Egypt renews emergency law powers

Egyptian MPs have approved a government request to extend emergency law, although President Hosni Mubarak had promised it would be lifted this year.

Officials say anti-terror legislation which had been due to replace the controversial emergency powers - in force since 1981 - is not ready.

The emergency law allows detention without charge for long periods and searches without warrants.

The last two-year extension of the state of emergency would have expired on 1 June.

Parliament is dominated by the ruling National Democratic Party and approval of the NDP government's request for an extension was not in doubt. President Mubarak promised to replace emergency rule during his re-election campaign in 2005.

Emergency legislation has been used to convict members of Egypt's strongest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, in military courts on unpublished charges.

"The state of emergency has for decades been one of the main causes of human rights violations in Egypt," said Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights head Hafez Abu Saada in comments quoted by AFP news agency.

BBC

EU calls for quick start to talks with Libya

The European Union called on Monday for a quick start to talks with Libya, once shunned by the West as a pariah state, on a cooperation agreement covering a wide area from trade to migration.

EU Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg that the EU executive planned to send an exploratory mission to the energy-rich North African state "very soon".

"The EU and Libya should as soon as possible open discussions on an EU-Libya framework agreement which will include areas of mutual interest such as human rights, migration, among others," the ministers said in a statement.

EU Justice and Security Commissioner Franco Frattini told Reuters on Wednesday cooperation on energy, promoting tourism and archaeological sites would be part of the talks. He said the EU hoped Libya would participate in EU sea patrols aimed at stopping migrants from reaching the bloc and said it could help Libyans patrol their southern borders by providing equipment like providing cars and binoculars.