Hagel warns violence putting US-Egyptian defense ties at risk
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he called his Egyptian counterpart on Thursday to make clear that violence and hundreds of deaths across Egypt are putting key elements of the longstanding U.S.-Egyptian defense cooperation…
Islamist group says targeted Hezbollah in Beirut blast: video
BEIRUT (Reuters) – A Sunni Islamist group calling itself the Brigades of Aisha claimed responsibility on Thursday for an explosion in southern Beirut which killed 10 people, saying it targeted the militant group Hezbollah and promising more attacks.
Egypt’s Brotherhood loses grip as anger boils
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and its allies suffered a heavy blow from the state security crackdown, their central coordination has been lost and the bloodshed means anger is now “beyond control,” the group said on Thursday.
Egypt crisis forces foreign firms to halt production
LONDON (Reuters) – Violence across Egypt that has left hundreds dead and turned its city streets into war zones forced multinationals to close on Thursday and raised fears two years of economic crisis would quickly get worse.
Insight: Iran’s Arab minority drawn into Middle East unrest
(Reuters) – Arab insurgents blew up a gas pipeline in Iran last week and dedicated the attack to their brothers in arms in Syria, highlighting how the Syrian civil war is spreading into a region-wide proxy conflict that could blow back onto Iran.
Tunisia opposition threatens more anti-government protest
TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s secular opposition threatened on Thursday to step up anti-government protests after the head of the ruling Islamist party rejected its demand to make way for a non-party government.
Analysis: Abbas chooses unpopular peace talks over bruising U.N. battles
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – In the three years since Israelis and Palestinians last tried and failed to negotiate an agreement on dividing the land they live on, Palestinian leaders have gained little for their people.
Egypt shortens curfew hours: statement
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt said on Thursday it would shorten the hours of a curfew imposed on Cairo and 13 other cities following political violence in which more than 500 people were killed.
EU should review Egypt programmes: Sweden’s Bildt
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – The European Union should review aid programs to Egypt and the International Monetary Fund should hold off from supporting Cairo after a crackdown on supporters of the ousted Islamist president, Sweden’s foreign minister said on T…
Turkey’s Yildiz halts production in Egypt, others may follow
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish biscuit maker Yildiz Holding stopped production in Egypt on Thursday due to the unrest there and a Turkish industry representative warned others were likely to follow suit.




