Egypt's cabinet to hold emergency meeting over latest clashes

The Egyptian government will hold an emergency meeting on Monday over the clashes between protestors and the security forces, which have left 24 dead and more than 200 others injured. The clashes erupted Sunday evening before the state TV building in downtown the capital Cairo, where thousands of Christians were demonstrating to call for sacking the governor of Aswan due to his alleged statements about Copts. Cars were burnt. Egypt's health ministry said at least ten of the injured were still in critical condition. In a brief televised speech in the early hours on Monday, Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf urged the Egyptians to keep united against plots of internal and external forces to undermine Egypt's national security and sow sedition between army and civilians, Muslims and Copts. The conflict was the most violent since the fall of ex- President Hosni Mubarak in February after 18 days of anti- government protests. It came as Egypt is bracing for the parliamentary elections scheduled to start on Nov. 28.