CAIRO -- In the most shocking twist yet in Egypt's Decision 2012, the High Presidential Election Committee changed the political landscape in one fell swoop. The committee announced a decision Saturday night to ban 10 candidates, including some frontrunners who faced challenges to their eligibility.

Gone is the ultraconservative Salafist, Hazem Abu Ismail, who just Friday drew tens of thousands to Tahrir Square to protest the candidacy of another now banned candidate, Omar Suleiman. Suleiman was the former intelligence chief of the old regime. Many opposed him because they felt he would reverse the gainsof the revolution while thousands of others looked toward him to restore security.

The State Department said Thursday it is "very actively involved" in working with the Egyptian government to lift the travel restrictions on American citizens working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Egypt.

State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said, "We are urging the government of Egypt to lift these restrictions immediately and allow folks to come home as soon as possible. And we are hopeful that this issue can be resolved in merest days."

Related: Egypt stops US Transport Secretary's son, three others, from leaving country

There are four or five specific cases of Americans who have been barred from leaving Egypt that the State Department is currently working on. Nuland would not confirm if Sam LaHood is one of those cases because of privacy concerns. International Republican Institute (IRI), the NGO that LaHood works for, however, confirmed that for NBC News on Wednesday night. LaHood's father is U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

The Americans who have unsuccessfully tried to leave Egypt are not being detained, and they are in possession of their passports.

More from msnbc.com and NBC News:

• Wanted activist tells of 'bows and arrows' revolt
• 3 years after US accident, boat washes up in Spain
• Egyptians see remarkable year not living up to its potential
• American hostage in Somalia rescued by Navy SEALs
• Prosecutors: Attacker thought boy was a witch

They are scenes reminiscent of Egypt's 18-day revolution that toppled the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak.

Men and women, young and old, Muslim and Christian, rich and poor, secular and conservative … all back in the symbolic heart of Egypt’s revolution, Tahrir Square. They are also in cities all across the country.

But the unity seen during Egypt's revolution in 2011 has been replaced by widening differences over where the country stands one year later.

The difference revolves around the transition to democracy. Is it on the right path? Led by the right people? Genuine or simply cosmetic? Actions versus promises. Accomplishments versus rhetoric.

DAVOS, Switzerland -- President Barack Obama plans to accelerate the pace of American aid to Egypt by redirecting non-urgent aid slated for other countries, a top U.S. diplomat said Wednesday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum, Undersecretary of State Robert Hormats said Washington wants to provide more immediate benefits to the most populous Arab nation, which earlier this month conducted its first democratic elections in decades.

Besides redirecting some foreign aid, funding in the pipeline for long-term programs in Egypt would be shifted to quick-impact projects, Hormats said.

Related: Huge crowd gathers in Cairo

Congress approved $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt for the current fiscal year, but with conditions attached. It also approved $250 million in economic aid, as well as an "enterprise fund" of up to $60 million.

It was unclear whether the total amount of U.S. aid to Egypt would be increased.

"Whether it's an increase or whether it's reprioritizing existing assistance, we're still working this out," Hormats said.

Also, he said, the White House had not made any decisions and that he was providing Washington's "broad thinking" on the subject.

The United States wants to be seen as doing more to assist a hoped-for democratic evolution in Egypt, where the military still holds ultimate power on the first anniversary of protests that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, Hormats said.

Photos: One year on, Egyptians fill Tahrir Square again

In his State of the Union address Tuesday, Obama said the United States had a "huge stake in the outcome" of the revolutions that have swept the Arab world but offered no concrete proposals for additional assistance.

Retuers contributed to this report.

Get instant updates from NBC News correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin on Twitter:

Egypt's military rulers say they will hold onto final approval over the nation’s new political system regardless of the outcome of parliamentary elections, which show the Muslim Brotherhood winning a majority of runoff contests.

"We are in the early stages of democracy," said Gen. Mukhtar Mulla, a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. "The parliament is not representing all sectors of society."

In theory, the new parliament will be entrusted with forming a 100-member constituent assembly to write the new constitution. But Mulla said the new council will coordinate with parliament and the Cabinet to ensure the assembly is representative of all religions, professions, and political parties.

The new constitution will determine the nature of Egypt's political system after the ouster of leader Hosni Mubarak last February.

Liberal groups and the military— a secular institution that has traditionally controlled access of Islamists to its ranks — are concerned that religious extremists will exert too much influence and could try to enshrine strict Islamic law, or Shariah, as the only guiding principle for state policies.

"We still have instability in Egypt. We have economic and security problems. The conditions are different," Mulla said, comparing  Egypt’s parliament to the U.S. Congress. "When the parliament is in stable conditions, it can elect and choose whatever it wants. For now, all sectors of society must participate in constructing the new constitution."

The prospect of Islamiststaking charge in the most populous Arab state has caused concern in its major Western ally, the United States, as well as in Israel, which is anxious to safeguard its historic peace deal with Egypt.

The military’s announcement came along with two others regarding the shape of Egypt’s future civilian rule:

Election results:Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood won a majority of run-off contests in the first round of the parliamentary election, the electoral commission said on Wednesday. The results suggested that liberal voters swung behind the Brotherhood, banned under Mubarak, to prevent ultra-conservative Salafis from building on a strong initial showing in the multitiered election. The Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party won 24 of 44 seats awarded in the run-offs, while its allies took another four. The count for eight more seats was halted pending legal challenges, but the FJP said it expected to win six of them.  

Power handover:In a bid to ease criticism it is dominating the gradualtransition to civilian rule, the army handed some presidential powers to new Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri. The former premier under Mubarak pledged to improve security and the economy after nine months of army rule affected by socialunrest, sectarian violence and a deepening financial crisis.

This story contains reporting by Reuters and The Associated Press.

Earlier Related stories:

Muslim Brotherhood bends rules and expects to win big in Egypt

Egyptian election results deepen Israeli fears

Also on msnbc.com:

Blagojevich sentenced to 14 years in prison

'Silent coup' rumors swirl as Zardari leaves Pakistan

Sandusky rearrested in Pennsylvania

Just days after reports that ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak fell ill after stepping down, come reports from Reuters news agency of similar concerns that Tunisia's former leade.

Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali is in grave condition in a hospital in Saudi Arabia, a Saudi source said on Thursday.

Ben Ali, 74, was ousted in a popular revolt last month and fled Tunisia after 23 years in power. He has been in exile in Saudi Arabia since then.

"He is in a grave condition," said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity, who said he was unsure which hospital was treating the former ruler.

The source did not say what Ben Ali was suffering from.

Ben Ali's overthrow sparked a series of popular uprisings which have rocked the Arab world and inspired the protests that forced out Mubarak.

He was seen as a leader who ensured political stability and economic growth but rode roughshod over human rights and democratic values. He denies the allegations.

Two New York Times reporters give their first-person account of being held by Egypt's secret police. It wasn't a pretty sight, but it was a lot worse for others, a point they knew and that police kept repeating.

"Our discomfort paled in comparison to the dull whacks and the screams of pain by Egyptian people that broke the stillness of the night," write Souad Mekhennet and Nicholas Kulis, who were detained along with their driver.

Now, they say, they see why the country’s dreaded Mukhabarat are at the forefront protesters' complaints.

See their full report here.

Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman may have set the stage for action against protesters Friday, theorizes Tim Marshall of SkyNews.

Suleiman in an interview on Egypt's state TV thanked youth for getting reform under way, but he also appealed for calm and claimed foreign infiltrators were riling protesters.

Then he told them: "Lift the protest, your demands have been met."

Suleiman's words left the way open to crack down on protests, especially on Friday, which anti-government demonstrators are calling the 'Day of Departure.'

Later Thursday, Suleiman's American counterpart, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, called to urge restraint on all sides and to support  universal rights including peaceful assembly, association, and speech.

A U.S. State Department official confirmed to NBC News on Thursday that several U.S. citizens were injured in Cairo.

Details, including how many were wounded and when, were sketchy. However, none of the injuries were life-threatening, the official said.

The State Department said it received the wounded Americans at the airport, evacuated them, and they are receiving medical treatment at various safe havens.

 A longtime strategist for the Muslim Brotherhood tells NBC News' Michael Isikoff that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his senior associates must be put on trial and held to account for their “crimes” against the Egyptian people.

Youssef Nada, an Egyptian-born banker who served for decades as the Muslim Brotherhood’s de facto “foreign minister” and remains an influential adviser, says Mubarak "is like Dracula."

See the full report here. 

 Vice President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman, the White House said Thursday in a statement shared with NBC News.

Biden reiterated President Barack Obama's condemnation of the recent violence in Egypt and called for restraint by all sides.

He also restated the president's support for universal rights, including the right to peaceful assembly, association, and speech.

Biden urged that credible, inclusive negotiations begin immediately in order for Egypt to transition to a democratic government that addresses the aspirations of the Egyptian people.

"He stressed that the Egyptian government is responsible for ensuring that peaceful demonstrations don't lead to violence and intimidation and for allowing journalists and human rights advocates to conduct their important work, including immediately releasing those who have been detained," the statement said.

 The U.S. Embassy in Cairo advises that there will be no U.S. government evacuation flights on Friday but embassy personnel at the airport will assist U.S. citizens departing on commercial flights.

"We plan to continue evacuation efforts on Saturday, Feb. 5, on a very limited basis in view of the availability of commercial flights and decreased demand for U.S. government evacuation flights. Additional U.S. government flights after Saturday are extremely unlikely."

Approximately 2,000 U.S. citizens and their family members have been evacuated from Egypt since Monday, officials said.

See the entire Embassy statement here.

Egypt's Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq told the interior minister he should not obstruct peaceful marches during what protesters have dubbed the "Friday of Departure," state television said on Thursday.

Protest organizers, who call themselves The Youth of the Revolution, hope to gather 1 million demonstrators on the streets of Cairo.

The day will mark the Jan. 28 demonstration, when protesters in Cairo and other major cities fought with security forces while calling for the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.