Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has refused to call off a disputed Constitutional referendum or curb the sweeping powers he granted himself in a decree last month, leaving opposition protesters even more infuriated with a President who they say is acting like a dictator.

Speaking on national television amid anti-government protests gripping Cairo, Mr. Morsi insisted that dialogue is the only solution to the country's constitutional crisis. He said he will not tolerate killings or sabotage. He said seven people were killed outside the presidential palace, with more than 700 others injured during demonstrations this week. The president said 80 people have been arrested for crimes, including the use of firearms.

U.S. President Barack Obama spoke with Mr. Morsi by telephone today to voice deep concern about the protest deaths and injuries. A White House statement said Mr. Obama also urged all Egyptian political leaders to make clear to their supporters that violence is unacceptable.

Mr. Morsi said he will form a new advisory panel to write a new draft constitution if voters on December 15 reject the one passed by his Islamist followers last week.

 he Election Commission of India and the Supreme Presidential Committee of Egypt today signed an MOU for mutual sharing and cooperation in Electoral Management & Administration. The MOU's were signed this morning by the Visiting Secretary General of the Supreme Presidential Committee of Egypt, Justice Hatam Bagato and Chief Election Commissioner of India V.S Sampath in New Delhi. Speaking on the ocassion V.S Sampath said, under the MOU signed, both countries will share knowledge and experience including, technology used in elections.He said the pact also provides for prevention of fraud and voter education. He said, mutual exchange program between the electoral bodies of India and Egypt will go a long way in improving and updating the election process to ensure conduct of free and fair polls.
The CEC V.S Sampath also lauded Egypt for the succesful conduct of Presidential Polls under challenging circumstances. The Visiting Secretary General of Supreme Presidential Committee of Egypt Justice Hatam Bagato said, Egypt and India have shared historic ties and the bilateral cooperation on the electoral front promises a better future for the people of both countries.

 Egyptian officials say the militants have attacked a security building in Northern Sinai where Government is mounting a major campaign against Islamic extremists. Elsewhere, in Sinai, three policemen were wounded in fighting with militants near the border with Gaza.

This has been huge security operation in Northern Sinai for more than a month. But this is the latest evidence that the area is still quite lawless. According to a security official militants attacked a security headquarters from the roof of a nearby building. They launched crude missiles.

 ehmanparast said Iran's participation in the meeting is within the framework of solving the Syrian crisis and to listening to the Egyptian proposal. He said Iran will use this opportunity to provide its views, in addition to those of the other countries to this group. Egyptian officials in Cairo were not immediately available to confirm the meeting.

The meeting, if confirmed, would be the first of a regional contact group on Syria proposed by Egypt's new president, Mohamed Morsi, at an August summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Saudi Arabia that suspended Syria's membership.

 Egypt says, its biggest security operations against militants in the Sinai peninsula is being coordinated with Israel.

A military spokesman in Cairo said the operation which includes the deployment of tanks and helicopters would continue until its goals of clearing of what he described as criminal elements from the area have been fully achieved.

A statement followed Israeli concern over the Egyptian military build up in Sinai which was made a demilitarized zone under the 1979 peace accord between the two countries.

Egypt's President has passed a law banning the pre-trial detention of journalists, after coming under fire over the arrest of two critics. The order reverses a decision made hours earlier by a court in Cairo to detain Islam Afifi, a newspaper editor, until his next trial hearing. Mr Afifi and TV station owner Tawfiq Ukasha were both charged after insulting President Mohammed Mursi. Meanwhile, crowds are gathering in Cairo to protest against the president. A headline by an independent daily newspaper called the demonstration "the first test for Mursi". A spokesman for Mr Mursi said Mr Afifi, who edits the small independent newspaper al-Dustour, will be released from custody.

The head of the International Monetary Fund is in Egypt to discuss an urgently-needed financial aid package for the country's struggling economy. Christine Lagarde will meet President Mohammed Mursi and his new cabinet. The Egyptian Finance Minister Mumtaz al-Said has said Cairo will be looking for a loan of 4.8 billion dollar, up from the 3.2 billion dollar that has been mooted since last year. It is needed to cover budget deficits resulting from shrinking tourism and foreign investment revenues. Egypt's foreign reserves have fallen to well under half the levels seen before last year's popular uprising against former President Hosni Mubarak, when the central bank started to sell dollars to prop up(सहायता देना)the Egyptian pound. The government is facing a balance of payments crisis and high borrowing costs.

The Egyptian President, Mohamed Morsi, held talks today with Islamic Hamas movement's politburo chief Khaled Mashaal. The two talked about the latest developments in the Palestinian reconciliation, efforts exerted by Egypt supporting the Palestinian issue, and ways to get a Palestinian independent state. The meeting was attended by the deputy head of Hamas movement office and members of the political bureau, including Mahmoud al- Zahar. Morsi met the visiting Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, yesterday.

Egypt's supreme Constitutional Court has over-ruled President Mohamed Morsi's decision to reinstate Parliament. Parliament had earlier met in defiance of the country's Military Council which ordered its dissolution after an earlier ruling by the Constitutional Court.

MPs gathered yesterday morning for the first session of Parliament since the Parliament was dissolved by the military. The session lasted just five minutes, but it was a direct challenge by MPs and President Mosi to the authority of the military.

U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has urged Egypt’s Islamist President and its military to settle their differences for the good of Egypt. Talking to reporters in Hanoi, she said, they should work together for the benefit of the people, otherwise, the democratic transition may be derailed. Clinton is expected to visit Egypt on Saturday to bolster US-Egypt ties.

In Egypt, the Speaker of the reinstated parliament, Saad al-Katatni, has convened the parliament session tomorrow. The move follows a Presidential decree by Mohammed Mursi on Sunday which revoked the Supreme Constitutional Court’s order to dissolve the parliament and reconvened the People’s Assembly. The apex court has called an emergency session today to review the President Mursi's decree.The military council held an emergency meeting on Sunday night to discuss and review the consequences of Mursi’s decree, but made no public statement.

A day after the issue of Presidential decree, the speaker of the Egyptian parliament Saad Al Katatani has convened the meeting of reinstated parliament tomorrow. Guards allowed MPs to enter parliament this morning. Katatni welcomed Mursi's decision and said that the assembly will perform its legislative and supervising duties once it reconvenes.

President Mursi on Sunday annulled Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi's decision to dissolve the Islamist dominated parliament and ordered a recall of the People’s Assembly. He has also ordered for fresh parliament elections within 60 days of the adoption of new constitution. The Supreme Constitutional Court had dissolved the parliament after declaring the parliamentary elections law as unconstitutional.

The former head of the court, Farouk Sultan said the President's decision had no legal basis. Muslim Brotherhood and its allies have welcomed the Presidential decree and expressed hope that the military council will not challenge it .

Egypt's New President Mohammed Mursi will make his first visit abroad to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
The Official MENA news agency quoting Saudi ambassador Ahmed Qattan said that Saudi King Abdullah has invited President Mursi to visit Riyadh to strengthen relations between the two countries in all areas.

It will be his first foreign trip since he was sworn in as president last week. Egypt and Saudi Arabia had close relations under Mursi’s predecessor Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted by a popular uprising last year. But a diplomatic row between the two countries had led to recall by Saudi Arabia of its ambassador in Cairo and closure of its embassy for several days.

Protests were held in Egypt demanding the release of a lawyer and human rights activist detained in Saudi Arabia.

In Egypt, Muslim Brotherhood has given a call for One Million March today at Cairo’s Tahrir Square and across the country. Under the banner”Day of the Transfer of power”. 

The President-elect Mohammed Mursi will speak to the people on the “rebirth of Egypt” when he joins the demonstrations at the Tahrir Square. 

Mursi’s spokesman Yasser Ali said that Mursi will speak about efforts to launch his program for the rebirth of Egypt. 

The venue for Mursi’s swearing in ceremony as the nation’s first civilian president is yet to be decided although earlier reports said he would be sworn in before the Supreme Constitutional Court. 

Reports said Mursi was consulting a cross-section of Egyptian society ahead of appointing a premier and a cabinet comprising largely of technocrats. 

His spokesman told that the President elect was working on reaching some compromises on various issues so that all the parties are able to work together. 

One of the ruling military councils made it clear that the Field Marshal Hussein Mohammed Tantawi will continue as the defence minister and Supreme Commander of armed forces.

In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood has given a call for mass demonstration in Cairo to protest against the move by the military rulers to assume sweeping powers. The Islamist group has alleged that it is a soft coup staged by the military council after the High constitutional court ruled to dissolve the newly elected parliament.

The Brotherhood insists that parliament still has the power to legislate and has vowed to challenge the constitutional declaration, even as it also faces a lawsuit challenging its legitimacy and legal status.

Revolutionary youth movements have also denounced the declaration as a coup. The Coalition of Revolution Youth said in a statement that the military council has never and will never recognize popular legitimacy that contradicts it.

Meanwhile the military rulers sought to allay the fears over the declaration, insisting it will transfer power to the new president on schedule by the end of this month. A member of the ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces, SCAF, Mamdouh Shahin told that the new president will swear his oath before the constitutional court by June 30 and he will enjoy full presidential powers. 

Muslim Brotherhood campaign has claimed victory for Mohammed Mursi in the Presidential elections. The claim has been refuted as an electoral fraud by the rival Shafiq campaign. Official results will be out only on Thursday.

Experts say, irrespective of the outcome, Egypt faces a messy and tortuous road to democracy amidst a looming showdown between the Muslim Brotherhood and the ruling military council over parliamentary and presidential powers.

In Egypt, opposition groups have accused the ruling Military Council of mounting a coup after it granted itself sweeping powers over legislation and the budget. Full results will be announced later today. A report from Cairo says shortly after the polls ended, the military issued a new decree taking huge power to themselves. They will control the budget, the power to make laws and will have a veto over the writing of the new constitution. The opposition quickly condemned the move as a military coup. At the same time, the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, Mohammed Mursi claimed a victory in the Presidential election. His supporters, monitoring counting at polling stations across the country, say he has 52 per cent of the vote. That is disputed by his opponent, the former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq.

Egypt votes to choose its first independently elected democratic President on Saturday and Sunday after a gap of 30 years. The second and the final round of polls will see Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Mursi pitted against Ahmed Shafiq, the last premier under Mubarak regime. The ruling military council has said that the Presidential election run-off will go ahead as per schedule.

Egypt moves one step ahead on the road to democracy as it votes for a new President on Saturday and Sunday. The Presidential election has been embroiled into controversies with the newly elected parliament banning Mubarak era officials to contest elections. It resolved only yesterday as the Supreme court set aside the law as unconstitutional and allowed Ahmed Shafiq, the last premier under Mubarak regime to run against Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Mursi. The two candidates got maximum percentage of votes in the first round.

Mursi has appealed to the Egyptians to vote out the remnants of Mubarak regime. He has tried to reach out to the revolutionaries, liberals and minority Coptic Christians saying he is in favour of taking all the groups together. However, the liberal, leftist and minority groups have been sceptical of Islamic agenda of Muslim Brotherhood.

But how far it will translate into votes for the other Presidential contender Ahmed Shafiq is a million dollar question who says with his experience he will work for a strong united Egypt.The revolutionary groups ,activists and liberals have alleged the ruling military council of a soft coup to retain the power.

In Egypt, the State TV will telecast on Tuesday an indirect debate between the two Presidential candidates, former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq and Freedom and Justice Party nominee Mohammed Morsey. The two leaders who face each other in the runoff elections on June 16-17 earlier rejected the idea of a live debate. 

The interview with Ahmed Shafiq would be broadcast live at 10 pm Tuesday on the Nile News Channel and the Egyptian Satellite Channel, while Morsy's interview will be broadcast at the same time on TV channels Egypt -One and Egypt- Two. Both interviews will be rebroadcast alternately on the other two channels at midnight, immediately after the live broadcast.

In Egypt, in a landmark judgment, the former President Hosni Mubarak has been sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of killing protesters during the uprising against his regime last year. Mubarak and his sons Alaa and Gamaal Mubarak have been acquitted of charges of corruption and financial impropriety. His former Minister of Interior Habib al-Adly has also been sentenced life imprisonment. However, Former military regime key functionaries who were also implicated in the charges of killings of protesters have been acquitted of the charges of complicity. In what has been billed as the trial of the century, Hosni Mubarak who served as Egypt's strongman for 30 years is the first Arab leader to be sentenced after the Arab Spring. The 84 year old former President would spend his remaining life behind bars on charges of complicity in killing of over 900 protesters during the uprising against his regime last year. But he and sons Alaa and Gamaal Mubarak have been cleared off charges of financial irregularities. Immediately after the verdict in the courtroom, anti Mubarak protesters were up in arms chanting slogans demanding death sentence for Mubarak and protesting the acquittal of his Sons Ala and Gamaal Mubarak. Reports of stone pelting between supporters and opponents of Mubarak have come from Cairo. Thousands of police men and security men have been positioned in the capital Cairo to ward off any untoward incidents.

The long-awaited verdict on ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his sons tomorrow would be broadcast live to the world. Al Ahram reportes that the Egypt's state television is offering rights of the live coverage to the foreign media at rates ranging from 7,000 to 10,000 US Dollars .

Mubarak, along with former interior minister Habib El-Adly and six of the latter's assistants, are accused of instructing subordinates to fire on unarmed protesters during the 18 days of Egypt's revolution.


The ousted president, along with his two sons and runaway businessman Hussein Salem, also faces a host of corruption charges.

n Egypt, state of emergency is due to expire at midnight today, after 31 years in force. It has been in place without interruption since the assassination of President Anwar Sadat in 1981. The law gave authorities extensive powers including the right to detain people indefinitely without charge, prohibit protests and censor the media. 

Campaigners have long argued for it to be lifted, but some fear Egypt will be left in a vacuum without it. However the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces issued a statement to reassure the country that it will "continue to carry its national responsibility in protecting the country until the transfer of power is over".

Meanwhile, Egypt is preparing for a run-off vote in the presidential elections which will be held on 16 -17 June. The two contenders are the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Mursi and former air force commander Ahmed Shafiq, who was President Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister.