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Iraq clamped a raft of draconian new security rules on its war-torn capital on Wednesday amid mystery over the whereabouts of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whom United States officials say has fled to Iran. US defence officials claimed that the anti-American cleric had travelled to Tehran two or three weeks ago.
Egyptians started voting on Wednesday in parliamentary polls expected to see President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party retain its grip on power, amid accusations of mass fraud from the opposition Muslim Brotherhood. Thousands of polling stations opened for the first round of the initial phase in legislative elections that will last a month.
Egypt's opposition Muslim Brotherhood cried foul on Friday after a slump in its performance in the latest round of parliamentary polls, which were marred by violence and widespread voter obstruction. None of its 49 candidates involved in the third and final phase of voting had won outright.
Incumbent Hosni Mubarak has swept to victory in Egypt's first contested presidential poll, with almost 90% of the vote, but with less than one-quarter of voters turning out and opponents charging the results were rigged. Official results gave the 77-year-old leader a whopping 88,5% of the vote in Wednesday's election.
An Egyptian panel boycotted by Christians and liberals on Friday adopted a draft constitution with an Islamist bent that activists are unhappy with.
Iraq clamped a raft of draconian new security rules on its war-torn capital on Wednesday amid mystery over the whereabouts of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whom United States officials say has fled to Iran. US defence officials claimed that the anti-American cleric had travelled to Tehran two or three weeks ago.
Egyptians started voting on Wednesday in parliamentary polls expected to see President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party retain its grip on power, amid accusations of mass fraud from the opposition Muslim Brotherhood. Thousands of polling stations opened for the first round of the initial phase in legislative elections that will last a month.
Egypt's opposition Muslim Brotherhood cried foul on Friday after a slump in its performance in the latest round of parliamentary polls, which were marred by violence and widespread voter obstruction. None of its 49 candidates involved in the third and final phase of voting had won outright.
