EGYPT: Iran-Bashing Fails to Get Far

A news report in the state press late last month suggesting Iranian involvement in the 2005 death of an Egyptian ambassador to Iraq triggered a series of contradictory statements from the foreign ministry. Now that the dust has settled, many local observers see the incident as a heavy-handed attempt by Cairo - following Washington's lead - to jump on the anti-Tehran bandwagon.

IRAQ: Another U.S. Military Assault on Media

Iraqi journalists are outraged over yet another U.S. military raid on the media.

IRAQ: Fallujans Defiant Amidst Chaos

Resistance attacks against U.S. forces have been continuing in Fallujah despite military onslaughts and strong security measures.

EGYPT: Islamist Leadership Faces Military Tribunal

In a further escalation of the ongoing crackdown against the Islamist opposition, the state earlier this month referred 40 high-ranking members of the Muslim Brotherhood to a military court on charges of money laundering and "attempting to revive the banned group's activities."

IRAQ: Now It Is Lack of Food Security

The lack of security in Iraq is leading now to a collapse in food supplies.

EGYPT: Clash Builds Up with Islamist Opposition

In an escalation of the ongoing campaign against the Muslim Brotherhood, the government late last month froze the assets of several companies owned by members of the Islamist movement on money laundering charges. Brotherhood spokesmen say the move represents an attempt to stifle the group's political activities and incite it to seek recourse outside the political arena.

MIDEAST: Israelis Keep a Fishy Watch

In the driving rain, Suhail el-Amoudi stands on the wharf of the Gaza City port looking out over the aged and weathered fishing boats as they bob perilously amid the swells of a Mediterranean winter storm.

IRAQ: More Troops, And More Violence

Violence and bombings have only increased after the proposed "surge" of 21,500 U.S. troops in Iraq.

EGYPT: State Media Loses Billion Dollars, And Counting

Revelations in January that Egypt's state-owned press institutions had accumulated vast government debts have ignited a torrent of speculation that privatisation of the industry is in the cards.

IRAQ: Iran ‘Fooling’ U.S. Military

New evidence is emerging on the ground of an Iranian hand in growing violence within Iraq.

MIDEAST: War Enters the Classrooms

The United Nations has indefinitely suspended elementary school classes for tens of thousands of Gaza City's children following a weekend of unprecedented factional violence, which turned this isolated enclave into a war zone and left at least 27 dead and 250 wounded.

MIDEAST: U.S. Backing for Fatah Stirs New Conflict

Explosions, fierce gunfights and ambulance sirens ripped through the Gaza strip again Thursday, only two days after a ceasefire ended a bloody week of factional fighting that left more than 30 Palestinians dead.

IRAQ: Turkey Could Emerge as a New Threat

Growing confrontation between Iraqi Kurds and neighbouring Turkey presents a new threat to a fragile calm in the north.

IRAQ: Official Lies over Najaf Battle Exposed

Iraqi government lies over the killing of hundreds of Shias in an attack on Sunday stand exposed by independent investigations carried out by IPS in Iraq.

EGYPT: Cairo Backs U.S. Against Popular Disapproval

During her visit to the region earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice secured the support of Cairo and other "moderate" Arab capitals for Washington's new strategy in Iraq announced by U.S. President George Bush in mid-January.

MIDEAST: Israel’s Economic Stranglehold a Silent Killer

Over the last year, Palestinians have faced a siege that has taken its toll in every city across the West Bank and Gaza. It is not a siege of missiles and gunfire, but a calculated attack on the backbone of the entire occupied territories.

IRAQ: Jordan Becomes a Doubtful Refuge

Hundreds of thousands have fled the violence in Iraq to seek refuge in Jordan, but refugees are now beginning to find its borders closing.

IRAQ: Students, Professors Flee to the Kurdish North

Academic life in Iraq's volatile southern and central regions has become increasingly paralysed, with hundreds of students and professors targeted and many more abandoning their educational institutions in search of a refuge.

IRAQ: Amid Sectarian Chaos, Bird Lovers Persevere

Can Iraqi dreams for a better future be glimpsed in the publication Thursday of the first-ever field guide to the country's 387 bird species?

EGYPT: Constitutional Changes Override Opposition

Constitutional changes have been proposed in Egypt, but not in line with what the opposition had been demanding.

SAUDI ARABIA: Forgiveness Saves Lives from the Sword

The blazing headline read like this: 'Royal intercession saves two lives from the sword'. Literally, the governor of Mecca Province, Prince Makkah Abdelmageed bin Abdelaziz, who heads a committee for securing "forgiveness" for convicted murderers did help spare two from death by the sword.