A few memorable snapshots from today’s “Day of Rage” protests in Egypt: • A group of about 100 protesters is marching along the Nile corniche chanting anti-government slogans. From the other direction comes a much larger group of demonstrators. The...
CATEGORY: Middle East and North Africa

Open politics will stretch Tunisian Islamists
Rohan Jayasekera asks if the return of Tunisia’s Islamists help or hinder the national democratic project
Algeria: Protesters injured in unrest
A number of protesters have been injured during clashes with the police in a pro-democracy rally held in Algiers. The rally was held in protest to a new law that banned public gatherings. Protests to rising costs and unemployment started in Algeria...

Yemen: No place for change
Despite the eruption of Tunisian inspired protests in Sana’a and other cities in Yemen calling for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down, regime change seems unlikely. Iona Craig reports
Google lifts restrictions for Iranian users
Google lifted some of its restrictions for on-line users in Iran on 21 January. Google unblocked access to Google Chrome, Google Earth and Picasa, previously US trade sanctions had prevented Iranian users from accessing the site. The restrictions...
Chilcot Inquiry will not publish Blair notes to Bush
Britain's top civil servant, Sir Gus O'Donnell, has refused permission for notes between former prime minister Tony Blair and former US president George Bush to be published by the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war. Head of the Inquiry, Sir John...
Iran: Imprisoned lawyer’s husband arrested
Reza Khandan, husband of imprisoned lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been detained by authorities. His detention occurred after he was summoned to Evin prison court. One opposition website has claimed his arrest is due to his activities and interviews in...
Tunisia’s revolution hangs over Arab governments
I’m in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Shiekh covering the 2nd Arab Economic Summit --- a chance for Arab ministers and business magnates to gather and discuss the economic future of the region. But the elephant in the room this week is Tunisia,...

Tunisians will not be easily unplugged again
Discreet coup or “Jasmine Revolution”, the departure of Tunisia’s despot Zine el Abidene Ben Ali will not end his networked citizens’ calls for reform. Rohan Jayasekera reports

Tunisia: France’s faux pas
French ministers denied Tunisia was a dictatorship and offered Ben Ali’s regime police support. Myriam Francois-Cerrah explains how France found itself on the backfoot
PLUS: Jillian C York: Tunisia hits the headlines
Rohan Jayasekera: The Middle East’s first cyber war