Middle East

The latest member of the YouTube community is none other than Queen Rania of Jordan. In an effort to challenge western stereotypes about the Arab world, the net-surfing monarch decided to launch an online debate. Yet, after attracting almost 5000 responses, she seems to have lost interest in the scheme. Read more...

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The ‘tenth day', or Ashura, is an important event in the Muslim calendar, commemorating the death of Imam Hussein and celebrated all over the world by followers of Islam. Some of the festival-goers slash their backs and chests with knives and whips to show that they share the pain of their martyr. Here are some videos of ceremonies all over the world, from Bangladesh to Washington, with comments and photos from our Observer Nasim in Afghanistan, who attends the event in Kabul each year. Read more...

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Our Observer in Bahrain has provoked hilarious comments from his readers by publishing this video on his blog ‘Mahmood's Den'. Bush danced the Ardha sword-dance alongside the king of Bahrain on his visit to the kingdom at the weekend. Every head of state is expected to partake in this ritual- even Putin... (see the video).

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Californian Adam Yahiye Gadahn, aka "Azzan the American" has really riled Americans on the Web with his latest al Qaeda video calling on followers to arrange an ‘explosive reception' for George Bush's arrival in the Middle-East. The dramatic tearing up of his US passport, followed by a "I don't need it to travel anyway" quip has especially enraged many Americans.

Bloggers have been clogging cyberspace with their own, sometimes rather witty, often rather bitchy, online messages. One of the responses, by an American woman who ironically calls herself a ‘dumb-blonde' has been making the rounds on YouTube. See the videos and read more...

The contributors