It’s time of the year for Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007. With all my reservations regarding Reporters Without Borders neutrality (having doubt after knowing that France is their financial supporter, although they are an NGO!), yet, their report was always a good indicator, if not the closest to reality - at least from my experiences [...]
In the fifth annual Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press Freedom Index, in between 168 indexed countries, our beloved Arab countries makes sure to be among the worst.
Here is the list in order from “best” to “worst”:
Kuwait - 73
United Arab Emirates - 77
Mauritania - 77
Qatar - 80
Morocco - 97
Lebanon - 107
Jordan - 109
Bahrain - 111
Algeria - [...]
WAN Press Freedom Report: The Arab World One of the Most Troubling Regions
The World Association of Newspapers’s press freedom review was presented to its Board, meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 14 November. The report states that the Middle East and North Africa is one of the most troubling regions in the world for press freedom, [...]
Bird flu at our door steps (Arabic):
Large numbers of chicken perished in south Yemen triggering fears bird flu, reports said Monday.
The Daily al-Ayam reported an unidentified disease is spreading quickly among birds in the province of Kabita, and cats and dogs that ate the dead birds also perished.
The paper said sick chickens stopped eating and [...]
Searched everywhere on the Arabic media to confirm this, but could not find it except on United Press International:
Saudi Arabia said Monday a rocket fired from inside Yemeni territory exploded on the Saudi side of the border.
Daily al-Watan quoted a security source as saying an explosion, which occurred in the border province of Najran, [...]
Riots In Yemen: Twenty dead, hundreds injured, no photos allowed. Roundup here.
Yemen�s first ever feature film “A New Day in Old Sana�a” is accepted by Cannes Film Festival as part of the Film Marche. However, the film will not be part of the competition in the festival this May 11-22.
Here is a sample of the hate emails, which I waste considerable time on reading lately:
Name: Billiam Mortain
Email: willie21@peoplepc.com
Subject: Israeli Kids sending Palastinians gifts
Message: I think the Israelis,should send you muslim pigs the BIG
GIFT. .A big NUKE. I think you pigs forget what you did to us
Americans on Sept 11TH.A ... EXCLUSIVE-US tax breaks help Jewish settlers in West Bank
Source: Reuters By Adam Entous The United States says Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank threaten any peace between Israel and the Palestinians -- yet it also encourages Americans to help support settlers by offering tax breaks on donations. As Condoleezza Rice flew in on Monday for another round of peace talks, ... Despite truce, still no sign of school supplies in Gaza
Under its truce with Hamas, Israel has permitted shipments of frozen meat, soft drinks, cookies, jam, shampoo, clothing and other items. However, the amounts are insufficient for the entire population. In September 2007 - three months after Hamas took over the Gaza Strip, and after the main cargo crossing, Karni, had ... A Monopoly of Incompetence, Corruption, Failure and Thuggery
Years of silence by Palestinian "Sheiks" and intellectuals led us to where we are now. Arafat ruled the PLO and Fatah with iron fist, using bribery, intimidation even physical liquidation to silence every one. There was never a call for accountability of decisions, failures even financial corruptions. Time for a ... We are running out of time for a two-state solution
By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondent At the end of my conversation with Sari Nusseibeh at the American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem, the highly respected president of Al-Quds University - and cosignatory of "The People's Choice," a peace plan that he formulated with former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon - told ...
