Middle Orient

CAIRO (AFP) — Egyptians were voting Tuesday in runoffs for the first phase of parliamentary polls, which the opposition Muslim Brothers charged were rife with fraud by President Hosni Mubarak’s ruling party. Of the 164 first-phase seats, most of the 133 still undecided contests were pitting candidates from the ruling …

RAMALLAH — Palestinian and Israeli negotiators yesterday reached an agreement on opening the Gaza-Egypt border at Rafah after a marathon negotiations session chaired by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Quartet envoy James Wolfensohn. The deal allows for the Rafah crossing to be opened on November 25 under Palestinian …

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia and the United States pledged Sunday to boost cooperation on terrorism, Iraq and Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts in a renewed display of unity in their often-delicate alliance. The vows came during a day of talks between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Saudi leaders …

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (Reuters) — US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed Israelis and Palestinians to prove their willingness for peace on Sunday and said a Palestinian state would enhance the Jewish state’s security. She urged the Palestinians to tackle fighters, as they are meant to under a US-backed peace “road …

BAGHDAD (AP) — Sunni Arab politicians stepped up demands Sunday for an end to US and Iraqi military operations, claiming they threaten Sunni participation in next month’s elections — a key US goal. The US command announced that three more American troops have been killed. Meanwhile, some 1,100 Iraqi lawyers …

RAMALLAH — Fadi Abu Saada from Bethlehem has several relatives in Amman. Having worked and lived there for two years, he also has many friends in the city. His first instinct Wednesday night when he heard the news of the bombings was, like that of many others, to get on …

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Shimon Peres was ousted as Israel’s Labour Party leader on Thursday by a trade union chief who vowed to quit Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s ruling coalition and usher in early elections. After a leadership contest that shook up Israel’s political landscape, Amir Peretz, 53, said he …

BAGHDAD (AFP) — Suicide bombers struck a restaurant and an army recruiting station in Iraq on Thursday, killing 37 people, with the bloodiest attack claimed by the Al Qaeda group led by militant Abu Mussab Zarqawi. The Internet claim came shortly after the group said it was behind the triple …

PARIS — Despite Jordan’s experience in foiling sophisticated terror plots, experts said on Thursday that no amount of preparation could have prevented the kind of suicide attacks that have struck the country. The country’s secret services have broken up a string of Al Qaeda-linked plots in the past, including one …

TEHRAN (AFP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will bid Wednesday to push his nomination for oil minister through parliament, hoping the chamber will back away from vetoing his candidate for a second time. Lawmakers speculated on Tuesday that Ahmadinejad could even withdraw the nomination of controversial unknown Seyed Sadegh Mahsooli …