At a two-day conference held this week in Cairo entitled "Prospects for Political Reform in the Arab World," organized by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), Arab and western rights activists expressed concern about what they see as waning interest on the part of the US and EU in promoting human rights reform in the region. […]

The Arab Peace Initiative Committee will meet Thursday at the Arab League's Cairo headquarters to hear a report by Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas on the outcome of three-month-old indirect negotiations--or "proximity talks"--with Israel. Abbas will also brief the committee on a proposed move to direct negotiations, in light […]

A recently-launched campaign in support of a possible presidential bid by Gamal Mubarak, the 47-year-old son of President Hosni Mubarak, has drawn angry reactions from opposition parties and movements. "My party will launch a counter campaign against the so-called Gamal Mubarak Popular Support Coalition," said Ghad Party founder Ayman Nour. "I […]

At a press conference held at the US embassy in Cairo on Wednesday, US Attorney-General Eric Holder said he had discussed a number of issues with Egyptian officials, especially the case of Khaled Saeed--the young man from Alexandria allegedly beaten to death by police last month--and the Mercedes […]

Tehran--Egypt has denied visas to four Iranian lawmakers who planned to travel to the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, Iran's Press TV reported on Wednesday. "The Egyptian government has stonewalled the visa process... no visa has been issued for the MPs as of yet," Mahmoud Ahmadi Bighash, one of the four lawmakers, was quoted as saying by the En […]

With Egypt's parliamentary elections coming in the fall and an uncertain presidential situation looming over everything, the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP)’s information machine appears to be cranking up. […]

Al-Qaeda’s second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri attacked religious scholars in Egypt and Al-Azhar scholars, criticizing them for remaining silent about visits by Israeli officials to Egypt and bans on wearing the niqab in Europe. In a 47-minute audiotape broadcast by CNN, al-Zawahiri said that neither the protest movements in Egypt nor Mohamed ElBaradei will […]

Recent hype surrounding Coptic divorce has brought back to the table the issue of a personal status law for Christians, with this month seeing the second draft for such a law submitted to the government. Controversy was stirred in May this year when a judge ruled in favor of the remarriage of a Coptic divorced man, against the will of the Coptic church. […]

Amid tight security, US Attorney General Eric Holder held separate meetings on Tuesday with a number of Egyptian officials. Holder met with Egyptian Minister of Justice Mamdouh Marey, Minister of the Interior, Habib el-Adly, Attorney General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud, and Minister of State for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mufid Shehab. The US ambassador to Egy […]

Minya--Anba Agathon, bishop of Maghagha, has delayed until Saturday a protest scheduled to take place today in front of Abbaseyya Cathedral, Cairo. The protest will go ahead if no final solution is reached concerning the construction of a new cathedral and demolition of the old church building. Ghandi Kastor Ghebrial, assistant secretary for the National Dem […]