Egypt: Central bank tells banks to shut early ahead of deadline

Egypt's central bank has told banks to close their branches early and has advanced the time for a foreign currency auction, a banker said, ahead of an army deadline on Wednesday that could trigger a military takeover backed by protesters.

Banks must close their branches by 2 pm (1200 GMT) instead of the usual 5 pm. The military has set a deadline of about 5 pm for President Mohamed Morsi to agree to a power-sharing deal with his rivals, an ultimatum that Mursi has rejected. (Reuters)