Cairo: A female Egyptian news presenter appeared on state television wearing a veil for the first time on Sunday after the Islamist-dominated government lifted an effective ban that had been in place for decades under secular-leaning regimes of the past.
The ban on female news readers wearing the Islamic veil had long been criticized even by liberals and human rights activists as an infringement on personal freedoms - particularly in a country where more than half of all adult women cover their heads.
However, it was the latest move by authorities under new Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to make sweeping changes in state-controlled media. Just a few weeks ago, the Islamist-dominated upper house of parliament or Shura Council, shuffled editors of state-run media and most of the 50 new appointees were either Islamists or their sympathizers. Egypt's journalists' union has accused Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood group of trying to make the media its mouthpiece.
Many Egyptians fear Morsi and the powerful Brotherhood, which was outlawed and persecuted under former regimes, will give priority to Islamist interests at the expense of deep reform of the bloated and inefficient bureaucracy or pressing needs such as widespread poverty and economic crisis....
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03:04 PM, Sep 03, 2012
Dera Ismail Khan (Pakistan): Intelligence officials say a recent US missile strike in Pakistan's tribal region killed three Egyptians linked to the Haqqani militant network. The officials say the three were killed on Friday when missiles struck a car near Miran Shah, the main town in North Waziristan. A fourth person was also killed but has not been identified. The officials said on Sunday that one of the Egyptians was... 
