24 killed in Egypt riots

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Egypt's PM has appealed for calm after 24 people were killed as clashes between Coptic Christians and security forces escalated into full-scale riots, reports BBC. The violence broke out after a protest in Cairo against an attack on a church in Aswan province last week. Some Muslims joined the Copts in protesting against military rule while others responded to government calls to help preserve stability. An emergency cabinet meeting has been called for Monday. The BBC's Yolande Knell in Cairo says there is pressure on ministers and on the country's military rulers to give assurances about national unity. A nighttime curfew was lifted at 07:00 local time (05:00 GMT). Mr Sharaf, who toured the area where the clashes occurred, also addressed calls by protesters for the removal of the military rulers. "The most serious threat to the country's security is tampering with national unity, and the stirring of discord between Muslim and Christian sons of Egypt," he said in a televised address late on Sunday. He added that such violence - the worst in Egypt since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February - was "tampering with the relationship between the people and the army". Earlier, Egyptian TV showed protesters clashing with security forces as army vehicles burned outside the state TV building where protesters had originally planned a sit-in. There were also reports of burning vehicles outside the Coptic hospital, where many of the injured have been taken. Sectarian tensions have increased in recent months in Egypt. The Copts - who make up about 10% of the population - accuse the governing military council of being too lenient on the perpetrators of a string of anti-Christian attacks. AP adds: Dozens of "instigators of chaos" have been arrested after deadly clashes between angry Christians, Muslims and security forces that left 24 dead and at least 200 wounded, Egypt's official news agency reported on Monday. Sunday's clashes, sparked by a recent attack on a church in southern Egypt, were the worst sectarian violence since the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in February. The MENA news agency did not say whether those arrested were Christians or Muslims. Egypt's state television said authorities have stepped up security at vital installations in anticipation of renewed unrest, deploying additional troops outside parliament and the Cabinet. The rioting in downtown Cairo had lasted until late into the night, bringing out a deployment of more than 1,000 security forces and armored vehicles to defend the Nile-side state television building, where the trouble began. The clashes spread from outside the TV building to nearby Tahrir Square, drawing thousands of people to the vast plaza that served as the epicenter of the protests that ousted Mubarak. On Sunday night, they battled each other with rocks and firebombs, some tearing up pavement for ammunition and others collecting stones in boxes. At one point, an armored security van sped into the crowd, striking a half-dozen protesters and throwing some into the air. Protesters retaliated by setting fire to military vehicles, a bus and private cars, sending flames rising into the night sky. After midnight, mobs roamed downtown streets, attacking cars they suspected had Christian passengers. In many areas, there was no visible police or army presence to confront or stop them.