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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Foreign Office warns against travel to parts of Egypt | Foreign Office warns against travel to parts of Egypt |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The UK Foreign Office has advised Britons against all but essential travel to several cities in Egypt due to ongoing anti-government protests. | The UK Foreign Office has advised Britons against all but essential travel to several cities in Egypt due to ongoing anti-government protests. |
| It warned against travel to Cairo and the tourist centre of Luxor, as well as Alexandria and Suez, but said transit through Cairo airport was unaffected. | |
| The Foreign Office said an evacuation was not being considered but warned Britons against defying the curfew. | |
| David Cameron earlier called for reform in the north African country. | David Cameron earlier called for reform in the north African country. |
| The prime minister said: "I don't think it's in anyone's interest that people are being killed on the streets of Egypt as we speak, and so I hope the violence will cease. | The prime minister said: "I don't think it's in anyone's interest that people are being killed on the streets of Egypt as we speak, and so I hope the violence will cease. |
| "But clearly, when you have people who have grievances and problems that want them responded to, it's in all our interests that these countries have stronger rule of law, stronger rights, stronger democracy." | "But clearly, when you have people who have grievances and problems that want them responded to, it's in all our interests that these countries have stronger rule of law, stronger rights, stronger democracy." |
| Meanwhile, demonstrators gathered at the Egyptian embassy in London on Friday in a show of solidarity. | Meanwhile, demonstrators gathered at the Egyptian embassy in London on Friday in a show of solidarity. |
| 'Perfectly safe' | 'Perfectly safe' |
| The Foreign Office altered its travel advice for Egypt on Friday, and stressed that the warning in place for Cairo also extended to Giza, a suburb of the capital where Egypt's most famous Pyramids and Sphinx are located. | The Foreign Office altered its travel advice for Egypt on Friday, and stressed that the warning in place for Cairo also extended to Giza, a suburb of the capital where Egypt's most famous Pyramids and Sphinx are located. |
| It also warned British nationals against going out during the nationwide curfew between 1600 and 0800 local time. | |
| More than a million UK citizens visit Egypt annually but the majority head to Red Sea resorts including Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada - a considerable distance from Cairo. | More than a million UK citizens visit Egypt annually but the majority head to Red Sea resorts including Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada - a considerable distance from Cairo. |
| Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said on Saturday that Britons should avoid crowds and demonstrations and monitor the Foreign Office website for updates. | |
| But he said: "There's no evacuation being considered at the moment. Of course, the UK has contingency plans available for circumstances like this, but there's no judgement made by people on the ground that that situation has yet arisen. | But he said: "There's no evacuation being considered at the moment. Of course, the UK has contingency plans available for circumstances like this, but there's no judgement made by people on the ground that that situation has yet arisen. |
| "Our understanding is that transit through Cairo airport is fine and those who've got destinations on the Red Sea... we're still saying that appears to be perfectly safe enough to go." | "Our understanding is that transit through Cairo airport is fine and those who've got destinations on the Red Sea... we're still saying that appears to be perfectly safe enough to go." |
| Mr Burt echoed the prime minister's call for Egypt's rulers to begin the process of political reform, and to use restraint when dealing with demonstrators. | Mr Burt echoed the prime minister's call for Egypt's rulers to begin the process of political reform, and to use restraint when dealing with demonstrators. |
| "Violence directed towards peaceful protesters has always got to be wrong," he told BBC Radio 5 live. | |
| The UK's ambassador to Egypt, Dominic Asquith, reiterated the warnings against travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and Luxor but said no violence had been seen at the Red Sea resorts. | The UK's ambassador to Egypt, Dominic Asquith, reiterated the warnings against travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and Luxor but said no violence had been seen at the Red Sea resorts. |
| Mr Asquith, who is in Cairo, told BBC News the military was very prominently out on the streets on Saturday morning. | Mr Asquith, who is in Cairo, told BBC News the military was very prominently out on the streets on Saturday morning. |
| He suggested there might be a pause in the protests though as Egyptians took time to digest the news that President Hosni Mubarak had dismissed his government. | He suggested there might be a pause in the protests though as Egyptians took time to digest the news that President Hosni Mubarak had dismissed his government. |
| Abta, the organisation formerly known as the Association of British Travel Agents, said it had not heard of any reports of British package tourists being affected by the unrest but some tour operators had cancelled trips as a precaution. | Abta, the organisation formerly known as the Association of British Travel Agents, said it had not heard of any reports of British package tourists being affected by the unrest but some tour operators had cancelled trips as a precaution. |
| Travel firm Thomas Cook said it had cancelled all excursions to Cairo this weekend from the Red Sea resorts, but its flights were operating in and out of Sharm El Sheikh airport as normal. | Travel firm Thomas Cook said it had cancelled all excursions to Cairo this weekend from the Red Sea resorts, but its flights were operating in and out of Sharm El Sheikh airport as normal. |
| Christian Cull, a spokesman for Thomson and First Choice, said they were operating the same policy. | Christian Cull, a spokesman for Thomson and First Choice, said they were operating the same policy. |
| "Almost all our customers are down in Sharm El Sheikh, and that is at least an eight-hour drive away from Cairo," he told the BBC. | "Almost all our customers are down in Sharm El Sheikh, and that is at least an eight-hour drive away from Cairo," he told the BBC. |
| "We aren't currently operating any excursions into Cairo... and obviously we monitor things on an ongoing basis, but it's a long way from Sharm, which is very heavily protected and is very safe, and our customers are all fine." | "We aren't currently operating any excursions into Cairo... and obviously we monitor things on an ongoing basis, but it's a long way from Sharm, which is very heavily protected and is very safe, and our customers are all fine." |
| British Airways said it had changed the times of Cairo flights to make sure they landed outside the curfew. | |
| It said passengers were being offered the option of changing the date of travel, getting a refund or travelling to another destination. | |
| They were also given the choice of travelling to Sharm El Sheikh instead of the Egyptian capital. | |
| A BA spokeswoman said the airline was aiming to charter an aircraft to bring home people who wanted to leave Cairo on Saturday. | |
| BMI said its flights were travelling as normal as they all operated before the curfew. | |
| Meanwhile, an EgyptAir flight from London Heathrow to Cairo was diverted to Athens after a note containing the word "bomb" was apparently found on board. | Meanwhile, an EgyptAir flight from London Heathrow to Cairo was diverted to Athens after a note containing the word "bomb" was apparently found on board. |
| The Foreign Office said consular staff in the Greek capital had made the 50 British passengers aware of the latest travel advice. The passengers stayed in Athens overnight. | The Foreign Office said consular staff in the Greek capital had made the 50 British passengers aware of the latest travel advice. The passengers stayed in Athens overnight. |
| 'No freedom' | 'No freedom' |
| On Friday, around 30 people gathered at the Egyptian embassy in London in a show of solidarity with the protests against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. | On Friday, around 30 people gathered at the Egyptian embassy in London in a show of solidarity with the protests against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. |
| The campaigners, many of them London-based expatriates, gathered at the embassy in Mayfair, holding banners and chanting "down with Mubarak". | The campaigners, many of them London-based expatriates, gathered at the embassy in Mayfair, holding banners and chanting "down with Mubarak". |
| Hisham Youssef, who lived in Cairo until two months ago, said the group wanted Egypt's president to stand down. | Hisham Youssef, who lived in Cairo until two months ago, said the group wanted Egypt's president to stand down. |
| "Thirty years of corruption. It used to be a different country. There is no freedom of speech," he said. | "Thirty years of corruption. It used to be a different country. There is no freedom of speech," he said. |
| "The system has to change, it is time for him to go. We are here to show solidarity with the people in Egypt." | "The system has to change, it is time for him to go. We are here to show solidarity with the people in Egypt." |