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5th March 2014
By: Brian Whitaker
A report issued on Wednesday by the UN Human Rights Council came closer than any previous UN report to blaming the Syrian government for the chemical attacks near Damascus last August, as well as an earlier attack in Khan al-Assal. While not directly accusing the Assad regime, the report says "the… Read more
1st March 2014
Art14, a contemporary art fair showing work from 42 countries, got under way in the Grand Hall of Olympia in London on Thursday. Labouring among the exhibits as the doors opened, staff put the finishing touches to what could easily have been mistaken for art installations of their own – perfectly… Read more
24th February 2014
  Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. View of an alley with several tailoring businesses. Photo: Nadine Compton  This is the sixth in a series of blog posts exploring employment problems in the Arab Gulf states. Part one: How it began Part two: The iniquities of kafala Part three: Female… Read more
23rd February 2014
By: Brian Whitaker
This is the fifth in a series of blog posts exploring employment problems in the Arab Gulf states. Part one: How it began Part two: The iniquities of kafala Part three: Female domestic workers Part four: Working outside the rules Part five: Jobs for citizens? Part six: Jobs,… Read more
21st February 2014
By: Brian Whitaker
Bahrain is to renovate a Jewish synagogue in the capital, Manama, Gulf News reports: Visiting the religious venue, Minister of Culture Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammad al-Khalifa said that she was looking forward to the renovation of the synagogue as one of the iconic places in Manama that reflected the… Read more
20th February 2014
By: Brian Whitaker
This is the fourth in a series of blog posts exploring employment problems in the Arab Gulf states. Part one: How it began Part two: The iniquities of kafala Part three: Female domestic workers Part four: Working outside the rules Part five: Jobs for citizens? Part six: Jobs,… Read more
19th February 2014
For sale of return: A recruitment agent stands with a group of Ethiopian domestic workers as they wait for potential clients at an agency office in the Hawalli district of Kuwait. Women who leave employers and return to recruitment agencies – either as a result of their employer’s decision or… Read more
17th February 2014
This is the second in a series of blog posts exploring employment problems in the Arab Gulf states.  Part one: How it began Part two: The iniquities of kafala Part three: Female domestic workers Part four: Working outside the rules Part five: Jobs for citizens? Part six: Jobs,… Read more
16th February 2014
Employment systems in the Arab Gulf states are increasingly coming under an international spotlight. Following the decision to hold the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, concerns have been raised about the conditions of migrant construction workers preparing for the tournament – an… Read more
13th February 2014
By: Brian Whitaker
  Click here to enlarge map   The year 1990 marked what many Yemenis hoped would be the start of a new era when the northern and southern states – relics of British and Turkish imperialism – merged into one. The British had taken Aden as a colony in 1839 and then extended their authority in the… Read more