Has this year’s brotherhood Ramadan banquet been banned?

Has this year’s brotherhood Ramadan banquet been banned?


Earlier: Brotherhood leader El-Arian still in custody… Amnesty worried about brotherhood military trial detainee leader”s health, speaks up about government treatment of the greoup… No freedom of speech? Brotherhood parliamentarian in trouble for calling assembly “rubber stamp…” Earlier: More brotherhood cases surface… Time tries to interpret the escalation… 2 brotherhood MPs arrested… Brotherhood — military trial resumes amidst new arrests… Detained include top leadership of the group, in yet another escalation by the government… Much more in Arabic on zahma.com… Earlier: Middle East report overview of where the government-brotherhood relation is today… Brotherhood members arrested at summer camp in Balteem… Earlier: Authorities barred human rights groups, the media and around 60 defense lawyers from the closed military trial of Muslim Brotherhood officials…


Emphasizing the negatives in the latest US religious freedom report…


Legal rights group being closed down by the government…


San Francisco Chronicle tries to analyze the political moment


Bedouins threaten to block border with Israel… Earlier: Reuters covers a peaceful Bedouin protest…. Pravda has more


“One of the key witnesses and co-defendants in the trial of opposition leader Ayman Nour was found hanged in his prison cell …” Earlier: Ayman Nour release request rejected again… Condi comments on Nour… Her lack of democracy promotion disheartens some


Magazine suggests pressure to democratize will grow, with or without America pushing for it..


A BBC correspondent has a memorable experience while reporting a robbery at a Cairo police station…


Daily Star”s Rami Khouri is harsh on realities… Saadeddin Ibrahim writes another scathing anti-Mubarak piece in the Post — and admits he may be a little worried about coming back to Cairo… Saad”s plight highlighted by AP…


MSNBC wonders whether German tourists will soon be asking “hotels for information on why emergency powers have been in place since the early 1980s?” Earlier: June 2008 end of emergency state, even if new anti-terror law not passed by then…


“Family of a 13-year-old boy who died after being released from custody are suing the police for allegedly torturing their son to death…” Official denials… Earlier: Siwa police torture accusations to be investigated… Earlier: Official investigation of torture at an Alexandria police station…


Step by step… AFP reports that the “ruling party is to elect its leader for the first time in a move geared towards eventually offering the President”s son the country”s top job…”


Sinai Bedouin protests turn violent… More


Everyone”s analyzing… BBC takes note of the growing strike movement, while blogger Baheyya looks at the recent rise of protests demanding water and other rights…


Details of the big US arms sale emergeEarlier: Condi announces ten year military deal with Egypt before heading for region… More anger at US interference from Abul-Gheit… More DC trips Abul-Gheit says Cheney and Rice are against withholding aidCrucial timing… Carnegie scholars tell the US not to give up on democracy promotion in Egypt… (pdf)… Storm in a teacup? VOA says White House is not in favor of withholding aid… More tough words from the Egyptian ambassador to Washington on the US threat to withhold aid… Earlier: Retro pressure? US may delay delivery of $200 million in military aid until Cairo “improves its human rights record,” Reuters reports. Meanwhile, IOL is the quickest to report Egypt”s reaction, via Abul Gheit”s angry remarks…