Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi said freedom of expression must be used responsibly, in a speech that hinted at looming tensions in the newly-democratic nation.

Egypt’s military has shown no sign of opposing the president’s surprise decision to retire the defence minister and chief of staff and seize back the powers the military grabbed from his office.

Egypt’s Islamist-dominated parliament has convened in defiance of a ruling by the country’s highest court dissolving the legislature.

Egypt's highest court has asserted its ruling that led to the disbanding of parliament is final and binding, state television said, setting up a showdown with the new president.

Islamist Mohammed Morsi has been sworn in before Egypt’s highest court as the country’s first freely elected president, succeeding Hosni Mubarak who was ousted 16 months ago.

Mohamed Morsi will be sworn in as Egypt's first civilian president this morning.

Egypt’s newly elected president has read the oath of office in Tahrir Square and defied the country’s military rulers by saying: “I fear no one but God.”

Thousands of Islamists have poured into Cairo’s Tahrir Square to hear Egypt’s president-elect make his first public speech since declaring victory.

The loser of Egypt’s presidential election has left the country with most of his family hours after an investigation was opened into claims he wasted public funds during his term as a minister in the former regime.

New Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi has moved first thing into the office once occupied by his ousted predecessor Hosni Mubarak and started work on forming a government.

Islamist Mohammed Morsi was declared the winner in Egypt’s first free presidential election in history, closing the tumultuous first phase of a democratic transition and opening a new struggle with the still-dominant military rulers who recently stripped the presidency of most of its powers.

Authorities deployed extra security forces in Cairo streets and near key state institutions and police were ordered to “confront with firmness” any violation of the law just hours ahead of the official announcement of Egypt’s highly disputed presidential election results.

Official results from the disputed presidential run-off vote in Egypt will be released on Sunday, the head of the election commission has announced.

Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak is in a coma but off life support after being thought close to death.

Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was being kept alive by life support after he was rushed from a prison hospital to a military one in a rapidly worsening condition, officials said.

Egypt's ruling military council has pledged to hand over power to the newly elected president, hours after the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate claimed victory in the first free election since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak.

The Muslim Brotherhood has declared that its candidate, Mohammed Morsi, won Egypt’s presidential election.