Egypt's Mursi severs relations with Syria

Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Mursi yesterday announced the "definitive" severing of relations with war-torn Syria, which is suffering from more than two years of civil war.

Egypt "decided today to definitively break off relations with the current regime in Syria, to close that regime's embassy in Cairo and to recall Egypt's charge d'affaires" from Damascus, Mursi told thousands of Islamist supporters in a Cairo stadium for a "Support for Syria" rally.