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| Mubarak 'coma' deepens Egypt crisis - live updates | Mubarak 'coma' deepens Egypt crisis - live updates |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 8.54am: Egypt: The cartoonist Carlos Latuff captures the suspicion of how reports of Mubarak's health are being used by Egypt's ruling generals. | |
| Protesters at a Muslim Brotherhood rally last night dismissed the reports as an irrelevance, Reuters reports. | |
| 8.29am: (all times BST) Welcome to Middle East Live. | 8.29am: (all times BST) Welcome to Middle East Live. |
| Conflicting reports about Hosni Mubarak's health are adding renewed volatility to Egypt's political crisis ahead of the official results of a divisive presidential election, and amid mounting anger at a power grab by the military council. | Conflicting reports about Hosni Mubarak's health are adding renewed volatility to Egypt's political crisis ahead of the official results of a divisive presidential election, and amid mounting anger at a power grab by the military council. |
| Egypt | Egypt |
| • The ousted Egyptian president has been transferred to from Torah prison hospital to a military hospital and reported to be critically ill. The state news agency Mena had initially reported that Mubarak was clinically dead soon after he was taken to the military hospital. This was later denied, and Mubarak was reported to be on a life support machine. | • The ousted Egyptian president has been transferred to from Torah prison hospital to a military hospital and reported to be critically ill. The state news agency Mena had initially reported that Mubarak was clinically dead soon after he was taken to the military hospital. This was later denied, and Mubarak was reported to be on a life support machine. |
| Egyptians have been sceptical of earlier reports that his health was worsening since he was put in prison on 2 June, believing the reports were just a pretext to move him to another facility. | Egyptians have been sceptical of earlier reports that his health was worsening since he was put in prison on 2 June, believing the reports were just a pretext to move him to another facility. |
| Mubarak's health crisis added a new element of uncertainty just as a potentially explosive fight opened over who will succeed him, following elections at the weekend, and moves by the interim military government to extend its powers. | Mubarak's health crisis added a new element of uncertainty just as a potentially explosive fight opened over who will succeed him, following elections at the weekend, and moves by the interim military government to extend its powers. |
| It adds further layers to what is threatening to become a new chapter of unrest and political power struggles in Egypt, 16 months after Mubarak was removed by a popular uprising demanding democracy. Egyptians were uncertain about Mubarak's fate, about who will succeed him and about whether his successor will have any power. | It adds further layers to what is threatening to become a new chapter of unrest and political power struggles in Egypt, 16 months after Mubarak was removed by a popular uprising demanding democracy. Egyptians were uncertain about Mubarak's fate, about who will succeed him and about whether his successor will have any power. |
| The campaign of Mubarak's former prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, said that Shafiq has won Egypt's presidential election, countering the Muslim Brotherhood's claim of victory for its candidate, Mohammed Morsi. | The campaign of Mubarak's former prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, said that Shafiq has won Egypt's presidential election, countering the Muslim Brotherhood's claim of victory for its candidate, Mohammed Morsi. |
| The election commission is to announce the official final results on Thursday and no matter who it names as victor, his rival is likely to reject the result as a fraud. | The election commission is to announce the official final results on Thursday and no matter who it names as victor, his rival is likely to reject the result as a fraud. |
| • Premature accounts of Mubarak's death were widely reported on Tuesday night. The BBC's Newsnight programme announced his death (1 min 37 secs into the programme) in its opening roundup. | • Premature accounts of Mubarak's death were widely reported on Tuesday night. The BBC's Newsnight programme announced his death (1 min 37 secs into the programme) in its opening roundup. |
| • Tens of thousands of mainly Muslim Brotherhood supporters have filled Tahrir Square in Cairo to protest at the 11th-hour constitutional declaration giving the military sweeping powers. Islamist MPs left Tahrir square to march to parliament about 200 metres up the road, but were prohibited from entering the building, having to content themselves with chanting at the mouth of the road. Since the court decision security forces have locked down the road that houses parliament. | • Tens of thousands of mainly Muslim Brotherhood supporters have filled Tahrir Square in Cairo to protest at the 11th-hour constitutional declaration giving the military sweeping powers. Islamist MPs left Tahrir square to march to parliament about 200 metres up the road, but were prohibited from entering the building, having to content themselves with chanting at the mouth of the road. Since the court decision security forces have locked down the road that houses parliament. |
| • Are the generals going to let Morsi win? asks Michael Collins Dunn of the Middle East Institute. | • Are the generals going to let Morsi win? asks Michael Collins Dunn of the Middle East Institute. |
| I don't know, but does it matter? They'd be wise not to pull the (much devalued) prize away at this point,which could produce an open revolt by the Brotherhood; better to have an elected, but powerless, figurehead. They're going to need somebody to blame when people finally notice the economy is a disaster. And a co-opted Brotherhood could be helpful in many ways, as long as Morsi understands who is co-opting whom. | I don't know, but does it matter? They'd be wise not to pull the (much devalued) prize away at this point,which could produce an open revolt by the Brotherhood; better to have an elected, but powerless, figurehead. They're going to need somebody to blame when people finally notice the economy is a disaster. And a co-opted Brotherhood could be helpful in many ways, as long as Morsi understands who is co-opting whom. |
| • There is trouble ahead whatever happens, warns the Arabist. | • There is trouble ahead whatever happens, warns the Arabist. |
| You have a possible fight on the result of the presidential election, an almost certain fight on the fate of parliament and the constitutional declaration, and a longer-term fight on the drafting of the future constitution. If you're not worried already, start worrying now. | You have a possible fight on the result of the presidential election, an almost certain fight on the fate of parliament and the constitutional declaration, and a longer-term fight on the drafting of the future constitution. If you're not worried already, start worrying now. |
| Syria | Syria |
| • The head of the UN observer mission in Syria has told the security council that observers were repeatedly targeted by hostile crowds and gunfire before his decision to suspend operations, the BBC reports. Diplomats say Major General Robert Mood said his 300 unarmed monitors had had at least 10 direct fire incidents, and nine vehicles were struck in the last week. | • The head of the UN observer mission in Syria has told the security council that observers were repeatedly targeted by hostile crowds and gunfire before his decision to suspend operations, the BBC reports. Diplomats say Major General Robert Mood said his 300 unarmed monitors had had at least 10 direct fire incidents, and nine vehicles were struck in the last week. |
| • General Mood and Hervé Ladsous, the UN's head of peacekeeping, suggested to reporters that the monitoring operation would not resume until both sides honoured the peace plan. | • General Mood and Hervé Ladsous, the UN's head of peacekeeping, suggested to reporters that the monitoring operation would not resume until both sides honoured the peace plan. |
| Both Assad's forces and the rebels must stop the fighting, "if the mission is going to be meaningful," Mood said. | Both Assad's forces and the rebels must stop the fighting, "if the mission is going to be meaningful," Mood said. |
| • A ship carrying refurbished attack helicopters for the Assad regime, has been turned back after being denied marine cover by UK underwriters. William Hague, the foreign secretary, confirmed that the ship, thought to have sailed from Kaliningrad, in the Baltic, had now turned back to Murmansk in northern Russia. | • A ship carrying refurbished attack helicopters for the Assad regime, has been turned back after being denied marine cover by UK underwriters. William Hague, the foreign secretary, confirmed that the ship, thought to have sailed from Kaliningrad, in the Baltic, had now turned back to Murmansk in northern Russia. |
| • No country has the right to tell Syria who their leader should be, Russia's president Vladimir Putin said at the G20 summit underlining his opposition to US attempts to secure a deal to persuade Bashar al-Assad to stand down. RIA Novosti quoted him saying: "No one is entitled to decide for other nations who will be brought to power and who will be removed. A change of power, if it occurs – and it could only occur by constitutional means - should result in peace and stop the bloodshed." | • No country has the right to tell Syria who their leader should be, Russia's president Vladimir Putin said at the G20 summit underlining his opposition to US attempts to secure a deal to persuade Bashar al-Assad to stand down. RIA Novosti quoted him saying: "No one is entitled to decide for other nations who will be brought to power and who will be removed. A change of power, if it occurs – and it could only occur by constitutional means - should result in peace and stop the bloodshed." |
| • Syrian activists have announced a new coalition group inside further eroding the influence of the troubled exiled opposition, the Syrian National Council, the Telegraph reports. | • Syrian activists have announced a new coalition group inside further eroding the influence of the troubled exiled opposition, the Syrian National Council, the Telegraph reports. |
| The Joint Action Committee is designed to "unify the political work and the field work in Syria across all the revolutionary levels to ensure a smooth future transition," according to its founder Hussein Sayed. | The Joint Action Committee is designed to "unify the political work and the field work in Syria across all the revolutionary levels to ensure a smooth future transition," according to its founder Hussein Sayed. |
| Its executive is formed of three representatives from each of the four main opposition groups in Syria. These include the Syrian Revolution General Commission (SRGC), the largest grassroots coalition that, according to a study by O'Bagy, controls 70% of the regional Revolutionary Councils across the country as well as the majority of the Local Coordination Committee. | Its executive is formed of three representatives from each of the four main opposition groups in Syria. These include the Syrian Revolution General Commission (SRGC), the largest grassroots coalition that, according to a study by O'Bagy, controls 70% of the regional Revolutionary Councils across the country as well as the majority of the Local Coordination Committee. |