CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian voters had a choice for president for the first time Wednesday in an election the United States hopes is a key step towards democracy across the Middle East. But the ballot was marred by charges of fraud and the near-certainty that President Hosni Mubarak will win …

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AFP) — The Israeli military said Saturday it would complete its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip by September 15 but threatened to strike the territory hard if the Jewish state came under threat. The head of army logistics, General Eran Ofir, told public radio: “I think that we …

BAGHDAD (AP) — Insurgents killed 19 Iraqi security forces Saturday in clashes around Baqouba, while US and Iraqi forces intensified an offensive in a rebel-infested city that the Americans subdued last year — only to have the Iraqis lose control. Eight policemen died in a pair of shootouts in Baqouba, …