Egypt says major pieces looted from famed museum

Earlier in the day, scuffles broke out between the soldiers and some of the protesters at the Tahrir Square afterthe Army tried to take control of the area.

Though hundreds of protesters still remained in theSquare, life was inching towards normalcy in other parts ofthe country as markets and businesses reopened and Egyptianswent back to daily work on their first working day post thefall of Mubarak.

Protest organisers had already threatened more ralliesif the Supreme Military Council, that is incharge of thegovernment, fails to accept their agenda for reform.

Though the caretaker leadership had promised that itwill lift the emergency and oversee a peaceful transition todemocracy, it had not laid out any timetable for these steps.

The protesters had refused to leave the Square as theysaid nothing had been implemented as yet.

The spokesman of the Egyptian cabinet, appointed whenMubarak was still in office, said that the cabinet will notundergo a major reshuffle and will stay to oversee a politicaltransformation in the coming months.

The Supreme Military Council had in a communiqueyesterday vowed to hand over power to an elected, civiliangovernment in a peaceful transition.

According to the state television, prosecutors alsoopened an investigation into three former ministers of theMubarak regime after the new government had imposed a travelban on officials to make sure they do not flee.

Travel ban was imposed on the much-despised formerinformation minister Anas el-Fekky, who resigned yesterday inthe midst of accusation of waging a media campaign against theprotesters.

Travel ban was also imposed on former prime ministerAhmed Nazif and former interior minister Habib al-Adli, whowere both sacked by Mubarak before he stepped down.

Egypt was overcome by joy after Mubarak stepped down,bringing an end to his three-decade of iron-fisted rule.

The initial euphoria has now made way for concerns about thecountry''s future and the process of democratisation.

However, despite the uncertainty, celebrations haverefused to die down in the capital and other cities. PTI