Topic: Tahrir Square

Global News Blog
Good Reads: A lesson for democracy, lost and found on Google Earth, and the next Arab uprising

This week's good reads include words of wisdom from Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi, using the Internet and applied mathematics to find the long road home, and a profile of Egyptian courage.

Global News Blog
Egypt's leading female voice for change warns that revolution is backsliding

Speaking at Tufts University, female Egyptian activist Dalia Ziada accused the Muslim Brotherhood of pursuing anti-democratic policies and said that women needed to be given more power.

Focus
Middle East protests: Signs of hope, challenge for fledgling democracies

The amplification of extreme voices is one consequence of budding democracies in the Middle East, but citizens insist that those voices remain on the fringe.

Backchannels
Is the Islamopocalypse really upon us?

No. Turn off the television news (or put down your copy of Newsweek) if you think otherwise.

In Cairo, angry yet small protests

Anti-American protests went forward in Cairo near the US embassy today but were small compared to the mass events at Tahrir Square since the uprising against Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Egypt opposition take to the street, clash with president's supporters

Compared to months of turmoil Egypt's streets have seen, the demonstrations were quieter and the number of protesters smaller. Demonstraters accuse president Mursi of seeking to monopolize power.

Keep Calm
Why Western sanctions on Zimbabwe may not matter anymore

Yesterday, the European Union announced it would lift sanctions on Zimbabwe if the country held a referendum on a new constitution. How much do sanctions affect the country? 

Turks turn to Twitter as Erdogan muzzles traditional media

With journalistic freedom diminishing in Turkey, Twitter has emerged as a powerful work-around for independent reporters.

Sudan: 'Arab Spring' protests wane, but activists remain optimistic

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has been a 'genius' at cracking down on opposition, activists say. But the government's control may work to its disadvantage, as economic woe continues.

Inside Sudan's prisons: Sudanese protesters speak out

Sudan's National Intelligence Security Service, blamed for the arrests and detention of some 2,000 protesters in the past month, are using torture, activists say. 

Egypt's President Morsi leaves for Saudi on 1st foreign trip

Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood has said his administration has no plans to 'export' Egypt'srevolution, an implicit reassurance to Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies, who have been nervous over the possibility of Arab Spring revolts reaching their shores.

In Egypt: Will dialogue resolve the conflict? (+video)

The standoff in Egypt between President Mohamed Mursi and the Supreme Constitutional Court over a ruling the court made last month is unlikely to end soon. The outcome of the conflict will undoubtedly have repercussions across the region.   

Africa Monitor
Why do the Sudanese protests get so little news coverage?

The Bashir administration's hold on power is precarious. But you won't see that story on TV news or your newspaper's front page.

Egypt's president orders parliament to reopen

The surprise move by the Islamist Mohammed Morsi could lead to a clash with Egypt's powerful generals.

Backchannels
Egypt's first Islamist president takes oath of office

Egyptian president-elect Mohamed Morsi addressed a throng of adoring supporters in Tahrir Square today. He is from the Muslim Brotherhood, the oldest Islamist organization in the world. So what does that mean, exactly?

Muslim Brotherhood's Morsi becomes Egypt's first civilian president

The Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi was declared Egypt's first civilian president since the monarchy was overthrown in 1952. But he will share power with a military suspicious of his 84-year-old Islamist organization.

Timeline: Egypt's revolution

As showdown with military looms, Egypt liberals back Muslim Brotherhood

The Egyptian military has offered the Muslim Brotherhood a choice: give us sweeping powers, or lose the presidency.

Focus
Is Egypt's revolution over?

Tahrir Square is filling again today, but it no longer holds the symbolic power for Egyptians that it did in early 2011. Now it's more of a democracy ghetto.

Backchannels
Reactions to the Egyptian military's power grab

In the past week, Egypt dissolved parliament, gave a constitutional super-vote to its generals, and reinstated sweeping powers of detention over security concerns. A roundup of reactions.

Tahrir Square fills again as protesters contest Egypt's military rule

Thousands of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square Tuesday to criticize the Egyptian military's power grab in the shadow of Sunday's presidential elections.

The Monitor's View: Egypt elections: How to reverse the military power grab

Just after the Egypt elections for president ended, the military announced sweeping powers for itself. This hubris of superiority runs against the historic tide of democracy – which includes civilian control of the military.

Egyptians vote for president with political transition in turmoil

Egyptians are casting their final votes today and tomorrow for president. The runoff election comes just days after a court ruling dissolved parliament, increasing the power of the military.

As Egyptian town votes, a glimpse of the revolution spurs longing for the past

In a town that was once a Muslim Brotherhood stronghold, many Egyptians are voting for former Mubarak ally Ahmed Shafiq in today's presidential election because they say life has been harder since the revolution.

Egyptian high court dissolves parliament

Some commentators are calling the decision tantamount to a coup; the decision has put this weekend's elections on uncertain ground.