Egyptians ‘must talk, not fight’

US President Barack Obama has called on Egypt’s government and opposition to engage each other in constructive dialogue and prevent violence spilling out across the region. Bloodshed on Friday killed at least three people, including an American student, and mass rallies are planned for today aimed at unseating President Muhammed Mursi. Obama said he was “looking at the situation with concern.” Hundreds have been wounded and at least eight killed in street fighting for over a week as political deadlock deepens. On Friday, a bomb killed a protester at a rally by the Suez Canal. Washington is pulling non-essential staff out of Egypt. The Egyptian army is on alert. The army warned politicians it may step in if they lose control of the streets. The president met the head of the military yesterday, along with the interior minister, to check security plans. In the Sinai peninsula, near borders with Israel and the Gaza Strip, a police general was gunned down. The US embassy evacuated non-essential staff and warned citizens to avoid Egypt. An airport source said dozens of US personnel and their families left Cairo for Germany on Saturday. Arab News