---
title: "Egypt arrests prominent blogger in growing crackdown, and other stories &#8211; our morning round-up"
date: "2013-12-03T08:35:29+00:00"
modified: "2013-12-03T08:35:29+00:00"
url: "https://rationalists.org.uk/2013/12/03/egypt-arrests-prominent-blogger-in-growing-crackdown-and-other-stories-our-morning-round-up/"
post_id: 6048
categories: ["Uncategorised"]
---

# Egypt arrests prominent blogger in growing crackdown, and other stories – our morning round-up

[Egypt arrests prominent blogger in growing crackdown](http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/03/us-egypt-protests-idUSBRE9B207X20131203)

A prominent Egyptian blogger said on Tuesday he had been arrested, the latest political activist to be detained in a widening crackdown on dissent by the army-backed government. “I am now present in Basateen police station. I still don’t know the accusation against me or the reason for my arrest,” Ahmed Douma said on Twitter. (Reuters)

[UN implicates Bashar al-Assad in Syria war crimes](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25189834)

The UN’s human rights chief has said an inquiry has produced evidence that war crimes were authorised in Syria at the “highest level”, including by President Bashar al-Assad. (BBC)

[David Cameron protests to Chinese president after UK journalist barred](http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/dec/03/david-cameron-protests-chinese-president-journalist)

In a sign of the challenge of trying to secure closer ties with Beijing, the prime minister was forced to interrupt discussions with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping to express unease that the Bloomberg journalist Robert Hutton had been excluded from a press conference with Cameron and his Chinese counterpart, Li Keqiang. (Guardian)

[Archbishop of Canterbury: The cross has become a fashion symbol](http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/archbishop-of-canterbury-the-cross-has-become-a-fashion-symbol/2013/12/02/26e4bd96-5b88-11e3-801f-1f90bf692c9b_story.html)

The Christian cross has become little more than a piece of jewellery worn around the necks of celebrities, said Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. In the foreword to a new book about Christianity, the head of the world’s 85 million Anglicans presents the symbol of Roman torture upon which Jesus died as “the moment of deepest encounter with radical change.” And he regrets that after 2000 years, the cross has become trivialised. (Washington Post)

[Male contraceptive pill ‘a step closer’](http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/dec/02/male-contraceptive-pill-closer)

A pill that provides a safe, effective and reversible method of contraception for men has been brought a step closer by scientists. Researchers identified two proteins that can be blocked to prevent the launch of sperm cells from the testes during ejaculation. Knocking out the proteins in genetically engineered mice resulted in male animals that were completely infertile, though they continued to mate normally. (Guardian)