Egyptian Prime Minister, Mubarak Appointee, Resigns

Former Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq

Egypt's military rulers say Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq has resigned.

The country's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces announced they had accepted Shafiq's resignation and appointed a former transport minister, Essam Sharaf, to form a new government.

Shafiq was appointed by former President Hosni Mubarak during his last days in office, and protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square have repeatedly called for his removal.

The military's council which has been running the country since Mubarak was forced to resign on February 11 has promised to guard against a "counterrevolution" amid fears that Mubarak's inner circle would try to keep their grip on power.

compiled from agency reports