The influential leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Britain announced three days of prayer as Egypt's minority Coptic Christians feared more violence in the aftermath of the mass killing of more than 50 Islamist protesters in clashes with Egyptian security forces.

Port Rafah authorities will open the Rafah border crossing Wednesday temporarily from 10am to 2.30pm to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan.

Well, The Washington Post sure knows how to bury a lead. It’s hardly news that someone is accusing Al Jazeera of having an anti-Western slant – it does and plenty of people have taken public exception to it. But when 22 of the network’s own employees quit because they can’t stomach the pervasive pro-Islamist bias, it’s something to write home about.

The Palestinian group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, has condemned the killing on Monday of at least 42 Egyptians at a Cairo sit-in.

At least 42 people were killed on Monday when Islamist demonstrators enraged by the military overthrow of Egypt's elected President Mohamed Mursi said the army opened fire during morning prayers at the Cairo barracks where he is being held.

CAIRO, July 8 (Reuters) - Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and its Islamist allies called for more protests on Tuesday, after 51 people were killed in Cairo on Monday when the army opened fire on supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.

Egypt's Strong Egypt Party on Monday called on Muslim Brotherhood leaders to stop escalating against the Egyptian army, going on to blame the army for not preventing bloodshed as promised.

Jihadi groups in Sinai threatened a "severe retaliation" to the clashes that erupted at the Republican Guard headquarters on Monday that led to the killing of 42 people.

The Muslim Brotherhood denied on Sunday that its Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie has made a deal to withdraw demonstrators in exchange for Mohamed Morsi's release and reinstatement as president

Mass demonstrations have filled Tahrir Square as more begin to converge on the presidential palace. The demonstrators are protesting the Muslim Brotherhood and the group's demand to reinstate ousted president Mohamed Morsi

Hamas called on Egypt Sunday to reopen the Rafah border crossing, which has been closed for three consecutive days.

Egypt's political transition after President Mohamed Mursi was ousted by the military stumbled at the first hurdle, after the choice of liberal politician Mohamed ElBaradei as interim prime minister was thrown into doubt by Islamist objections.

Violence broke out in Luxor on Friday, following a fight between a group of Christians and a single Muslim man, who died of his injuries, according to state-owned Al-Ahram.

The pro-Morsi National Alliance in Support of Legitimacy stressed in a Thursday press release that ousted president Mohamed Morsi is still the legitimate ruler of the country, describing his overthrow on Wednesday as a "military coup."

An alliance of Islamist parties and movements including ousted president Mohamed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood has called for "peaceful protests" on Friday to denounce the military's overthrow of the Islamist president.

A number of Islamist channels actively supporting ousted president Mohamed Morsi promptly went off-air following an announcement Wednesday night that Morsi would be removed from office.

Egypt is braced for further dramatic events on Friday as the vanquished Muslim Brotherhood called for a "day of rejection" following a widespread crackdown on its leadership by the country's new interim president, Adly Mansour.

Several explosions were heard Thursday night in the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat near the Egyptian border, a police spokesman said, adding that the source of the blasts was not known.

The Muslim Brotherhood-owned television channel Misr 25 went off air along with several other Islamist-run channels, including the controversial Hafez and Al-Nas, shortly after the military statement announcing the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi.

Egyptian security forces on Wednesday arrested two senior leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood close to ousted president Mohamed Morsi, security officials said.

Brotherhood spokesperson Ahmed Aref on Wednesday evening denied the arrest of Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie.