Army postpones 'unity' talks in polarized Egypt

[NewsCaster]

Ali Haider / EPAAn Egyptian woman casts her vote during the referendum for the Egyptian new constitution at the Egyptian consulate in the Gulf emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Wednesday.By NBC News wire servicesCAIRO -- Efforts to resolve Egypt's rapidly worsening political crisis suffered a blow on Wednesday when the army abruptly postponed "unity" talks that the opposition had minutes earlier said they would attend.

Confirmation that the secular, liberal opposition coalition would join the meeting after boycotting reconciliation talks hosted last week by Islamist President Mohammed Morsi had raised hopes of an end to street protests and deadly violence.

ANALYSIS: Egypt is rapidly approaching its own 'cliff'

The latest convulsion in Egypt's transition to democracy was brought on by a decree last month from Morsi in which he awarded himself sweeping powers to ram through a new constitution.

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