CAIRO: Egypt's new Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq apologised Thursday for violence in central Cairo that protesters demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak say was instigated by the government.
"As officials and a state which must protect its sons, I thought it was necessary for me to apologise and to say that this matter will not be repeated," the prime minister told reporters, describing the violence as "a disaster."
He promised an investigation to find out "whether this was planned, was it spontaneous, did someone direct it, (or) did a certain party encourage it?"
He warned of the economic damage caused by the protests, now entering their 10th day. "I call on the protesters in these demonstrations to feel that with every passing hour there is destruction. Our work is frozen.
"There is very, very great destruction and we will suffer from it a great deal."
