THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Egypt's political crisis deepened on Friday as the US urged the military to give up power immediately and protesters laid siege to the Cabinet office in Cairo.
The demonstrators were trying to prevent a new prime minister, derided as a stooge of the military leadership, from taking up his post. For the seventh successive day, a vast crowd thronged the city's Tahrir Square to press their demand for an immediate restoration of civilian rule.
More than 100,000 people heeded a call for a show of force at the landmark.
The White House said the transfer of power to a civilian government in Egypt must be "just and inclusive" and take place "as soon as possible".
In a significant increase of pressure on the ruling generals, Jay Carney, a White House spokesman, said: "The United States strongly believes that the new Egyptian government must be empowered with real authority immediately."
The US provides $1.3 billion (£900 million) in aid to the Egyptian military each year. It has repeatedly called for restraint on both sides despite evidence of brutal tactics by the military. » | Adrian Blomfield, Cairo | Friday, November 25, 2011
