European 'indignance' with a touch of Arab flare has brewed and begun to boil over. Europe has stolen the thunder from the Arab spotlight. Protests are no longer the preserve of the Middle East. Not even Palestine going the UN-way, or not, or indeed Syria still unfurling could draw our attention away from European plazas, piazzas and squares in financial hubs last week. What can the Western World who have democracy and presumably wealth be possibly missing or wanting? It turns out the West feels disenfranchised too. Not from power ...

An introduction, or a reminder, of who's who in this year's winner line-up for the Nobel Prizes, 2011, across all categories. Regionally, the prize that created the biggest stir in the climate of Arab Spring and the fight for woman's rights was nabbed by Arabia's very own Chammpion of Peace, journalist Tawakkul Karmen, the Yemeni lady and mother no less. The chemistry category could have proved 'combustive' in its prized Israeli winner, given the Arab in the winners draw, but the spirit of the occasion, not to mention the Peace ...

October 6th, 2011 marks the passing of a 'Beautiful Mind', Steve Jobs; an astoundingly creative, evidently resilient and heroic man, the co-founder of Apple computers and former CEO. His innovative contributions brought the computer to the non-desk-top or un-trained masses alike, through hand-held phone devices and the introduction of the tablets. With the iPhone and its entourage of 'apps', he revolutionized the telephone. Jobs reminds us that there are still brilliant minds in the age of mainstream. He thought out of the box, out of IBM and he gave us ...

Yesterday's ladies are not the same as today's....They say 'woman' is fickle, but Gaddafi changes his women almost as often as he changes his outfits (many times a day according to his former nurses) - if reports of the high turnover in female security staff are anything to go by. When his cards are down, where are his faithful female friends? Those Amazonian Guards said to take bullets for him and in service til death do them part with the Colonel. Out with the old, in with the new? Or ...

Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, announced his Friday 23rd application for full voting membership of the United Nations. But that rests on UN Security Council approval and will, we know since Wednesday and the US pledge to veto, fail. What may be acheived instead is an upgrading in status for the Palestinian entity to a "non-voting observer state," in the General Assembly, a category that now includes the Vatican only. Tomorrow the day of reckoning for Palestinian statehood is upon us. Will Palestinians be granted an upgrade to ...

Since Gaddafi left our screens to only enter the picture through mythical reports of his legendary flight details, The Colonel - considered now to be the most wanted man on earth - has reappeared to us only in the form of Kodak moments . We have been seeing the emergence of an intimate family portrait of his direct tribe, replete with special and ordinary dictator-family memories, from circumcision to wedding, baby pictures and snap-shots of lives lived in luxury. On top of these leaked albums, courtesy of the rebels' plundering ...

Since Mubarak's hospitalization and subsequent arrest, we have only seen images of him in the mode -- and gear-- of patient or prisoner. A far cry from his heady prosperous days where he insisted on his tailored suits bearing his own stamp : a personal weave, emblazoned in his 'running stitched' name. A vanity outfit if ever there was one. Now, he is reduced to choices in colors of pajamas, as befits convalescence or penal clothing. Mubarak's first appearance in court was memorable for the extraordinary images of the ousted ...

As we commemorate the 10-year anniversary of September 11 and remember the tragic victims who expected to start another day of work, only to end up victim to one of history's most dramatic human-made acts of destruction, we can survey the new altered reaity we inhabit - all of which seems to be a result of that incident. We cannot board an aeroplane, wire money internationally or watch the news without being reminded of that fateful day 10 years ago. In some countries, the idea of introducing ID cards has ...

Ever wondered what the leaders of the Arab countries do to celebrate the holidays? How do the sundry Sultans, Kings and Presidents of Araby spend their time on Eid? This Eid ul-Fitr, 2011, some Arab leaders are feeling a bit miserable; others are beginning to show signs of stress; others will spend quiet time with their families. Still more will probably invest in some lotion for their burns.