As the numbers steadily mount of those killed by the Egyptian military and police in yesterday’s attacks on Muslim Brotherhood camps, the prospects for Egypt’s ‘Arab spring’ are looking bleak, Kirsty Hughes says
Iran’s government has been increasing pressure on writers and artists over the past few years, but its heavy hand does not strike evenly.
Xenophobia in general and anti-US sentiment, in particular, have peaked in Egypt since the June 30 rebellion that toppled Islamist President Mohamed Morsi and the Egyptian media has in recent weeks, been fuelling both. Shahira Amin reports
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are making transnational attempts to shut down the United States’ largest Arab-American newspaper, al-Watan. Rori Donaghy writes
While Turkey this week jailed its former Chief of Staff, General Ilker Basbug, in Egypt, General Sisi’s popularity is still riding high following the army’s ousting of President Morsi. Kirsty Hughes writes
During his inauguration address, Iran’s new president Hassan Rouhani promised peace and a push towards a more open dialogue with the West. Although it is far too soon to gauge whether his promises will transform into policies as he pushes against Iran’s convoluted theocracy. Small Media reports
Amidst Egypt’s conflict and division, a third group has emerged between the military and the Morsi supporters — one whose members hope to re-unite Egyptians behind the common cause of “a free, democratic and civil Egypt.” Shahira Amin reports
A Saudi activist is being punished after calling for a “day of liberalism”, Padraig Reidy reports
Gaza’s de-facto Hamas government closed the office of Al Arabiya, Palestinian network Ma’an news and the local production company Lens on Thursday....
Abdul-Elah Haider Shaye was freed last night in Yemen after being kept in prison for three years at the request of Barack Obama. Iona Craig reports
After the fall of Egypt’s Islamist president this month, security officials shut down media linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. With a history of biased media and an increasingly divided nation, the future in Egypt looks grim. Shahira Amin reports
Despite promising reform and introducing a new constitution in 2011, Morocco’s treatment of dissidents indicates the changes were just window dressing, Samia Errazzouki writes
