Arab world
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Press freedom in Egypt?
Mada Masr journalists to stand trial
Reporters from one of Egypt's last remaining independent media outlets are preparing for what activists criticise is a politically motivated trial. The international community should be doing more to help, they say. By Cathrin Schaer
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Berlinale's first Yemeni feature film
The taboo of abortion
"Al Murhaqoon" ("The Burdened") is the first Yemeni feature film ever to be shown at the Berlinale. Ahmed Shawky spoke to director Amr Gamal about the difficulties of making a film in Yemen and the taboo of abortion
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Earthquake politics
Syria – do EU, U.S. sanctions stop aid deliveries?
On social media, calls to lift sanctions on Syria and expedite earthquake aid recently went viral. But are such calls genuine, or are they part of a cynical campaign to further Bashar al-Assad's rehabilitation on the international stage? By Cathrin Schaer
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Sectarian politics in Lebanon
A harried Hezbollah
Hezbollah faces massive challenges – Lebanon’s presidential vacuum, sectarian tensions, as well as the ongoing economic turmoil. Yet, as Mohanad Hage Ali argues, it currently has few options for dealing with them
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Turkey-Syria earthquake
Biden's farewell to empathy
Mourning the deaths of earthquake victims in the Middle East or sympathising with the suffering of survivors doesn’t win you political points. Joe Biden's State of the Nation address completely ignored the earthquake in Syria and Turkey. Is the Arab-Islamic world gradually disappearing from U.S. politics? Essay by Stefan Buchen
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Detention in Egypt
Cairo's model Badr prison rife with abuse
A new prison, touted by Egypt as a model for reform, that holds some of its most prominent prisoners denies inmates healthcare and subjects them to punitive treatment including isolation, relatives of those inside and rights groups say.
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Human rights in Algeria
Banned, intimidated, driven into exile
Algeria's civil society is once again being targeted by the authorities. With the judicial dissolution of the human rights league LADDH, yet another human rights group critical of the government has been shut down – the outlook could hardly be worse. By Sofian Philip Naceur
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Tunisia in turmoil
Will Tunisians rise up against Kais Saied?
Voter turnout for parliamentary elections in Tunisia at the end of January 2023 was so low it broke world records. Tunisians are dispirited and a wannabe authoritarian leads the country. What now for the endangered democracy? By Cathrin Schaer and Tarak Guizani
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Human rights deteriorating in Morocco
Rabat's defamation drive
Morocco's regime continues to silence voices through censorship and arrest, apparently feeling vulnerable in the face of widespread popular criticism. Commentary by Abdellatif El Hamamouchi
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West Bank's last vinyl repairman
Vinyl lover preserves musical heritage
From Jamal Hemmou's ramshackle workshop in Nablus's Old City in the occupied West Bank, classic Arabic songs blare into the surrounding cobbled streets. For how much longer remains to be seen – neither of his sons is interested in taking over the business
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Sabah Sanhouri's "Paradise"
The last resort
Sabah Sanhouri is a fresh, new literary voice from Sudan. Her novel "Paradise" revolves around an agency of the same name, an organisation that assists desperate people in ending their lives. By Volker Kaminski
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Egypt’s economic crisis
Egyptians in dire straits
The devaluation of the Egyptian pound combined with rising food prices is taking its toll on Egypt. More and more people are slipping into poverty. Karim El-Gawhary reports from Cairo