Hamas supporters gather for 25th anniversary

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Thousands of Palestinians are gathering in Gaza to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Hamas militant group. Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal is expected to speak at Saturday's rally in Gaza City. Mashaal entered the seaside strip a day earlier after a long exile from Palestinian territory. Thousands of Hamas supporters, some of them flashing victory signs, were braving...

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Egypt delays early voting on new constitution

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt postponed early voting on a contentious draft constitution, and aides to President Mohammed Morsi  floated the possibility of canceling the whole referendum in the first signs Friday that the Islamic leader is finally yielding to days of protests and deadly street clashes.Tens of thousands marched on the presidential palace after pushing past barbed wire fences installed by...

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Hamas chief's Gaza visit poses challenge to Israel

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The image of Hamas' long-exiled chief triumphantly walking around the Gaza Strip, flashing victory signs beside Islamic militant leaders Friday, illustrates how the group's defiance of Israel is forcing a change in Palestinian politics.Buoyed by the rise of fellow Islamists in Egypt, Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal and his allies are confronting Israel with the specter of a change...

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Bahrain: Shiite clerics must 'prohibit' violence

MANAMA, Bahrain  (AP) — Bahrain's Shiite religious leaders must more forcefully denounce violence as a key step to ease the kingdom's 22-month uprising, the country's crown prince said Friday at the opening of an international security conference.The appeal by Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa underscores the view of Bahrain's Sunni monarchy that Shiite clerics should be held partly responsible for...

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Syrian rebels set sights on Damascus airport

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad set their sights Friday on the capital's international airport  in a bid to cut off the regime's supplies, clashing with government troops nearby and again forcing the closure of the airport road.A fighter who is part of the push against Damascus International Airport declared it a legitimate target, claiming that the regime...

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