Bloodbath in Cairo on anniversary of uprising

The Daily Mail reports that gunfire and sirens could be heard in Cairo into the night as armoured personnel carriers moved through the centre of a city where security forces had once again used lethal force against dissenters. The report says the anniversary was a test of whether Islamists and liberal activists had the resolve to challenge a government that has persistently stamped out dissent since the then-army chief Sisi ousted elected Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 after mass protests against his rule. Full Daily Mail report

Egyptian security officials said the release of Alaa and Gamal Mubarak pending a corruption retrial had been delayed, despite state media reporting that they had walked free from prison. A report on the Malaysian Digest site notes that a court had ordered the release of the two sons of the ousted strongman last week, ahead of the January 25 anniversary of the 2011 uprising that overthrew him. The decision sparked furious reactions from many in Egypt who viewed the Mubarak sons as symbols of corruption, according to the report which notes that their charges included embezzling at least $16m earmarked for the maintenance of presidential palaces. Full report on the Malaysian Digest site