Arab world
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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
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Sufism in Egypt
Cairo's mystic revival
Egyptian Sufis have been on the defensive against the country's Islamists for decades. Meanwhile, interest in mysticism is growing among the young members of Cairo’s middle and upper classes. By Marian Brehmer
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Economic crisis on the Nile
Is Egypt the 'new Lebanon'?
Food prices doubled, salaries halved, banks restricting withdrawals: Egyptians now have the same problems as the Lebanese. But if things get worse here, the fallout will be far more damaging. By Cathrin Schaer
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War in Ukraine, climate change, mismanagement
Tunisia milk market 'collapsing' as feed prices soar
A Tunisian farmer attaches a machine to a cow's udder and sets the pump whirring, but he only expects to fetch less than half the normal amount of milk amid soaring fodder prices
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Women's rights in Egypt
We need to talk about abortion
Abortions are illegal in Egypt unless they are necessary to save a married woman's life. But that doesn't stop local women from having one. Egyptian society needs to acknowledge this, activists say. By Diana Hodali
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Cairo crazy about German licence plates
Egyptians favour the "D"
Giessen, Eichsfeld, Kusel, Berlin – cars bearing old German number plates are the latest trend on the streets of Cairo. Many Egyptians regard the discarded plates as chic. What counts is the small "D" on blue beneath the EU circle of stars. By Johannes Sadek
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Turkish-Syrian relations
A menacing rapprochement
Any reconciliation between Turkey and Syria’s Assad regime would have disastrous consequences for many Syrians, explains Syria expert Kristin Helberg
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Iraq’s cultural heritage
Iraqi conservators strive to preserve ancient manuscripts
Iraq bears the scars of decades of conflict and has seen its antiquities plundered, yet the House of Manuscripts' collection has managed to survive