Egypt’s new Cabinet Sworn in After Deadly Clashes

{{Egypt’s first interim government since the military toppled president Mohamed Morsy two weeks ago was sworn in Tuesday, after deadly clashes between the security forces and the deposed Islamist’s supporters.}}

The Muslim Brotherhood, the influential movement from which Morsy hails, rejected the 35-member cabinet, with spokesman Gehad El-Haddad telling media: “We don’t recognise its legitimacy or its authority”.

None of the newly appointed ministers are affiliated to any Islamist party or movement, with the Brotherhood and the ultra-conservative Al-Nur party having both rejected calls for them to participate.

Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the general behind the popularly backed coup that overthrew Morsy, was appointed first deputy prime minister and minister of defence in the government headed by liberal economist Hazem al-Beblawi.

The swearing in ceremony took place after overnight clashes in the heart of Cairo and in adjacent Giza, in which seven people were killed and 261 wounded, health officials said. Hundreds of protesters were also arrested.

It also came after US envoy Bill Burns — the most senior US official to visit since the military coup on July 3 — appealed for an end to the violence rocking the Arab world’s most populous nation.

But within hours of his statement, the Egyptian capital was rocked by political violence for the first time since dozens of Morsy supporters were shot dead outside an elite army barracks early last week.

{agencies}