Egypt
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Morsi: No One Can Stop Our March Forward, ex-Regime Paying Thugs to Attack State Institutions

Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Morsi told supporters on Thursday that Egypt was on the path to "freedom and democracy," a day after he assumed sweeping powers that critics said made him a dictator.

"Political stability, social stability and economic stability are what I want and that is what I am working for," he told an Islamist rally outside the presidential palace.

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Brotherhood Offices Torched as Anti- and Pro-Morsi Demos Rock Egypt

Protesters torched Muslim Brotherhood offices on Friday, state media said, as supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Morsi staged rival rallies across Egypt a day after he assumed sweeping powers.

The offices of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm, were set ablaze in the canal cities of Ismailiya and Port Said, state television said.

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Palestinian Envoy Seeks 'Special Role' for China

China can play a "special role" in the Middle East, a Palestinian envoy said Friday, following eight days of deadly conflict between Israel and militants in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

Bassam al-Salhi, a representative of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was speaking after talks in Beijing on efforts to upgrade his people's status at the United Nations and maintain calm in the region.

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Morsi Issues Declaration Widening His Powers, Baradei Calls Him a 'New Pharaoh'

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi assumed sweeping powers on Thursday, putting him on a collision course with the judiciary and raising questions about the country's democratic future.

The move, just a day after Morsi took diplomatic centerstage in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza's Islamist Hamas rulers, earned him the same derisive monicker of "new pharaoh" leveled at veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak before his ouster in a popular uprising last year.

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Morsi Strong after Gaza Truce, But Challenges Remain

Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Morsi emerged as a winner after brokering a Gaza truce hailed by world powers, but striking a balance between Israel and the Palestinians remains a tough task.

The United Nations and United States were among those that welcomed Wednesday's ceasefire that ended eight days of Israel-Hamas violence that killed nearly 170 people, amid hopes it will lead to a "sustainable" solution.

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Obama Thanks Morsi for Role in Gaza Truce Bid

U.S. President Barack Obama thanked his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Morsi on Wednesday for his role is negotiating a planned truce between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.

"The president thanked President Morsi for his efforts to achieve a sustainable ceasefire and for his personal leadership in negotiating a ceasefire proposal," the White House said in a statement.

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Clinton Arrives in Cairo for Gaza Truce Talks

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Cairo on Wednesday for talks with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, an airport official said, amid ongoing efforts to reach a truce deal in Gaza.

She is expected to go straight into a meeting with her Egyptian counterpart Mohammed Kamel Amr and with Morsi, who is playing a key role in mediating a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

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Egypt's Jazeera Office Attacked

An office of Arab satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera in the Egyptian capital was firebombed on Wednesday, a security official said, as protesters clashed near the downtown Tahrir Square.

"Unknown assailants" lobbed Molotov cocktails at the office which overlooks Tahrir, "causing a big fire which rescue services are working to put out," the official said.

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Obama Calls Morsi, Commends Gaza Truce Efforts

U.S. President Barack Obama called Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi for the third time in 24 hours on Tuesday and "commended" his efforts to secure a truce in Gaza, the White House said.

"He commended President Morsi's efforts to pursue a de-escalation" in the Gaza Strip, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters traveling home from Asia with Obama during a stopover in Japan.

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Gaza Truce Awaiting Israel Approval as Arab FMs Visit Gaza in Solidarity

Egyptian and Hamas officials said they believed they could reach an agreement to end the week-long Gaza conflict on Tuesday but a truce hinged on Israeli assent to a Cairo-mediated ceasefire plan, as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in the region to make an urgent push for peace.

The emerging signs of a deal to end seven days of violence that have claimed the lives of 136 Palestinians came as the Israeli army confirmed its first two fatalities from rocket attacks while another missile landed harmlessly just south of Jerusalem.

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