“The deal pledges Afghanistan to fight corruption, improve efficiency and protect human rights, including women’s rights…. The United States promises to seek annual funding to train and equip the Afghan armed forces but gives no dollar figure.”:<\/p>\n
“In the backchannel talks, Hamas is seeking assurances that European countries will recognize the outcome of future Palestinian elections…. ‘They have to accept the Palestinian democracy,’ [Hamas official Osama] Hamdan said of the international community”:<\/p>\n
In “clashes outside the Ministry of Defense as thugs armed with guns and knives sparked a melee that left at least 11 people dead and dozens injured. A small group of Islamist protesters demanding the reinstatement of salafi sheikh Hazem Salah Abu Ismail into the presidential race were attacked by a group of armed young men in civilian dress”:<\/p>\n
Backing off from uits attack on freedom of religion, the NTC takes aim at freedom of speech instead, announcing that public “praise of Gaddafi or his regime will now be an offence”:<\/p>\n
“Following the Arab uprisings, there has been significant improvement in the traditionally repressive Middle East region, and some sharp deterioration in the Americas”:<\/p>\n
The magazine’s young editor “had to give up a university education” because she chose to cover her hair, but says, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Now there is normalization, an improvement. Now our veiled comrades can enter university and have more professional opportunities\u00e2\u20ac\u009d:<\/p>\n
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Mahdi Akhondzade dares to say that Israel’s nuclear stockpile is a greater threat to peace that Iran’s nuclear power program:<\/p>\n
Egypt’s Muslim “Brotherhood and Saudi Arabia share Sunni Muslim values,” but the former’s embrace of democracy is perceived as a threat by the latter:<\/p>\n