Middle East Monitor - The Latest from the Middle East
April Guest Writer
News from Africa
Egypt's Addameer National Front refutes claims Al-Qaradawi will be deported from Qatar
Egypt's Addameer National Front spokesperson Amr Abdel Hadi refuted media claims that the head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi has been banned from speaking in Qatar and will be deported. Abdel Hadi said Al-Qaradwi will give the Friday sermo...
Mauritanian president to run for new term
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz announced yesterday his intention to run in the presidential elections scheduled for this summer.
Morsi's lawyer: trial deadline and verdicts already determined by coup leaders
On the sixth session of the "Jailbreaks" trial, ousted president Mohamed Morsi reiterated that the "coup will fail" and that "the coup authorities have turned against the judiciary itself."
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News from the Middle East
Syria accuses the UN of obstructing peace talks
The Syrian Foreign Ministry yesterday accused the United Nations envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi of obstructing the Geneva II peace talks between the regime and opposition forces.
Netanyahu: Abbas has to choose between peace with Hamas or Israel
Israeli officials have strongly rejected the Palestinian reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas . Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has to choose between either peace with Israel or with Hamas, while Foreign ...
Lebanese parliament fails to elect a new president
The Lebanese Parliament failed on Wednesday to elect a new president to succeed the current president, Michel Sleiman, whose term ends on 25 May. The first round of voting was held under the auspices of Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri and in the presence of 124 out of the 128 m...
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News from Europe and Russia
Israeli newspaper: France withholds funds to settler association in Jerusalem
The Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported on Wednesday that the French government has halted the transfer of donations worth €3,000 to an Israeli association operating in the Gilo settlement in occupied Jerusalem.
Erdogan says to announce presidency bid in May
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan said that a presidential system in Turkey would be more efficient than a parliamentary one.
Moscow praises Palestinian reconciliation efforts
Moscow praised the agreement reached by Fatah and Hamas to form a unity government and conduct legislative and presidential elections in Palestine.
Blair calls on West to confront 'radical Islam' not Russia
In a speech to be delivered in London today, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will urge the West to forget Russian President Vladimir Putin's stance on the Ukraine and join him in the fight against "radical Islam". Blair will say in his speech that Europe and the US must...
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News from Asia, the Americas, & International Organisations
US: Egypt qualifies for military support to protect US and Israeli interests
Egypt has proven its support for US and Israeli interests in the Middle East so it is qualified to receive US military support, American media reported the US administration as saying on Tuesday.
UN calls for investigation into Syria chemical attack
The United Nations Security Council yesterday called for an investigation into reports that chlorine gas was used to bomb Syrian towns, leaving many dead and wounded.
US 'disappointed' by Fatah-Hamas reconciliation
Spokesperson of the US Department of State Jen Psaki said on Wednesday that the Obama administration is "disappointed" by the reconciliation pact between Fatah and Hamas, the two main Palestinian factions .
UN officials condemn plan to hold presidential election in Syria
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and UN-Arab League Joint Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi have condemned the announcement that a presidential election will soon take place in Syria, in light of the current deteriorating situation.
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Latest In-Depth Articles
Why the Russian-Iranian front is winning and everyone else is losing
We can no longer ignore the fact that we are witnessing a new cold war at an international level and that it is being led by the United States on one side and Russia and Putin on the other. The Middle East has become the new regional hot zone in the context of this cold war, one that is affected by Iranian decisions on one hand and Saudi Arabia and its alliances on the other.
Ghadames: Libya's Saharan Secret
Ghadames, an oasis town in the heart of the Sahara desert is on the edge of Libya, close to both the Algerian and Tunisian borders. It is an extremely special place and a source of pride for many Libyans, having been dedicated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986.
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MEMO Commentary & Analysis
The EU and Middle East democracy
Is there any difference between the forthcoming presidential elections in Egypt and Syria? The Europe Union apparently believes that there is. While the EU has dismissed the Syrian process as a "parody of democracy", the European High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, conveyed an entirely different outlook on the election in Egy...
DEBATE by Ben White
From ethnic cleansing to return: a peace process worthy of the name
This week marks the 66th anniversary of the ethnic cleansing of Miska, a Palestinian village whose roughly 1,000-strong population was expelled in April 1948 by Haganah forces. Located around 10 miles from Qalqilya, Miska boasted 100-200 houses, an elementary school for boys, and a mosque.
INQUIRY by Asa Winstanley
Palestinian Prisoners' Day remains central
Thursday here in Palestine was Prisoners' Day, and demonstrations of solidarity were held across the West Bank and Gaza . The annual event calls for the release of Palestinian political prisoners from Israel's jails, and freedom from its kangaroo court system of military injustice.
