Egypt's stocks market reopening delayed further

CAIRO — Officials at Egypt's stock exchange say the market's reopening has been delayed until at least Sunday.

A statement Monday from the Egyptian Exchange says the bourse will not reopen as scheduled on Feb. 16. It says the market will remain closed "until work is back to normal in the banking sector."

The exchange has been closed since Jan. 28 after its benchmark index lost about 17 percent in two consecutive days of trading following the start of the massive protests that led to the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak.

Mounting strikes in the country have extended to the banking sector, with thousands of public sector bank workers demanding better pay and benefits.