While Colonel Moammar Gaddafi's days may be numbered, he will be missed by many. Not least by Al Bawaba's entertainment channels, if just for his 'Qaddafisms'. Though Gaddafi himself still does not seem about to take his last curtain call, he might soon get caught out, or beaten, by the overwhelming tide of opposition and NATO's strikes- as witnessed in the Yemeni leader's eventual begrudging departure. The Edtiors at Al Bawaba might secretly miss him, but we shan't be sorry to see the back of a tyrant who has unleashed ...

Sabah, the Lebanese octogenarian queen, our darling singing and acting classic diva, who was born the less exotic 'Janet', soon shed her given names, Gergi Fighali, in favor of the stage name Sabah. She is among the most prolific Arab singers, with a reported 3,500 songs to her repertoire. Prolific in entertainment and in her private life too- through much publicised multiple marriages. Reportedly married a good 9 times, the figure is disputed in the minefield of reportage and data concerning such a celebrity, who has not helped the matter ...

The outing of Israeli-American spy found in Tahrir Square just this month has tickled our spy sensors awake and got us craving some spy drama, only to be found perhaps in a bygone era. But in this case, we need not delve back that far. Inpsired to revisit the not-so-ancient anals of Egyptian history of espionage webs or spy cases, we can hark back to a recent spy ring in the region- specifically an Egypt/ Israel ring uncovered just 2009/10. Al Bawaba offers you a taster to stimulate your spook ...

The 'Gay Girl in Damascus' it turns out was neither in Damascus nor gay or female, for that matter. This story has had the media world in a bit of a frenzy in the last fortnight. It is the story of an American man in the UK studying for his masters in Middle East studies who, while distracting himself from his thesis, distracted the whole internet and news world with him. But while detracting us from real news on the Syrian ground, this blog fantasist also threw into relief some ...

While the Arab world has been subverting the system and making some noise, Palestinians have by and large remained quiet as the spotlight left them. Bar a few attempts to wage peaceful protests on Israel's surrounding borders mid May, Palestine has been somewhat sidelined by the 'Arab cause'. Or looking at it another way, Fateh and Hamas made a unity agreement before the disgruntled Palestinians had a chance to pipe up. The Raffah crossing point between the Gaza Strip and Egypt was reopened successfully again after teething problems the first ...

As Mubarak’s trial date for August 3rd is announced, we consider whether he has ‘anything’ on his side to make a positive case for Hosni Mubarak. On 24 May, Mubarak was ordered to stand trial on charges of premeditated murder of peaceful protestors during the 2011 Egyptian revolution and, if convicted, could face the death penalty. What Mubarak acheived for Egypt? We’ve slated many Arab Leaders recently, so maybe it’s time to at least consider the flip-side of the coin and review any good deeds that may have been done ...

Shakira seeks to celebrate her 'Lebo-Syrian' roots - recently feeling inspired while performing in Morocco after her tour through the Emirates and Lebanon, Shakira expressed her keen desire to fast-track her Arabic learning in order to sing some Arabic singles, if not albums. Half Lebanese by her mixed parentage, she has always claimed a Middle East as well as Latin influence to her music. Shakira often speaks of her Arabic ancestry with pride, revealing that she grew up listening to the Arab world’s classic divas of the 20th century, Egyptian ...

Given a tradition of tight relations between the military and the state (for now, the people), Egypt could be forgiven for expecting a promising and blossoming bond to prevail after Mubarak's ouster February 11, 2001. The first encounters between the armed forces and civilians were quite warm: and people celebrated together with an army they claimed was of and from them after all. Protesters jumped on tanks in joy and paused to take pictures with military forces in khaki uniforms. Since Mubarak fell and handed over power to the Supreme ...

In the Middle East, courtesy of MBC, Oprah's much hyped show finale was aired yesterday, Saturday 28 May 2011, capping 25 years of the most popular talk show in America. Twenty-five years dedication to the job, and she has 'not called in a sick day', she reminds us since the show's first airing, September 8, 1986. Yesterday, 4,561 episodes later, the Middle East tuned in to a lady they'd mostly, with typical Arab hospitality, welcomed into their living rooms since the show aired on MBC 6 years ago. Many of ...

Syrian household soap and film favorite heroes, who tackle social problems on the big screen, are letting the people down in the real world. They are rallying around the Assad regime instead of standing up for their people and fans in revolution. With enough disappointment for the Syrian people at this time, given their President’s broken promise to them for reform, and his treacherous attack on them in the streets, this is another slap in the face for Syria. It is said that Assad asked the Syrian actors and actresses ...

The life journey of Egypt's First Lady, who once caught the public attention for her promising poise and ambition, by now more infamous for corruption and narrowly avoiding jail. Today she admits that certain assets that appeared to belong to her were public property, including charitable funds in her bank accounts, as she side-steps jail by giving back to Egypt what's rightfully Egypt's. From modest roots in Wales, to more advantaged connections in Egypt, this woman rose to the High Life where she outstayed her welcome, only to aggravate her ...