Morning Brief: Egyptian president tasks military with security ahead of referendum

Posted By Uri Friedman Monday, December 10, 2012 - 9:34 AM

Top news: On the orders of Mohamed Morsy, the Egyptian military has assumed responsibility for maintaining security, protecting state institutions, and arresting civilians if necessary in the run-up to a Dec. 15 referendum on the country's new constitution. The Egyptian president's decree comes as his opponents call for more protests against the referendum and the constitution, which was adopted by an Islamist-dominated constituent assembly.

Over the weekend, Morsy attempted to defuse Egypt's political crisis by rescinding a controversial Nov. 22 decree expanding his powers and suspending a tax increase on consumer goods. But he has not walked away from his plan to hold the constitutional referendum on Saturday.

Opposition groups have not yet announced whether they will boycott the vote. The country's judges, meanwhile, have expressed a willingness to oversee the vote under certain conditions.    

Italy: European shares are falling and the euro is declining after Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti announced over the weekend that he would resign once the country's 2013 budget is approved. Silvio Berlusconi, who stepped down as Italy's prime minister in November 2011 over the country's economic woes, declared that he will run for office again next year.  

Americas

  • Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez returned to Cuba for cancer surgery after endorsing Vice President Nicolas Maduro as a potential successor.  
  • The Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera died in a plane crash in northern Mexico.
  • Puerto Rico's governor said he will continue the island's statehood bid through a special legislative session.

Asia

  • Afghan and coalition forces rescued a kidnapped American doctor in eastern Afghanistan during an operation that left at least six people dead, including an American soldier.    
  • North Korea announced that it may have to delay a rocket launch because of technical difficulties. 

Europe

  • Prime Minister Victor Ponta's center-left alliance won parliamentary elections in Romania.
  • EU leaders arrived in Oslo, Norway to receive the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.
  • Germany's Social Democratic Party nominated Peer Steinbruck to run for chancellor next year against Angela Merkel.

Middle East

  • Sectarian clashes in the Lebanese city of Tripoli have left 19 people dead since Tuesday.
  • The Institute for International Finance estimated that Syria's economy will contract by a fifth in 2012. 
  • Iran said it decoded all the data from a CIA drone captured last year. 

Africa

  • Ghana's electoral commission declared President John Dramani Mahama the winner of the country's presidential election amid protests by the opposition. 
  • The mother of Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was kidnapped. 
  • Somali and African Union troops captured the town of Jowhar from the militant group al-Shabab. 



GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty Images
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