Egypt cabinet awaits court order to lift curfew

Troops outside Mohamed Ali citadel during curfew hours in Cairo Egypt's cabinet was on Wednesday awaiting a court order to lift a curfew three months after it was imposed on Cairo and 13 other provinces following a crackdown on Islamists. An administrative court ruled on Tuesday that the state of emergency in force since mid-August was to end on the same day based on its calculations, said the official MENA news agency.
But the curfew -- which runs from 1:00 am to 5:00 am -- was still in place overnight.
"The measures are still in place. There was a curfew last night. The text of the ruling must first go to the cabinet" before the prime minister can end the measures, an interior ministry official told AFP.
Another government official said the cabinet expects to receive the text of the ruling later on Wednesday.
Interim president Adly Mansour declared the state of emergency on August 14, as violence gripped Egypt after police dispersed two large protest camps in Cairo set up by supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
Hundreds of people, mainly Morsi supporters, were killed in clashes that erupted during the crackdown, while Islamists elsewhere in the country retaliated by attacking security forces and Christian churches, businesses and homes, mostly Coptic.
According to an interim constitution decreed by Mansour, extending the state of emergency beyond Thursday would have required a referendum.
Source: AFP