MENASource

Finally Some Action on Subsidies in Egypt

By Mohsin Khan and Svetlana Milbert

As part of the budget for the current fiscal year 2014/2015, the Egyptian government took a bold step to reduce fuel subsidies on July 4. Gasoline prices were increased by an average of 42 percent, with the lowest octane gasoline price rising by 78 percent, diesel by 64 percent, and compressed natural gas by 175 […]

Not Too Late To Save Libya

By Richard Northern and Jason Pack

Libyans, who experienced such high hopes after their country’s liberation in 2011, now face escalating violence and a growing humanitarian crisis in Benghazi and Tripoli. Many are fleeing. The implications may be as serious as the conflict in Gaza. Yet there is no concerted effort to mediate a ceasefire.

Top News: July Marks One Of The Deadliest Months In Iraq

By MENASource

The UN Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) said in its monthly statement that at least 1,737 people were killed in July, down from 2,400 deaths in June. In the statement, the UN mission again called on the country’s feuding politicians to set aside their differences and form an inclusive government.

Libya’s Downward Spiral

Libya stands today at the precipice as inter-militia fighting threatens to derail an already fragile transition in a tumultuous region.

EconSource: Jordan– Government Lowers Prices of Oil Derivatives

By EconSource

Follow the latest in economic news and developments about the Arab transition countries. 

Top News: Seventy-Five Bodies Found In Benghazi

By MENASource

As a temporary ceasefire took hold in Tripoli to allow firefighters to control a huge blaze at a fuel depot, at least seventy-five bodies, mostly soldiers, were found in Benghazi after two days of fighting in which Islamist militias overran an army base.

Hearing Reveals US State Department has not Adapted to New Egypt Realities

By Elissa Miller

Civil society organizations and nongovernmental organization (NGOs) in Egypt are in a crisis. In late June, the Ministry of Solidarity presented a restrictive new NGO draft law that would severely restrict the formation, activities, and funding of NGOs. Egypt’s repressive climate for NGOs, however, is not new. In December 2011, the Egyptian authorities, objecting to […]

Poverty and Conflict in the Middle East

By Matthew Timmerman

From its outset, the self-immolation of a crestfallen Tunisian vegetable vendor, the Arab Spring was largely about poverty. Mohamed Bouazizi’s final words before igniting himself and the region were, “How do you expect me to make a living?”