Egypt braces for protests on eve of elections

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CAIRO, Nov 27, (agencies): Egypt braced for fresh demonstrations Sunday amid a tense standoff between the country's military rulers and pro-democracy protesters on the eve of the first elections since its revolution. Egyptians go to the polls Monday to cast their first votes for a new parliament after the end of the 30-year rule of strongman Hosni Mubarak, forced from power last February in one of the seminal moments of the Arab Spring. The run-up to voting in the cultural heart of the Arab world and region's most populous country has been marked by violence and fears of new instability-a far cry from the joyous scenes of when Mubarak stepped down. Protesters have again occupied Tahrir Square, where hundreds of thousands gathered to demand president Mubarak's ouster, but this time their target is the military rulers who stepped in to fill the void left by his departure. The Revolution Youth Coalition said it planned a million-person march in Cairo on Sunday to reject the appointment of new 78-year-old caretaker prime minister Kamal al-Ganzuri by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). 21 killed, dozens hurt in north Yemen fighting At least 21 people have been killed and dozens wounded in northern Yemen, where Shi'ite Muslim rebels are attacking positions held by Sunni Islamist Salafi fighters with bursts of shelling, a spokesman for the Salafis said Sunday. The shelling, which killed three people on Saturday, continued on Sunday afternoon, he said, leaving a total of 21 dead and 48 wounded so far in the latest flare-up. Bahrain, Qatar call on citizens to leave Syria Bahrain and Qatar Sunday called on their citizens to leave unrest-swept Syria after the United Arab Emirates also advised its citizens to stay away. The call, issued on the day the Arab League was deciding on sanctions against Damascus over its deadly crackdown on dissent, was issued because of instability in Syria, said Bahrain's foreign ministry. In Doha, the foreign ministry urged Qataris to leave Syria "as soon as possible," while Abu Dhabi earlier in the week advised Emiratis to delay travel plans to Syria. Meanwhile:Members of the Arab League have drafted a list of economic sanctions to impose on Syria, after a meeting in Cairo. The proposals include the halting of dealings with the Syrian central bank, the suspension of commercial flights and a travel ban on senior officials. Arab ministers are to vote on the proposals on Sunday - the latest move to punish Syria for its continuing brutal crackdown on protesters.