The Latest from Iran (18 January): Challenging Khamenei

Nikahang Kowsar draws inspiration from the victory of Ashgar Farhad's film at the Golden Globes Awards to suggest a remake, "Supreme and Mahmoud: A Separation"

---

1940 GMT: Currency Watch. Suddenly the Iranian Rial has plummeted on the leading currency site Meshgal. It has fallen 3.5% in a few hours to a record low of 18200:1 vs. the US dollar.

Before the Central Bank and authorities intervened in recent weeks --- through an "ordered" rate, attempted arrests of street traders, and blocks on websites including Mesghal --- the low point for the Rial was 17800:1.

1520 GMT: Currency Watch. ISNA reports that foreign exchange offices have stopped the sale of US dollars, even by phone, for fear of being closed down for not adhering to the "ordered" rate of the Central Bank.

The Central Bank's command was for 14000 Iranian Rials to 1 US $, but the rate on the streets is 17500:1.

Click to read more ...

Bahrain Feature: Tear Gas --- The Story Behind A Picture

---

We have been sent a video from Alquraiya, produced by an opposition group, giving more insight into the photograph we posted this morning of protesters in front of a blanket of tear gas, after a march was attacked by security forces. The footage of the extraordinary amount of tear gas used by police on defiant demonstrators again raises concerns over police tactics and the short- and long-term health risks of exposure to such a volume of tear gas.

At EA, we hear daily accounts from people in Bahrain who experience the tear gas fired in villages and residential areas and even inside homes, but what does that mean beyond their stories?

Click to read more ...

Syria 1st-Hand Video: Inside the Besieged City of Zabadani

<

---

EA sources provide English subtitles for an interview with soldiers from the Free Syrian Army stationed in the embattled city of Zabadani, 20 miles northwest of Damascus.

Click to read more ...

Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Liberation Near Damascus?

1954 GMT: Bahraini activists are calling for an interesting protest. Starting Thursday night, activists have called for the release of glowing "sky lanterns" across Bahrain for the next three night, part of a peacuful protest against the establishment of the 2012 Bahrain International Airshow.

EA's John Horne has also discovered this funny little video. An activist, dressed in typical "terrorist garb" gives instructions, in a high-pitched voice, on how to build these lanterns... and also, how to cook potatoes.

Click to read more ...

Syria Special: Zabadani - The First Liberated City?

Tanks burning in a field in Madaya, near Zabadani, after being destroyed by soldiers from the Free Syrian Army

See Also, Tuesday's Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The State of the Uprising, Continued

---

UPDATE: Shelling has resumed in the city of Zabadani for a 6th day, as the cease-fire has apparently broken. Please see today's live coverage for the latest details.

The broken cease-fire, however, does not erase the significance of this event. The Free Syrian Army did win a military victory, if only for a day. Even more evidence is surfacing that testifies to that fact.

This video reportedly shows a burned-out hull of a tank, allegedly destroyed by the FSA yesterday:

Click to read more ...

Egypt Feature: The Rise and Fall of the 6 April Youth Movement? (Fadel)

The April 6 youth movement has shrunk in stature against a backdrop of economic woes and instability, including months of clashes between security forces and demonstrators that have disrupted daily life. Although the group once had near-heroic status, its troubles have been compounded by the ruling military’s success in portraying the group as agents of a foreign-backed insurrection.

Together with other youth groups and activists, the group is trying to organize mass protests Jan. 25 to demand the immediate transfer of power from the military to the newly elected parliament, which is expected to be seated soon.

Click to read more ...

Internet for Beginners: Why the Stop Online Piracy Act is Dangerous (Heald)

See also EA Audio: Scott Lucas with BBC on SOPA & Wikipedia's 24-Hour Strike

---

I’m sure you’ve heard by now that SOPA is bad and would ruin the Internet, but have you actually read the bill? If not, it’s worth reading, for two reasons. First, if you are going to oppose a bill, you should know exactly what you’re opposing, not just the vague principle behind it. Second, it’ll provide you with a valuable insight: that these bills are written in an attempt to obscure the truth.

Click to read more ...

EA Audio: Scott Lucas with BBC on SOPA & Wikipedia's 24-Hour Strike

In a protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), now working their way through Congress, Wikipedia and hundreds of website are going "dark" on Wednesday.

Jimmy Wales, the co-founder of the on-line encyclopedia, said the legislation would make "something like Wikipedia essentially impossible...if the provider has to police everything that everyone is doing on the site."

Speaking with BBC West Midlands, Scott Lucas explains why SOPA is being proposed and why it is considered by many as a threat to freedom of expression on the Internet.

The discussion starts just after the 1:42.00 mark.

The Latest from Iran (17 January): Questioning the Supreme Leader

Former MP Emad Afrough, on State TV, says the people should be able to question and dismiss the Supreme Leader

See also Iran Opinion: Manipulating a Murder in Tehran
The Latest from Iran (16 January): Economic Jitters

---

2049 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Journalist Marzieh Rasouli has been arrested tonight at her home in Tehran.

Rasouli, who has written for Shargh, writes mainly about books and music.

2034 GMT: Justice Watch. Mohammad Seifzadeh, prominent lawyer and one of the founding members of the Center for Defenders of Human Rights, refused to participate in his trial on 11 January 2012, according to his wife and lawyer, Fatemeh Golzar.

Golzar said, “Mr. Seifzadeh believes the Revolutionary Court is unqualified to handle his case. He forwent participation in the trial because of the court’s lack of competence and lack of a jury at his trial -- - which is one of the deficiencies that make this not a fair trial --- and for other, similar reasons."

In November 2010, Seifzadeh was sentenced to nine years in prison --- later reduced to two on appeal --- and a 10-year ban on practicing law, following charges of acting against national security by participating in the establishment of the CDHR.

In spring 2011, the lawyer was detained, charged with “illegal exit” out of the country, and sent to Evin Prison, where he was charged with “collusion and acting against national security” for his writings. These include a letter to former President Mohammad Khatami, former President of Iran; two articles critical of the way amnesty is applied in the law and of the definition of political crimes; and collective statements in prison.

Click to read more ...

Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The State of the Uprising, Continued

A large anti-regime rally in Barzeh, near the Syrian capital Damascus

See also A Song of Global Hope: We Shall Overcome أغنية سوف ننتصر
Bahrain Special: Nabeel Rajab's Speech "Our Problem is with the King"
The Real Net Effect: How States Fail at the Manipulation of Social Media
Monday's Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Meaningless Amnesty, Cosmetic Speech?

---

2053 GMT: After the violence and deaths in Homs today, one of a series of demonstrations tonight in nearby areas, in this case, Deir Ba'alba:

Click to read more ...