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Gaza's Mubarak Hospital to Be Renamed 'Tahrir'

A major Gaza hospital named after Hosni Mubarak is to be rebaptized "Tahrir" after the Cairo square at the center of the uprising which felled the Egyptian leader.

"The Mubarak hospital for children in Khan Yunis is to be renamed Tahrir hospital in honor of the Egyptian revolution in Tahrir Square," Youssef al-Mudallah, director general of the Hamas-run health ministry, told Agence France Presse.

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Iran MPs Rage against Opposition as Obama Encourages Protesters

Furious Iranian lawmakers on Tuesday demanded the hanging of opposition leaders who called anti-government protests which left two people dead, saying they had been "misled" by Iran's arch-foes.

But in one of his most direct reactions to events in Iran, U.S. President Barack Obama offered encouragement to protesters, saying he hoped they would have the "courage" to keep expressing their "yearning for greater freedoms."

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Tunisia Extends State of Emergency, Ends Curfew

Tunisian authorities extended Tuesday a state of emergency imposed as president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled a month ago but ordered an end to a nationwide curfew, the official TAP news agency said.

The interior ministry also warned in a statement against attempts to sow discord between the police and army in the fragile North African country and condemned protests by "extremists," the news agency reported.

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Protesters, Regime Supporters Clash in Yemen

Pro-regime supporters armed with batons and stones waded Tuesday into a crowd of anti-government protesters trying to march on Yemen's presidential palace, sparking clashes dispersed by police.

At least three people were injured as the rivals pelted each other with stones, said an Agence France Presse correspondent, in the fourth straight day of protest in central Sanaa.

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In Jerusalem, EU's Ashton Says Peace Possible by Sept

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Tuesday said the international community still sought to achieve a peace deal and a Palestinian state by September, despite the region's political turmoil.

Despite the impasse in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and the resignation of the Palestinian cabinet as well as Saab Erakat, their chief negotiator, Ashton said the goal was still achievable.

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Egypt Military Rulers Name Panel to Reform Constitution

Egypt's military regime warned on Tuesday that a wave of strikes sweeping the country was "disastrous", as it gave a panel of civilian experts 10 days to revise the constitution.

Against a backdrop of persistent nationwide walk-outs and street protests, the junta promised to rapidly restore constitutional rule following the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak's regime.

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Shiite MPs Boycott Parliament as 2 Dead in Bahrain Demos

Two protesters died in clashes with Bahraini police, sparking angry calls from young cyber-activists for regime change and a walkout of parliament by Bahrain's main Shiite opposition bloc on Tuesday.

The events prompted King Hamad to express sorrow for the deaths, announce a ministerial probe and pledge to press ahead with reforms, in an address to the tiny Gulf state facing Iran across the Gulf that is ruled by his Sunni family.

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EU Urges Iran to Respect Right to Protest Peacefully

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton urged Iran on Tuesday to refrain from using force against protesters and to respect the right to demonstrate peacefully.

Ashton "is closely following the events taking place in Iran, notably the apparent restrictions placed on the freedom of movement of certain members of the opposition and the protests taking place on the streets today," her office said in a statement.

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U.S. Jewish Leader Makes Secret Visit to Syria

A top American Jewish leader said Monday that a secret visit he recently made to Syria could be a sign that President Bashar Assad wants to improve relations with the West.

Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, also said the international community should proceed with caution as the Arab world begins to embrace democracy.

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Clinton: Time for Iran to 'Open Up', Follow Egypt

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hailed the "courage" and "aspirations" of anti-government protests in Iran on Monday, and pressed Tehran to follow Egypt's example and "open up" its political system.

"We wish the opposition and the brave people in the streets across cities in Iran the same opportunity that they saw their Egyptian counterparts seize in the last week," Clinton told reporters during a visit to the U.S. Congress.

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