Surprise: Iran could have fuel for bomb before US election

Iran could have enough weapons-grade uranium to fuel one nuclear bomb with a 15-kiloton yield by the end of August, about the time the US presidential race will kick into high gear, according to a new report.

And if anything is likely to replace “jobs, jobs, jobs” at the top of the list of campaign issues, it’s the arrival of a nuclear-capable Iran. (more…)

Palestinians take step toward reconciliation

Palestinian political rivals Hamas and Fatah have taken the first practical step toward holding general elections by opening an office for voter registration in the Gaza Strip.

Presidential and parliament elections are envisioned for late spring, though a date has not been set.

Elections are at the center of reconciliation between the Islamic militant Hamas and Fatah, the movement of internationally backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (more…)

Russian parliament speaker quits after election protests

Longtime Russian parliament speaker Boris Gryzlov, the day-to-day head of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s ruling United Russia party, said on Wednesday he would not take his seat in the State Duma lower house elected last week.
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Syrians shut businesses in a show of civil disobedience

Syrians closed their businesses and kept children home from school Monday as part of a general strike, a powerful show of civil disobedience to pressure President Bashar Assad to end his 9-month-old crackdown on a popular uprising.

The open-ended strike takes direct aim at the country’s already ailing economy. It is designed to erode Mr. Assad’s main base of support (more…)

Syrians vote as fierce clashes overshadow protests

Prime Minister Adel Safar urged Syrians to vote in local elections on Monday to save the nation from “conspiracies against us” but activists struggling to oust President Bashar-al Assad rejected the ballot as irrelevant at a time of violent unrest. (more…)

Medvedev orders Russia poll inquiry, gets insults

President Dmitry Medvedev ordered an investigation on Sunday into allegations of fraud in Russia’s parliamentary election, one day after tens of thousands of protesters demanded it be annulled and rerun. (more…)

ElBaradei’s tells Islamists: Slogans are not enough

EGYPT has wrapped up the opening round of the first parliamentary elections since Hosni Mubarak’s fall, with Islamists winning a landslide victory at the expense of weakened and divided liberals.

Turnout appeared low (more…)

Egypt releases new election results showing Islamists dominating

Islamist parties captured an overwhelming majority of votes in the first round of Egypt’s parliamentary elections, setting up a power struggle with the much weaker liberals behind the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak 10 months ago. A hard-line religious group that wants to impose strict Islamic law made a strong showing with nearly a quarter of the ballots, according to results released Sunday.
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Cain backs out of US presidential race

Herman Cain’s unlikely and ill-fated presidential campaign proved that one rule is immutable even in this rambunctious campaign year: Political outsiders may be an attractive alternative to career politicians, but all the fresh approaches and folksy charm in the world can’t make up for inexperience and untenable baggage. (more…)

Islamists Claim a Decisive Victory in Egypt’s Vote

Islamists claimed a decisive victory on Wednesday as early election results put them on track to win a dominant majority in Egypt’s first Parliament since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, the most significant step yet in the religious movement’s rise since the start of the Arab Spring. (more…)