Mubarak out of coma; Egypt's PM appoints new cabinet

Cairo: Egypt’s Prime Minister Essam Sharaf appointed 15 new ministers in a major reshuffle amidst mounting pressure from protestors, who are accusing the country’s military council of protecting ailing ousted President Hosni Mubarak. Meanwhile, Mubarak, who is under detention in a hospital, regained consciousness after lapsing into a coma, a top hospital official said. [caption id=“attachment_43536” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Hosni Mubarak in this file picture. Khaled Desouki/AFP”]  [/caption] The 83-year-old ex-ruler, whose trial opens for corruption and murder on August 3, had slipped into a coma yesterday at Sharm el-Sheikh hospital. A conviction could carry the death penalty and protestors fear that the lawyers may be using his health problem as a ruse to win amnesty. State TV and media dubbed the new lineup as “revolutionary cabinet” as most of the ministers were newcomers, clearly with no ties to the Mubarak era. But the reshuffle failed to assuage thousands of protestors, who have returned to Cairo’s iconic Tahrir Square. The protestors main contention is that “the real power-brokers were still generals of Mubarak.” PTI