Links for May 10-15 2010

I'm in New York for the next few days, and Morocco after that for a week, and expect blogging to be very light. Still, I promise a long post on the renewal of the emergency law this week and wider issues, including US-Egypt relations. I am writing this from a very interesting conference at CUNY on the future of Egypt (Hassan Nafaa is speaking right now), which is an occasion to remind you to follow me on Twitter (see sidebar) for updates and links that are not in the links posts.

Here are the links and I want to highlight the first one:

• State Department considers $4 billion endowment as Egypt extends emergency law | The Cable
  This is a hugely important story for Egypt-US relations watchers, and kudos to the Cable for getting actual documents up. More about this later.

• Egypt's Skype ban about politics - Lydia Khalil - POLITICO.com

  Oh, bullshit. It's about protecting monopolies.

• 'Stop using Palestinian gays to whitewash Israel's image' - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

  A good call.

• Syria and Russia in talks on nuclear power | World news | The Guardian

  Russia inching its way back in.

• Libyans react to Saif al-Islam's call for a constitution (Magharebia.com)

  Seif implicitly criticizing his father.

• Egyptian workers demand a living wage by Joel Beinin | The Middle East Channel

  Joel Beinin.

• Two Arab citizens of Israel accused of spying for Hezbollah

  That Israel-Arabs are spying for Hizbullah is likely, of course, but funny how the Shin Bet thinks spies would be political and rights activists...

• Sudan's south finally able to slake its thirst for beer

  "UK-based brewery exploits booze void left by decades of civil war and sharia law."

• ISRAEL: Dry spell a joint predicament for region's dope-doers

  The Israelis have a hash crisis too.

• Copts in Feud with ME Council of Churches

  Coptic politics.

• NAF: Drone Strikes Map

  Real-time mapping of AfPak drone strikes.

• Hey Elton

  Very well made call to Elton John not to play in Tel Aviv while Palestine is occupied.

• Gaza tunnelers use torches to cut Egypt's steel wall

  When there's a will...

• Peas process takes leap forward as Lebanon mashes Israel's hummus record - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

  Great headline, ridiculous story.

• Egyptian Chronicles: The Lords of Arms

  On Egypt's surprisingly high military procurement spending.

• Magda Abu-Fadil: Pan-Arab TV: Big on Audience, Lop-Sided on Advertising

  Wow, a good piece on the Arab world in HuffPo!