U.S. sends senior State Dept. official to Egypt

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is sending a senior envoy to Egypt, the first to be dispatched since the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi.

The State Department said its No. 2 diplomat, Deputy Secretary Bill Burns, is scheduled to meet with interim government officials as well as civil society and business leaders during his two-day visit, which began yesterday.

The department said in a statement that Burns would underscore U.S. support for the Egyptian people, an end to all violence and a transition leading to an inclusive, democratically elected civilian government. -- AP