Foreign employees in Lebanon have been working for months without pay. Many have been cast out into the streets by their employers, and others are in forced labour. Their embassies have refused to help them. Most of them want only one thing, to finally go home. By Sandra WolfMore
The end of July saw the launch of the African Union’s "Sauti" digital publication, the first young feminist platform in Africa, which this year showcases stories by female youth on their initiatives and their challenges in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Alessandra Bajec reportsMore
Jeddah is very different from other cities on the Arabian Peninsula, says Ulrike Freitag, historian of the Modern Middle East. In her book "A History of Jeddah", she explores the turbulent history of this former Ottoman port city, which has been uniquely shaped by trade and pilgrimage. Jannis Hagmann spoke to her about the city and the bookMore
Can art help individuals process the experience of fleeing across the Mediterranean? Sponsored by Malteser International, the art project "Human Cargo" in Ahaus, Germany, is helping refugees come to terms with the horrors they experienced on their odyssey. By Wolfgang DickMore
Ethiopia and Eritrea didn't pen their peace agreement in Addis Ababa or Asmara, but in Saudi Arabia with the Emirates alongside. Are economic and military interests increasingly binding Gulf states and the Horn together? By Sella OnekoMore
How do authoritarian regimes respond to EU initiatives to stem migration? A recent publication by the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP – Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) demands that Europe adopt clear principles on funding and enforce red lines with regard to human rights. By Monika HellsternMore
In Asia and Africa, Muslim terrorists are regarded as combatants with concerns that should be taken seriously. Experts advise dialogue in lieu of extermination. By Charlotte WiedemannMore
Rich Saudis are investing millions in building mosques in Africa. And they are being accused of using radical preachers to destabilise the region. But there has long been much more at stake on the African continent than proselytising. By Gwendolin HilseMore
Ostinato Records recently released an amazing compilation of Somali music, ″Sweet as broken dates″, which reminds listeners that – despite the prevalent images of a land torn apart by civil war – Somalia was once a country with a thriving cultural tradition. Review by Richard MarcusMore
Boko Haram in Nigeria, Al-Shabab in Somalia: Islamist groups dominate the image of Islam in Africa. Yet it is too simplistic to assert that Islam south of the Sahara is becoming more conservative as whole. By Daniel PelzMore
Eight thirty in the morning in Hargeisa and a crowd has formed outside the function hall of the Guled Hotel. Visitors are queuing at the security check and waiting to get in. It′s book fair time in the capital of Somaliland. By Michaela Maria MullerMore
Over the past few years, interest in the fate of Somalia has increasingly faded into the background. And as books about the country are a scarce commodity, it is all the more welcome that Marc Engelhardt is now sharing his wealth of experience and solid knowledge about Somalia. By Laura OvermeyerMore
Politically speaking, the Yemeni opposition movement is extremely heterogeneous and therefore finds it difficult to act in concert. The only goal they all share is to bring about the resignation of the President. An analysis by Albrecht MetzgerMore
The power struggle in Yemen is primarily a conflict between two families: On the one hand that of President Saleh, who clearly has no plans to leave office quietly, and on the other the Ahmar family, which presides over the Hashed tribal confederation. By Rainer HermannMore
After 15 years of anarchy in Somalia, Islamists have taken control of large parts of the country. But the growing influence of the Union of Islamic Courts and the rise to power of extremists threaten to embroil the entire region in war. By Marc EngelhardtMore
You might expect the advent of a long, bleak winter to bring everything to a standstill in Kashmir, but thanks to ingenious portable earthenware heating pots – kangdi – encased in wicker baskets, people can still go about their business. By Sugato Mukherjee
