UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the deadly upsurge of violence in Egypt and called on security forces to respect the right to free speech and assembly while urging protesters to demonstrate peacefully. Protests on Friday and Saturday (26 and 27 July) have left scores of people dead and hundreds others injured. “The Secretary-General once again calls on the interim authorities to assume full responsibility for the peaceful management of the demonstrations and ensure the protection of all Egyptians,” Ban's spokesperson said in a statement. (Ekklesia)