Blog archive all
23rd February 2013
The London School of Economics (LSE) has cancelled a conference which was due to be held in the United Arab Emirates tomorrow after one of the speakers was turned back at Dubai airport.
The conference, entitled "The New Middle East: Transition in the Arab World", listed several prominent Middle… Read more
23rd February 2013
President Morsi's announcement of the dates for parliamentary elections has angered Egyptian Christians.
Polling is to be phased over two months but the first stage – in Cairo and four other provinces – is scheduled for 27-28 April, overlapping with Palm Sunday in the Coptic calendar. The run-off,… Read more
22nd February 2013
When Moaz al-Khatib, leader of the Syrian National Coalition, offered talks with representatives of the Assad regime his move infuriated many in the opposition. But it also put Assad on the spot and the Syrian president is now facing diplomatic pressure to respond.
"There has been a very important… Read more
21st February 2013
Sheikh Nasser, the controversial son of the king of Bahrain, is organising an equestrian event in Britain, to be held next May in the grounds of Windsor Castle, Bahrain's government news agency (BNA) reports.
BNA says the event – an "international endurance horse ride" – will take place "on the… Read more
20th February 2013
Only three of the 22 Arab League countries – Comoros, Mauritania and Kuwait – are ranked in the top half of this year's World Press Freedom Index issued by Reporters Without Borders. As a very broad-brush picture of where Arab media stand in comparison to other parts of the world, this is probably… Read more
18th February 2013
A British Muslim MP is reported to have received threats after voting in favour of gay marriage in the recent parliamentary debate.
According to the Mail on Sunday, police say the threats against Sadiq Khan, Labour member for the Tooting district of London, are "credible enough that he should… Read more
16th February 2013
The UN Security Council yesterday welcomed Yemen's National Dialogue, after Russian objections (reported here yesterday) were overcome.
The statement issued yesterday names both ex-President Saleh and southern separatist leader Ali Salim al-Baidh in connection with "reports of interference" in… Read more
16th February 2013
The acquittal of five Kuwaitis accused of "offending the emir" on Twitter has raised hopes for a more sensible approach to freedom of expression online.
Human Rights Watch has called on the Kuwaiti authorities to "take a cue" from the court's decision and end the criminalisation of "peaceful… Read more
15th February 2013
Russia has prevented the UN Security Council from issuing a presidential statement welcoming Yemen's National Dialoguewhich is due to start on 18 March.
According to diplomats cited by the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Russia objected to a paragraph mentioning "persistent allegations" against ex-… Read more
14th February 2013
Ever since Valentine's Day became popular in Saudi Arabia, the authorities' attempts to suppress this harmless bit of romanticismhave been widely mocked both inside and outside the kingdom.
The strange effect of their annual crackdown (as I pointed out in 2010) was that bunches of roses, heart-… Read more
ARAB ART ONLINE: Susan Hefuna: Al Sabr Gamil (Patience is Beautiful) 2007. Ink stained on wood 140 x 170 cm. More information | Click to enlarge
