· November, 2012

Stories about Breaking News from November, 2012

Egyptians Want to Overthrow Mursolini

Egyptians are back at the epi-centre of the Egyptian revolution, in Tahrir Square, in downtown Cairo, where they are protesting sweeping powers their newly elected president Mohamed Mursi has granted himself. They include a rushed draft constitution announced today (Nov 30, 2012), penned by an Islamist-led assembly, which has new Islamic references to Egypt's system of government as well as clauses which infringe on women's rights and freedom of speech.

30 November 2012

Palestine Gets “Symbolic” Upgrade at the UN

The upgrade of Palestine from an "entity" to a "non-member state" at the United Nations received a lukewarm reaction from netizens - who asked what a 'symbolic' gesture like recognising Palestine at the United Nations would do to Palestinians, particularly those living under Israeli occupation and refugees.

30 November 2012

Are Communications in Damascus Down?

Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi has raised the alert of a possible Internet cut in the capital Damascus, where she reports that the phone services are also down. She tweets: @RedRazan:...

29 November 2012

Life Sentence for Qatari Poet for Insulting Amir

The poem is said to praise the Arab Spring, drawing comparisons to other countries living in repression and under dictatorship. According to Qatari journalist Abdulla Al Athbah, Al-Deeb's poem was seen as insulting to the Qatari Amir, and called for overthrowing his rule.

29 November 2012

Israelis React to Barak's Retirement from Politics

Israel's Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak, who previously served as Israel's Prime Minister (1999-2001) and IDF Chief of Staff (1991-1995), made a surprise announcement in a press conference today, saying he will be retiring from politics as we wants to spend more time with his family. Israeli netizens react to his resignation.

26 November 2012

Beloved Presidential Candidate in South Korea Bows Out

With the presidential election just a month away, South Koreans were surprised when the top contender suddenly dropped out of the race. This unprecedented political move was made by South Korea's beloved entrepreneur-turned-politician, Ahn Cheol-soo, who is widely seen as the most apolitical and least corrupt candidate in the nation's recent political history.

26 November 2012

Saudi Judge: “What applies to the ruler, does not apply to those he rules”

Earlier today, Riyadh Criminal Court held the sixth hearing session of the ongoing trial of the two prominent human rights activists Mohammad Al-Qahtani and Abdullah Al-Hamid. Today's session was solely a debate between the judge and the defendants, and the public prosecutor did not talk at all. Sixty-five people attended the session, in which the judge argued: "What applies to the ruler, does not apply to those he rules."

24 November 2012

Has Morsi Pulled a Mubarak and Cut the Internet Off Tahrir Square?

Egyptian netizens are reporting Internet cuts around Tahrir Square, the epi-centre of the Egyptian revolution while others are saying it in working fine. If the Internet is being disrupted by the authorities, it brings to mind what happened on the second day of the start of the Egyptian revolution, when access to the Internet was cut off in Egypt on January 26, 2011.

23 November 2012

Bus Explodes in Central Tel Aviv Hours Before Ceasefire

Hours before a truce was declared between Israel and Hamas, a bus exploded in central Tel Aviv around noon today, injuring some 17 people. Hamas took responsibility for the blast, which many said would put a dent on talks of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, who have been clashing for a week.

21 November 2012

Social Pressure Halts Evictions Temporarily in Spain

After years of action, the associations and platforms that formed in protest against home evictions in Spain achieved their first great success. The Spanish Banking Association announced that all evictions for families with small children, people with disabilities and the long-term unemployed will be suspended for the next two years.

20 November 2012