World News liveblog
Reuters live coverage of events around the world. Follow @ReutersWorld on Twitter for top news and @ReutersLive for live video events.
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Egypt opposition alliance says President Mursi's defiance of army sets the country on a course of confrontation and violence #breaking
— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) July 2, 2013 -
.@MuhammadMorsi tweets to demand Egypt's army withdraw ultimatum, saying he rejects any deviation from constitutional legitimacy #breaking
— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) July 2, 2013 -
Egyptian embassy officials in Washington have NO IDEA if their foreign minister left office or not http://atfp.co/12EYssMby John Hudson via twitter 7/2/2013 8:27:12 PM -
Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi take part in a protest demanding that Mursi resign at Tahrir Square in Cairo, July 2, 2013. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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Egypt army plans for after Mursi as clock ticks
By Yasmine Saleh and Asma Alsharif
Egypt's army has plans to push Mohamed Mursi aside and suspend the constitution after an all but impossible ultimatum it has given the Islamist president expires in less than 24 hours, military sources told Reuters on Tuesday.
Condemning a coup against their first freely elected leader, tens of thousands of Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood supporters took to the streets, clashing with opponents in several towns. But they appeared to be dwarfed by anti-government protesters who turned out in their hundreds of thousands across the nation.
Troops were on alert after warnings of a potential civil war. Seven people died in fighting in Cairo suburbs and hundreds were wounded in the provinces.
Read on. -
Supporters of President Mohamed Mursi wave to a military helicopter passing over them during a protest in Alexandria to counter anti-Mursi protests elsewhere in Alexandria, July 2, 2013. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih
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Egypt's women protest, against drumbeat of sexual harassment
Hundreds of thousands of women joined the protests on Sunday, according to estimates from local observers. From the Wall Street Journal:Some women, carried on the shoulders of men, led chants with megaphones. Others led marches to Tahrir Square as they smacked wooden shoes in order to shoo away Mr. Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. Female artists also joined in the marches, including prominent Egyptian actress Maha Abo Ouf and female pop star Angham.
Rights groups say around 46 women were sexually assaulted in Tahrir Square on Sunday. Read the full report by Reem Abdellatif here. -
The Guardian's Middle East Editor Ian Black profiles the Egyptian military chief who issued the Mursi ultimatum: General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi: top brass ready to defend the people
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by The Washington Post via twitter 7/2/2013 7:01:57 PM -
Supporters of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Mursi have formed militias and say they're willing to die for him, says Eric Trager of the Washington Institute. He spoke to Reuters from Cairo's Tahrir Square.
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Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi wave flags on a bridge during a protest demanding that Mursi resign in Cairo, July 2, 2013. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem
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Mursi role at Syria rally seen as tipping point for Egypt army
Army concern about the way President Mohamed Mursi was governing Egypt reached tipping point when the head of state attended a rally packed with hardline fellow Islamists calling for holy war in Syria, military sources said.
Read the full story by Yasmine Saleh and Tom Perry here. -
READER QUESTION: What implications for conflict in Syria could be expected after presumed Morsi retreat? -
Readers: right now we are watching Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. It is now after sunset. We may change the video stream -- we have multiple videos to record demonstrations.
The demonstrations at Tahrir Square (as of this moment) are of an anti-Mursi sentiment. -
@Samu: we aren't sure where his family is at this time, and I gather that the government will likely be unwilling to state where they are due to security concerns. What I can share with you is that Mursi has five children. First Lady Naglaa Ali Mahmoud is presumably in Egypt, but I cannot confirm this. Here is a profile of Mursi's family from 2012: www.nytimes.com
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READER QUESTION: Where is Morsi's family, in Egypt? -
The sun sets as protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi gather at a bridge during a protest demanding that Mursi resign in Cairo, July 2, 2013. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem
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U.S. says Egypt's leaders must listen to its people
WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - Egypt's leaders must respect the views of the Egyptian people, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a call with Egypt's foreign minister on Tuesday, according to a State Department spokeswoman.
During the call, Kerry told Mohamed Kamel Amr: "It is important to listen to the Egyptian people," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters in a briefing. "Democracy is about more than just elections. It's about ensuring that people can have their voices heard peacefully," Psaki added.
The call was made amid reports that Egypt's foreign minister had resigned. President Mohamed Mursi, Egypt's first freely elected leader, was clinging to power with tens of thousands of people on the streets of his country from rival factions.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Laura MacInnis; Editing by Will Dunham) -
Green lasers shot at helicopter above Tahrir Square -- read more here: theaviationist.com
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@Gerald: the green flashes are powerful lasers. I have no sense of what the popping sounds are, but there have been small fireworks seen at Tahrir Square. Sometimes the green lasers are pointed at cameras or, in this video, at helicopters that fly over the crowds: www.youtube.com
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READER QUESTION: What are the green flashes and the popping sounds?
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Updated: nine bomb blasts in Baghdad, including two car bombs, have killed at least 35 people in Iraq reut.rs
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Our live video feed is going back and forth between showing pro-Mursi and anti-Mursi protests.
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Readers, thank you for joining the Reuters live blog about world events. We are focusing on the events in Egypt this week, but you can bookmark this page and visit this live blog anytime.
Do you have a question I can help answer? Feel free to submit a question (or comment) using the options above. -
UPDATED: Exclusive: Draft Egypt army roadmap to change constitution, scrap parliament
Military helicopters fly above Tahrir Square while protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi shout slogans against him and Brotherhood members during a protest in Cairo July 1, 2013.
Credit: Reuters/Mohamed Abd El GhanyBy Yasmine Saleh and Asma Alsharif
CAIRO, July 2 (Reuters) - Egypt's armed forces would suspend the constitution and dissolve an Islamist-dominated parliament under a draft political roadmap to be pursued if Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and his opponents fail to reach a power-sharing agreement by Wednesday, military sources said.
The sources told Reuters the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) was still discussing details of the plan, intended to resolve a political crisis that has brought millions of protesters into the streets. The roadmap could be changed based on political developments and consultations.
Chief-of-staff General Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called in a statement on Monday for Mursi to agree within 48 hours on power-sharing with other political forces, saying the military would otherwise set out its own roadmap for the country's future.
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The view from above today:
Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi take part in a protest demanding that Mursi resign at Tahrir Square in Cairo, July 2, 2013. REUTERS/Suhaib Salemby Clare Richardson on Jul 2, 2013 at 3:35 PM -
Egyptian troops train in streets of Suez
CAIRO - Egyptian troops chanted, marched and trained for unarmed combat in the streets of the Red Sea city of Suez at the mouth of the Suez Canal on Tuesday, images from Al Jazeera's Egypt news channel satellite showed.
A day earlier, as the armed forces issued an ultimatum to the Islamist president and his opponents to resolve a political deadlock, rival factions exchanged fire in the city, witnesses said.
Security sources in Suez said that forces from the locally based Third Field Army strengthened their presence in the city overnight after the clashes. Armed vehicles were also sent on patrol, the sources told Reuters.
Egyptian officials have said security on the Suez Canal, the vital world waterway, had not been affected by unrest. Cities on the canal have seen major anti-government protests during and since the revolution of 2011.
Military sources said on Tuesday that troops were preparing to deploy on the streets of Cairo and other cities if necessary to prevent clashes between rival political factions.
(Reporting By Maggie Fick; Editing by Alastair Macdonald) -
Mohamed El Dahshan on protesting in Egypt: "This is no time for celebration" http://atfp.co/14nCXkCby ForeignPolicy via twitter 7/2/2013 2:08:14 PM -
"Showdown in Egypt" - @DrOmarAshour on Egypt's mass protests & the fate of @MuhammadMorsi #June30 http://bit.ly/17E0SO7by prosyn via twitter 7/2/2013 1:55:11 PM -
Egypt must find peaceful, democratic means to resolve current crisis – UN spokesperson http://ow.ly/mA57dby UN News Centre via twitter 7/2/2013 1:53:11 PM -
Egypt's protesters find a new villain: the U.S. ambassador wapo.st/19PlWC3by The Washington Post via twitter 7/2/2013 12:51:09 AM
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Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi stand on top of electric tram columns and wave Egyptian flags during a protest in front of the El-Thadiya presidential palace in Cairo on the evening of July 1, 2013. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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See how protesters are using #Vine in #Egypt thebea.st/1b2Zve7by The Daily Beast via twitter 7/2/2013 12:36:11 AM -
#Egypt's presidency rejects army ultimatum; will stick to own "plan for national reconciliation" bbc.in/18rQH1Yby BBC News (World) via twitter 7/2/2013 12:33:23 AM -
Egypt's foreign minister tenders resignation: state news agencyEgyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr has tendered his resignation, the state news agency MENA reported early on Tuesday, after millions of Egyptians rallied against President Mohamed Mursi.The report did not elaborate or say where it got the information. At least five other ministers have resigned since Sunday's mass protests.(Writing by Alexander Dziadosz; editing by Christopher Wilson)
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Mursi not consulted by army, says plans own pathEgyptian President Mohamed Mursi believes a statement by the head of the armed forces setting a deadline for politicians to forge a consensus risks causing confusion and will stick to his own plan for national reconciliation, his office said in a statement on Tuesday.Noting that Mursi was not consulted in advance by the general who made the announcement, the presidency said it "sees that some of the statements in it carry meanings that could cause confusion in the complex national environment"."The presidency confirms that it is going forward on its path which it planned before to hold comprehensive national reconciliation ... in response to the aspirations of the great Egyptian people and regardless of any statements that deepen divisions between citizens," it said.(Reporting by Tom Perry; Editing by Alastair Macdonald and Christopher Wilson)
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"I prefer the army, I want the army to take power. There is nothing greater than our armed forces." -Akram Mahmoud, 50-year old civil servant in Egypt(Reporting by Tom Perry. Additional reporting by Asma Alsharif and Maggie Fick; Editing by Eric Walsh)
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Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi gather near a lit flare during a protest at Tahrir Square in Cairo, July 1, 2013. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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Egypt opposition says army move not power grab
Egypt's main opposition bloc said on Monday an army statement which gave feuding politicians 48 hours to compromise did not reflect a desire by the military to take power.
The ultimatum, which said the army would impose its own road map if the government and opposition failed to resolve the country's political crisis, showed that the army respected the "principles of democracy and the will of the nation as a source of power", the National Salvation Front said in a statement.
The group of liberals and leftists, which counts Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei among its leaders, called on Egyptians to continue peaceful protests across the country.
(Reporting by Yasmine Saleh; Writing by Alexander Dziadosz; Editing by Alastair Macdonald) -
Egypt army denies "coup," aims to push politicians
The Egyptian armed forces issued a statement on Monday denying that an earlier statement from its commander amounted to a military coup and said his aim was only to push politicians to reach consensus.
Denying any political ambitions for itself, the military said it was responding to the "pulse of the Egyptian street" in issuing an ultimatum to political leaders to unite after mass rallies on Sunday against President Mohamed Mursi.
(Reporting by Yasmine Saleh; Editing by Alastair Macdonald) -
Egyptian military helicopters trailing national flags circled over Cairo on Monday after the armed forces gave politicians 48 hours to resolve a crisis over calls for the resignation of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.
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Anti-Mursi protesters ride on a fire truck to a main street where people are protesting for a second day in Alexandria, July 1, 2013. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih
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Mursi's choices following the army's ultimatum are limited, as a military intervention would be "an epic defeat":
It would deny [Mursi and his Islamist allies in the Muslim Brotherhood] the chance to govern Egypt that the Brotherhood had struggled 80 years to finally win, in democratic elections, only to see their prize snatched away after less than a year.
- David D. Kirkpatrick, Kareem Fahim and Ben Hubbard for the New York Times. -
Protesters take part in a protest demanding that Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi resign at Tahrir Square in Cairo, July 1, 2013. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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World Wrap: June 28
Egypt’s opposition plans massive rallies, South African protesters target Obama, and Syria peace talk date slips again. Today is Friday, June 28 – a good day to #FF @ReutersWorld – and this is the World Wrap, brought to you by @dwbronner and @clarerrrr.
Egyptians hold up signs as they dive during a protest against Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, underwater in Colored Canyon in Sharm el-Sheikh, about 289 miles southeast of the capital Cairo, June 28, 2013. REUTERS/StringerOut with the not-so-old. Protesters in Egypt plan to gather en masse today and over the weekend, with huge demonstrations expected on Sunday. The opposition will call for President Mohamed Mursi to step down and hold early elections, while his backers are planning their own show of support. Egyptian clerics have warned of ‘civil war’ ahead of rallies:
“Vigilance is required to ensure we do not slide into civil war,” the Al-Azhar institute said. In a statement broadly supportive of Islamist head of state Mohamed Mursi, it blamed “criminal gangs” who besieged mosques for street violence which the Brotherhood said has killed five supporters in a week… There was no immediate sign of trouble as Islamists gathered round a Cairo mosque after weekly prayers to show support for Mursi. His opponents hope millions will turn out on Sunday to demand new elections, a year to the day since he was sworn in as Egypt’s first freely elected leader.
Opponents were unimpressed by Mursi’s hours-long, televised public address on Wednesday. Egypt’s opposition complains of economic stagnation, poor standards of living and accuses the ruling Muslim Brotherhood of imposing Islamic rule, while the Brotherhood paints some of its opponents as Mubarak loyalists. The Brotherhood blamed anti-Mursi activists for shooting one of its members dead overnight at a party office. The military, which helped realize Mubarak’s ouster last year, is prepared to step in if the protests turn violent.
REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko President Barack Obama in Pretoria, June 28, 2013.S.Protesters carry placards as they protest against the visit of U.Bad timing for Obama trip. Anti-Obama protesters rally ahead of his arrival in South Africa today, stationed a few blocks away from the hospital where Nelson Mandela remains in critical condition:
Nearly 1,000 trade unionists, Muslim activists and South African Communist Party members marched through the capital to the U.S. Embassy where they burned a U.S. flag in protest, calling Obama’s foreign policy “arrogant and oppressive”… South African critics of Obama have focused in particular on his support for U.S. drone strikes overseas, which they say have killed hundreds of innocent civilians, and his failure to fulfill a pledge to close the U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba housing terrorism suspects.
White House officials said they will defer to Mandela’s family on whether to visit or not. On his first extended trip to the continent, Obama faces critics disappointed by his lack of interest in the region and a South African nation distracted by the failing health of a beloved leader.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque President Barack Obama (L) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G8 Summit at Lough Erne in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, June 17, 2013.S.U.Don’t hold your breath for Syria conference. The already-fragile Syrian peace talks introduced by the U.S. and Moscow last month are becoming even less likely:
Washington and Moscow have been trying since May to organize an international peace conference to bring an end to the violence. But hopes that such a conference will take place anytime soon – if at all – are fading quickly… The point of the conference was to revive a plan adopted last year in Geneva. At that time, Washington and Moscow agreed on the need for a transitional Syrian government, but left open the question of whether Assad could participate in the process.
Assad’s forces captured a border town close to Lebanon this week as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition monitoring group, reported the death toll in the two-year conflict has risen to over 100,000.
Nota Bene: Iran signaled no change of course on its nuclear program, despite this month’s election of the relatively moderate candidate Hassan Rohani as president.
Standouts:
Ancient treasure - Archaeologists find an untouched royal tomb that predates the Inca. (The Los Angeles Times)
Living big in Kabul - A small Afghan elite lives the high life in glittering apartment complexes. (The Guardian)
Giving the Taliban the slip - A French aid worker describes his escape after being abducted. (BBC)
Gay proxy wars - Christian and LGBT groups bring the battle for gay rights to the Caribbean. (The Atlantic)
Dear South Africa - Richard Poplak’s scathing response to the foreign media’s coverage of Mandela’s health. (The Daily Maverick)
From the File:
- Hacker fights for Islam worldwide from remote Mauritania.
- Bombs planted in police officer’s car kill at least 10 in western Iraq.
- Serbia gets the green light to start EU membership talks.
- Kurdish party calls for summer of protests to pressure Turkish government.
- U.S. cuts off trade benefits for Bangladesh in response to safety conditions.
Kremlin says presidents agree to further U.S.-Russian talks on Ukraine
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden set out their opposing positions on Ukraine in a video call on Tuesday and agreed that Russia and the United States should keep talking, the Kremlin said. | Video
