10,000 join march in Cairo square

More than 10,000 Egyptians marched from mosques and protested in Cairo's Tahrir Square today, demanding the country's ruling generals bar Hosni Mubarak's former spy chief and other ousted regime officials from running in upcoming presidential elections. The show of strength by Islamists was the first major demonstration in Egypt in months and was a turnaround for the religious factions, who had abandoned street protests, particularly after they gained domination of parliament in elections late last year, and pursued a strategy of co-existence with the military even during violent army crackdowns on pro-democracy activists. The struggle for power has heated up with the approach of next month's presidential vote in which Islamists see their chance to capture Egypt's highest post. In response, one of the most powerful members of Mubarak's inner circle - former intelligence chief and vice president Omar Suleiman - has entered the race, proclaiming he wants to prevent Islamist rule. The rally, organised by the Muslim Brotherhood and the ultra-conservative Salafi movement, underlined the difficult situation of Egypt's liberals and leftists. Most of them also reject...