Urgent message to Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin Egypt Death Toll Passes 100 As Protests Continue

But, as of now, the situation does not warrant such action, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Sunday.

He said that all Malaysian students were reported to be safe and the Malaysian embassy was monitoring their condition.

The contingency plan included moving the students and other Malaysians in Egypt to neighbouring countries like Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Libya, he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the government will not stop Malaysian students from returning home at their own expense.

Muhyiddin said the embassy will help students wanting to do so and give advice on the airlines that could be used.

There are 10,328 Malaysian students registered with the embassy, but other Malaysian students had visited Egypt when the demonstrations started.

Anti-regime demonstrations are reported to be continuing, with thousands taking to the streets for the fifth day yesterday, demanding that President Hosni Mubarak step down.

-- BERNAMA

CAIRO -- Gangs of armed men attacked at least four jails across Egypt before dawn Sunday, helping to free hundreds of Muslim militants and thousands of other inmates as police vanished from the streets of Cairo and other cities.

The U.S. Embassy in Cairo told its citizens in Egypt to consider leaving the country as soon as possible, and said it had authorized the voluntary departure of dependents and non-emergency employees, a display of Washington's escalating concern about the stability of its closest Arab ally. Al Jazeera wasordered to shut down in Cairo.

According to Reuters, more than 100 have died since the protests began.

The army sent hundreds more troops and armored vehicles onto the streets of Cairo and other cities but appeared to be taking little action against gangs of young men with guns and large sticks who were smashing cars and robbing people.

At least one Nile-side shopping mall in Cairo was on fire after being looted the previous day.

The Arab world's most populous nation appeared to be swiftly moving closer to a point at which it either dissolves into widespread chaos or the military expands its presence and control of the streets.

A broader and tougher military role could be welcomed by increasingly fearful Egyptians but would run a risk of appearing to place the army on the side of the regime and antagonizing protesters.

The demonstrators from all segments of Egyptian society have taken to the streets for nearly a week calling for President Hosni Mubarak, 82, to step down. Mubarak named his intelligence chief, former army general Omar Suleiman, to the new role of vice president on Saturday, a move that perpetuated the overriding role of military men in Egyptian politics.

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Police Back On Streets

Reader Sharon H. alerts us that Al Jazeera is reporting police back on the streets in Egypt. More to come.

Video From Today

The AP has video of protestors approaching Tahrir Square earlier today:

Egypt's Police To Return

Egypt's police will be returning to the streets on Monday. Reports Reuters:

One of the sources said police would return to traffic, criminal and other work but would not be sent in to confront protesters, with whom they clashed often violently in the first days of the protests.

The police were pulled back after the military took control of security, a move that was embraced by the protestors.

Picture Of ElBaradei In Tahrir Square

The opposition leader with protestors, via Al Jazeera:

Who Is Egypt's Real Friend

Egypt's Foreign Minister has reportedly said that the protests show "who is a real friend of Egypt and who is not." Reports Ria Novosti:

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday Cairo will maintain its current pro-Western foreign policy despite the widening political protest.

ElBaradei Speaks

Reuters reports:

@ REUTERSFLASH : Egypt's #ElBaradei tells crowds in central Cairo "what we have begun cannot go back" #Egypt #news

Al Jazeera English quotes him as saying:

You have taken back your rights and what we have begun cannot go back...We have one main demand -- the end of the regime and the beginning of a new stage, a new Egypt...I bow to the people of Egypt in respect. I ask of you patience, change is coming in the next few days...

On Al Jazeera English, Shadi Hamid is discussing ElBaradei's willingness to govern with a coalition interim government.

Al Jazeera has audio reports from Tahrir Square here.

You can read more details about ElBaradei here.

ElBaradei Arrives in Tahrir Square

The Jerusalem Post reports that:

Al-Jazeera reported that opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei arrived at Cairo's Tahir Square Sunday evening, as crowds swelled by the thousands over two hours into a government-imposed curfew.

Update On Suez From Human Rights Watch

Joe Stork of Human Rights Watch reports from Suez:

Just back from Suez where we met the director of the main hospital, who confirmed 17 dead so far. On Friday 12 dead, killed by gunfire, and 104 injured, three dead on Thursday and 2 more gunshot victims on Saturday. This is the largest medical facility in Suez City, one of two big public hospitals.

The atmosphere in Suez is tense, the big complaint is the absence of security. A lot of rubble in the streets from stone-throwing, street battles etc. The army is out in force, tanks are stationed on the streets and the area around the main government buildings is completely blocked off. A major police station that on Thursday was surrounded by security and said to be holding many detainees picked up at protests was torched and is now gutted.

Police and government officials have pulled out so there are no government services - the governor's been gone since Tuesday so there's a power vacuum. People formed impromptu block committees to provide local security, armed (they say) with only sticks and kitchen knives. The locals say the only people with weapons are police who've taken off their uniforms and are responsible for most of the looting and crime.

ElBaradei Arriving in Tahir Square

ElBaradei is heading to Tahrir Square in Cairo. Reuters reports:

Egyptian opposition leader Mohammed Elbaradei joined protesters in Cairo's Tahrir square on Saturday, hub of anti-Mubarak protest, Reuters witness.

You can listen to the Guardian's Jake Shenkers' audio report here.

Audio Broadcasts From Cairo

Al Jazeera is providing audio broadcasts from their staff still on the ground in Cairo. You can listen to their dispatches here.

ElBaradei On The Army

Al Arabiya reports, via @SultanAlQassemi:

@ SultanAlQassemi : Al Arabiya: El Baradei "I look forward to establishing contact wit the army. Also, it reports that @ElBaradei has arrived in Meydan Tahrir

GOP Divided

HuffPost's Sam Stein writes that the Republican party is divided on Egypt.

More From Clinton

More on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Sunday show appearances:

The U.S. expects that the protests in Egypt will lead to free and fair elections as part of an "orderly" transition to "real democracy," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday as the Obama administration worked to get a handle on the fast-moving upheaval shaking the American ally.

"I want the Egyptian people to have a chance to chart a new future," said Clinton, who addressed the volatile situation in back-to-back interviews on the five morning shows before leaving on a trip to Haiti.

Asked if she thought longtime Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had taken the necessary steps so far to hold on, Clinton said, "It's not a question of who retains power. . It's how are we going to respond to the legitimate needs and grievances expressed by the Egyptian people and chart a new path. Clearly, the path that has been followed has not been one that has created that democratic future, that economic opportunity that people in the peaceful protests are seeking."

Mubarak appointed a vice president on Saturday for the first time in more than 30 years – the U.S. long has pressed for that and Clinton called it the "bare beginning of what needs to happen" – and has pledged to make reforms.

See the rest here.

'We Will Not Leave Until He Leaves'

Heba Morayef at Human Rights Watch writes:

At least 20,000 protesters in Tahrir square now, it's absolutlely packed. Two fighter jets have been flying overhead for the last 10 minutes - people are cheering the flyovers. They're chanting "we will not leave until he leaves" and "long live the crescent together with the cross." There are judges, independent journalists, the Muslim Brotherhood, the National Association for Change, April 6th movement - all standing together and leading the chants.

Clinton On Egypt

Hillary Clinton appeared on five morning shows on Sunday. On CNN, she said that Egypt needs to "plan a way forward that will meet the legitimate grievances of the Egyptian people."

CROWLEY: The president's remarks, in which he said much of what you just said, warning against huge crackdowns against peaceful protestors, saying we've got to see some concrete steps towards opening up political reform and advancing it, it's been interpreted here by many and some overseas as a beginning to back away from President Mubarak. Do you argue with that translation?

CLINTON: We -- we do not want to send any message about backing forward or backing back. What we're trying to do is to help clear the air so that those who remain in power, starting with President Mubarak, with his new vice president, with the new prime minister, will begin a process of reaching out, of creating a dialogue that will bring in peaceful activists and representatives of civil society to, you know, plan a way forward that will meet the legitimate grievances of the Egyptian people.

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera has been banned in Egypt, but it is still broadcasting from Cairo. It can be watched in English here.

100,000

Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, a columnist for The National, tweets:

@ SultanAlQassemi : Al Jazeera: 100,000 protesters in Northern Egyptian city of Mansoura chanting against Mubarak (population One million )

Military In The Air

Photos of military jets and a helicopter over Cairo.

'Peaceful, Orderly Transition'

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P.J. Crowley tweets:

@ PJCrowley : #SecClinton today: U.S. supports a peaceful, orderly transition to free, fair and credible elections that lead to real democracy in #Egypt.

Helicopters

Military helicopters can be seen hovering above central Cairo.