Media Roundup

Egyptians Go to Polls in Landmark Presidential Election

By David D. Kirkpatrick and Alan Cowell | The New York Times

After weeks of fevered debate, speculation and argument, Egyptians went to the polls on Wednesday in the Arab world’s first competitive presidential election, choosing between a dozen candidates spanning the nation’s secular and Islamist traditions after decades of authoritarian rule.

Global Powers Resume Talks With Iran in Baghdad

By Steven Erlanger | The New York Times

Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program resumed on Wednesday, a day after Tehran signaled willingness to allow inspections of its secret military facilities.

Russia Lawmakers Advance Bill on Penalties for Protesters

By Sergei L. Loiko | Los Angeles Times

Stiff new penalties aimed at opposition protesters were given preliminary approval Tuesday by Russian lawmakers loyal to President Vladimir Putin, the target of mass rallies and demonstrations before his March election victory.

Eastern Congo Rocked by Fresh Fighting

By Tristan McConnell | Global Post

Renewed fighting between the Congolese army and rebels has erupted in mountainous eastern Congo, creating a new flood of civilian refugees.

Defiant Sanogo Supporters Name Him as Mali Interim Head

Agence France-Presse

Supporters of Mali's coup leader dealt a fresh blow to a return to democratic rule by saying they had chosen him to head an interim government, defying a deal mediated by regional leaders at the weekend.

Pakistani Doctor Jailed for Helping CIA Find Bin Laden

By Ibrahim Shinwari and Jibran Ahmad | Reuters

A Pakistani doctor accused of helping the CIA find Osama bin Laden has been jailed for 33 years for treason, officials said, a move likely to deepen strains in ties between Washington and Islamabad.

In Afghan Partnership Deal, Obama Applies Lessons of History

By John Paul Schnapper-Casteras | World Politics Review

The U.S.-Afghan strategic partnership agreement that President Barack Obama recently signed in Kabul with Afghan President Hamid Karzai is noteworthy for the lessons it draws from similar agreements with Iraq and other countries, as well as for the pitfalls it avoids repeating.

How al-Qaeda Is Gaining in Its War Against Yemen

By Tom Finn | Time

The death of more than 100 soldiers in a suicide attack punctuates the fact that the terrorist franchise in the Arabian Peninsula is the most successful of Osama Bin Laden's offspring.

Saudi Arabia Pledges $3.5bn for Yemen

BBC

Saudi Arabia has pledged $3.5bn in aid to Yemen, which is facing political instability and a possible humanitarian catastrophe. Seven aid agencies have warned the country is on the brink of a food crisis, with nearly half the population lacking sufficient food.

BAE Secures $2.5 Billion Saudi Jet Deal

By Rhys Jones and Rania El Gamal | Reuters

BAE Systems has signed a 1.6 billion pound ($2.5 billion) deal to supply Saudi Arabia with Hawk jets to train pilots to fly the Eurofighter Typhoon which it has already ordered from UK company.

Bombs 'Target Ex-Colombia Leader'

By Al Jazeera and Agencies | Al Jazeera

Argentine police has defused two bombs discovered in the ceiling of a Buenos Aires theatre, and authorities say they were timed to explode during an appearance there by Alvaro Uribe, the former Colombian president.

UN Panel Queries Havana on Human Rights Abuses, Prison Deaths

By Juan O. Tamayo | McClatchy Newspapers

A U.N. panel on torture Tuesday demanded that Cuba provide information on the deaths of several political prisoners, the repression of dissident groups such as the Ladies in White and the 2,400 arrests of government critics reported last year.

India, Pakistan Agree on Gas Pipeline

By Tom Wright and Santanu Choudhury | The Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required)

Countries involved in a U.S.-backed trans-Afghanistan pipeline will sign a commercial agreement aimed at keeping the much-delayed $7.6 billion project alive.

Merkel Defensive Amid Fresh Calls for Bonds

By Nicholas Kulish and Paul Geitner | The New York Times

A renewed call for European bonds backed by the bloc is growing, but Germany said Tuesday that there was no way it would bend on collective debt.

Egypt Elections: Sharia Can Support Democracy

By Mahmood Delkhasteh and Hassan Rezaei | The Christian Science Monitor

In Egypt elections for president today, the role of Islam in government is a big question. But a freedom-based interpretation of sharia can support democracy in the Arab world.

The Good Felool

By David Kenner | Foreign Policy

If Amr Moussa wins Egypt's presidential election, is the revolution over?

Egyptians as They Really Are, for Once

By Rami G. Khouri | The Daily Star

One of the important byproducts of the ongoing Arab uprisings, regime changes and national reconfigurations is the increased ability of many people around the world to view Arabs in their full, dynamic human complexity and nuance.

The Crisis of European Democracy

By Amartya Sen | The New York Times

Reform on a well-thought-out timetable must be distinguished from reform done in extreme haste.

A Greek Exit Could Make the Euro Area Stronger

By Jacob Kirkegaard | Bloomberg News

A Greek exit from the euro area would inflict heavy damage in Greece and throughout Europe. It could also be one of the best things that ever happened to the currency union.

Chen Case Highlights Beijing's Misrule of Law

By Michael A. Fitts and Amy Gadsen | The Japan Times

Much about the case of activist Chen Guangcheng is troubling, especially his lack of recourse to fight harassment from Chinese authorities themselves.

Abu Muqawama: How Credible a Partner Has U.S. Been in Afghanistan?

By Andrew Exum | World Politics Review

When I speak to U.S. military officers and other Americans about why we have failed in Afghanistan, among the various explanations that are advanced, I often hear the argument that we have lacked a “credible Afghan partner.”

An Underwhelming Approach to Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions

By Reuel Marc Gerecht and and Mark Dubowitz | The Washington Post

The West’s sanctions — the reason the Iranians are showing up in Iraq — have been an alternative to war. Those who want these talks to go on will be enormously tempted to make concessions to Tehran.

Getting a Good Deal With Iran

By Lindsey Graham, Joseph I. Lieberman and John McCain | The Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required)

Beware 'confidence-building' measures that never force Tehran to verifiably abandon its pursuit of a nuclear-weapons capability.

The Least Bad Option on Iran

By Chuck Freilich | Los Angeles Times

When world powers meet with Iran on Wednesday in Baghdad, they may reach an interim nuclear deal. Its precise outline is unknown.

It's Turkey's Time

By Andrew Finkel | International Herald Tribune

Ankara should spin Europe's economic problems to its advantage and revive talks for E.U. membership.

Power With Purpose

By Thomas L. Friedman | The New York Times

The stakes are higher than ever for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel.

Helping Yemen Get Back on Its Feet

By Alistair Burt | Asharq Alawsat

We must not forget the precarious humanitarian, economic and political situation in Yemen which must be addressed with equal determination and urgency.

Kremlin Beating People to a Pulp

By Yulia Latynina | The Moscow Times

President Vladimir Putin's regime is clearly going through hard times. Russia hasn't seen anything close to the massive anti-Putin rallies of the past six months since he came to power in 2000.

Why the CIA Is Applauding the Pentagon's Intelligence Grab

By Jennifer Sims | Foreign Affairs

Last month, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced the creation of a new U.S. espionage agency, the Defense Clandestine Service, or DCS, which is expected to expand the Pentagon's espionage personnel by several hundred over the next few years.

Guinea-Bissau Forms Government

Times Live

The transitional authorities in Guinea-Bissau formed a new government that includes an army officer who participated in the country's latest coup on April 12.