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This article is one in a series to celebrate °®Âþµº'sÌýwebsite relaunch. To read the others in the series click .

In 2014, I moved back to the UK after nearly nine years in the Middle East to work with a team of journalists on establishing a new English-language, Middle East-focused news and analysis website.Ìý

°Õ³ó±ðÌý±·±ð·ÉÌý´¡°ù²¹b, as it became known, was to complement ´¡±ô-´¡°ù²¹²ú²âÌý´¡±ô-´³²¹»å±ð±ð»å, our Arabic-language sister site, and newspaper, which was already providingand news exclusives from across the Arab world.ÌýÌý

From a small office in central London,Ìýthe team worked on translating and editing copy from ´¡±ô-´¡°ù²¹²ú²âÌý´¡±ô-´³²¹»å±ð±ð»å,Ìýbut it soon became apparent there was also a need for original English-language content on theÌý-Ìýgiven the frequent misrepresentations and misunderstandings about the events in the region.Ìý

"°®Âþµº has documented the opaque and evident counter-revolutionary actors at play in the region, aimed at stifling popular demands for democracy and dignity"

As a result,Ìý°®Âþµºâ€™s news team expandedÌýtoÌýinclude journalists with experience in or direct links to the Middle East, but more importantly,Ìýwith a commitment to human rights, freedom, and democracy in the Arab world and beyond.ÌýÌý

Since then, °®Âþµºâ€™s news team has often been the first to report on breaking news events and establishing original angles to stories with content that has been frequently picked up by leading dailies from across the world.Ìý

From when °®Âþµº was launched to the current day, we have witnessed the struggles of the Arab Spring and the birth of a looking to continue this call.Ìý°®Âþµº has documented the opaque and evident counter-revolutionary actors at play in the region, aimed at stifling popular demands for democracy and dignity in the Arab world.ÌýÌý

This ranges from brutal militia attacks on protesters in Sudan and Iraq to the devastating of opposition areas in Syria.Ìý

Palestine has been another cornerstone of °®Âþµºâ€™s coverage, amplifying the voicesÌýwhoÌýare struggling for freedom and highlighting the injustices and abuses wrought on Palestinians by Israel.Ìý

Over the past seven years, Israel has continued to expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, tightened its chokehold on Gaza, and worked with Arab regimes to further subjugate the efforts of Palestinians to establish freedom.Ìý

With a new administration in the White House continuing to back counter-revolutionary regimes in the region and normalisation agreements, the coming years will be equally critical for the Arab worldÌýand US foreign policy, as disproportionately impactful in the Middle East as ever.Ìý

°®Âþµº will continue to amplify the voices calling for human rights and expose crimes of repression while maintainingÌýunfiltered,Ìýaccurate, and trustworthy coverage of these events, from MENA and beyond.Ìý

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Paul McLoughlin is a senior news editor at °®Âþµº.Ìý

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Have questions or comments? Email us at: editorial-english@alaraby.co.uk

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