Tunisia’s new president Moncef Marzouki on Dec 14 asked the secretary general of the Islamist party that dominated last month’s elections to form the next government. Hamadi Jebali has three weeks to form the next interim government but he is expected to present it as soon as the end of the week because of the pressing problems the country faces.

Tunisians overthrew their long-ruling dictator in January, sparking pro-democracy protests across the Arab world. A long-repress...

Tunisia reopened its two border crossings with Libya on Dec 15 after a two-week closure caused by clashes between Libyan militias and Tunisian security forces. The failure by Libya’s government to keep order at the border crossings, vital supply routes for the Libyan capital, underlined the challenges facing the new leadership which took over from ousted leader Muammar Qaddafi.

Libya’s interim National Transitional Council has struggled to rein in the myriad armed militias...

 “The Protester” has been named Time’s “Person of the Year” for 2011. The news magazine cited dissent across the Middle East that has spread to Europe and the United States and said these protesters are reshaping global politics. The selection was announced on Dec 14 on NBC’s “The Today Show.” Time’s “Person of the Year” is the person or thing that the magazine feels has most influenced t...

Al-Azhar, Egypt’s 1,000-year-old seat of Islamic learning, will soon be preaching its doctrines on satellite television, a space it has previously left to Islamist parties now leading the country’s first free polls. Al-Azhar also plans to spruce up its websites, improve religious education and mobilise its imams to offer an alternative to the unexpectedly popular puritan message some Islamist politicians deliver.

Alongside its traditional work training most of Egypt’...

Palestinians have raised their flag at the headquarters of the UN cultural agency in Paris in a historic move and symbolic boost for their push for an independent state. Cheers rose alongside the red, black, white and green flag during a ceremony held in the rain on Dec 13. “This is truly a historic moment,” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said at the ceremony, his speech punctuated by rousing applause and standing ovations. “We hope this will be a good auspice for Pales...

Veteran Indonesian journalist Parni Hadi urged Muslim journalists to apply principles set out by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) in their work to enhance their credibility. Addressing the International Islamic Media Conference in Jakarta on Dec 14, the former chief of Antara news agency also called for the establishment of an international Muslim media development centre in Indonesia. Hadi, who has 40-year experience in journalism, spelled out the fo...

Tens of thousands of Gazans on Dec 14 turned out for an anniversary rally of the ruling Hamas, a demonstration of strength for the movement ahead of Palestinian general elections tentatively set for the spring. The annual rally has become an increasingly elaborate exercise in stagecraft since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 following internal fighting with forces loyal to Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The crowd faced a huge stage i...

After nearly nine years, 4,500 American dead, 32,000 wounded and more than $800 billion spent, US officials formally shut down the war in Iraq. US Defence Secretary Leon stepped off his military plane in Baghdad on Dec 15 as the leader of America’s war in Iraq, but will leave as one of many top US and global officials who hope to work with the struggling nation as it tries to find its new place in the Middle East and the broader world.

He and several other US di...