As a member of a small tribe of Orientalist Zionists, I count among those who find it no contradiction in supporting both Israel and Palestine (for what it’s worth, we are cousins). While it can often be a lonely tribe, it can also lead to some interesting academic discussions and exchanges.

South Africa’s government called for calm today as beloved former President Nelson Mandela spent a second day in the hospital. Spokesmen for Mr. Mandela’s foundation said the elderly liberation fighter had gone to hospital for a “routine checkup,” but South Africans have been following news of his health closely nonetheless, and crowds have gathered outside of the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg where Mandela is seeking treatment.

SA will, in the coming months, approach fellow members of the Bric bloc Russia and China to train local diplomats in commercial diplomacy. Diplomats trained in commerce and economics are indispensable in negotiating favourable trade and investment agreements with other countries . Russia, and more particularly China, have been aggressively pursuing trade deals abroad .

There has been much argument about what technologies and international factors played a role in Tunisia's revolution. We covered Facebook's role, which I would summarize as significant but not determinative.

The face in the painting is North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's, smiling beneath his trademark sunglasses and wall of black hair. But the body is Marilyn Monroe's, pushing down her white dress in an updraft.

In recent years, filmmakers and business executives from the United States, South Asia, and Europe have shown a growing interest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, not only as a potential market but also as a wellspring of talent and inspiration.

Meedan, a leading Arabic-English translation technology company announced today it is providing free Arabic translation for microloans on Kiva.org. The move will help expand the reach of Kiva and its lenders directly into the heart of the Arabic-speaking world, extending a global community of micro-lenders to include thousands of Arabic-speaking aspiring entrepreneurs.

Pope Benedict XVI still won't let you poke him (he’s not on Facebook), but the pope has offered new praise of the “great opportunity” of social networking sites and invited Christians "to join the network of relationships which the digital era has made possible." With a caveat: Virtual relationships are no substitute for the real thing, he said.