Egypt Live Blog

Egypt's ruling army has approved a law barring top officials from Hosni Mubarak's era running for president, a newspaper website said on Monday, but it may not stop the candidacy of his last prime minister.

It was unclear if the law passed by the Islamist-led parliament would take effect in time to block the presidential bid of Ahmed Shafiq, who was appointed prime minister in the last days of Mubarak's rule and served for a short time after his ouster.

The development adds a further twist to a turbulent period in the run up to the first real presidential race in Egypt's history, marking the final step before the ruling generals hand power to a new president by July 1. Voting starts on May 23-24.

The website of the state newspaper Al-Ahram reported that the ruling military council had ratified the law and "sent its approval to parliament".It did not give a source.

The report noted that if the law was issued before the election committee's announcement on Thursday of the final list of candidates, it would lead to Shafiq's disqualification.

But the report also cited a legal expert who said that after the deadline, the committee's list of eligible candidates could not be challenged, according to rules outlined in the interim constitution. In that case, Shafiq would stay in the race.

[Source: Reuters]

Egypt has rejected a request from eight US-based civil society groups for licences to operate in the country after a crackdown on their activities sparked the first diplomatic spat with Washington since the ousting of Hosni Mubarak.

In a move that may damage Cairo's relations with Washington, the Insurance and Social Affairs Ministry rejected the applications because it believed the groups' activities violated state sovereignty, Egyptian state news agency MENA reported on Monday.

It said the Carter Center for Human Rights, set up by former US President Jimmy Carter, Christian group The Coptic Orphans, Seeds of Peace, and other groups had all had their requests rejected.

Washington threatened to withdraw $1.3bn in military aid until an Egyptian judge lifted a travel ban on several American democracy activists last month and allowed them to leave the country and avoid possible imprisonment.

"I don't understand how a charity group like the Coptic Orphans, which works with over 35 churches in Egypt to provide medical and social aid, was rejected," said the group's lawyer Negad al-Borai. [Reuters]

Activists in Egypt are calling for a protest this afternoon outside the Bahraini embassy.

AFP reports that a a senior IMF official on Friday said the timing of a possible $3.2 billion loan to Egypt was unclear as the crisis lender awaits broad support for the program from the Egyptian people