African Union Celebrates 50th Anniversary

The African Union (AU), the single largest organization of states in Africa, marked its 50th anniversary from May 25 to 27, 2013 at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, sparking debate among Africans throughout the continent over the organization's relevance and effectiveness.

Qatar: New Cyber Crime Law Could Threaten Online Speech

Qatar is looking to shore up its legislation regarding cybercrime, including punishment for accessing sensitive government data, but a draft law recently approved by the country's cabinet also puts limits on online expression.

Workers Occupy Government Buildings in Mauritania

Syria Untold: Raqqa Lessons, From Freedom to Creativity in State Building

After the withdrawal of the Syrian army from Raqqa in March 2013, the city suffered a tremendous power vacuum, especially in public services. Syria Untold speaks to activists on the ground who describe a number of campaigns and initiatives led by young people to build the Syria millions dream of.

Global Hack for Good: Connecting Refugees with Lost Families

Yemen: Two Men Killed for Overtaking a Sheikh's Wedding Convoy

Two young Yemeni men were killed last week for bypassing a wedding procession of a Sheikh (tribal leader) in Yemen's capital Sanaa. Khalid Al-Khateeb and his friend Hassan Aman were driving in their car when they came across a tribal wedding procession and were shot to death for over-taking the convoy. The wedding convoy belonged to Sheikh Ali Abd Rabo Al-Awadhi, a member in Yemen's Islah party and a member of the National Dialogue. The murder sparked an outrage among netizens and activists.

Hackers in Arab Cities: Slow Internet and Girl Power in Algeria

Meet those Internet geeks in the Middle East & North Africa. Global Voices re-posts excerpts of the blog "Hackers in Arab Cities'' by Sabine Blanc & Ophelia Noor. In this article they depict the state of Internet in Algeria with two young geeks from the 'Ecole Supérieure d'Informatique d'Alger' (Computer Graduate School of Algier).

Tunisia: FEMEN Activist Faces Possession of Pepper Spray Charge

Tunisian FEMEN activist Amina Tyler, 19, is set to appear before a court on May 30 to face a charge of "non-authorized possession of pepper spray." If convicted the young woman could spend up to six months in prison.

Saudi Arabia Executes Five Yemeni Men, Publicly Displays Bodies

Five Yemenis convicted of murder and robbery were executed in Saudi Arabia and their bodies displayed in public in the southwestern town of Jizan. Photos of the bodies suspended from a rope high in the air circulated on Twitter and Facebook to the outrage of many Yemenis.

Yemen Marks Unification Anniversary as South Marches for Independence

A day before Yemen marked the 23rd anniversary of the unification of north and south to form today's Republic of Yemen, thousands gathered in South Yemen in support of independence for the region once more.

Iran's Regime Bars Two Top Candidates from Election Race

Once again the Islamic regime's desire for absolute control of political life in Iran surprised many when it announced their selection of only eight shortlisted presidential candidates out of more than 600 hopefuls.

14-year-old Citizen Journalist Killed Covering Clashes in Syria

Omar Qatifaan, a 14-year-old media activist, was killed while covering clashes between pro- and anti-government forces in the southern Daraa al-Ballad area of Syria near the border with Jordan.

Egypt: “Are you Happy Morsi?”

Egyptian Ahmad Khalil tweets [ar]: الكهرباء قطعت من الساعة 9.5 وبالتالى النت قطع ، لعلك سعيد يا ريس مرسى ؟؟ نحن نعيش فى العتمه والقادم اسؤأ @ahmad_khalil:The electricity has been out since 9.50am and as a result there has been no Internet. Are you happy President Morsi? We are living...

The Eccentrics and the Women Who Run for President in Iran

Hundreds of hopeful Iranians, including thirty women, have registered as candidates to replace President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the forthcoming election even though they have no chance whatsoever of being elected.

KFC Deliveries Smuggled into Palestine Through Secret Tunnels

Palestinian Anas Hamra, from Gaza, claims he got his Kentucky Fried Chicken delivered – after a seven hour wait. His story tallies with a recent New York Times report which says that Gazans are getting their KFC deliveries, from Al Arish, in Egypt, where they are smuggled through secret tunnels. The delivery service has since been discontinued, but at least Hamra got his KFC treat and the chance to blog his experience.

Turkey: Syrian Refugees Targeted after Reyhanlı Blasts

On May 11th, Reyhanlı [en] small Turkish town on Turkey-Syria border, was under terrorist attacks. This was the biggest terrorist attack [en] in country's 90 year-old republican history. Netizens react to the blast, a government imposed media ban on the tragedy and the targeting of Syrian refugees which followed.

INFOGRAPHIC: The Forced Exile of Palestinians

In commemoration of Nakba Day, the ‘Visualizing Palestine’ graphic team have released their latest infographic entitled “An ongoing displacement” which “quantitatively catalogues the multiple dimensions of Palestinian displacement and loss of land.”

Bahrain Jails Six Twitter Users for Insulting King

Six Twitter users have been sentenced to a year in prison each by a Bahrain court today for allegedly insulting King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on the micro-blogging site.

Saudi Mobile Company Seeks Privacy Advocate's Help to Spy on Clients

Saudi Arabia's second largest telecommunication company, Mobily, has reached for a privacy advocate's help to surveil encrypted communication applications. The advocate went public with the request, publishing email exchanges online, and causing an outcry on social media, where Saudi netizens calls for laws to protect people's privacy and punish those spying on the people.

Lebanon: Blogger Beaten for Taking Photos

Lebanese blogger Habib Battah narrates how he was held against his consent, forced to delete photographs of ruins from his phone camera and repeatedly assaulted in this post on the Beirut Report. When he reported the case to his local police station, the officers in charge said it was his...

Yemen: Focus on Education!

In a country where the illiteracy rate of both sexes (15 years and above) is almost 40 per cent, education and the empowerment of the women and youth is an imperative necessity for any concrete development in Yemen. Activists argue why education should be a right and not a privilege.