Egypt's prime minister offers to talk; vows probe into violence

Egypt's prime minister Ahmed Shafiq apologised for Wednesday's "catastrophe" in Cairo even as the army tried in vain to disperse clashing mobs from the streets.

Shafiq, appointed prime minister last Saturday, blamed infiltrators and the "complete disappearance" of police for yesterday's human toll. He also pledged to investigate the violence in Tahrir Square, in downtown Cairo.

Shafiq appealed to Egypt's youth to show patience as the leadership goes through a transitional phase.

"It has great meaning not to hurt each other, hurt our reputation," he said. "Do they want what happened in Tunisia to happen here?" Shafiq asked the clashing mobs.

Shafiq said he and the newly appointed vice president Omar Suleiman will meet with the opposition soon. He said no one would be excluded from the national dialogue, including the Muslim Brotherhood.

But the Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Essam El-Erian said the outlawed Islamist umbrella group would not participate in talks with the regime.