Egyptian Military Issues 48-Hour Ultimatum to End Crisis

Egypt’s army gave President Mohamed Mursi 48 hours to end a political impasse that culminated in mass protests demanding his ouster, raising the specter of military intervention if unrest continues.

The armed forces warned that the deadline was a “last chance” for everyone and that if “the demands of the people are not met” by then, it would put forth its own “roadmap” for the future, according to a statement read on state television. Crowds in central Cairo later cheered as military helicopters dangled Egyptian flags beneath them and buzzed over Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.