TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday defended his hotly disputed re-election as security forces cracked down on opposition protestors in Tehran, where fresh violence erupted. Police said they have rounded up a total of 170 people over the massive post-election protests and street riots which erupted in the Iranian capital after Ahmadinejad’s defeated challengers …

CAIRO: As Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declares victory in the Iranian presidential election, with the resulting anger visible in the streets of Tehran and other cities, questions loom over the future of the region with four more years of the incumbent president and whether the fallout from the Iranian election might be replicated in neighboring countries. Ahmadinejad …

CAIRO: Despite news that the Muslim Brotherhood will be fielding more female candidates in the 2010 parliamentary elections to benefit from a new law granting women a minimum of 64 seats at the People’s Assembly (PA), some members of the group are skeptical of the newly passed law. The law, which was drafted by the …

CAIRO: The ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) has attempted to quell recent speculation that it intends to dissolve the Peoples’ Assembly (PA) as a precursor to facilitate the transfer of power to the incumbent President’s son Gamal Mubarak. Editor-in-chief of Al-Osboa Mustapha Bakry was the first to posit this scenario, stating that the party would …

CAIRO: The defendants in the Hezbollah terror cell case have been referred to the criminal court to await trial, the state-run Al-Gomhuria newspaper reported Friday. Lawyer for some of the defendants Abdel-Moneim Abdel-Maqsoud told Daily News Egypt Monday that the trial was expected to begin this week Investigations wrapped up and the trial is pending …

CAIRO: The Palestinian Islamic party Hamas reportedly delivered a letter to US President Barack Obama via Code Pink ahead of the president’s speech at Cairo University on June 4, said Medea Benjamin, head of the American feminist organization. The letter was delivered to Obama at the American embassy in Cairo, Benjamin told Daily New Egypt, …

TEHRAN: Iranians packed polling stations from boutique-lined streets to conservative bastions Friday with a choice that s left the country divided and on edge: keeping hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power or electing a reformist who favors greater freedoms and improved ties with the United States. Crowds formed quickly at many voting sites in areas …

CAIRO: In a relaxed setting on the banks of the River Nile in Aswan, Egyptian President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak spoke openly to Abdel Latif El Menyawi in an interview for terrestrial TV’s Channel 1. Mubarak praised the performance of the People’s Assembly despite saying that altercations are only natural in parliaments. “In the Italian parliament …

Cairo: US Middle East envoy George Mitchell began his regional tour by meeting with Israeli and Palestinian officials as he attempted to implement the vision concerning the peace process set down by US President Barack Obama during his June 4 speech in Cairo. Speaking Wednesday after a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Mitchell …

CAIRO: US envoy George Mitchell called on Thursday for Arab states to take meaningful steps and important actions to make peace with Israel, after talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit. But Aboul Gheit stressed that Israel should first take its own serious steps such as ending Jewish settlements and reducing the military occupation …

CAIRO: Sinai stringer and Tagammu party member Khalil Jabr Sawarka was briefly detained Thursday by State Security in the town of Sheikh Zowayed while accompanying a foreign delegation attempting to enter Gaza. Sawarka was with members of the International Movement to open the Rafah Crossing (IMORB) in Sheikh Zowayed, 10 km from Rafah, because they …

CAIRO: The People’s Assembly (PA) approved a new law modifying the social insurance system on Sunday. The new law increases the pension for employees who get early retirement to equal 80 percent of their total income. The Ministry of Finance is in the process of finalizing a new law for people who receive regular retirement. …

CAIRO: The People’s Assembly (PA) approved a new law that will increase women’s seats in parliament to a minimum of 64. According to the new law, set forth by the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), 32 new districts from different governorates will only accept applications from female candidates. However, the new law stipulates that at …

BEIRUT: Lebanon s military prosecutor charged 10 more suspects on Wednesday with spying for Israel, continuing a crackdown on spy rings that has now seen a total of 68 people charged. They are accused of collaborating with the Israeli enemy for money and giving it information about civilian and military outposts, a judicial official said. …

CAIRO: Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal said on Tuesday that arrests in the West Bank of the group s militants by forces loyal to president Mahmoud Abbas were hindering efforts at reconciliation between the two sides. Meanwhile, Meshaal, who arrived for unity talks in Cairo, said he perceived a change in tone from the United States …

JERUSALEM: Washington wants the stalled Middle East peace talks to resume soon and wrap up quickly, US envoy George Mitchell told Israeli leaders on Tuesday on his latest trip to the region. Mitchell, whose trip comes just days before hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to outline his cabinet s peace policy, sought to …

CAIRO: Egypt is renewing efforts to end the rift between Palestinian factions and restart the stalled Mideast peace talks. A reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah is crucial to moving the stalled process forward. The state MENA news agency says Egypt’s intelligence chief Omar Suleiman is holding talks in Cairo with a top Hamas delegation, headed …

CAIRO/RIYADH: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called Saad Hariri and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to congratulate them on their coalition’s victory, official MENA news agency reported. “President Mubarak affirmed in both phone calls Egypt’s welcoming of the election results and what they reflected of the Lebanese people’s desire and choice, the news agency said. Saudi Arabia …

CAIRO: Forty-one MPs from the European Parliament entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing Tuesday morning, though another American/European delegation accompanied by Palestinians was denied entry. The MP delegation was headed by Vice President of the European Parliament Luisa Morgantini and is due to visit sites of destruction in the strip as a result of the …

BEIRUT: A pro-Western bloc inflicted a surprise defeat on Hezbollah and its allies at the ballot box in Lebanon, according to final results on Monday, but the winner faces a battle to keep the nation together. The coalition headed by Saad Hariri, son of slain ex-premier Rafiq Hariri, widened its majority in the 128-seat parliament …

CAIRO: A delegation from Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas s Fatah party was in Cairo on Sunday for talks with Egyptian officials ahead of a July 7 target for a deal between rival Palestinian factions. The delegation, led by former Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei and including Azzam Al-Ahmad who heads Fatah s parliamentary bloc, met intelligence …

CAIRO: The proposed bill for Egypt to kick-start its nuclear program is complete and will be referred to the People’s Assembly (PA) soon, according to Energy and Electricity Minister Hassan Younis. Speaking to the Energy and Industrial Output Committee of the Shoura Council Sunday, Younis said the bill had been drafted and revised by the …

CAIRO: The trial of some 22 detainees currently in custody on accusations of belonging to a Hezbollah-led cell may begin next week, according to Abdel-Moneim Abdel-Maqsoud, a lawyer for some of the defendants. Investigations in the case have concluded and the trial will commence once Prosecutor General Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud announces the list of charges to …

BEIRUT: Lebanese queued up to vote on Sunday in a hotly-contested election that could see an alliance led by the Shia group Hezbollah defeat the ruling Western-backed coalition. Authorities appeared overwhelmed by the crowds of people who began lining up even before polling stations opened, with many Lebanese complaining of long waits of up three …

CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) group said that there was nothing new in the speech US President Barack Obama addressed to the Muslim world from Cairo University on Thursday. According to a statement, they said that Obama used strong words to appeal to the emotions of Arabs and Muslims. They accused Obama’s allusions to verses …

CAIRO: The arrest of a new terror cell affiliated with Al-Takfir Wa Al-Hijra group is strange, given that the group never espoused violence, said Islamic groups expert Diaa Rashwan. Al-Masry Al-Youm reported Sunday that the State Security Prosecutor’s Office began investigations with 25 people associated with the group who had been incarcerated since February. They …

CHICAGO: Muslims across the United States said President Barack Obama’s address from Egypt on Thursday could be a catalyst toward repairing strained US relations with Muslims worldwide. “He was honest, forceful. The words I heard, he spoke truth, said Raja Khalid, 60, who gathered at the Flaming Wok’n Grill in Chicago with other cabbies to …

CAIRO: Muslims around the world, including the Palestinian group Hamas, said President Barack Obama’s outreach in a speech Thursday was a positive shift in US attitude but fell short of a breakthrough because it lacked concrete proposals to turn the words into action. Obama touched on many themes Muslims wanted to hear. He insisted Palestinians …