accio-coffee:

Last week in Egypt, a group of Russian photographers apparently climbed the Great Pyramid of Giza—hiding from guards for four hours after closing time before beginning the ascent. Climbing the pyramid, one of the photographers claims, carries a punishment of one to three years. But it was worth it. “I was speechless,” one wrote. “I felt a chilling delight, absolute happiness.” Here are some of their photos.

breakingnews:

Political struggles could cause collapse of Egypt

Reuters: The struggle between political forces in Egypt could ‘lead to the collapse of the state,’ the country’s army chief says.

In a posting to the army’s Facebook page, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said political and economic issues now represented a ‘real threat’ to security.

Photo: Protesters gather near a tank as they defy a curfew in the city of Port Said on Monday (Reuters)

I’ve been doing this for thirty years. You keep pushing and you make their life hell.

Interview with an entire family of Egyptian revolutionaries and activists, many of whom have been to prison on several occasions. 

breakingnews:

Raw Video: Egypt’s Women Protest in Cairo

The Associated Press

Thousands of women marched through central Cairo Tuesday demanding Egypt’s ruling military step down in an unprecedented show of outrage over soldiers who dragged women by the hair and stomped on them during a fierce crackdown on activists.

cheatsheet:

WARNING: This is incredibly disturbing footage of the Egyptian officers beating a veiled female protester in Tahrir Square. At one point, one soldier pulls the woman’s veil over her head to expose her bra and stomps on her breasts.

datatherapy:

Egyptian elections: the parties and where they stand - interactive from The Guardian.

The head of Egypt’s ruling military council has promised a speedy transition to civilian rule, but protests continue in Cairo.

Al Jazeera’s Jamal El Shayyal reports from Cairo.

newshour:

Voices From Egypt: ‘What Role Should Religion Play in the New Constitution?’

“Like many others, I was extremely surprised at the large numbers of Salafis that flowed into Tahrir Square in July. I know that they are not all extremists in thinking. Salafists are wide-ranging, but I don’t want this to be an Islamic state where we have to abide by strict rules. I am Muslim and I know Egypt has and always will have a Muslim identity. My fiancé wears the veil. However, I don’t believe that religion should impose on politics.”

Ahmed Hisham, Age 31, Electrical Engineer, From: Helwan, Cairo

Protests in Tahrir Square

We announce the good news from Egypt which has always carried its national and historical responsibility towards the Palestinian people. Four black years have affected the interests of Palestinians. Now we meet to assert a unified will.

The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, said the accord ended “four black years” that hurt national Palestinian interests. He also said at the ceremony that he would soon visit the Hamas-held Gaza Strip. The rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have signed a landmark reconciliation pact aimed at ending their bitter four-year rift. (source)

foreignaffairsmagazine:

The May/June 2011 issue of Foreign Affairs is now online and will be on newsstands April 26. In this issue:

Lisa Anderson, the president of the American University in Cairo, compares the paths of the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya.

Jack A. Goldstone, a professor at George Mason University’s School of Public Policy, analyzes the conditions under which revolutions succeed.

Michael Scott Doran, a professor at New York University, warns that Iran will try to manipulate the upheaval in the Middle East to its own advantage.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a professor at New York University and the author of The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, and Mark Blyth, a professor at Brown University, explain what the recent financial crisis and the revolutions in the Middle East have in common.

Aqil Shah, a postdoctoral fellow at the Society of Fellows at Harvard University, suggests that Pakistan will not become a failed state anytime soon.

And Kanan Makiya, a professor at Brandeis University, examines the phenomenon of totalitarian art.

Click here to read these and other articles. Subscribe now for instant access to this issue and more than 50 years of archives online.

Egypt Sentences Blogger to 3 Years

Via the New York Times:

An Egyptian blogger was sentenced Monday to three years in prison for criticizing the military in what human rights advocates called one of the more alarming violations of freedom of expression since a popular uprising led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak two months ago

The blogger, Maikel Nabil, 26, had assailed the Egyptian armed forces for what he called its continuation of the corruption and anti-democratic practices of Mr. Mubarak. Mr. Nabil often quoted from reports by established human rights groups.

The Middle East protests from their beginnings:

guardian:

Ever since a man in Tunisia burnt himself to death in December 2010 in protest at his treatment by police, pro-democracy rebellions have erupted across the Arab world. Our interactive timeline traces key events.