Middle East

Iran has warned the United States it will take action if its fleet returns to the Persian Gulf. Meanwhile, France is pushing European countries to follow the US in freezing Iranian central bank assets and imposing an embargo on oil exports.

Geneva – The UN human rights office voiced alarm at reports that the Egyptian military has carried out raids against the offices of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in what would be the first documented incidents of their kind in the country’s recent history.

Since northern African nations gained independence in the late 50s and early 60s, and long before the Arab Spring, the dream of North African unity has existed amongst the peoples of the region. North Africans are naturally united by a shared history, culture and language.

Cairo – A civilian court has ordered an end to the practice of forced virginity tests on female detainees in military prisons. Judge Ali Fekry, head of the Egyptian Administrative Court, read out the ruling at noon on December 27 in a courtroom packed with pro-democracy activists and journalists. The crowd immediately erupted in cheers of jubilation and anti-military chants.

The final pull-out of US troops from Iraq marks the end or perhaps just one stage of the end, of the biggest military disaster since Vietnam. Every US-UK goal behind the invasion has been lost, in some cases humiliatingly.

“Singing to freedom”, a film about the Syrian uprising, featuring: Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein, Amy Goodman, Erica Chenoweth and the Syrian protesters.
This video is about civil resistance in Syria, it presents some of the pragmatic arguments that the powerful force of nonviolent resistance is using successfully in order to bring down dictatorship.

After days of completing the prisoners swap deal between Hamas Movement and Israel resulting the release of 1027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the Israeli soldier Gila’ad Shalit, Israel has begun a new escalation against the Palestinian detainees in a clear
violation of their basic rights and an attempt to begin a new system purposes to increase prisoners’ suffering.

With celebrations and tears of joy, the Palestinian prisoners reunited with their families and friends on Sunday in Gaza and West Bank.

Thousands of Palestinians gathered outside the Palestinian Presidential compound in Ramallah in order to welcome the 509 released Palestinian prisoners and celebrate the great moment.

In a new attempt to tighten the siege on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Occupation Forces have imposed a sea border at 3 nautical miles away from Gaza’s seashore by placing large floats with big lights signs in order to restrict fishermen’s work and ban them from crossing this border as well as imposing a new buffer zone similar to the one along Gaza’s eastern and northern border

Despite predictions that liberal, leftist and secular forces would be the main rivals to the FJP (Freedom and Justice Party), a combination of factors led to a disappointing performance.