Egyptian Parliament Defies Court, Convenes

Egypt's parliament answered President Mohamed Morsi's call and convened a brief session today, ignoring the Supreme Constitutional Court ruling that dissolved the entire legislature. Security forces didn't attempt to stop the gathering, but the court did issue a statement yesterday insisting that its decisions "are final and not subject to appeals," the New York Times reports. Morsi said he was not ignoring the court, but was delaying carrying out its decision until new parliamentary elections could be held.

In its statement, the court asserted that it "is not a party to any political conflict." But observers say it's allied with the military in a tug-of-war with the Muslim Brotherhood—essentially between Egypt's elected and unelected power centers. There was one sign of that tension easing yesterday, however, as Morsi attended a military college graduation, sitting side-by-side with military council chief Mohamed Hussein Tantawi.