood right up until it happened, Reuters reports, citing western and Egyptian sources. Despite this, the hardline position prevailed.

"We had a political plan that was on the table, that had been accepted by [the Muslim Brotherhood]," said EU envoy Bernardino Leon, who was involved in an attempt to mediate a solution to the crisis. "They could have taken this option. So all that has happened today was unnecessary."

The generals chose to face down international criticism over the crackdown, including diplomatic condemnation and the prospect of losing international aid for the country’s cash-strapped economy, an Egyptian source said. The generals were pressured by public opinion into taking action, after critical comments from visiting US senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham last week and leaked reports of a possible deal between the authorities and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Wednesday, August 14

23:47 GMT: Ecuador has recalled its ambassador to Egypt for consultations following the crackdown on pro-Morsi protesters.



“Following the coup d’état which toppled President Morsi in July of this year, Egyptian society has been wrapped up in a climate of civil protest and repression on the part of the de facto government," the brief statement said.



23:00 GMT: A group of Christian activists has assembled a report claiming that at least 45 Christian building were attacked by pro-Morsi protesters on Wednesday. In Minya, the group counted 12 attacks, while 8 were reported in Assiut. Both cities have seen violence on Wednesday as protesters clashed with security forces. Authorities fired tear gas at thousands of Morsi supporters who had set one of the churches on fire in Minya. In Assiut about 3,000 Morsi supporters clashed with police.

Churches in Egypt had canceled morning masses and closed their doors in anticipation of any violence that would target the congregations. — Nermien Riad (@NermienRiad) August 14, 2013

22:17 GMT: Revised figures suggest 41 people have been killed in Minya province alone, Ahram online sites Minya’s head of the Health Ministry. Six of the dead are policemen. The total number of casualties stands at 278 according to the Egyptian Health Ministry.



21:36 GMT: Egyptian authorities have released a video showing a large number of arms and ammunition allegedly seized from Morsi supporters in Al Nadha Square in Giza. The origin of the footage could not be independently verified.

21:28 GMT: Protesters are defying the curfew imposed across Egypt. Pro-Morsi rallies have been reported in Port Said and North Sinai.



21:25 GMT: EU’s chief diplomat, Catherine Ashton urged Egypt’s government to end a month-long state of emergency imposed earlier on Wednesday.

“I call on the security forces to exercise utmost restraint and on the interim government to end the state of emergency as soon as possible, to allow the resumption of normal life,” Ashton said.

Ashton condemned the violence and criticized the burning of Christian churches.

“I also condemn the attacks on churches and offices that have taken place in the course of what has been a violent day, leaving the country in a state of emergency and heading into an uncertain future,” she added.



21:10 GMT: Following the brutal assault on Egyptian protest camps, the United States is considering calling off a military exercise with Egypt, a US official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.



The possibility of scrapping the "Bright Star" exercise was discussed at a meeting of the "deputies committee," which gathers officials from key US national security agencies, the official said.



20:55: GMT: Egypt's interim premier, Hazem El-Beblawi, told Egyptians Wednesday evening that the country can no longer accept the pro-Morsi sit-ins, Ahram online reports.

"As a state, we reached a level in which we cannot accept this method of protesting. Still we gave a chance for reconciliation, and even for international meditation, in order to have democracy in the future. But there was no respect for the right of peaceful protest," said El-Beblawi.

Claiming that the government is acting in the best interest of the people during the month of Ramadan, claiming that the goal was achieved.

"The first phase is achieved, but now with the current chaos the state has to intervene with exceptional procedures," the premier said, referencing the state of emergency that has been imposed for a month starting Wednesday 4pm.

20:17 GMT: Egypt is getting “close to a civil war” as the country has been taken over by a “hard hand military coup,” war correspondent Eric Margolis told RT.



“This is the counter revolution by the old guard, by Mubarak’s people, to re-establish their position in Egypt. They’ve seized the high points in Egypt, all the control levels which the Muslim Brotherhood never had, and are re-imposing their will very quickly.”



The new government, Margolis says successfully “re-imposed a reactionary group of security officers, police, bureaucrats, judges” as well as taking over the media sources.



Margolis claims that all of this is being financed by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, because the West is turning “a blind eye” to events in Egypt. Supporters of the “putsch” want Mubarak and his forces to “crush the demands for real democracy,” as Margolis foresees Mubarak “may be let out of jail soon.”



20:00 GMT: At least 278 people were killed and 2,001 others injured in Wednesday violence nationwide, reports Al Jazeera quoting the Ministry of Health. The tally includes 43 killed policemen.100 people were killed in Cairo with most fatalities having occurred in the square outside Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque.

19:35 GMT: Egypt's Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim denies the statement issued earlier that eight senior Muslim Brotherhood leaders, including Mohamed el-Beltagi, had been arrested.



19:26 GMT: Thousands of arms have been seized during the police operation, PM El-Beblawi said.

19:10 GMT: Interim PM Hazem El-Beblawi says the two protest camps in Cairo have been completely cleared and no more protest camps will be allowed.

19:01 GMT: 43 police members were killed in clashes with Pro-Morsi protesters on Wednesday nationwide; 211 others sustained injuries, the Interior Ministry said. They added that Muslim Brotherhood supporters torched 7 mosques and attacked 21 police stations across the country.



18:53 GMT: Interim Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi calls for minute of silence for "fallen martyrs."

18:52 GMT: The US State Department says America's aid policy on Egypt is still under review.



"Looking at the events today and the events of the last couple of weeks we will continue to not only monitor and be engaged, but will review the implications for our broader relationship, which includes aid," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a daily briefing

US officials have been grappling with how to respond to the situation in Egypt, in particular, how to handle the $1.55 billion in mostly military aid that Washington sends each year to Cairo, a key ally in the Middle East.

The situation in the country remains fluid, but the State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki still would not characterize it as a “civil war.”

18:41 GMT: Interim Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi pledges the state of emergency will last "for the shortest time possible", reports Al-Arabiya. The PM added that Egypt remains committed to the electoral process under a civilian state and that every chance was given to diplomatic solutions.



18:36 GMT: 41 people were killed in the city of Minya, 200 km south of the capital, as security forces assaulted protest camps set up by pro-Morsi supporters, Health Ministry officials said. The tally includes 6 policemen and the head of a local ambulance department.



18:30 GMT: US Secretary of State John Kerry called Wednesday's events in Egypt "deplorable" calling for a sooner end of the proclaimed state of emergency and curfew. "Violence is simply not a solution", it can only "further tear the economy apart", he added.



"The interim government and the military - which together possess the preponderance of power in this confrontation - have a unique responsibility to prevent further violence and to offer constructive options for an inclusive peaceful process across the political spectrum," Kerry told reporters at the State Department.

"This includes amending the constitution and holding parliamentary and presidential elections, which the interim government itself has called for," he said.

17:48 GMT: A collective of pro-Morsi supporters have called on fellow Egyptians to continue to stage nationwide protests against what it deems an 'army coup'. The group calls itself the Anti-Coup Alliance.



17:44 GMT: Egyptian security forces have arrested eight Muslim Brotherhood leaders during the police operation to take over Rabaa, sources told NBC News. Security officials went on to announce their forces are in total control of the main protest camp.





I've never seen such a bloody fight in Egypt.The security forces kept us ducking behind cars,under a barrage of bullets for 8 hours straight — Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) August 14, 2013



17:39 GMT: State TV announced that the curfew has been postponed, meaning it will start at 9pm rather than 4pm, as had been previously announced. It will still continue until 6am.



Fireworks were seen going off in the capital. However, it was unclear weather they were ignited intentionally, as has been the case at previous protests, or whether it was by accident, because of the numerous blazes which have been happening in the city.



17:12 GMT: Russia has shut the consular section of its Cairo embassy for two days, according to the Foreign Ministry. Moscow has called on the interim authorities in Egypt to prevent any further bloodshed.



The country's second largest Islamist party, the Nour Party, has condemned the political violence, calling for it to end while saying itThe party said that it was holding the army-backed government responsible for the deaths of at least 149 people across the country, after security forces made their move against pro-Morsi rallies.

16:31 GMT: 15 people were killed in clashes based in the northeastern city of Ismailia, according to further medical sources who spoke to Reuters. The proportion of the 15 who had been police and the proportion who had been civilians remains unclear. The deaths were caused predominantly by live ammunition. however, others died after being wounded by birdshot.

16:25 GMT: Egyptian police forces have seized full control of the second camp of Morsi supporters in Cairo, according to state TV. It was reported that pro-Morsi loyalists were allowed safe passage out of the camp.

Watch RT's Bel Trew report on the latest developments from Egypt

15:47 GMT: The health ministry has confirmed that the nationwide death toll currently stands at 149, with a further 1,403 injured.





army cleared rabaa morgue rooms of alive ppl & is now burning bodies, main stage burnt, thousands arrested, killing still going on 4 12th hr — Gehad El-Haddad (@gelhaddad) August 14, 2013



15:46 GMT: Egypt's acting Vice President and Nobel laureate, Mohammed ElBaradei, has resigned. In his resignation letter to the acting President, he said that there had been peaceful methods by which the country's political crisis could have been ended.



"...there were proposed and acceptable solutions for beginnings that would take us to national consensus...It has become difficult for me to continue bearing responsibility for decisions that I do not agree with and whose consequences I fear. I cannot bear the responsibility for one drop of blood," he wrote.



15:33 GMT: The death toll from Fayoum clashes has risen to 35 according to a health ministry official. Meanwhile, Pro-Morsi supporters have shot four policemen to death at a police station in Cairo, state TV reported.





.@Alastair_Beach from inside Rabaa told me on phone police armed with rifles are now inside the field hospital, evacuated everyone inside. — Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) August 14, 2013



15:15 GMT: "The US strongly condemns the use of violence against protesters in Egypt," said Josh Earnest, the White House deputy press secretary. "We have repeatedly called on Egypt security forces to show restraint," he stated, "just as we have urged protesters to demonstrate peacefully." The US asked that Egypt's interim government respected human rights and stated its strong opposition to the declaration of a state of emergency.



15:00 GMT: Am Egyptian cabinet statement announced that a curfew from 7pm to 6am local time is in place for the length of the state of emergency, encompassing Cairo, and 10 further provinces, including Suez, North and South Sinai, and Giza.



"Whoever violates these orders will be punished with imprisonment," the government said.



While the Suez Canal is operating as usual, the curfew could cause some delays, Reuters later heard from shipping sources.



14:50 GMT: Alexandria Library and Cairo's engineering college have both been subject to bouts of gunfire. State TV reported shots fired around the college while Alexandria Library suffered a direct attack, according to Al Arabiya.

14:07 GMT: Egypt's health ministry are now saying that 95 people died in Wednesday's clashes. "The dead are both from police and civilians. We are waiting to get more details," the ministry's spokesman, Hamdi Abdel Karim, told Reuters.



13:45 GMT: A month-long state of emergency has been announced by Egypt's current President, starting at 4pm local time. He has authorized the armed forces to support the interior ministry in imposing the state of emergency, according to a statement.

Parts of #Cairo a ghost town today. People glued to TVs, most shops closed, streets almost entirely vacant. #Egypt — Sarah Lynch (@sarahbethlynch) August 14, 2013





13:38 GMT: A security source has informed the newspaper Youm 7 that Rabaa al-Adawya square is to be cleared completely within 30 minutes.



13:32 GMT: The Ministry of Health have upped their death count to 60 dead, with a further 874 injured, according to state-owned outlet Ahram.



13:25: The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the violence used to disperse protesters from the capital.



“In the aftermath of today’s violence, the Secretary-General urges all Egyptians to concentrate their efforts on promoting genuinely inclusive reconciliation,” his spokesperson said.



Watch RT's Bel Trew report on the latest developments from Egypt





13:11 GMT: The death toll at one hospital in Cairo has risen to 60 after police raided a pro-Morsi rally, a medical worker told Reuters.



12:52 GMT: The number dead in Fayoum has risen to 17, according to the state news agency.



12:51 GMT: Current AFP reports state that the death toll stands at 124. The reporter who counted the bodies in three morgues at Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque says many appear to have died from gunshot wounds.



Complete chaos, the police are attacking Rabaa from all sides, bullets& gas. Can't tell where the bullets are coming from, just keep ducking — Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) August 14, 2013

The 17 year old daughter of a Muslim Brotherhood leader, Mohamed el-Beltagi, was killed when police raided Rabaa square in Cairo. Her brother stated that she had been shot on his Twitter account.

12:45 GMT: Egypt's health ministry have stated that in total 56 people have been killed and a further 526 injured in clashes across the country, according to AP. Khaled el-Khateeb, the official, stated that 28 were killed in Cairo on Wednesday when police confronted two separate pro-Morsi camps, adding that a further 25 had been killed in Minya province to Cairo’s south and just one killed in each city of Alexandria, Assiut and Ban Suef.



12:35 GMT: Five people have been killed in Suez after pro-Muslim Brotherhood demonstrators attempted to storm a government building, according to a medical official.

12:20 GMT: Nasr City police fired gunshots in the air to disperse Muslim Brotherhood protesters, reported an Al Arabiya correspondent. A curfew intended to be set in place will also be "strictly implemented," according to the reports.



A man just died in front of us shot in the chest with a bullet. Paramedics tried to revive him by Rabaa sit-in — Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) August 14, 2013

Watch RT's Bel Trew report on the latest developments from Egypt

12:12 GMT: Sky TV Arabic have confirmed that one of their cameramen, Mick Deane, has been killed in Rabaa al Adawiya, Egypt.

12:01 GMT:

Tear gas, molotovs, clashes west of war memorial and #Rabaa, on and under October Bridge. Internet too slow to tweet pics. — ارون Aaron T. Rose (@Aaron_T_Rose) August 14, 2013

11:55 GMT: The Iranian Foreign Ministry has spoken out against the violence with which the protests were supressed, calling it a "brutal crackdown,""killing of scores of the Egyptian people."



11:50 GMT:

8 hrs of mass killings & not single sane person in Egypt or in world 2 stop this !! Over 2000 killed & over 10,000 injured & world watches — Gehad El-Haddad (@gelhaddad) August 14, 2013

11:43 GMT: Hospital officials report that at least nine people have been killed in the northeastern province of Fayoum during violent clashes between Morsi supporters and Egypt's police forces. The fighting occurred at two police stations that were being attacked by protesters, during which one police vehicle was set alight according to witnesses cited by Reuters. The death toll rose from the seven that had been identified earlier in the day.



11:40 GMT: Habeeba Abdelaziz, a Egyptian journalist from from Dubai, has been pronounced dead in the chaos.



11:30 GMT: The Turkish PM Erdogan has added his voice, imploring the UN security council and the Arab League to stop the "massacre" in Egypt, according to an official statement.









11:00 GMT: Qatar has condemned the Egyptian security forces' attack, according to the state news agency. A foreign ministry official insructed them to "refrain from the security option in dealing with peaceful protests, and to preserve the lives of Egyptians at protest sites."

10:20 GMT: Morsi supporters torch three churches in Egypt in reprisal attacks as police dispersed demonstrations in Cairo. The assailants threw firebombs at Mar Gergiss church in Sohag, a city with a large community of Coptic Christians, causing the structure to burn down, the official MENA news agency said.

Authorities told Agence France Presse that another two churches were attacked in El-Menia province, leaving them partially damaged by fire.08:00 GMT: Protests spreading across Egypt following Cairo crackdown. Pro-Morsi supporters are massing in second city of Alexandria, as well as in Aswan and Beni Suef.

09:46 GMT: EU says reports of deaths of protesters in Egypt are extremely worrying, calls for restraint from authorities.

09:27 GMT: Health Ministry says 13 people are dead including five police officers.

09:04 GMT: Six people injured in clashes in Gharbya, area about an hour north of Cairo, according to Al-Jazeera.



EI reporters: scene at Rabaa is like war zone, injured protesters everywhere — Egypt Independent (@EgyIndependent) August 14, 2013





08:41 GMT: Nahda Square in central Cairo is cleared of protesters, while confusion remains at Rabaa Square over the number of casualties, according to witness accounts given to local media

08:37 GMT: Transportation Ministry orders the shutdown of Cairo-bound trains as violence continues. Opposition activists say the move is to prevent protesters from traveling to the capital following the violent dispersal of pro-Morsi gatherings this morning.



08:32GMT: A number of leading officials in Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood were arrested on Wednesday, an official said, after security forces cleared out a camp of Cairo protesters who were demanding the reinstatement of deposed President Mohamed Morsi.

"We have arrested a number of Brotherhood leaders but it's too early to announce their names," General Abdel Fattah Othman, a senior official in the Interior Ministry, told the privately-owned CBC TV channel.

08:00 GMT: Egyptian security forces forcefully dispersed protesters loyal to ousted President Mohammed Morsi at protest camps in Cairo early Wednesday. At least 15 people, including some members of the security forces, were reported killed in the clashes. Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad, however, claimed that as many as 600 people had been killed and 5,000 injured in the police operation.



death toll now estimated at 600, bodies still coming, no end in sight . god save egypt — Gehad El-Haddad (@gelhaddad) August 14, 2013

Sunday, August 11

16:11 GMT: Police are expected to begin taking action against pro-Morsi protesters early on Monday, said security sources.



15:45 GMT: Thousands of Morsi supporters rallied in Cairo, mainly gathering at the square near Rabaa Adawiya mosque, Al Jazeera reported.

12:15 GMT: Morsi supporters have called more rallies for Sunday. The Anti-Coup Alliance said that ten marches would take place in Cairo "to defend the electoral legitimacy" of the ousted president, AFP reported.



Saturday, August 3

17:30 GMT: 37 Morsi loyalists have been accused of "terrorism" after they allegedly joined clashes on Friday outside the Egyptian Media Production City, which left over twenty people injured. The Health Ministry said that 23 people were wounded outside the media center, which are home to a number of satelite channels that are scathingly criticial of Morsi and his allies.



15:13 GMT: Supporters of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi told US and EU mediators on Saturday that they respected the demands of a mass protest that led to Morsi’s downfall, but rejected the role of Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in any political deal, according to a report published by Reuters. Tarek El-Malt, a pro-Morsi spokesman, told the agency that Egypt’s crisis should be resolved on the basis of the Constitution introduced by Morsi’s government, which was revoked after his ouster. “We have the readiness and flexibility to accept political solutions to get out of this crisis as long as they are based on constitutional legitimacy, by which we mean the return and reactivation of the 2012 constitution,” El-Malt said said, adding that “the army will not have a role in political solutions.”



12:14 GMT: In the latest bout of unrest, 23 people have been injured at a Media Production City complex in Cairo, including two policemen.

The Egyptian Interior Ministry said that police had taken 31 members of the Muslim Brotherhood into custody after they attempted to break into the complex. They chanted slogans against the military and prominent media figures.

Friday, August 2

21:56 GMT: Amnesty International says that there is evidence, and eye witness accounts indicating that Pro-Morsi supporters tortured their rivals. Testimonies from victims include accounts of how they were captured, assaulted and subjected to electric shocks by loyalists of the former President, since mass rival rallies began over a month ago. The organization also claims that eight bodies at the morgue in Cairo also showed signs of torture. At least five of these were discovered near pro-Morsi sit-ins around the capital. In a press release, Amnesty said “Torture or other ill-treatment at the hands of security forces in Egypt has continued under successive governments. Police and security forces continue to torture or otherwise ill-treat detainees with total impunity.”



19:30 GMT: Watch RT's Bel Trew reporting from Cairo:

19:24 GMT: Two soldiers were injured in clashes in Media Production City in Cairo, reports Nile TV.



19:00 GMT: Egyptian police close all the roads leading to Media Production City in the capital, according to Al-Arabiya.



18:51 GMT:





18:44 GMT: "Thousands" of Morsi supporters have been taking to streets in Egypt, according to state media. Rallies set off from 33 mosques across Cairo and Giza under the slogan “Egypt Against the Coup.”



18:00 GMT: There have been reports of tents and barricades going up after police tried to disperse protesters with tear gas at the Media Production City rally in support of the ousted President.



17:56 GMT: A third pro-Morsi camp was established in the eastern Cairo neighborhood of Heliopolis, near the airport, reportedly thousands set up tents and blocked traffic.



17:25 GMT: Thousands of pro-Morsi protesters are rallying at the Raba Adawiya camp in the north of Cairo.





17:10 GMT: Morsi supporters plan to march on Egypt army Headquarters, AFP reports.



16:40 GMT: Security forces used tear gas in an attempt to disperse pro-Morsi supporters as they tried to storm a complex containing most of Egypt's private television stations in the 6th October suburb in Cairo, according to a security official as cited by AFP.



The Interior Ministry said the demonstrators had blocked traffic near the television production complex. The Freedom and Justice party, an affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood party, confirmed the information saying that “the Egyptian police forces have fired gas bombs on the anti-coup peaceful protesters as soon as they arrived at the Media Production City.” There is no information on the number of casualties.

Aerial shot of #Rabaa sit-in. Huge crowds extending down roads, can't even see the end of them! #EgyAntiCouppic.twitter.com/hhlK8KDhV0 — Fatima Said (@fattysaid) August 2, 2013





16:26 GMT: Reports of clashes and tear gas as police try to disperse hundreds of supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi rallying in Cairo.

#Egypt security forces teargassed a group of pro-#Morsi protesters by Media City, far from main Rabaa/Nahda sit-ins @AFP reporting — Sara Hussein (@sarahussein) August 2, 2013

16:00 GMT: The United States will work with other nations to unite the Egyptian people and find a way out of the current crisis, said Secretary of State John Kerry before a meeting with the United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister in London

“Egypt needs to get back to a new normal, it needs to restore stability, to be able to attract business and put people to work,” said Kerry. “We will work very very hard together with others, in order to bring parties together to find a peaceful resolution that grows the democracy and respects the rights of everybody.”

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates' Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed said that a peaceful resolution in Egypt is only going to happen through "inclusive dialogue."



15:40 GMT: Egyptian army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi realizes that Egypt’s crisis needs a political solution, said Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei in an Interview to Washington Post.

"He understands that there has to be a political solution. But of course he has a responsibility to protect the country in terms of security. And the army is on the edge,” said ElBaradei.



13:30 GMT: The US embassy in Cairo announced that it will be closed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The closure is a precautionary step to protect employees as well as those visiting the embassy, it said in a statement.

The diplomats also warned US citizens to avoid protests and marches planned for Friday, as well as ongoing pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo.

Speaking to protesters at Nahda,who keep drenching me with water,they say clearing the sit-in starts bad precedent of attacking any protest — Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) August 2, 2013





06:00 GMT: The supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi have promised more rallies on Friday, in defiance of police calls for a halt to protests and sit-ins. Allaa Mosafa, a spokeswoman for the pro-Morsi Anti Coup Alliance slammed Morsi’s removal by the military as a “coup d’état” and pledged to “continue our sit-ins and our peaceful protests."

Wednesday, July 31

18:35 GMT: Egypt’s call to disperse sit-ins is a “recipe for disaster,” according to British foreign minister William Hague. Hague called for peaceful resolution to the conflict between the two camps in the hope of putting an end to bloodshed in Egypt during a phone conversation with Mohamed El Baradei on Wednesday.

17:30 GMT: A spokeswoman for the US Department of State urged Egypt to respect the demonstrators’ right to peaceful assembly shortly after the signal that decisive action was to be taken against them.



"We have continued to urge the interim government to respect the right of peaceful assembly," deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf told a regular daily briefing. "That obviously includes sit-ins."



16:35 GMT: A blast hit an army patrol unit in Al-Arish, northern Sinai, shortly after Egypt’s interim government said that pro-Muslim Brotherhood sit-ins are a threat to national security and unacceptable.



Egypt’s pro-Morsi supporters then vowed to continue with the protests despite the anticipated crackdown.



Monday, July 29

20:12 GMT: Fifteen people have been killed in a gunfight between street vendors and shop owners in the central Cairo district of El-Moski, state news agency MENA reported. One of the shops was set on fire. Firefighters contained the blaze before it spread to any nearby buildings, but many of the victims died inside the shop, AFP reported. The gunfight was allegedly caused by a dispute between street vendors and shop owners over trading spaces.

19:15 GMT: The White House has condemned violence in Egypt which left at least 80 Muslim Brotherhood supporters dead over the weekend, although it noted that it has not taken steps to suspend US military assistance to the country. "The United States strongly condemns the violence and bloodshed in Cairo and Alexandria over the weekend that claimed the lives of scores of Egyptian demonstrators," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters at a Monday briefing.



Security forces fired on protesters Saturday morning, following a day of rival mass rallies in Cairo, Reuters reported. Journalists pressed Earnest on whether the rising casualties in the clashes following Morsi’s removal from office would prompt the United States to pull back any portion of its annual $1.55 billion aid to Egypt. In response, Earnest said the White House had no “change in our posture to report.” Current US law requires eliminating aid in the event of a military coup, though officials said last week it is not in the national interest to make such a determination, while publicly avoiding the use of the word “coup” to characterize the removal of the Islamist president by the Egyptian military.

01:30 GMT: Egyptian prosecutors have ordered the arrest of 72 protesters for the period of 15 days over the violence in Nasr City, Cairo.



00:30 GMT: There are unconfirmed reports the pro-Morsi march has changed course, and is heading back toward Nasr City now. It is now known that the thousands-strong march chanted "our blood and souls we sacrifice for Mursi."



00:10 GMT: Reuters now also confirms that Morsi supporters have started a march from the vigil in Cairo toward the headquarters of Egyptian military intelligence, according to a spokesman. This is being done in spite of the miliatry's warnings to stay away from military facilities. Their statement has made clear that they knew of the march in advance, but also urged protesters "not to come close to military facilities in general, and the headquarters of military intelligence specifically."



Murad Ali, a Brotherhood spokesman, said the march started at the Rabaa al-Adaqiya mosque in no