The European Union has banned oil imports from Syria in a move that will cost the embattled regime millions of euro a day as it uses deadly force to try to crush a five-month-old uprising.

The ordeal of hundreds of Americans and other foreigners stuck on a ferry for three days has ended as their ship finally left a Libyan port.

Hundreds of people packed into Cairo’s main airport today hoping for a flight out of Egypt but Western carriers were cancelling, delaying or suspending services after days of violent unrest.