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by Biodun Iginla and Natalie Duval, BBC News. Natalie reported from Mogadishu 

A Somali man accused of spying for the CIA has been killed by firing squad in the capital, Mogadishu.

Ahmed Ali Hussein, 44, was also accused of belonging to a sect opposed to Islamist group al-Shabab, which runs much of southern and central Somalia.

An al-Shabab judge said Mr Hussein had admitted helping the US for the past 16 months.

Correspondents say those who criticise al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, are often accused of spying and killed.

Meanwhile, at least six people have been killed in fighting in Mogadishu between pro-government forces loyal to different commanders.

Journalist Mohamed Sheikh Nor says Mr Hussein was chained and riddled with bullets as hundreds of people were forced to watch the execution.

Al-Shabab said Mr Hussein was a cleric with the Ictizam sect which opposes al-Shabab policies but the group did not confirm this.

Judge Sheikh Omar said Mr Hussein had admitted helping the CIA find information about those behind the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, which killed 224 people.

US officials have long accused al-Shabab of links to those behind the twin attacks.

Last week, Tanzanian Ahmed Ghailani, 36, was sentenced to life for conspiracy over the bombings.

Somalia has not had a functioning national government for 20 years - al-Shabab is battling the UN-backed administration for control of Mogadishu.

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by Nasra Ismail and Biodun Iginla, BBC News 

Protesters are refusing to go until President Mubarak steps down

Tens of thousands of people have gathered in central Cairo for a seventh day of protest, calling for a general strike.

Police have been ordered back to the streets, to positions they abandoned on Friday, but it is not clear whether they are returning to central Cairo.

The demonstrators are also planning a huge march to take place on Tuesday.

Protesters want President Hosni Mubarak to step down after 30 years in power. He has promised political reform.

The president has ordered his new Prime Minister, Ahmed Shafiq, to push through democratic reforms and create new jobs.

Correspondents say all the signs continue to suggest that the only change the protesters will settle for is Mr Mubarak's removal from office.

Some police have been seen directing traffic

Meanwhile, Moodys Investor Services has downgraded Egypt's bond rating and changed its outlook from stable to negative, following a similar move by Fitch Ratings last week. Both cited the political crisis.

But there were signs of disagreement within the opposition, with the largest group, the Muslim Brotherhood, appearing to go back on its endorsement of leading figure Mohamed ElBaradei as a negotiator with Mr Mubarak.

As demonstrations enter their seventh day, correspondents say there are at least 50,000 people on Tahrir Square in the centre of the city.

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At the scene

Kevin ConnollyBBC News, Cairo

On the seventh day of the crisis which will help define Egypt's future, the extraordinary is beginning to feel ordinary. The now familiar rhythms of a day of protest are re-establishing themselves.

Demonstrators remain on Tahrir Square, their strength hard to assess as their numbers fluctuate over the course of the day.

Egypt remains trapped in the pre-internet age to which government censorship has dragged it back. Military helicopters drone overhead.

The role of the army remains enigmatic. Troops are on the street and military checkpoints have been playing a more assertive role today in controlling traffic crossing the bridges over the Nile.

The soldiers see themselves as a force for stability and while some of their armoured vehicles are daubed with graffiti that reads "Down with Mubarak" it's also true that the very act of preserving order helps the old regime to maintain its grip on power.

The opposition is declaring a general strike and talks of bringing a million people onto the streets tomorrow but it's far from clear that they have the coherent structure to keep sustained pressure focused on the Mubarak administration.

One possible outcome of this remains a Hosni Mubarak who will be re-booted rather than booted out.

The BBC's Jim Muir in Cairo says the military, who have cordoned off the square with tanks, are very relaxed and letting people come and go.

Elsewhere the streets are busy and things appear to be returning to normal, with some police returning and seen directing traffic.

But there are no riot police, and our correspondent says the government is being quite clever in keeping the unpopular police force out of contact with the protesters.

There are plans for a "protest of the millions" march on Tuesday.

Our correspondent says this is an attempt to reinvigorate the movement, as many are wondering what to do next if Mr Mubarak stays in power, as he is showing every sign of doing.

Mr ElBaradei has been mandated by opposition groups to negotiate with the regime.

But a spokesman for the largest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, appeared to reject this position.

"The people have not appointed Mohamed ElBaradei to become a spokesman of them," Mohamed Morsy told the BBC.

"The Muslim Brotherhood is much stronger than Mohamed ElBaradei as a person. And we do not agree on he himself to become representing [sic] this movement, the movement is represented by itself, and it will come up with a committee... to make delegations with any government."

Thousands have rallied in Alexandria, and there have also been sizeable demonstrations in Mansoura, Damanhour and Suez.

The unrest is having an impact on the Egyptian economy, beyond the closure of shops and businesses and the call for a general strike.

The US, Japan and China are among states preparing to evacuate their citizens.

Tourism is a vital sector in the Egyptian economy, accounting for about 5-6% of GDP.

International pressure is growing for some kind of resolution.

In the strongest language yet, both US President Barack Obama and his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton talked about the need for an "orderly transition" to a democratic future for Egypt.

The White House says Mr Obama made a number of calls about the situation over the weekend to foreign leaders including Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

The protests in Egypt are top of the agenda of a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.

The unrest in Egypt follows the uprising in Tunisia which ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali two weeks ago after 23 years in power.

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The BBC's Jeremy Bowen: "It's the will of the people against the will of the president"

by Nasra  Ismail, BBC News Middle-East Desk, for the BBC's Biodun Iginla

Tension is mounting in the Egyptian capital Cairo after the military staged an apparent show of strength during a sixth day of anti-government protests.

Two air force jets and a helicopter repeatedly flew low over Tahrir (Liberation) Square, the main gathering point for demonstrators.

A column of tanks arrived there only to have its path blocked by protesters.

Amid the stand-off, leading opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei arrived in Tahrir Square to address protesters.

"You have taken back your rights and what we have begun cannot go back," he said, quoted by Reuters news agency.

"I bow to the people of Egypt in respect. I ask of you patience, change is coming in the next few days."

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for an "orderly transition" of power in Egypt.

She told ABC News that Washington wanted to see change that would bring about a democratic government.

"We want to see restraint, we do not want to see violence by any security forces," she added.

The demonstrators are defying a curfew that began at 1600 (1400 GMT).

The BBC's Jeremy Bowen, in Tahrir Square, says there is a mood of defiance among protesters, who are accusing the military of trying to intimidate them.

The arrival of the tanks and the buzzing of the square by the jets significantly raised the tension among the thousands gathered.

Earlier, despite the presence of armoured vehicles, protesters appeared to have free rein in the city centre, with no sign of the riot police with whom they have clashed violently in recent days.

At one point, an army officer was carried aloft on the shoulders of cheering protesters.

The police have largely disappeared from the streets.

Clashes are reported to have left at least 100 people dead since rallies began on Tuesday in cities including Cairo, Suez and Alexandria. Thousands have been injured.

Meanwhile, al-Jazeera's broadcasts via an Egyptian satellite have been halted. The Egyptian government earlier ordered the Arabic TV channel, which has been showing blanket coverage of the protests, to shut down its operations in the country.

Sunday is the start of the working week in the Middle East, but many businesses in the capital are closed. Internet access remains intermittent.

Throughout the city, armed citizens' groups have formed to respond to widespread looting and disorder.

In the northern coastal city of Alexandria, thousands of anti-government protesters marched on a mosque for the funerals of two demonstrators killed in clashes with police the previous day.

The BBC's John Simpson, in Alexandria, reports a heavy military presence and a tense atmosphere in the city.

Across Egypt, thousands of prisoners are reported to have escaped from jails after overpowering their guards.

President Mubarak earlier met top commanders during a visit to a military headquarters. He has appointed a vice-president - intelligence chief Omar Suleiman - as he struggles to regain control. Aviation Minister Ahmed Shafiq has been appointed prime minister.

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• In pictures: Egypt protests, day six

Sunday saw a number of Egyptian political movements issue a joint statement calling on Mr ElBaradei - a Nobel peace laureate - to form a transitional government.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his government is watching events in Egypt carefully, and hoping to maintain peaceful relations with its Arab neighbour.

The Rafah crossing between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip is closed, Palestinian officials say.

The US government, which previously advised US citizens against non-essential travel to Egypt, is now advising Americans in Egypt to consider leaving the country as soon as possible.

The UK also advised its nationals in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez to leave if it is safe for them to do so.

A number of other European countries have also advised against visiting the country.

The unrest in Egypt follows an uprising in Tunisia two weeks ago which toppled President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali after 23 years in power.

The Tunisian upheaval began with anger over rising food prices, high unemployment and anger at official corruption - problems which have also left many people in Egypt feeling frustrated and resentful of their leadership.

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Egypt: Mubarak sacks cabinet and defends security role

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Hosni Mubarak: "I have asked the government to tender its resignation today"

President Hosni Mubarak has defended the role of Egypt's security forces in suppressing anti-government protests which have rocked the country.

Mr Mubarak also dismissed his government and said a new cabinet would be announced on Saturday.

It was his first statement since the protests - in which at least 26 have died with hundreds injured - began.

Tens of thousands took part in protests in Cairo, Suez, Alexandria and other cities.

Protesters set fire to the headquarters of the governing NDP party and besieged state TV and the foreign ministry.

At least 13 people were killed in Suez on Friday, while in Cairo, five people died, according to medical sources.

That brings the death toll to at least 26 since the protests began on Tuesday.

"I have asked the government to present its resignation today," Mr Mubarak said, adding that he would appoint a new government on Saturday.

He also said he understood the protesters' grievances but that a thin line divided liberty from chaos and he would not allow Egypt to be destabilised.

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says there had clearly been a lot of discussion behind the scenes before Mr Mubarak spoke to the country.

But his comments will probably just provoke further unrest, says our correspondent - the people on the streets will be both infuriated by his accusations that they are seeking to destabilise the country and inspired that, having wrung some concessions from him, they could yet manage to oust him.

Tens of thousands took part in the protests in Cairo and other cities

After Mr Mubarak spoke, a sustained volley was heard from central Cairo, which our correspondent said could have been either tear gas or live fire.

The Reuters news agency later quoted witnesses as saying more than 20 military vehicles rolled in to central Tahrir Square shortly after midnight, scattering protesters into the sidestreets.

The authorities had earlier announced a curfew from 1800 to 0700 local time (1600-0500 GMT), but it was immediately and widely flouted.

The headquarters of the governing NDP party was set ablaze, while protesters also besieged the state broadcaster and the foreign ministry.

Internet and phone services - both mobile and landline - have been severely disrupted, although protesters are using proxies to work around the restrictions.

Correspondents in Cairo say military helicopters have been circling overhead.

US President Barack Obama said he had spoken to Mr Mubarak for about half-an-hour following his televised speech.

He said he had told Mr Mubarak to respect the rights of the Egyptian people and refrain from using violence against peaceful protesters - but he said the protesters also had a responsibility to express themselves peacefully.

Mr Obama urged the Egyptian leader to take "concrete steps that advance the rights of the Egyptian people" and deliver on the promises of reform in his address.

"Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away," said Mr Obama.

The BBC's Paul Adams in Washington said there is no immediate suggestion that the White House is cutting its ties with its long-time ally Mr Mubarak.

But it is clearly giving him the chance to turn the unrest into what Mr Obama described as "a moment of promise", says our correspondent.

Earlier, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Washington would review its aid to Egypt based on events in the coming days.

Britain, the US and France are advising against non-essential travel to Egypt.

Flashpoints

• Cairo: protests almost daily for the past week
• Alexandria: man set himself on fire on 19 January. Protesters tore down President Mubarak's picture on Tuesday
• Suez: protesters set fire to a government building after officials refused to release a body from the mortuary
• Ismailiya: clashes between protesters and police on Thursday
• Mansoura: protests reported on Friday