U.S. diplomats will begin moving into the mammoth new, heavily fortified embassy in Baghdad next month after long delays in the $736 million project — and not a moment too soon. ….S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said Friday that construction is complete at the Vatican-sized compound …The new embassy will be the largest U.S. [...]

London graffiti… Brilliant [via Boing Boing]

Director of the Financial Disclosure Department Nazim Aref on Sunday said 61 out of 110 deputies have submitted financial disclosure statements. Yesterday was the last day for deputies to file and submit their financial statements according to the 2006 Financial Disclosure Law, he added. The department provided lawmakers with the statement form on January 13, [...]

Sometimes, when I read up on developments in Dubai, I get the feeling it’s a city that consists of a giant tub of money. Just a casual glance at some recent news might lead you to that conclusion: – A Dubai-based Arab company has become the first ever in the world to charter a space [...]

As Fox News creates a documentary on President Bush, The Daily Show’s John Oliver produces a documentary on Fox News. It’s both fair and balanced: Part 1: Part 2:

When the international media focuses mainly on elections in African countries and the Tibet issue, you know it’s been a really slow news week. Sad, but true, no?

If you haven’t read Khalaf’s primer on the issue, definitely check it out. The new Salt Document is a pretty stunning and rare act of cultural and social reform on the ground level, specifically in adherence to the new socioeconomic realities. Some of the highlights focus mainly on wedding festivities: – A bride’s jewelry (as [...]

There is a question I am frequently asked by people who mistake me for an expert on the Jordanian blogosphere, and that is: why don’t Jordanian bloggers blog about issues (at all, or, more often). The short answer is: I don’t know. The long answer delves into a plethora of questions that are too complicated [...]