Report: Senior US official in talks with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood

US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns discussed with leaders of Egypt's influential Muslim Brotherhood the situation in the country following a landmark parliamentary election in which the group has taken the lead, dpa reported The talks were held Wednesday at the Cairo office of the group's Freedom and Justice Party during a visit by Burns, the first by a senior US official to the Islamist group. The paper quoted the party as saying in a statement that Burns had expressed US readiness to help Egypt overcome current economic hardships. Banned for more than five decades, the Muslim Brotherhood was allowed to create a political party after a popular uprising forced former president Hosny Mubarak to step down last February. The group has made unprecedented gains in the three-stage parliamentary polls that began November 28. Full and final results are due to be announced on January 18. Islamists look set to wield major clout in Egypt's new parliament, which will draft the country's new constitution.