CAIRO: President Hosni Mubarak's immediate resignation — the key demand of protesters in the streets of Cairo — would trigger snap presidential elections under the Egyptian constitution and could make political reform more difficult, experts say.

WASHINGTON — The United States welcomed as a ‘positive step’ the mass resignation of leaders of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s party Saturday, as it seeks to prod the strongman to the exit. Mubarak huddled with his new government for the first time as the top executive committee of his ruling National Democratic Party, which includes his son Gamal, resigned, state television reported.

CAIRO - Security personnel on Saturday thwarted an attempted by anonymous saboteurs to damage a major car tunnel in the Egyptian capital, officials said.

CAIRO - Egypt's stock exchange will not reopen on Monday, as previously announced, and a decision has yet to be taken on when it will resume business,Egypt's official Middle East News Agency (MENA) said on Saturday. Khaled Serri, head of the exchange, was quoted as saying that the bourse would remain shut on Sunday and Monday, as anti-government protests have continued on a daily basis since January 25.

CAIRO - The Egyptian military Wednesday called for an end to more than a week

CAIRO - Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq said Thursday he was ready to go to Tahrir Square, the scene of massive anti-government demonstrations, to talk to protesters, the official MENA news agency said.

World shares struggled to eke out more gains on Wednesday as wariness over escalating violence in Egypt and rising oil prices muted optimism over the latest signs of a sustained global economic recovery.

About 700 people have been arrested throughout Egypt in a crackdown against anti-government protests, security officials say. The arrests came as police clashed with protesters in two cities following Tuesday's unprecedented protests.

CAIRO - A small gathering of Egyptian anti-government activists tried to stage a second day of protests in Cairo Wednesday in defiance of a ban on any gatherings, but police quickly moved and disperse the group.

BRUSSELS - The European Union says that Egyptian authorities should listen to their people, deal with their problems and respect their right to demonstrate. The office of EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton on Wednesday called on "Egyptian authorities to respect and to protect the right of Egyptian citizen to manifest their political aspirations."

Police in Cairo have been using tear gas and water cannon to try to quell rare anti-government protests. Thousands have joined the protests after an internet campaign inspired by the uprising in Tunisia. They marched through Cairo and other areas chanting anti-government slogans, after activists called for a "day of revolt" in a web message.

Juan Cole, a Middle East historian at the University of Michigan, says Tunisia is different from other Arab nations. Tunisia, he said, is the "most secular country in the Arab world." Its traditions have favored women's rights, and its Islamist influence is negligible.

CAIRO: In an exclusive and rare interview in daily state-owned Al-Ahram published on Tuesday, Interior Minister El-Habib El-Adly reiterated details of the investigation into the Alexandria church bombing on New Year’s Eve.

CAIRO - Egypt's Interior Minister Habib el-Adly said on Sunday that the Army of Islam, a militant Palestinian group linked to al-Qaeda, was behind the New Year's church attack in the coastal city of Alexandria that killed 23 Copts. The Gaza-based group has praised the attack but denied involvement.

CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) said they will participate "symbolically" in protests organized by a number of opposition powers and youth movements on Jan. 25. Local activists called for nationwide protests against torture, poverty, corruption and unemployment for Tuesday, inspired by Tunisia's overthrow of its autocratic president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

BERLIN: Opponents of Egypt's long-running regime should be able to follow the lead set by the toppling of Tunisia's veteran president, leading opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei said in comments released Saturday.

A criminal court in the coastal city of Alexandria will on February 26 hear defence lawyers for two policemen suspected of brutally beating and illegally arresting a 28-year-old man last year.

A US diplomat was denied entry to Egypt at Cairo International Airport on Friday as he had not obtained an Egyptian entry visa in advance, the Middle East News Agency (MENA) quoted security sources as saying.

The absence of the dynamic Mahmoud Abdel-Razeq, nicknamed ‘Shikabala’, badly affected Zamalek, who dropped two points in drawing 0-0 with Military Production in the Egyptian Premier League on Friday night in Cairo.

CAIRO--Activists from around 17 political parties and groups have said Saturday they will stage protests in different parts of the country on January 25, which marks the police Day.

CAIRO: Though he still delivers a speech like an aloof corporate executive announcing quarterly profits, the son and presumptive heir of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is busy remolding his image into a populist who can deliver prosperity for the struggling population in this key US ally.