Egypt's Hosni Mubarak in hospital after 'heart attack'

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is in intensive care after suffering a heart attack, say state media.

He was taken ill while meeting prosecutors investigating the killing of hundreds of protesters and allegations of corruption, reports say.

The manager of the hospital in Sharm el-Sheikh said Mr Mubarak's condition was "almost stable".

Mr Mubarak, 82, stood down on 11 February following an 18-day popular uprising against his rule.

State TV quotes medical sources as saying that Mr Mubarak, had refused to eat or drink since being summoned by the public prosecutor on Sunday.

Mr Mubarak's two sons, Alaa and Gamal, are also under investigation and are being questioned at the prosecutor's office in al-Tor in South Sinai governorate, where the former president is said to have been when he suffered the reported medical emergency.Scuffles

"There is a state of confusion inside the hospital and only patients are allowed in," Ashraf Swaylam, a news reporter for the state-run station Nile TV, said earlier.

The hospital was accepting no patients except for emergency cases, another local media report said.

Protesters picketed the hospital, denouncing the president and carrying a sign reading "Here is the butcher", AP news agency reported. They scuffled with supporters of Mr Mubarak.

Mr Mubarak underwent gall bladder surgery in the German city of Heidelberg last year and there were reports that he had remained in poor health, although his aides had denied this.

A BBC correspondent says it is understood that the former president's doctors had asked Egypt's ruling military council for permission to send him back to Germany for treatment, but that this was refused.

Mr Mubarak has been banned from leaving the country, along with his sons and their wives, and the family's assets have been frozen.

In a pre-recorded audio message on Sunday, he broke his silence of the last two months to say his reputation and that of his sons had been damaged and he would work to clear their names.Square cleared

Correspondents say he has been keeping a low profile in Sharm el-Sheikh, a Red Sea resort, after fleeing to his holiday villa there when he was overthrown.

In a separate development, soldiers and police are said to have ended a five-day occupation of Cairo's Tahrir Square by hundreds of protesters.

They had been demanding civilian rule and swifter prosecution of disgraced former officials, principally Mr Mubarak.

There were clashes on the first night of the occupation and tensions had remained high.

source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13053376

Bahrain: University students attacked as violence escalates

EI has condemned the suspension of higher education in Bahrain as the brutal repression of pro-democracy protesters demanding political reforms within the kingdom continues.

The protesters have been inspired by the recent uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, whose long-serving presidents were forced from power after weeks of demonstrations. Despite the king reshuffling his cabinet he has not replaced the prime minister of more than 40 years, Sheikh Khalifah ibn Salman al-Khalifah.

After eight weeks of protests, more than 1,000 troops from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and 500 from the United Arab Emirates have arrived in Bahrain at the invitation of the government. It is not clear whether soldiers from other Gulf states are taking part in the crackdown, but there are indications that the Saudi troops are being kept in reserve. This is the first time that an Arab government has called for outside military help during the wave of protests sweeping the region.

The Shi’a-led opposition platform has declared as ‘unacceptable’ all intervention by the armed forces of neighbouring countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council, a six-nation regional grouping which includes Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

With a population with a median age of 30 years, and a literacy rate of 91 per cent, Bahrain is a country with a successful educational record. Despite this, youth unemployment levels stand at 19.6 per cent.

Bahrain’s Shi’a Muslim majority has long complained of economic hardship, lack of political freedom and discrimination in jobs in favour of Sunni Muslims by the kingdom’s ruling Sunni Muslim minority. It has also called for the evolution of their nation from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy.

The General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) has called for a general strike on 15 March after a spate of violent attacks on university students, and the excessive use of force by riot police in the financial centre of the capital, Manama.

On Tuesday, at least two people were killed in clashes and more than 200 were injured. A trade union source reported: “Security forces have used both rubber bullets and live ammunition against the demonstrators. Men armed with knives, batons and revolvers, claiming to be government supporters, have stopped cars at crossroads and several trade union members have been beaten. The premises of political parties have been burnt down and we fear that there will be an attack on our own premises.”

A three-month state of emergency has been declared by King Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifa. The academic year of university institutions has also been suspended and the government has imposed a curfew and banned all demonstrations.

Riot police entered Manama's Salmaniya Medical Centre on Wednesday, as doctors reported that they were being prevented from reaching the hospital or treating patients.

One doctor stated that she and her colleagues were hiding from troops who had taken over the building and were shooting at people inside the hospital and threatening the doctors with live ammunition.

"They are all around us with their guns and they are shooting anybody," she said.

source:http://www.ei-ie.org/news/news_details/1700

Egypt votes in referendum

CAIRO : Partial results from a third of Egypt's provinces on Sunday showed massive turnout and a vote overwhelmingly in favour of constitutional changes that eliminate restrictions on political rights and civil liberties.

The count from most of the country, including Cairo, was still to be released.

But results from 10 of 29 provinces showed 65 to 86 per cent of voters saying “yes” to the changes, which would allow national elections no later than September. Opponents feared the referendum's passage would allow the highly organised Muslim Brotherhood to dominate Egypt's dozens of new political parties in the presidential and parliamentary vote.

Millions of Egyptians voted freely on Saturday for the first time in more than half a century, joyfully waiting for hours to cast their ballots on the package of constitutional changes.

Among other changes, the constitutional amendments would open elections to independent candidates, allowing parliamentary and presidential elections to replace the caretaker military government by early 2012.

source:http://www.hindu.com/2011/03/21/stories/2011032163411600.htm

Education unions prepare for life after Mubarak

Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down as the President of Egypt. In an announcement on state TV, Vice-President Omar Suleiman said Mr Mubarak has handed power to the military.

It came as thousands massed in Cairo and other Egyptian cities for an 18th day of protest to demand Mr Mubarak's resignation.

Protesters responded by cheering, waving flags, embracing and sounding car horns. "The people have brought down the regime," they chanted.

Mr Suleiman said Mr Mubarak had handed power to the high command of the armed forces.

As the political situation unfolds in Egypt, EI expresses its support to the independent trade union movement in their demands for democracy, social justice and trade union rights.

EI has been in daily contact with representatives of the independent union under the umbrella of the Egyptian Federation of Independent Unions. This group was formed on 30 January 2011 by the Teachers’ Independent Union, the Retired Workers’ Union, the Health Professionals’ Union and the Tax Collectors’ Union.

During the pro-democracy actions that led to President Mubarak’s departure, Egyptian public sector institutions, such as education and the postal services, had come to near standstill in protest against his regime.

On Tuesday 8 February, the day of global solidarity with Egypt, EI joined the ITUC’s international trade union delegation to the Egyptian Embassy in Brussels.

ITUC General Secretary, Sharan Burrow, was joined by EI Deputy General Secretary, Jan Eastman, and representatives of the three Belgian trade union centres.

EI will continue to support the independent union movement in their effort to be effective players in the transformation of Egypt, and intends to lead an EI delegation to Cairo in the week ahead to identify the support and solidarity its member organisations can bring to teachers across the country.

 

source:http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=1515&theme=rights&country=egypt