Egypt Updates: Demonstrations of "Hundreds" in Cairo and Assuit; Six Activists Detained

Photo: Ian Lee (CNN)1425 GMT: Charges have been filed against eight activists detained in Monday night's protests in the Shubra neighbourhood of Cairo. (EA earlier reported six had been arrested --- see 0940 GMT).

The eight, who are all Muslim, have been charged with illegal rallying, rioting, damaging public property, and assaulting police officers on duty.

1000 GMT: Pope Shenouda III, the head of the Coptic Church, has called on his "children" to stop demonstrations and to pursue dialogue in solving problems.

The Mufti of Egypt, Dr. Ali Gomaa, has called for joint Christian-Muslim development projects and for television discussions between Christian and Muslim youth.

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Egypt Round-up: Sunday's Protests --- And What Might Happen Today

2130 GMT: There is a steady stream of reports via social media of protests in the Shubra area of Cairo tonight, with renewed clashes with police.

1400 GMT: Minister of Information Anas al-Fiqqi has urged private television channels to heed objectivity and avoid inflammatory coverage when reporting on the Alexandria bomb.

Al-Fiqqi insisted that "nationalist dimensions" should be the focus of reports.

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Egypt Exclusive: "Up to 50" Killed in Bombing of Alexandria Church

UPDATE 1950 GMT: Protests and clashes with police are continuing in Alexandria.

UPDATE 1940 GMT: President Mubarak sent Mufeed Shehab, the head of the Alexandria Council, and the Minister of Development to the funerals, and a couple of other ministers reportedly were present.

Bishop Youanis, the secretary of the Copt leader Pope Shenouda III, said, "We thank the President." The audience responded with shouts of "No, no, no", and waved their hands. They also reportedly shouted, "We want our rights", and sang, "Kyrie, Eleison" ("Lord Have Mercy").

UPDATE 1855 GMT: A source reports that doctors at St Mark's Hospital are "livid" over the official accounts minimising the casualties. They say there are definitely, and one doctor says there are more to be processed.

There are reports of graffiti on church walls saying "Watch out" and "You're Next".

Ten Christians have reportedly been detained for questioning.

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Egypt Elections Analysis: "The Door for a Challenge to Mubarak is Closed" (Iskander)

The door for a challenger in 2011 to President Hosni Mubarak or, if he declines to run, his son Gamal now seems closed. The failure of the opposition parties to win seats and the withdrawal of al-Wafd from this Sunday’s second round of elections [Editor's Note: The Muslim Brotherhood has also pulled out], comes on top of only eight victories for opposition and independent candidate in the first round.

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Egypt Special: What is the Significance of the Latest Christian Protests? (Iskander)

Fresh protests by Egypt’s largest Christian community the Copts indicate a new phase in communal tensions that have risen steadily throughout 2010. The latest demonstrations, which have so far led to one dead and many injured, began on 24 November in the Giza area of Cairo when permission to construct a church was refused.

Church building has remained a possible flashpoint between 1981 and last week, but Coptic reactions had been muted as Pope Shenouda pursued a pragmatic policy of cooperation with the State. Now a changed environment, beyond anger at inequalities over places of worship, is emerging: this is a political rivalry which is damaging the Church-State relationship and perhaps laying the ground for further communal violence.

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