Egypt closes the internet

Egypt blocks internet and mobile networks in face of protests

The Egyptian government has taken the radical move of blocking internet access and mobile phone coverage to its civilians, in a bid to thwart ongoing political demonstrations.

According to internet monitoring firm Renesys, "Link Egypt, Vodafone/Raya, Telecom Egypt, Etisalat Misr, and all their customers and partners are, for the moment, off the air."

In addition, at the time of writing, the Egyptian government's web sites are unavailable.

However, not all sites have been closed, with the Egyptian Stock Exchange web site, for example, still up and running.

The move follows a week of protests against President Hosni Mubarak, which have left seven people dead, according to reports.

Large protests are expected across the country after Friday prayers.