EGYPT: Iranian Overtures Turned Down

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad surprised many last month when he announced his country's readiness to re-establish diplomatic relations with Egypt. But last week the Egyptian foreign ministry appeared to dash hopes for rapprochement, describing Iran's regional policies as a "danger to Egypt's national security."

EGYPT: Clashes Could Bring Sectarian Conflict

After a year of relative tranquility, recent clashes between Muslims and Christians have again raised the spectre of sectarian discord in Egypt.

EGYPT: Bedouin Take On the Govt

Last month saw a wave of angry sit-in demonstrations held by the Bedouin of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, triggered by the killing of two tribesmen by police in April. And last week, Bedouin leaders again reiterated their long list of grievances, claiming that state representatives had so far failed to meet their basic demands.

EGYPT: Islamist MPs In the Dock

In another escalation of the government's ongoing campaign against the Islamist opposition, two MPs from the Muslim Brotherhood were stripped of parliamentary immunity this month after being briefly detained by police.

EGYPT: Labour Unrest Spreads

Workers in Cairo's vital public transport sector threatened to go on strike earlier this month if the state did not meet their list of demands. The incident was only the latest in a spate of strikes and protests in recent months that local commentators attribute to the steadily rising cost of living.

IRAQ: And Yet More Talk

Two days of talks on Iraq last week produced an international agreement promising support for the Iraqi government in exchange for political and economic reforms to be implemented by Baghdad. But while the so-called International Compact on Iraq (ICI) cancelled some of the country's foreign debts, the initiative - and the conferences that accompanied it - yielded few other tangible results, local commentators say.

EGYPT: A Marriage Becomes Everyone’s Business

The marriage last week of Gamal Mubarak, son of President Hosni Mubarak and influential member of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), has led to renewed speculation about the presidential scion's political ambitions.

EGYPT: Judges Retirement Age Sparks Fresh Row

Parliament agreed in principle last week to raise the official retirement age for judges by two years. Opposition groups and reform-minded judges have blasted the move, however, saying it would only serve to keep long-time partisans of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) ensconced in key judicial positions.

EGYPT: Reporters Fight for Right to Cover ‘Terror’

Parliament head Fathi Sorour set off a furore when he said earlier this month that planned anti-terrorism legislation could be applied to reporters covering news on "terrorist" organisations. The reported comments rattled journalists and rights activists.

EGYPT: Saudis Seek New Arab Leadership

In these days of regional instability, Saudi Arabia has seized the initiative diplomatically, mediating in crises from Palestine and Lebanon to sub-Saharan Africa. While some see Riyadh's rising profile as a threat to Egypt's traditional role in the region, others say Saudi diplomacy merely complements Cairo's own foreign policies.

EGYPT: Female Judge Appointments Stir Controversy

In a first for Egypt, last week saw a number of women appointed judges by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), the country's highest legal authority. Although a number of prominent judicial figures have spoken out against the decision, rights activists and SJC officials praised the move.

EGYPT: Israel Seen as Fighting Peace

Israel's rejection of the Arab peace initiative, which was reiterated at last month's Arab Summit, drew emphatic criticism from Egyptian commentators. Although Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert later called for peace talks with "moderate" Arab heads of state, most local political observers say Tel Aviv wants to have its cake and eat it too.

EGYPT: ‘Return to a Police State’

The amendment of 34 articles of the constitution makes a "police state" of Egypt, opposition leaders say.

EGYPT: Democracy Declared, Not Practised

In a victory for the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) of President Hosni Mubarak, amendments to 34 articles of the constitution were approved last week in a national referendum. While Mubarak described the vote as "a critical step towards the flowering of democracy", opposition groups and observers pointed out numerous voting irregularities, and decried the absence of judicial oversight.

EGYPT: Alleged POW Killings Spark Diplomatic Row

Another diplomatic row has erupted between Cairo and Tel Aviv after a documentary film aired on Israeli television in February claimed that Israeli forces had executed hundreds of unarmed Egyptian prisoners of war (POWs) in the wake of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

WORLD WATER DAY: Nile Bounty Not Enough to Supply Egypt

Over the course of the 1990s, grave warnings were occasionally aired about the role of water in Middle Eastern power politics. In 1991, former Egyptian foreign minister Boutros Boutros- Ghali, shortly before he was appointed UN secretary-general, ominously predicted that "the next war in the region will be over water."

EGYPT: Constitutional Position of Islam Questioned

Another constitutional debate has erupted this month after a number of academics and rights activists called for the amendment of Article 2 of the national charter that defines a role for Islam.

EGYPT: Persecuted Islamists Pledge Peace

This month has seen the detention of numerous members of the banned but tolerated Muslim Brotherhood movement, in a continuation of the ongoing arrest campaign targeting the Islamist opposition.

EGYPT: Tribute to U.S. General Draws Fire

Cairo's decision last month to award U.S. General John Abizaid a prestigious medal of honour has angered much of the political opposition.

EGYPT: Govt Challenged over Israeli Action at Mosque

In a rare show of unity, parties from across the political spectrum have condemned reported Israeli violations against Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque. They have warned of "dire consequences" if the site - the third holiest in Islam - were to be damaged.

EGYPT: Traditional Influence Begins to Decline

The Mecca Agreement was hailed throughout the Arab world earlier this month for putting an end to Palestinian infighting, which had claimed scores of lives. But some local analysts see the deal - which was sponsored by Egypt's diplomatic rival Saudi Arabia - as an indication of Cairo's waning influence as the principal mediator in inter-Palestinian disputes.