Coronavirus
All topics-
COVID-19 on the Nile
Egyptians create their own silver lining to coronavirus
Given the numerous civil society initiatives that have emerged during coronavirus, Egyptian writer and journalist Khaled al-Khamissi finds his faith in his fellow Egyptians restored – there is hope for the country after all
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Germany hosts the Sudan Partnership Conference
A historic opportunity to move Sudan's transition along
The Sudan Partnership Conference on 25 June is seeking funding commitments to rebuild Sudan’s desolate economy. As Annette Weber argues, the crucial point will be aligning financial assistance with a successful transition process
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Omitted from the United Nations' list of shame
Yemen's dead and injured children haunt Saudi-led war
Just one day after the UN Secretariat omitted Saudi-led forces from a "list of shame", an airstrike killed four children. The UN is under pressure to acknowledge Saudi Arabia's role in killing and maiming children. By Lewis Sanders IV and Kerstin Knipp
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Coronavirus fallout
Tunisia post-lockdown – should we stay or should we go?
Now that the COVID-19 crisis in Tunisia has abated, the government has lifted almost all restrictions. But the social consequences of the lockdown are still hitting the country hard. While social protests and strikes put pressure on the government, an increasing number of people are starting to see escape to Italy as the only way out. Sofian Philip Naceur reports from Tunis
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Arab states
Pandemic shines a light on the Gulf's three-way split
With Ramadan over and coronavirus hopefully on the wane, Bader Al-Saif takes a look at how divisions dating back to the June 2017 blockade of Qatar shaped the region's contrasting approaches to political messaging and public health in a time of both crisis and observance
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Politics and COVID-19
Coronavirus sees political polarisation in Turkey deepen
Rising tension between the Turkish government and the opposition fuels speculation of an early election as they battle over COVID-19 financial aid campaigns, triggering further polarisation. By Ayse Karabat
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COVID-19 on the Nile
How coronavirus snuffed out my bookseller's life
Hassouna, the street vendor from whom our author always purchased his newspapers, has died in the pandemic, not yet 50 years old. He was a legend among Cairo's newsagents. By Khaled el-Khamissi
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COVID-19 pandemic
Afghans fear a belated coronavirus wave
According to official figures, Afghanistan has so far not been affected by the corona pandemic to the same extent as its neighbour Iran. But deficits such as a lack of testing capacity are giving rise to fears of worse to come. Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi reports
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COVID-19 on the Nile
Where is the justice in corona-plagued Egypt?
An actor falls ill and receives preferential treatment; a well-known contract killer is pardoned: the corona pandemic draws back the veil on social inequality in Egypt. By Khaled el-Khamissi
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The instrumentalisation of religion
What do Donald Trump and Pakistani imams have in common?
Using religion as a prop to entrench power, Donald Trump and Pakistani clerics share the kind of opportunism and worldview that serves their short-term interests – irrespective of the cost to human life. By James M. Dorsey and Tehmina Qureshi
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COVID-19 in Southeast Asia
Pakistan courting disaster with its coronavirus strategy
Pakistan has recorded more than 4,000 coronavirus cases in a single-day – taking the total number of reported infections to over 82,000. Reports suggest actual cases in the country could be in their millions. Haroon Janjua reports from Islamabad
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COVID-19 and religion in the Middle East
Mosques re-open in Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem amid virus woes
There were signs of a return to something akin to normality at the weekend as mosques in Saudi Arabia and the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem re-opened for the first time since COVID-19 struck in mid-March. Whether Muslims can look forward to the hajj this year is another matter