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Stories about West Asia & North Africa from June, 2014
Two Killed as Egypt's Government Fails to Notice Militant Group's Blatant Bombing Warning Online
Egyptian police came under fire after failing to act on a terror threat posted online, with the location of today's bomb explosions, which killed two officers.
Beyond the World Cup Headlines: Iran's Lacking Team Spirit, but Brazil's Favelas Have Plenty
You have to know more than just football to understand the World Cup. Deji Olukotun gives a play-by-play of the important free expression and human rights issues.
In Syria We Have All Become Killers
What do you feel when the security checkpoint where your mother was killed is destroyed in a bombing?
Are Turkey and NetClean Partnering to Stop Child Abuse or Curtail Internet Freedoms?
Turkey's reported partnership with NetClean, a big Swedish cyber-security company, is worrying Turkish Internet users that the worst in Ankara's battles with the web is still to come.
Singing and Dancing in a YouTube Video to Cheer On the National Football Team Can Get You Arrested in Iran
"Goal Iran" includes clips of Iranians in more than a dozen countries singing and dancing. Iranian police call it "vulgar."
Revenge from the “Disgrace of Gijón” as Algeria and Germany Face Up Again at the World Cup
Algeria and Germany national teams are set to face up on June 30 in Porto Alegre in the knock-out round of the FIFA World Cup. The match will revive plenty of...
Propaganda Wars: Russian Twitter Account Takes on American “Progress” in Iraq
Someone writing in Russian has issued the latest Internet challenge to the US government, launching a Twitter account parodying Washington's "counter-propaganda" feed about events in Ukraine.
The Story of Famine Refugees from Niger in Eastern Algeria
In the past few weeks, hundreds of Sub-Saharan immigrants from Mali or Niger have migrated to Algerian cities by the Eastern border. Liberté Algérie narrates the stories of those who made...
Australian Shock and Outrage at Egyptian Sentencing of Al Jazeera Journalists
Journalists have led the way on social media in expressing Australians' shock over the prison sentences for the Al Jazeera journalists in Egypt.
Debunking Rumors that Algerian Fans Burned Down a Church in Lyon, France after World Cup Win
On June 22 at the World Cup 2014 in Brazil, Algeria defeated South Korea 4-2 to keep its chance of qualifying to the knock-out round alive. Scenes of joy were...
ISIS Advances in Iraq Echoed in Bahrain
Bahrain government spokesman Sameera Rajab takes to Twitter to describe the ISIS advances in Iraq as a "revolution against the injustice and oppression."
Syrian Man Turns Artillery into Art
Douma, Syria-based artist Akram Abu al-Fawz turns missile and rocket shells into art objects and ornaments.
Iran's Internet Under Hassan Rouhani: Hope and Disillusionment as Narenji Bloggers Face Prison Sentence
What explains the recent moves to tighten controls within Iran’s cyberspace alongside Rouhani’s liberal Internet ethos? Mahsa Alimardani and Fred Petrossian explain in this exclusive #longread for GVA.
Social Media Sites Unblocked in Iraq, But is the Worst Yet to Come?
"Apparently blockage of social media sites were removed now in #Iraq, the fear is that the Gov is getting ready 2 cut the Internet," tweets Mohamed Najem.
Why Some Minorities in France Vote for the Far-Right Political Party Front National
Front National has a hardline position on immigration, but people of non-French origin did vote for the party. Some said they were concerned about the country's declining economy.
Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are Blocked in Iraq
Local media and at least one ISP are reporting that the Ministry of Communications ordered Internet providers to shut down Google and social media sites, fearing security risks.
Salam, Brazil: Muslim Football Fans and FIFA World Cup
Colombian United Arab Emirates-based Marcelino Torrecilla describes [es] the particulars of Muslim football fans in the 2014 FIFA World Cup: se espera para el mundial la llegada de 50 mil musulmanes provenientes...
Islamic Militants Seize Control of Mosul, Second Largest Iraqi City
Iraq's second largest city Mosul fell into the hands of Islamist militants today (June 10). Reports say the militants are from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
A Doctor Remembers His Days in Prison With Iran's Unjustly Persecuted Baha’is
The Baha'i Yaran - five men and two women - are serving 20 years in prison, the longest sentence of any prisoner of conscience in Iran.
Are You Enraged by Turkey's Coal Problem? You Should Be.
The recent explosion at a coal mine in Western Turkey was a particularly tragic and rage inducing reminder that climate disasters in fact represent a profound lack of social justice.
Moroccan Hackers Attack Mauritanian Government Sites
A group of hackers calling themselves the “Moroccan Secret Agent” have succeeded in breaching and seizing control [ar] of several Mauritanian governmental websites. The group defaced the websites with slogans insulting...