Wednesday 21 November 2012

EGYPT'S AL-JAZEERA OFFICE ATTACKED:SECURITYEgyptian President Mohamed Morsy meets withUN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at thepresidential palace in Cairo on November 21,2012. An office of Arab satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera in the Egyptian capital was firebombed onWednesday, a security official said. PHOTO | AFPAn office of Arab satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera inthe Egyptian capital was firebombed onWednesday, a security official said, as protestersclashed near the downtown Tahrir Square.“Unknown assailants” lobbed Molotov cocktails atthe office which overlooks Tahrir, “causing a bigfire which rescue services are working to putout,” the official said.Television footage showed the damage caused atthe office, with burned lighting equipmenthanging from charred walls. No one was injured inthe fire, according to security officials.An Interior ministry official said 118 people havebeen arrested since clashes broke out on Mondayduring a protest to mark the first anniversary ofdeadly street battles that piled pressure on thenruling military to quit power.Medics said that at least 60 people had beeninjured in three days of confrontations. Oneprotester, a member of the April 6 movement, isin critical condition, the group said on Tuesday.On Monday, clashes erupted as protesters tried todestroy a concrete barrier which security forcesput up to end last year’s fighting with activists.At least 45 protesters died in the five days ofstreet battles that began on November 19 lastyear to put pressure on the military, which tookpower after a popular uprising overthrewpresident Hosni Mubarak in February 2011.The military, which responded by vowing to handover power by June 2012, transferred control toIslamist President Mohamed Morsy after hiselection that month.

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