Persian Realm

Egypt'sMursi defends new powers as demos gather in Tahrir Square

Egypt's Mursi defends new powers (bbc)

President Mohammed Mursi tells supporters his sweeping new powers will lead Egypt to "freedom", as opponents attack his party's offices.

Egypt Brotherhood offices torched

Egypt Brotherhood offices torched (bbc)

Protesters in Egypt set fire to Muslim Brotherhood offices amid protests following President Mohammed Mursi's decision to grant himself sweeping new powers.

Egypt's Morsy labeled 'dictator' over new powers

Egypt's Morsy labeled 'dictator' over new powers (cnn)

In a polarizing move that has rivals calling him "a new pharaoh," Egyptian president Mohamed Morsy gives himself more powers, allowing him to run the country unchecked 

Mursi assumes sweeping new powers

Mursi assumes sweeping new powers (bbc)

Egypt's President Mursi issues a declaration banning any challenge to his decisions, and is immediately accused of acting like a "new pharaoh".

women's rights 'disaster' looms in Egypt

Mona Eltahawy: women's rights 'disaster' looms in Egypt (bbc)

Egypt has risen up against a repressive regime but what will the post-revolutionary society look like?

Power has shifted in the direction of political Islam. Mona Eltahawy, who writes about the Islamic world and women's issues, says 60 years of military rule has made it almost impossible to operate in the middle ground, between the regime and the Islamists.

You can watch the full interview on BBC World News on Wednesday 24 October at 03:30, 08:30, 15:30 and 20:30 GMT and on the BBC News Channel at 0430 GMT on Wednesday 24 October and 0030 GMT on Thursday 25 October.

Salafist spring on the rise in post-revolution Egypt

Salafist spring (bbc)

Why conservative Islam is on the rise in post-revolution Egypt

Footage of Clashes at anti-Mursi rally NEW

Clashes at anti-Mursi rallyWatch NEW

In Egypt, at least 12 people have been hurt in clashes between supporters of President Mursi and opponents in Cairo.

Witnesses said a rally critical of the president was taking place in Tahrir Square on Friday when a crowd of his supporters stormed the stage.

Protesters pelted each other with stones, a hospital official told the official Mena news agency.

It is the first major demonstration against the president, 100 days into his term.

His opponents are angry at Egypt's proposed new constitution which they see as too dominated by Islam. 

Footage of Clashes at anti-Mursi rally NEW

Clashes at anti-Mursi rallyWatch NEW

In Egypt, at least 12 people have been hurt in clashes between supporters of President Mursi and opponents in Cairo.

Witnesses said a rally critical of the president was taking place in Tahrir Square on Friday when a crowd of his supporters stormed the stage.

Protesters pelted each other with stones, a hospital official told the official Mena news agency.

It is the first major demonstration against the president, 100 days into his term.

His opponents are angry at Egypt's proposed new constitution which they see as too dominated by Islam. 

Egypt tensions trigger clashes NEW

Fresh clashes break out in the Egyptian capital Cairo in the worst violence since President Mohammed Mursi took office at the end of June.

Romney lashes Obama foreign policy

Romney lashes Obama foreign policy (cnn, video)

(CNN) -- Mitt Romney promised Monday to restore U.S. foreign policy to a traditional role dating back decades, based on exerting global influence through military and economic power, in a major speech two weeks before he debates President Barack Obama on international issues.

• NEW: President Barack Obama's team calls Mitt Romney's policies inconsistent
• The GOP challenger gives what aides call a major foreign policy address
• Romney backs U.S. help in arming Syrian rebels
• Aide: Romney seeks traditional U.S. role in global affairs that dates to the end of World War II

Obama: Egypt is not US ally, nor an enemy

US President Barack Obama says Egypt is 'not an ally, nor is it an enemy', in the wake of violent anti-US protests in Cairo.

Protesters burn US flag in Cairo in protest over film

Protesters have breached the wall of the US embassy inCairo and torn down a US flag to voice their anger about a US-made film which they say…

..............

Those that do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat the past.

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."


-Albert Einstein

Muslim Brotherhood's Mursi declared Egypt president

Islamist Mursi wins Egyptian presidency (bbc)

The Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Mursi has been declared the winner of Egypt's presidential election run-off.

He won 51.73% of the vote, beating former PM Ahmed Shafiq, the Higher Presidential Election Commission said.

The head of the panel of judges, Farouq Sultan, said it had upheld some of the 466 complaints by the candidates, but that the election result still stood.

Egyptians Anxiously await election results

Security is tightened as Egyptians wait to hear the result of a presidential election in which both candidates have claimed victory.

Protest against Egyptian military

Protest against Egyptian military (bbc)

Islamist, secular and youth groups call jointly for protests across Egypt against the Supreme Council for the Armed Forces, after Friday prayers.

Egypt's army 'to hand over power'

Egypt's army 'to hand over power' (bbc)

A declaration granting Egypt's army broad powers is widely condemned, but military rulers insist they will hand power to an elected president.

Egypt military chief Tantawi warns over elections

Egypt's army chief says he will not let "troublemakers" meddle in Monday's parliamentary elections, warning of "extremely grave" consequences if the country does not overcome its crisis.

Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi spoke as thousands of protesters again gathered for another rally.

He urged top presidential candidates Mohammed ElBaradei and Amr Moussa to back his nomination for Prime Minister.

Recent unrest, in which dozens have died, has cast a shadow over the polls.

Monday marks the first step of an election timetable which lasts until March 2012 and covers two houses of parliament.

Jeremy Bowen on the tensions at heart of Cairo's Tahrir Square

Braced for conflict (bbc)

Tahrir Square in Cairo does not feel the same as it did during the uprising in January and February that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak.

During that first occupation, the square reflected a country in ferment - full of debate, and uncertainty, and violence; but all of it pivoting around a single, simple demand that Mubarak had to go.

This time round, Egyptians still debate the future passionately, and there is uncertainty, and some terrible violence. But hatred for the old president was the glue that united his opponents, and without it politics here are much more splintered.

When the job was removing the dictator, deciding everything else could be put off.

Now the time has come to make choices, and it is painful. 

Egypt: Defiant protesters reject army's interim PM

Defiant protesters reject army's interim PM (France 24)

Egyptian protesters rejected rumoured plans to instate Hosni Mubarak’s former prime minister as the country’s new leader, calling on civilians to take to the streets en masse Friday afternoon to stage “last chance” demonstrations. 

Egypt protest rejects army offer

Egypt protest rejects army offer (bbc)

Thousands of Egyptians have continued to occupy Cairo's Tahrir Square despite an offer from the military for a speedier handover to civilian rule.

After four days of violent clashes, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi said presidential elections would be held by July 2012.

But many protesters in the square said the concession was not enough and have demanded the field marshal step down.

Clashes continued throughout the night between police and protesters in Cairo. 

Egypt power transfer 'speeded up'

Egypt power transfer 'speeded up' (bbc)

Egypt's military rulers have agreed to speed up presidential elections, a key demand of protesters packing Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, said on national TV they would happen by July 2012.

He said he had accepted the resignation of the cabinet and that parliamentary elections next week would go ahead.

It follows days of protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square over the pace of reform.

Tens of thousands of people continued to pack Tahrir Square on Tuesday evening.

Witnesses said many appeared to reject the military's latest concessions, chanting: "We are not leaving, he (Tantawi) leaves."

Next week's parliamentary elections are due to set in train a process of transition to democracy following the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak in February.

But many Egyptians fear the military intends to hold on to power, whatever the outcome of the polls. 

Egypt 'agrees to new government'

Egypt 'agrees to new government' (bbc)

Egypt's military rulers agree to form a "national salvation government" and speed up the process towards presidential elections, reports say.

Egyptians gather for mass protest

Egyptians gather for mass protest (bbc)

Egyptians are gathering in Cairo's Tahrir Square for a mass protest to put pressure on the military to speed up the transfer of power.

Violence broke out again in streets close to the square and a BBC correspondent there describes the situation as volatile.

Three days of clashes between security forces and protesters have left at least 26 dead and hundreds wounded.

The unrest has thrown into doubt elections due to be held next week. 

they were going to hold elections, but...

...but looks like they want to have a religious theocracy like Iran come to power.

Its only a matter of time.

They deserve it, then.

Muslims are like a cancerous tumor. They infect everyone and everything, and force their way across the whole body of humanity, until all submit to the flag of Allah (and die). 

And we thought the era of colonization is over….

Here we have a Westerner broadcasting to a mass audience of other Westerners about the faith and the future system that Egyptians may decide to have for themselves.

  How dare Egyptians lead their own faith and how incompetence  is Obama first for not backing up the pervious dictator and now selecting another government for them.

'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory 

Mehrdad

Egypt cabinet offers resignation

Egypt cabinet offers resignation (bbc)

Egypt's cabinet has offered to resign after three days of protests against the country's military rulers, state media has reported.

Why Egyptian protesters no longer trust the ruling generals

Why protesters have lost faith by By Yolande Knell (bbc) 

During the excitement that followed the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak back in February, Egyptian protesters cheered the military as it took control.

"The army and the people are [united in] one hand," they cheered. Soldiers were given sweets and flowers and hoisted children onto their tanks to pose for photographs.

Now many revolutionaries feel that such enthusiasm was naive and their celebrations were premature. 

Clashes rage in Cairo: 20 dead, 1,700 wounded

Clashes rage in Cairo: 20 dead, 1,700 wounded (CNN)

Days before Egypt's first post-revolution elections are due to take place, deadly violence has again broken out in the capital, Cairo, as anger grows that nothing has changed since Hosni Mubarak's overthrow.  

Fresh clashes hit Egyptian square

Clashes again erupt in Cairo as Egypt's health ministry confirms at least 20 people have died and 1,750 have been wounded in a weekend of violence