Coronavirus
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27th Men's Handball World Championship
Egypt 2021, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi’s search for a fig leaf
Hosting major sports tournaments can confer prestige on a country, but in the case of Egypt, the 2021 Handball World Championship will do little to repair relations with either the United States, Italy, or the Arab Gulf states, argues James M. Dorsey
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Best of Qantara.de 2020
2020 in review: Qantara's 'Top Ten'
Last year was one of a kind. 2020 saw the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic, putting a stop to the hajj. Though peace in the Middle East remains a pipedream, there was something of a diplomatic thaw. At the same time, human rights across the region remain under attack. Here are Qantara.de's ten most read articles of 2020
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Migrants and entrepreneurship in Germany
Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci – a rare success story?
When news broke that a vaccine against COVID-19 developed by a Turkish-born couple in Germany had promising results, many media reports placed the ethnic background of these scientists above the importance of the story itself. While migrant entrepreneurship might still be regarded as something rare in Germany, research shows that more and more migrants are launching their own businesses. By Sertan Sanderson
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Economic crisis in Lebanon
The subsidy quandary
Flour, medicine, fuel … a whole range of essential goods is subsidised in Lebanon. If the subsidies stop, then prices, poverty and the possibility of conflict increases. If they don't, the country runs out of money. Local experts say they have an answer. They just need politicians to act on it. Cathrin Schaer reports from Beirut
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Coronavirus in the Middle East
"Pandemic of poverty" for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon
Social and economic upheaval in Lebanon in 2020 has deepened and magnified the poverty of Palestinian refugees. The country's "forgotten" Palestinians are bereft of international support and almost totally dependent on UNRWA. Lifting the restrictions on their economic status would help. By Stephen McCloskey
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Christmas face masks from Gaza
In the blockaded Gaza Strip, the Christmas season is giving a boost to a small women’s business that produces pandemic face masks decorated with holiday symbols.
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Festive coronavirus masks
Christmas opens new market for small Gaza sewing business
In the blockaded Gaza Strip, the Christmas season is giving a boost to a small women’s business that produces pandemic face masks decorated with holiday symbols
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COVID-19 in the Occupied Territories
Coronavirus infection rates skyrocket in the Gaza Strip
Health experts in the Gaza Strip are sounding the alarm, fearing the pandemic could soon rage out of control. Hospitals there are wholly unprepared for the situation and doctors are pleading for international assistance. Kerstin Knipp has the details
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DW documentary on the Lebanon crisis
A land in freefall – between revolution and hope
The political and economic crisis in Lebanon started long before the devastating explosion on 4 August 2020. But since then, the country has been in freefall. Young people in particular are asking whether they have a future there at all.
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Democracy in the Maghreb
Tebboune's 'New Algeria' looks a lot like the old Algeria
Algeria's recent referendum was a thinly veiled attempt to hijack the agenda of the country's popular Hirak protest movement. Yet the people are no longer willing to accept ageing leaders who rely on a veneer of democracy to maintain their rule. Legitimacy will only be achieved by genuine structural reforms. By Dalia Ghanem
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COVID-19 and fake news in the Middle East
Arabs find comfort in coronavirus conspiracy theories
In the Arab region, fake news relating to COVID-19 claims that people who have been cured "convert to Islam" or that "Muslims are immune" to the disease. Long-established conspiracy theories have a bearing on the rumours. Another contributing factor is that people have no faith in the authorities. By Mona Naggar
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Mass expulsions to Niger
Algeria abandons thousands of migrants in the desert
Now that the COVID-19 crisis in Algeria has eased significantly, Algerian authorities are once again cracking down on migrants with extreme severity, expelling thousands of people to Niger in a blatant violation of international law. By Sofian Philip Naceur