“New Egypt” the Wild Card in Stalled Mideast Peace Process

The ability of the United States to broker a successful Palestinian-Israeli peace agreement will hinge on the future of Israeli-Egyptian relations, a panel of experts at the Palestinian Centre argued here Thursday.

Never Tip the Army in Egypt

Abu Mustafa Al Matriah and Abu Ahmed Abu Amrah, both Bedouins in Northern Sinai are thankful to the army that they can complete their daily deliveries without having "to pay so much baksheesh" (gratuity).

EGYPT: Net Tightens Around Mubarak Cronies

Toppled Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak’s cronies and political allies could not be touched for years, but his departure has stripped them of protection. Now they are under investigation for corruption and graft – and many Egyptians expect to finally see justice.

But Who Now Speaks for Egypt

In the aftermath of Egypt's recent uprising, which led to the ouster earlier this month of longstanding president Hosni Mubarak, a number of groups have emerged under the banner of what has come to be known as the 25 January Revolution. The sudden proliferation of these movements has raised the contentious question: who now speaks for the Egyptian people?

MIDEAST: Mubarak Name Easier to Erase Than his Legacy

It was easy enough to rename Mubarak Children’s Hospital the Al Tahrir Hospital in Gaza. Not so easy is the task of managing patients who need to cross over to the Egyptian side for treatment, or come back in.

MIDEAST: Train Connections Fail to Bridge

The apex of modern times for one of the world's oldest cities is when what looks like a silvery car glides by. A cruise on Jerusalem's first light rail is a dream of perfection promising to relieve traffic congestion in the city.

Egypt Takes a Step Back From IMF Ways

Egypt could soon be looking for a new economic model – one that will be different from the traditional system that has been promoted for years by international financial institutions such as the World Bank, the IMF, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), under the reign of ousted president Hosni Mubarak.

EGYPT: Pharaoh Fixes his Fortune

As Egypt’s popular uprising gained momentum and Hosni Mubarak’s downfall looked increasingly inevitable, he used his final days in office to secure his vast wealth, say analysts.

MIDEAST: U.S. Vetoes Settlement Freeze

Amid unprecedented political ferment in the Arab world, the United States used its veto Friday to block a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israel's continuing annexation of Palestinian territory and calling for a freeze on settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

LIBYA: People Fury Challenges Gaddafi

The movement for change sweeping across the Middle East has now rocked Libya. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across many cities to demand an end to the 41-year autocratic rule of maverick leader Muammar Al- Gaddafi.

EGYPT: Military Under Mubarak’s Shadow

Egypt's armed forces, the de facto rulers of the country since last week’s ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, have already met several longstanding demands of the opposition, including the suspension of the constitution and dissolution of parliament. Some critics, however, say more must be done if the Mubarak regime’s authoritarian structure is to be satisfactorily replaced with a democratic one.

EGYPT: Wave of Strikes Challenges Military

The iron fist that has kept a tight grip on Egypt’s labour movements for nearly six decades relaxed this week, unleashing a wave of wildcat strikes that is testing the resolve of the country’s new military rulers.

Dead Peace Process Could be “National Suicide” for Israel

The U.N. Security Council is poised to vote this week on a new resolution condemning Israeli expansion into the Occupied Palestinian Territories and calling for an immediate freeze on settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, but the United States has already declared its intention to again deploy its veto power.

Palestinian Revolution by Default

The Egyptian revolution, and the threat to autocratic Arab regimes all over the region, have forced rapid changes on the Palestinian political scene - with major players Hamas and Fatah scrambling to catch up.

EGYPT: Labour Anger Does Not End With Mubarak

Before his ouster on Friday, toppled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had made one of the biggest mistakes of his reign; not learning from the lessons of hundreds of small labour and professional strikes that littered the country since 2005. These were the actual precursors to the Jan. 25 Revolution that end his 30-year autocratic rule.

MIDEAST: How Israel Misses Mubarak

As Israel's public television aired live pictures of crowds of elated Egyptians celebrating the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, the anchor suddenly had a telling twist of tongue.

EGYPT: Joy Erupts, Now for Change

The reaction across Egypt was explosive. The anger that had been simmering for decades and boiled over during 18 consecutive days of protests, was transformed by a single uttered sentence into pure jubilation.

EGYPT-U.S.: The Brotherhood Bogeyman

While the many and far-reaching implications of Friday's transfer of power to what is apparently a military junta in Egypt have yet to be absorbed here, the role of the Muslim Brotherhood in any transition to a more democratic regime is certain to figure high on the political agenda.

Egypt’s U.S.-Armed Military in Transitory Commanding Role

When embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak reluctantly called it quits after more than two weeks of mass demonstrations against his 30-year-old authoritarian regime, he temporarily turned over the country to an institution trained, armed and nurtured by the United States: the 350,000- strong military.

UPDATE: People Power Pushes Mubarak Out

Several hundred thousand protesters massed in Cairo's central Tahrir Square exploded into joy Friday, after Vice-President Omar Suleiman made the announcement that Hosni Mubarak had resigned as president of Egypt after three decades in office.

EGYPT: Mubarak ‘Out of Touch With Reality’

In a televised address late Thursday night, embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak delegated executive authority to his newly-appointed vice-president, but stopped short of stepping down. The announcement enraged anti-Mubarak demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir Square, who say they will maintain their uprising - now in its 18th day - until Mubarak's unconditional resignation.