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"Egypt's president, Mohamed Morsi, has moved to limit damage to sensitive relations with the US by pledging to protect foreign embassies on the eve of new protests called by the Muslim Brotherhood against a controversial film about the prophet Muhammad.

Morsi had been criticised for reacting slowly to Tuesday's attack on the US embassy in Cairo – and for asking the Egyptian embassy in Washington to take legal action in the US against the film's producers before commenting on the assault itself. Violent clashes in central Cairo raged on Wednesday and early on Thursday.

"I call on everyone to take that into consideration, to not violate Egyptian law … to not assault embassies," Morsi said on Thursday. "I condemn and oppose all who … insult our prophet. [But] it is our duty to protect our guests and visitors from abroad.""