UN chief urges peaceful Egypt protests

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon continues to monitor the situation closely in Egypt, asserting that any protests taking place need to be peaceful, Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky said in a press conference on Monday. Egypt's political crisis should be resolved through dialogue, Nesirky quoted Ban as saying. The UN reiterated its call for all sides in Egypt to avoid violence that Egypt witnessed over the past few days and resort to peaceful ways to solve problems. As many as 12 people have been injured so far during clashes outside President Mohamed Morsi's house in Zagazig city in Sharqiya governorate. In addition, five people were killed and 697 wounded in clashes between supporters and opponents of President Morsi around Ittihadiya Palace, according to the Health Ministry. Molotov cocktails and rocks were thrown as supporters of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood clashed with opposition demonstrators staging a sit-in protest near the presidential palace. The bloody clashes came on the heels of the president's constitutional declaration that mainly immunizes all of his decision against appeals .