Egypt Restores Internet; Army Calls for End to Protests
Egypt’s army called on protesters to return home Wednesday, and Internet connections were restored, as the government moved to restore some normalcy after a wrenching week of protests.
Egypt’s government, which took the unprecedented step of shutting off Internet access during the height of the protests, restored service Wednesday, said Hassan Kabbani, chief executive of cellphone service provider MobiNil. Web sites that had been inaccessible for days, including the Central Bank of Egypt’s, were available again at midday.
The army’s call for an end to the protests came after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said he will step down after elections this year, bowing after 29 years in power to a popular uprising that has begun to reshape the Middle East.
