The death toll in Egypt's recent sectarian clashes rose to nine on Thursday after another person died of his wounds from fights between Muslims and Copts, a health ministry spokesman told Xinhua. A 21-year-old Muslim died of severe burns from a petrol bomb thrown at him on Saturday, Yahya Moussa said.

By Ulf Laessing CAIRO (Reuters) - When Egyptian Christian Kerollos Maher watched on television as petrol bombs and rocks rained on Cairo's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral he had only one thought - emigration. "Egypt is no longer my country," said the 24-year-old construction worker, standing in the courtyard of the country's largest cathedral where one Copt and one Muslim died in sectarian clashes this week.

Egypt's Pope Tawadros II accused President Mohamed Morsi on Tuesday of "negligence" over his response to deadly clashes outside Cairo's Coptic cathedral, the worst sectarian crisis since the Islamist took power in June. Morsi telephoned Tawadros after Sunday's violence, which saw crowds pelt mourners with stones after they emerged from a funeral service for slain Copts. Shocking television images showed police fire tear gas at St Mark's Cathedral -- symbol of the Coptic community, which has long complained of discrimination and been the target of frequent attacks by Muslims.

Hundreds of angry Egyptian Christians have gathered at the main Coptic Orthodox cathedral in Cairo for the funeral of four fellow Christians killed in weekend clashes with Muslims. A fifth person, a Muslim, died in the Saturday clashes in the town of Khosoos north of the capital Cairo. Denouncing Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, the mourners on Sunday chanted "Leave!" and "This is our country, we will not leave." Women in mourning black joined the chants, while clergymen sat silently before the service began.