"Egypt's army commander and Islamist President Mohamed Mursi each pledged to die for his cause..."

"... as a deadline neared on Wednesday that will trigger a military takeover backed by protesters."

In an emotional, rambling midnight television address, Mursi said he was democratically elected and would stay in office to uphold the constitutional order, declaring: "The price of preserving legitimacy is my life."

Liberal opponents said that showed he had "lost his mind."