Magreb

Bulgaria cannot commit to taking part in direct military action against the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi authorised by the UN, the country’s foreign minister has said. “Bulgaria is going to comply fully with the UN Security Council resolution adopted last night. This morning I started the process of …

JERUSALEM/GAZA  – An Egyptian proposal to stabilize post-war Gaza calls for an extended truce between Israel and Hamas, a prisoner exchange and the initial opening of at least two of the enclave’s border crossings, diplomats said. Ahead of an Israeli election on Tuesday, negotiations in Cairo have grown increasingly intense …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Egypt officially rejected unloading of an estimated 2,000 tons of medical and food supplies for the crisis-stricken people in Gaza, and said it would not issue the required permit for the Iranian ship to approach the Gaza Strip, a source said on Wednesday. The secretariat of the Organization …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran is conferring with the Egyptian government on opening Rafah border crossing and paving the way for Iranian aid vessel to dock in Gaza coast, a lawmaker said here on Wednesday. “A number of Iranian MPs are leaving for Gaza to confer about opening of Rafah crossings and …

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt has proposed February 22 as the date for the start of a dialogue between Palestinian groups, several of the groups said in reports published Tuesday. Foreign Minister Ahmed Abou Gheit of Egypt, which has been mediating between the groups, told reporters: “We will invite the Palestinian …

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt stole the diplomatic limelight for its efforts to end recent fighting in Gaza, but its failure to achieve a negotiated truce leaves a question mark over Cairo’s future as a preferred Arab mediator. U.S.-ally Egypt, an Arab regional heavyweight with a peace deal with Israel, has …

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel said on Sunday the job of stopping arms smuggling from Egypt to the Gaza Strip should be done by Egyptian forces and rejected the idea of an international force. European and Israeli diplomats have said an international force is part of a package mediators are trying …

TEHRAN (FNA)- OPEC is not considering holding an extraordinary meeting next month, Libya’s envoy to the oil producers’ cartel said Wednesday. “So far we are not talking about another meeting,” said Libya’s OPEC representative, Shukri Ghanem. Iranian OPEC delegate Mohammad Ali Khatibi had on Monday said that the Organization of …

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian police detained dozens of people including prominent members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood movement on Monday to prevent them demonstrating against Israel’s ground attack in the Gaza Strip. Riot police reached Tahrir Square in central Cairo early in the day to thwart the Brotherhood’s plans for …

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian police detained 20 members of the Muslim Brotherhood and deployed in force in the capital on Friday, ahead of demonstrations the Islamist group called to protest Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Hundreds of riot police and agents were deployed around key mosques in Cairo before the protest, …