The U.S. government has been quietly funding anti-Muslim Brotherhood political activists in Egypt for the past few years, Al Jazeera reports in a story being touted as an exclusive.

Authorities escalated their crackdown Wednesday on the Muslim Brotherhood, ordering the arrest of its spiritual leader for inciting violence this week in which more than 50 people were killed in clashes with security forces.

Evidence gathered by Amnesty International suggests that the Egyptian security forces used excessive force against supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsy since his overthrow.

The Muslim Brotherhood rejected a decree issued by Egypt's interim head of state overnight, which set a timetable for new elections and set up a mechanism to amend the constitution.

Masked gunmen opened fire at Mar Mina Church in Port Said's al-Manakh early Tuesday and managed to get away, according to state-run news agency MENA. No casualties were reported.

As tens of thousands of supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi continue their sit-in at Rabaa Al-Adawiya Mosque in Nasr City, several marches were held in the capital – and in different parts of the country – to mourn the dozens of pro-Morsi protesters killed Monday outside Presidential Guard headquarters in Cairo.

The influential leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Britain announced three days of prayer as Egypt's minority Coptic Christians feared more violence in the aftermath of the mass killing of more than 50 Islamist protesters in clashes with Egyptian security forces.

Port Rafah authorities will open the Rafah border crossing Wednesday temporarily from 10am to 2.30pm to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan.

Well, The Washington Post sure knows how to bury a lead. It’s hardly news that someone is accusing Al Jazeera of having an anti-Western slant – it does and plenty of people have taken public exception to it. But when 22 of the network’s own employees quit because they can’t stomach the pervasive pro-Islamist bias, it’s something to write home about.

The Palestinian group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, has condemned the killing on Monday of at least 42 Egyptians at a Cairo sit-in.

At least 42 people were killed on Monday when Islamist demonstrators enraged by the military overthrow of Egypt's elected President Mohamed Mursi said the army opened fire during morning prayers at the Cairo barracks where he is being held.

CAIRO, July 8 (Reuters) - Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and its Islamist allies called for more protests on Tuesday, after 51 people were killed in Cairo on Monday when the army opened fire on supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.

Egypt's Strong Egypt Party on Monday called on Muslim Brotherhood leaders to stop escalating against the Egyptian army, going on to blame the army for not preventing bloodshed as promised.

Jihadi groups in Sinai threatened a "severe retaliation" to the clashes that erupted at the Republican Guard headquarters on Monday that led to the killing of 42 people.

The Muslim Brotherhood denied on Sunday that its Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie has made a deal to withdraw demonstrators in exchange for Mohamed Morsi's release and reinstatement as president

Mass demonstrations have filled Tahrir Square as more begin to converge on the presidential palace. The demonstrators are protesting the Muslim Brotherhood and the group's demand to reinstate ousted president Mohamed Morsi

Hamas called on Egypt Sunday to reopen the Rafah border crossing, which has been closed for three consecutive days.

Egypt's political transition after President Mohamed Mursi was ousted by the military stumbled at the first hurdle, after the choice of liberal politician Mohamed ElBaradei as interim prime minister was thrown into doubt by Islamist objections.

Violence broke out in Luxor on Friday, following a fight between a group of Christians and a single Muslim man, who died of his injuries, according to state-owned Al-Ahram.

The pro-Morsi National Alliance in Support of Legitimacy stressed in a Thursday press release that ousted president Mohamed Morsi is still the legitimate ruler of the country, describing his overthrow on Wednesday as a "military coup."

An alliance of Islamist parties and movements including ousted president Mohamed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood has called for "peaceful protests" on Friday to denounce the military's overthrow of the Islamist president.