WONG:
And in Egypt, thousands of people at a state-owned textile plant were hoping to go on strike as part of a national day of protest against rising inflation and higher food prices. But heavy police presence, stern warnings from the government and bad weather helped to wreck their plan of action.

STORY:
Violence erupted as a planned national strike across Egypt over runaway inflation and rising food prices was aborted.

The Nile Delta textile town of Mahalla El-Kubra saw shops and schools set alight as workers vented their anger. A planned walkout by 20, 000 staff at a state-owned spinning and weaving plant in the town was meant to be a centrepiece of a nation-wide day of protest. The strike was thwarted by a strong police presence, dire government warnings, and bad weather.

Instead angry Egyptians took out their grievances on buildings and public transport.

Protesters hurled stones at police and attacked their vehicles. Officers in riot gear responded with rubber bullets and tear gas. About 40 people have been injured in the clashes and hundreds more suffered breathing problems. Across the country more than 200 have been arrested.

The crisis has been triggered by demands for pay rises in the face of urban consumer inflation that exceeded 12 percent in the year to February.

The country's poorest people have been hardest hit by rising food prices.

The call for a national strike was backed by an anti-government protest movement and some small opposition political parties. The influential main opposition Muslim Brotherhood, while giving tacit approval, refused to take part.