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Morsi Cuts European Visit as Egyptian Crisis Continues


A man covers his face with a mask of Egypt President Mohamed Morsi during a protest in front of the chancellery against the visit of Morsi prior to a meeting of him with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Germany, January 30, 2013.
A man covers his face with a mask of Egypt President Mohamed Morsi during a protest in front of the chancellery against the visit of Morsi prior to a meeting of him with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Germany, January 30, 2013.
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi is making a shortened visit to Germany Wednesday, as a political crisis marked by days of protests continues at home.

Morsi canceled a second planned stop in Paris in order to return to Cairo later in the day.

Two people were killed in the capital Wednesday in clashes between rock-throwing protesters and police who responded with tear gas. Medics said the victims were shot, but it was not clear who fired at them.

Demonstrators have been rallying in Egypt since Thursday's second anniversary of the uprising that overthrew former president Hosni Mubarak. More than 50 people have died since the protests began.

Opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei called Wednesday for a national dialogue to try to halt the crisis. Mr. Morsi offered on Sunday to participate in talks, but the main opposition National Salvation Front and other groups refused to take part under current conditions.

The president declared a state of emergency with nighttime curfews beginning late Monday to try to suppress the anti-government protests in Port Said, Ismailiya and Suez City.
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