Polarisation deepens within Arab world

In a recent opinion piece in the Daily Star, Rami G. Khouri examines the causes and criteria for the increasing economic polarization within the Arab world. As differences in income and growth become sharper between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and the poorer Arab nations, Khouri claims, the causes cannot solely be attributed to income levels, and instead are linked to a range of social and political factors. Describing the circumstances of the split, Khouri argues that the roles of strong, secular governments, national cohesion and an embrace of pluralism are key factors in the success of GCC states, while Arab states plagued by violence and poverty tend to be insular, fragmented, and generally more religious.

The toD verdict: While Khouri may be right in identifying the root causes behind the growing disparity in the Arab world - what he refers to as an "ominous rift" - the question of the chicken or the egg is curiously absent from his analysis; or in other words, are GCC counties successful because they're strong, secular, pluralistic, etc; or are they so because they need to protect their wealth? Khouri's analysis seems to somewhat blindly embrace the tactics of the GCC states, and pays little credence to how these very tactics could be exacerbating the problems he identifies in less wealthy countries. Case in point: "One of the striking aspects of the GCC states... is the very rich variety of nationalities that live and work there. Most individuals do not mix with each other beyond commercial or service encounters, making a sense of community elusive; yet the sheer variety of nationalities is impressive." Although Khouri does a good job locating the issues that are currently dividing the Arab world along the lines of money and security, he fails to draw a strong connection between how the fate of one side affects that of the other.

Death toll rises in Gaza

At least 18 Palestinians and 3 Israelis have been killed in a recent wave of fighting in Gaza. The violence began last Tuesday, when the Israeli military clashed with members of Hamas during an Israeli operation to keep suspected militants away from the border fence. Since then, one of the deadliest attacks in recent weeks took place on Wednesday afternoon, when an Israeli air strike killed 14 Palestinians, including 5 children and a Reuters cameraman. Earlier on, two Palestinians were killed during an Israeli raid on the Qabatiya refugee camp, and Hamas has responded by launching rocket attacks at Israel from within Gaza. The escalation in violence has garnered international concern, as thousands in Gaza have attended the funerals of the victims, and Hamas has issued a statement saying "all options are open" to avenge the deaths.

Iraqi suicide bomber strikes funeral

A suicide bomber in northern Iraq has killed 49 and injured 5 after striking a funeral in a Sunni village near the town of Adhaim on Thursday. The attack, which is one of the deadliest in months, has been linked to al-Qaida, who have declared their intent to target local Iraqi military groups working alongside U.S forces. The village where the funeral took place is located on the so-called "Road of Death," an area between Adhaim and the city of Kirkuk known for its strong al Qaida presence. The funeral was for two members of a US backed neighborhood security unit who had recently been killed.
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South Africa calls for Zimbabwean election results

After a period of laxity towards the Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, South Africa has toughened its stance, demanding the immediate release of election results which Mugabe has so far refused to make public. The policy shift came about after South Africa drew criticism for refusing to call the situation a crisis, and in light of the EU's call for the publication of the results. The Zimbabwean opposition party Movement for Democratic Change has argued that the ruling party Zanu-PF is using the time to intimidate opposition supporters in anticipation of a run-off election.

Anti-Olympic protest sweeps India

Joining the international protest movement against the Chinese Olympics, tens of thousands of demonstrators have gathered throughout India to protest the Olympic torch's journey to Beijing. India is home to the largest community of Tibetans in exile, and hundreds of pro-Tibetan protesters have been arrested in cities across the country, including an estimated 150 Tibetans. In anticipation of the demonstrations, India has dramatically stepped up security efforts in its major cities, mobilizing over 15,000 police troops in New Delhi alone. In spite of heightened tensions, the protests have remained peaceful.