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The video contains quite a bit of footage shot in the streets during firefights and also contains lots of before and after shots of the city. I found the direct before-and-after comparison shots really powerful and it was for a sort of visual representation of the scale of destruction going on.

Russia claims that the arms deal it has with Syrian President Assad was made before the Syrian civil war started and simply just carried out the deal throughout the war. On the other hand, Assad states that they signed agreements at the beginning of the war, maybe a bit earlier. 

This article discusses a journalist that was killed while trying to document the riots at Tahrir Square in Cairo. He was one of many that was trying to spread the message of the square, and was harmed along the way. The article discusses the police telling them to stop recording before he was shot. The fact that documenting these types of events was so highly punishable really puts the idea of censorship in this country in perspective.

This article discusses a journalist that was killed while trying to document the riots at Tahrir Square in Cairo. He was one of many that was trying to spread the message of the square, and was harmed along the way. The article discusses the police telling them to stop recording before he was shot. The fact that documenting these types of events was so highly punishable really puts the idea of censorship in this country in perspective.

This article focuses on social media and revolutions, particularly in Egypt, and how women played a part in these revolutions through the platform of media. One interesting perspective that this article offered, was how women were viewed in media both before and after the revolution.

This article focuses on social media and revolutions, particularly in Egypt, and how women played a part in these revolutions through the platform of media. One interesting perspective that this article offered, was how women were viewed in media both before and after the revolution.

This article looked at the students view  on sex education in Morocco. 61% of students feel that there should be sex education in schools. 70% of students believed sex before marriage is immoral. This is an article which looks at how education and culture can clash.

This article was written during International Women's day, and describes what has been achieved to help equality. Before March 2000, no Egyptian women could file for a divorce expect if she could convince the courts that she has suffered physically or psychologically abuse from the husband. Now, women in Egypt have the advent of 'Khul' (no-fault divorce), though it did not truly help the women of Egypt.

Russian convoys en route to Damascus and Hama in Syria was attacked by militants before reaching their destination. No one was injured, and replacement convoys are being assembled. 

In the Middle East there is a lack of focus on culture in education. it focuses on the history of the "winners" and is promoting hate and ignorance in the education system. These issues have popped up before the Minister of Education since 1997. 

Barack Obama lands in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday as the U.S. alliance with the Mideast powerhouse is being questioned on both sides like never before.

"The Poetry of Revolution" discusses the ideas behind the street chants shouted out by the Egyptian people in their times of revolution. It focuses on the history of Egypt's uprisings and how they have changed before. This article was written a few days after the initial January 25th uprisings and attempts to explain how the chants take on a greater meaning to the protesters. Because they are given words to yell and shout, they are able to bind together and announce the same goals. Colla discusses how if the people did not have these chants, they would be too afraid to stand for their revolutions.

This is such a controversial topic. I saw a reference to it recently (was it possibly something that was brought up in the Bill Maher/Ben Affleck dust-up?) that pointed out that the practice is almost unheard of outside of central and northeastern Africa, with a few small pockets in Iraq and the Gulf.

article explains the "independence" that is being robbed by Egypts government. NGO's are regulated by the government and their every plan of action must be approved by the government before moving forward.

After Western powers suspected that the Syrian government used chemical weapons against the Syrian people, tensions grew against them and Russia, China, and Syria. The Eastern Powers believe that Western powers are overstepping their bounds for their need of power but the Western powers think that they need to interfere to help the people. 

Though many of the youth leaders who participated in the 2011 revolution are in prison, youth-driven political campaigns will continue under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. A new movement that has risen, called the "We have had enough" campaign has several demands from the Egyptian youth. These include holding accountable anyone who was involved in killing any Egyptian, a debate about implementing separation of powers, setting minimum and maximum wages, and amending the protest law. These demands have led the state to release some of the prisoners of conscience, in an attempt to prevent any chaos before parliamentary elections. A similar movement, called the Dhank movement, arose in protest of the living conditions for the poorest Egyptians. The leaders of this movement encourage protests like refusing to pay electric bills because of a lack of service. The activists describe the need for the Dhank movement coming from Sisi's poor treatment of the lower class that included removal of subsidies and raising prices of commodities. The "We have had enough" campaign spokesman says they insist on the implementation of 14 human rights amendments. He ends by reiterating the consistent suspicion the youth groups have of the state and a lack of confidence that their demands will be met. This shows that there is no clear strategy or realistic possibility to ending the tension between youth groups and the state.

The head of Tunisia's Ennahda movement, Rachid Ghannouchi, was undecided if he would run for a new term at the top of the movement during its 10th congress in the second half of this year. "Ennahda is about to formulate its main conceptions," Ghannouchi said. "We cannot start talking about the relation between religion and politics before formulating these conceptions," he added.

In a 4 billion dollar deal an Israeli firm agreed to export natural gas to the Egyptian firm Dolphinus Holdings. 2.5 billion cubic meters gas will be exported from the Tamar offshore gas field in which US based Noble Energy owns 36%. The gas would be exported over the pipeline which Egypt had used to export gas to Israel before it was sabotaged 2 year ago. For more than a decade Israel had relied on Egypt for 40% of its gas under a 2005 export accord but Egypt annulled the treaty in April 2012 citing that Israel had not held up their financial obligation.

Tunisia kicked off investor meetings for a Eurobond without US guarantees. Tunisia's stock market has already shown political stability. Tunis index rose more than 16 percent in 2014 and trades 10 percent below record highs hit before the Arab Spring. Tunisia has potential to reform but it is in need of foreign direct investment to drive economic growth and job creation. Tunisia signed a two year deal with the international Monetary Fund in 2013, agreeing to follow certain economic policies; keeping its deficit under control, making the foreign exchange market more flexible and structural reforms.

Diversifying the private sector In an economy where oil generates 90% of all government income is no easy task. This article touches on the future of Saudi Arabia and its potential economic and unemployment risks if the country does not seek new ways of generating revenue and creating non-oil related jobs.

In 2011 Tunisia experienced two quarters of decline in GDP. The size of the Tunisian economy decreased. Before 2011 the average growth of the Tunisian economy was between 4% to 5% per year. Immediate initiatives need to take place. An example of one would be banning strikes until the end of 2011, that would help reassure companies that are the main source of wealth and jobs creation.