Democracy beyond Cairo

Tarek Mustafa was shot dead on January 28, a police bullet flying through the 24-year-old's neck as he stood in Cairo's Sayeda Zeinab Square.

Egypt ruling party mum on ageing Mubarak's successor

Egypt's ruling party wrapped up its conference on Monday with President Hosni Mubarak's son avoiding the question of who will succeed his father.

Egypt's ruling party wins Parliament vote

Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party swept the elections for four vacant Parliament seats, state media said on Monday.

Tension in Egypt clouds outlook for succession

Social tensions in Egypt over the past year have eroded overwhelming expectations that Gamal Mubarak will succeed his father President Hosni Mubarak at the helm of the most populous Arab country. An unprecedented wave of labour strikes and public anger over high prices and poor wages, may eventually drive the main pillars of the ruling elite to look into other scenarios.

As Mubarak turns 80, Egypt faces inflation, unrest

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, now in his 27th year as leader of the Arab world's most populous nation, turns 80 on Sunday with no clear successor in sight. One of the oldest executive heads of state in the world, Mubarak leads a country where more than 60% of the population have never known any other president.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood calls for election boycott

The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition force, called on Egyptians on Monday to boycott local council elections due on Tuesday in protest at the disqualification of most of its candidates. The group said its members had received more than 3 000 court rulings recognising their right to stand in the elections.

Egypt delays Brotherhood verdict, arrests 17

An Egyptian military court has delayed by a month a verdict on 40 members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood who face charges of belonging to a banned group, Brotherhood officials said on Tuesday. Brotherhood lawyer Abdel Moniem Abdel Maqsoud said the court set March 25 as the new date for a verdict for the men.

Egypt police detain dozens of Islamists before vote

Egyptian police detained dozens of members of the Muslim Brotherhood on Wednesday, expanding a crackdown on the country's strongest opposition group ahead of local elections in April. The Islamist group poses the most serious challenge to the ruling National Democratic Party in the April 8 elections for local councils.

Germany's hotels bar neo-Nazis

Late last year a hotel in Dresden sent an unambiguous message to two prospective neo-Nazi guests -- please do not come. "Since I would not know how to encourage my staff to greet you or serve you, I beg you to cancel your stay," Johannes Lohmeyer, manager of a Holiday Inn in the picturesque east German city, wrote to the two men.

Egypt ruling party gives secretary general new term

Egypt's ruling party gave ageing politician Safwat el-Sherif another term as party secretary general on Monday, ending speculation that President Hosni Mubarak's son Gamal might take that position. Sherif (73) has been near the top of the National Democratic Party (NDP) since its foundation in 1977 and has been secretary general since 2002.

Egypt to build nuclear power stations

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said on Monday his country will launch a programme to build several civilian nuclear power stations. He did not say when the government would start building the stations but added Egypt would cooperate with the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency.

'Press freedom does not exist' in Egypt

Rights groups on Saturday accused Egypt of curbing press freedom after a Cairo court this week sentenced four editors each to one year in prison for criticising the president. "Egypt continues to imprison journalists and editors who publish stories critical of President Hosni Mubarak and other high officials," Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

Egyptian editors sentenced for defaming Mubarak

An Egyptian court sentenced four newspaper editors to one year in prison with labour on Thursday for defaming President Hosni Mubarak and his politician son Gamal. The court also ordered Ibrahim Issa, Adel Hammouda, Wael el-Ebrashi and Abdel-Halim Qandil to pay fines of 20 000 Egyptian pounds each.

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