Report: Egypt church bomber may not have intended suicide

Forensic evidence gathered at an Egyptian church where 23 people were killed on New Year's Day suggests the bomber may have detonated his device prematurely and not intended to kill himself, the main state-run newspaper said on Thursday.

Officials have said the attack outside a midnight service in Alexandria on New Year's Day was carried out by a suicide bomber inspired by al Qaeda. Suicide attackers have been rare in Egypt, which has suffered sporadic attacks in recent years. (Reuters)