Reports of gunfire in Egypt protests

There have been reports of sustained gunfire in central Cairo, just north of Tahrir Square where tens of thousands of anti-government protesters are calling on President Mubarak to step down.

Ten days into the crisis there is no sign of the 82-year-old leaving office.

In Brussels, European Union leaders renewed their calls for transition in Egypt to start now.

Meanwhile, Al-Jazeera says its Cairo office has been stormed by “gangs of thugs” who burned and damaged equipment.

The satellite station, widely watched in the Middle East, portrayed today’s attack as an attempt by Egypt’s regime or its supporters to hinder coverage of the uprising.

The station also says its Arabic web site has been under relentless attack by hackers since the unrest began.

Last week authorities closed Al-Jazeera’s Cairo office, revoked the credentials of Al-Jazeera reporters and detained several of them.