Egypt's top military leader announces Wednesday night that President Mohamed Morsy has been removed from power

Head of Egypt's constitutional court will be temporary president until new constitution is drawn up and new elections can be held

The military demanded that Morsy share power with opponents after anti-government protests

Morsy, elected last year, refused to comply; mass protests continue to support him

Refresh this page for the latest news we're seeing and hearing. Catch up with our full story here.

[Updated at 11:52 p.m. ET, 5:52 a.m. in Egypt] Some 40 anti-Morsy protesters are planning to meet with cleaning equipment to polish up their former protest campground, Tahrir Square. They have invited over 2,000 people to join them on Facebook.



[Updated at 11:03 p.m. ET, 5:30 a.m. in Egypt] CNN's Jake Tapper outlines some fine points of Obama's reaction to the Egyptian military's actions:

President Obama’s statement Wednesday evening about the Egyptian military’s seizure of power from President Mohamed Morsy is as telling for what he doesn’t say as for what he does: he doesn’t mention the word “coup.” He doesn’t call upon the Egyptian military to restore power to the “democratically elected civilian government,” but rather to a“democratically elected civilian government” - in other words, it need not be Morsy’s.

The thinking of the president and senior Obama administration officials, according to a knowledgeable source, is that while the administration is not explicitly supporting the removal of Morsy from power - it expressly did not support the move - it is seeking to now push the Egyptian military in a direction.

If the Obama administration were to use the word “coup.” that would have legal ramifications that would result in the end of U.S. aid. If White House officials were to pull the plug completely, they would be removing themselves from the picture altogether.

[Updated at 10:19 p.m. ET, 4:19 a.m. in Egypt] CNN's Ben Wedeman, who spent time at a pro-Morsy rally in Cairo on Wednesday evening, reported he spoke to one protester who said he felt demonstrators would stay there "until Mohamed Morsy is once again president of Egypt."

Wedeman recalled the exchange early Thursday after leaving the pro-Morsy rally to go to the larger gathering at Cairo's Tahrir Square, where people still were celebrating Morsy's ouster.

Wedeman said that although much focus is on the joy and excitement at Tahrir Square, "there's a significant portion of the Egyptian population - (although) I wouldn’t suggest it’s a majority - who are very upset at what has happened."

Wedeman, a CNN senior international correspondent who'd previously served as CNN's Cairo bureau chief, said it appeared the overall mood in Egypt would be different than 2011, when then-President Hosni Mubarak was deposed. In 2011, Wedeman said, Mubarak's supporters kept a low profile for months.

"There's not going to be that quiet after the storm this time around," Wedeman said.

[Updated at 10:06 p.m. ET, 4:06 a.m. in Egypt] Get ready for an extremist backlash to Morsy's ouster, says Mohammed Ayoob, Michigan State University professor emeritus of international relations.

"The major lesson that Islamists in the Middle East are likely to learn from this episode is that they will not be allowed to exercise power no matter how many compromises they make in both the domestic and foreign policy arenas," Ayoob wrote for a CNN.com opinion piece. "This is likely to push a substantial portion of mainstream Islamists into the arms of the extremists who reject democracy and ideological compromise."

CNN's Ben Wedeman, reporting from Cairo, also said there's a danger that some members of the Muslim Brotherhood will break from the main group and "challenge (Egypt's new leaders) with violence."

They may take the attitude of "we tried to play the game, our leaders were jailed, our media have been shut down ... so we’re going to destroy the system," said Wedeman, who is a CNN senior international correspondent and had previously been CNN's Cairo bureau chief.

[Updated at 9:23 p.m. ET, 3:23 a.m. in Egypt] U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has echoed Obama's call for a quick return to civilian rule. He appealed for "calm, non-violence, dialogue and restraint."

[Updated at 8:24 p.m. ET, 2:24 a.m. in Egypt] More about arrests in Egypt, from CNN's interview with Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad:

- Morsy was arrested by presidential guards at their headquarters, and is being "cut off" from the world, El-Haddad told CNN. "They cut all his access, all his calls. No one is meeting him," the spokesman said.

- Members of Morsy's presidential team also were arrested, El-Haddad said.

- The head of Egypt's Freedom and Justice Party and the deputy leader of the Muslim Brotherhood also were arrested, according to El-Haddad.

- El-Haddad told CNN he understands that hundreds of names have been put on an "arrest list," but "I can't confirm any arrests apart from these."

[Updated at 8:03 p.m. ET, 2:03 a.m. in Egypt] Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad just confirmed his account of Morsy's arrest to CNN by phone.

Presidential guards arrested Morsy at the guards' headquarters, El-Haddad told CNN. He described it as "house arrest." He added that Morsy's presidential team was "entirely put under arrest as well."

[Updated at 7:42 p.m. ET, 1:42 a.m. in Egypt] Morsy is "under house arrest," as are most members of the presidential team, according to a post on Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad's Twitter account.

Prez #Morsi is under house arrest at Prez guards club. Most members of presedential team hv also been put under house arrest. #Military_Coup — Gehad El-Haddad (@gelhaddad) July 3, 2013

Reuters also reported Morsy is being held by authorities, citing the Muslim Brotherhood and a security source.

[Updated at 7:27 p.m. ET, 1:27 a.m. in Egypt] At least eight people were killed and 343 were wounded in clashes across Egypt on Wednesday, the day the Egyptian military announced it had ousted Mohamed Morsy as president, according to the state-run al-Ahram news agency, citing the Health Ministry.

[Updated at 7:07 p.m. ET, 1:07 a.m. in Egypt] Egypt's military reportedly is attempting a massive roundup of members of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement that helped propel Morsy to power a year ago.

Arrest warrants have been issued for 300 members of the Muslim Brotherhood, and an operation to arrest them is under way, according to the state-run Ahram newspaper website on Thursday, which cited an unnamed security source.

Egyptian security forces also have arrested the Muslim Brotherhood's political party leader, Saad el-Katatni, and its deputy, Rashad Al-Bayoumi, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported Wednesday, citing an unnamed military source.

[Updated at 6:57 p.m. ET, 12:57 a.m. in Egypt] U.S. President Barack Obama, in his first public statement on Morsy's ouster, says the United States is "deeply concerned by the decision of the Egyptian armed forces to remove President Morsy and suspend the Egyptian constitution," and that he has "directed the relevant departments and agencies to review the implications under U.S. law for our assistance to the government of Egypt."

Obama also called on the Egyptian military "to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process, and to avoid arbitrary arrests of President Morsy and his supporters."

Here is the full statement, released moments ago by the White House:

"As I have said since the Egyptian revolution, the United States supports a set of core principles, including opposition to violence, protection of universal human rights, and reform that meets the legitimate aspirations of the people. The United States does not support particular individuals or political parties, but we are committed to the democratic process and respect for the rule of law. Since the current unrest in Egypt began, we have called on all parties to work together to address the legitimate grievances of the Egyptian people, in accordance with the democratic process, and without recourse to violence or the use of force.

"The United States is monitoring the very fluid situation in Egypt, and we believe that ultimately the future of Egypt can only be determined by the Egyptian people. Nevertheless, we are deeply concerned by the decision of the Egyptian Armed Forces to remove President Morsy and suspend the Egyptian constitution. I now call on the Egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process, and to avoid any arbitrary arrests of President Morsy and his supporters. Given today’s developments, I have also directed the relevant departments and agencies to review the implications under U.S. law for our assistance to the government of Egypt.

"The United States continues to believe firmly that the best foundation for lasting stability in Egypt is a democratic political order with participation from all sides and all political parties - secular and religious, civilian and military. During this uncertain period, we expect the military to ensure that the rights of all Egyptian men and women are protected, including the right to peaceful assembly, due process, and free and fair trials in civilian courts. Moreover, the goal of any political process should be a government that respects the rights of all people, majority and minority; that institutionalizes the checks and balances upon which democracy depends; and that places the interests of the people above party or faction. The voices of all those who have protested peacefully must be heard - including those who welcomed today’s developments, and those who have supported President Morsy. In the interim, I urge all sides to avoid violence and come together to ensure the lasting restoration of Egypt’s democracy.

"No transition to democracy comes without difficulty, but in the end it must stay true to the will of the people. An honest, capable and representative government is what ordinary Egyptians seek and what they deserve. The longstanding partnership between the United States and Egypt is based on shared interests and values, and we will continue to work with the Egyptian people to ensure that Egypt’s transition to democracy succeeds."

The White House Flickr feed released this photo of Obama discussing Egypt with members of his national security team in the White House Situation Room.

[Updated at 6:52 p.m. ET, 12:40 a.m. in Egypt] What's next for an Egypt that has ousted two leaders in two years? CNN's Christiane Amanpour takes a look:

[Updated at 6:40 p.m. ET, 12:40 a.m. in Egypt] Al Jazeera has offered more details of the reported raid on its Egypt station.

It says that its live Egypt service was taken off air during a live broadcast. "Security forces stormed the building and arrested the presenter, guests and producers," a post on Al Jazeera's website said.

Earlier, CNN's Ivan Watson reported from Cairo that at least three pro-Muslim Brotherhood TV stations in Egypt also appear to have been shut down.

Meanwhile, it's after midnight in Cairo, and the pro-Morsy and anti-Morsy rallies in Cairo still are going strong. On CNN International, CNN's Reza Sayah is reporting from the anti-Morsy demonstration at Cairo's Tahrir Square, and fireworks still are going off behind him.

Watson has noted the same thing:

This is the biggest party I've seen in Tahrir Square since Mubarak was ousted. After midnight in Cairo.... pic.twitter.com/NRgQzYEjL8 — Ivan Watson (@IvanCNN) July 3, 2013

[Updated at 6:25 p.m. ET, 12:25 a.m. in Egypt] Saudi King Abdullah has sent a message of congratulations to Adly Mansour, the Egyptian constitutional court leader who will temporarily replace Morsy, according to the Saudi Press Association.

“I congratulate you on assuming the leadership of Egypt at this critical point of its history. By doing so, I appeal to Allah Almighty to help you to shoulder the responsibility laid on your shoulder to achieve the hopes of our sisterly people of the Arab Republic of Egypt,” King Abdullah said in the statement.

[Updated at 5:57 p.m. ET, 11:57 p.m. in Egypt] The offices of Al Jazeera's Egyptian television channel have been raided by security forces, who have detained some of the staff, the network has reported.

Additionally, at least three pro-Muslim Brotherhood TV stations in Egypt appear to have been shut down Wednesday, CNN's Ivan Watson reported from Cairo.

[Updated at 5:46 p.m. ET, 11:46 p.m. in Egypt] Reports of new clashes between Morsy's supporters and security forces and/or anti-Morsy demonstrators are coming in.

At least four people were killed Wednesday in confrontations between Morsy supporters and security forces in the northern Egyptian city of Marsa Matrouh, according to the state-run Ahram newspaper website, citing its correspondent based in the city.

Also, clashes between Morsy supporters and the opposition were reported Wednesday in Kafr El-Sheikh in northern Egypt, with dozens reportedly injured, according to Ahram. At least 43 Morsy supporters have been arrested, Ahram reported.

This comes about a day after 23 people reportedly died in clashes at Cairo University. That number came from Ahram, citing medical sources. The university clashes started Tuesday night.

[Updated at 5:40 p.m. ET, 11:40 p.m. in Egypt] It's one defiant speech after another at the large pro-Morsy rally in Cairo, CNN's Ben Wedeman reports from near the site.

One speaker has called on supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement that propelled Morsy to his election last year, to hold demonstrations and sit-ins across the country. Speakers continue to stress that Morsy is Egypt's legitimate leader precisely because he was elected. Demonstrators also have heard an audio message from Morsy, who rejected notions that he's been deposed (see 5:16 entry for a Morsy message that was aired on Al Jazeera).

Morsy won 52% of the vote last year. To catch you up on what has happened in the last year, see this piece by CNN's Kyle Almond, who notes that Morsy's opponents complained that his government wasn't inclusive.

Morsy has also been accused of authoritarianism, forcing his conservative agenda through edicts and a narrow majority. He has squared off against Egypt's judiciary, the media, the police and even artists.

"The Muslim Brotherhood has not recognized that it has to take into account the 48% that didn't vote for it," CNN's Fareed Zakaria told Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday. "There are many people who feel that the constitution was rammed down the throats of a lot of Egyptians, that it contains within it many illiberal characteristics, things that are kind of the Muslim Brotherhood's Islamic agenda written into the basic framework of laws."

[Updated at 5:16 p.m. ET, 11:16 p.m. in Egypt] Wherever Morsy is, he doesn't appear to have accepted his ouster. He says, in a taped statement just aired on Al Jazeera, that he is still Egypt's legitimate president.

He also said he remains open to negotiate and to engage in dialogue.

Stressing that he was democratically elected, he called on his supporters to continue their peaceful demonstrations but avoid infighting and bloodshed.

[Updated at 5:11 p.m. ET, 11:11 p.m. in Egypt] The U.S. Embassy in Cairo has ordered the mandatory evacuation of all nonessential personnel, CNN's Jill Dougherty reports, citing a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

[Updated at 5:08 p.m. ET, 11:08 p.m. in Egypt] A few hours before Morsy's ouster was announced, soldiers and police were deployed to certain areas of the city. CNN's Ivan Watson, reporting from Cairo, reports that these forces generally surrounded areas where supporters of Morsy and the Muslim Brotherhood were gathered.

To recap the demonstration scenes: Anti-Morsy demonstrators are celebrating in Cairo's Tahrir Square, but there is a substantial pro-Morsy crowd elsewhere in the city.

Some of those protesters oppose Morsy but also oppose pushing from power a democratically elected leader, said Gehad El-Haddad, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, which helped boost Morsy to power last year. "Under no circumstances will we ever accept a military-backed coup," he said.

[Updated at 4:53 p.m. ET, 10:53 p.m. in Egypt] We told you earlier about the large pro-Mosry demonstration in Cairo. Here's a video that will give you a good look what that looks like tonight:

[Updated at 4:42 p.m. ET, 10:42 p.m. in Egypt] The chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee has weighed in:

“It is unfortunate that Morsy did not heed popular demands for early elections after a year of his incompetent leadership and attempting a power grab for the Muslim Brotherhood," U.S. Rep. Ed Royce, R-California, said in an e-mailed statement. "Morsy was an obstacle to the constitutional democracy most Egyptians wanted.

"I am hopeful that his departure will reopen the path to a better future for Egypt, and I encourage the military and all political parties to cooperate in the peaceful establishment of democratic institutions and new elections that lead to an Egypt where minority rights are protected. But make no mistake about it, Egypt is in for very difficult days.”

[Updated at 4:36 p.m. ET, 10:26 p.m. in Egypt] Pro-Morsy satellite television stations have been cut off by the Egyptian military, Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad said Wednesday in a post on his official Twitter account.

[Updated at 4:26 p.m. ET, 10:26 p.m. in Egypt] We noted earlier that the Muslim Brotherhood wouldn't be pleased, and now it is expressing its displeasure officially.

Morsy's ouster is a "conspiracy against legitimacy" and "a military coup that wastes the will of the people and returns Egypt to tyranny," the Muslim Brotherhood said in a post on its official website.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which is the Islamist movement that propelled Morsy to the presidency, also said that "millions condemn the coup and support the elected president's legitimacy."

It also suggested that elements of the regime of former President Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in 2011 following massive demonstrations, are behind what happened to Morsy.

"The former regime is returning at the cost of the blood of ... martyrs," the brotherhood's post said.

[Updated at 4:18 p.m. ET, 10:18 p.m. in Egypt] We want to bring you up to speed on what the opposition leaders have been saying in the past hour. Mohamed ElBaradei, one of those leaders, said in a televised address that the political road map outlined by the military "responds to the demands of the Egyptian people."

He said that the road map - which includes allowing the head of the country's constitutional court to be Egypt's temporary president until a new constitution can be drawn up and new elections can be held - "guarantees achieving the principle demand of the Egyptian people of having early presidential elections."

ElBaradei is a former leader of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

[Updated at 4:15 p.m. ET, 10:15 p.m. in Egypt] Cairo's Tahrir Square is still rocking, reports CNN's Reza Sayah from near the square.

"It's just jubilation. They're just rocking - it's a party," Sayah said.

The square - the site of 2011 demonstrations that helped oust then-President Hosni Mubarak - has been the heart of demonstrations that have now helped prompt Morsy's ouster. Thousands are cheering in the square, watching fireworks go off overhead.

[Updated at 3:59 p.m. ET, 9:59 p.m. in Egypt] Despite the Egyptian military's forced ouster of Morsy, a former Egyptian general, Sameh Seif El Yazal, argues to CNN that what happened today isn't a military coup. He says the military isn't going to rule the country and that the military "supported the will of the Egyptians."

El Yazal said he expects elections to take place in nine to 12 months.

To recap what Gen. Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi, Egypt's top military leader, said when announcing Morsy's ouster about an hour ago: Morsy was no longer the leader of the country, and that the head of the country's constitutional court will serve as Egypt's temporary president until a new constitution can be drawn up and new elections can be held.

It's not clear where Morsy is, although he, or someone on his behalf, appears to be sending messages through Twitter, as noted directly below.

[Updated at 3:52 p.m. ET, 9:52 p.m. in Egypt] Morsy appears to be taking to Twitter.

A post on the Egyptian presidency's official account, attributed to Morsy, says the military's move represents a "full coup categorically rejected by all the free men of our nation."

https://twitter.com/EgyPresidency/status/352508863490179072

The account also "urges civilians and military members to uphold the law & the Constitution" and "not to accept that coup which turns #Egypt backwards." This was posted just moments after the country's top military officer announced his ouster.

https://twitter.com/EgyPresidency/status/352510525436997632

Morsy's account "urges everyone to adhere to peacefulness and avoid shedding blood of fellow countrymen."

[Updated at 3:37 p.m. ET, 9:37 p.m. in Egypt] It's not all celebration in Cairo. Pro-Morsy demonstrators in Cairo are furious, CNN's Ben Wedeman reports from near their rally.

Thousands at the pro-Morsy rally chanted "down with military rule" and "invalid" upon listening to the military announcement of Morsy's ouster.

Morsy enjoyed support from the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement that propelled Morsy to the presidency. CNN's Fareed Zakaria said much will depend on whether and how the Muslim Brotherhood will challenge the army's move.

Morsy, a U.S.-educated religious conservative, was elected president in June 2012. But his approval ratings have plummeted. His government has failed to keep order as the economy has tanked and crime has soared, including open sexual assaults on women in Egypt's streets. Chaos has driven away many tourists and investors.

That has disaffected many among Egypt's poor and middle classes, Fawaz Gerges, director of the Middle East Center at the London School of Economics, told CNN this week.

"The millions of Egyptians who cheered for Morsy are saying he must go," Gerges said.

[Updated at 3:26 p.m. ET, 9:26 p.m. in Egypt] Car horns are honking and fireworks are going off in Tahrir Square, the heart of the anti-Morsy protests that is still filled with thousands upon thousands of people.

CNN’s Reza Sayah, who's at the square, described it as “an explosion of joy.”

[Updated at 3:24 p.m. ET, 9:24 p.m. in Egypt] Morsy's ouster comes hours after the passing of a deadline set by the military, which had told Morsy, in effect: Make a deal with the opposition and settle the unrest of the past few days, or be ousted.

The officer who announced the move moments ago, Gen. Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi, said the head of the country's constitutional court will serve as Egypt's temporary president until a new constitution can be drawn up and new elections can be held.

[Updated at 3:18 p.m. ET, 9:18 p.m. in Egypt] CNN's Ivan Watson in Cairo said he had seen Egyptians celebrating the overthrow of Egypt’s first ever democratically elected president.

“I am quite stunned by how much ill will he generated among so many Egyptians, that they throw away the electoral process and start again,” he said.

[Updated at 3:13 p.m. ET, 9:13 p.m. in Egypt] Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy, elected just a year ago, has been ousted from power, Gen. Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi just said in a televised address.

El-Sisi, Egypt's top military officer, announced that President Mohamed Morsy was no longer the leader of the country and warned the military would respond firmly to any violence. He also outlined a political road map for the country to follow.

Anti-Morsy demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir Square, listening to the address, roared their approval when El-Sisi finished.

[Updated at 12:45 p.m. ET, 6:45 p.m. in Egypt] Key statements from both sides are coming out on social media.

This from Essam al Haddad, Egypt's presidential senior adviser on foreign affairs, on his Facebook page:

As I write these lines I am fully aware that these may be the last lines I get to post on this page. For the sake of Egypt and for historical accuracy, let's call what is happening by its real name: Military coup.

And this tweet from Muslim Brotherhood official Gehad El-Haddad, saying tanks are on the streets.

[tweet https://twitter.com/gelhaddad/status/352456306961027072]

A little earlier today, the military used its Facebook page (in Arabic) to say it was meeting with religious and political leaders before announcing any action.

And Morsy's Facebook page (in Arabic) added his refusal to change his position. He's proposing a "road map" to include a new coalition government but said bypassing the elected presidency was "a threat to democracy."

[Posted at 12:40 p.m. ET, 6:40 p.m. in Egypt] Massive protests have been taking place in Cairo for and against President Mohamed Morsy and his Muslim Brotherhood. Now it seems the protests are leading to concrete action.

Democratic reformists and moderates accuse Morsy's government of moving in an authoritarian direction. There's also opposition from former Mubarak supporters and others fed up with the nation's direction who are calling for the restoration of order through the military.

Earlier today Morsy refused to act on demands by the military that he share power with his opponents. That prompted the military generals to issue a statement they called "The Final Hours."

"We swear by God that we are ready to sacrifice our blood for Egypt and its people against any terrorist, extremist or ignorant," they said.

A key difference between these protests and the ones in 2011 that led to the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak in the Arab Spring is that Morsy is democratically elected.

Here's a profile of President Mohamed Morsy

Our colleague Reza Sayah reported from the heart of the protests earlier on Wednesday.